Abstract: Methods and semiconductor devices are provided. A method includes determining a location of a polyimide opening (PIO) corresponding to an under-bump metallization (UBM) feature in a die. The die includes a substrate and an interconnect structure over the substrate. The method also includes determining a location of a stacked via structure in the interconnect structure based on the location of the PIO. The method further includes forming, in the interconnect structure, the stacked via structure comprising at most three stacked contact vias at the location of the PIO.

Abstract: A method includes providing a substrate, forming a patterned hard mask layer over the substrate, etching the patterned hard mask layer to form a hole that penetrates the patterned hard mask layer, forming a barrier portion in the hole, removing the patterned hard mask layer, and forming a gate structure over the substrate. Formation of the gate structure includes forming a dielectric body portion on the substrate. The barrier portion that is thicker than the dielectric body portion adjoins one end of the dielectric body portion. The dielectric body portion and the barrier portion are collectively referred to as a gate dielectric layer. Formation of the gate structure further includes forming a gate electrode on the gate dielectric layer and forming gate spacers on opposite sidewalls of the gate electrode. During formation of the gate spacers, a portion of the barrier portion is removed to form a recessed corner.

Abstract: A first fin structure is disposed over a substrate. The first fin structure contains a semiconductor material. A gate dielectric layer is disposed over upper and side surfaces of the first fin structure. A gate electrode layer is formed over the gate dielectric layer. A second fin structure is disposed over the substrate. The second fin structure is physically separated from the first fin structure and contains a ferroelectric material. The second fin structure is electrically coupled to the gate electrode layer.

Abstract: A method for detecting channels of a host to which hard disk controllers belong is used to detect the connection relations between several channels of a host and several removable hard disk cases in the hard disk device. Each of the removable hard disk cases has a current sensor for detecting the current variation of the hard disk, transforming the variation into a voltage signal, and transmitting the voltage signal to a enclosure-controller. The enclosure-controller then converts the voltage signal into a flag. The host can read the flag via a serial bus to build the corresponding relation between the channel connected to the hard disk and the enclosure-controller. The effects of easy use and friendly operation can thus be accomplished.

Abstract: A hard disk device capable of detecting channels of a host to which hard disk controllers belong and are used to detect the connection relations between several channels of a host and several removable hard disk cases in the hard disk device. Each of the removable hard disk cases has a current sensor for detecting the current variation of the hard disk, transforming the variation into a voltage signal, and transmitting the voltage signal to a enclosure-controller. The enclosure-controller then converts the voltage signal into a flag. The host can read the flag via a serial bus to build the corresponding relation between the channel connected to the hard disk and the enclosure-controller. The effects of easy use and friendly operation can thus be accomplished.

Abstract: A method for detecting channels of a host to which hard disk controllers belong is used to detect the connection relations between several channels of a host and several removable hard disk cases in the hard disk device. Each of the removable hard disk cases has a current sensor for detecting the current variation of the hard disk, transforming the variation into a voltage signal, and transmitting the voltage signal to a enclosure-controller. The enclosure-controller then converts the voltage signal into a flag. The host can read the flag via a serial bus to build the corresponding relation between the channel connected to the hard disk and the enclosure-controller. The effects of easy use and friendly operation can thus be accomplished.

Abstract: A hard disk device capable of detecting channels of a host to which hard disk controllers belong and are used to detect the connection relations between several channels of a host and several removable hard disk cases in the hard disk device. Each of the removable hard disk cases has a current sensor for detecting the current variation of the hard disk, transforming the variation into a voltage signal, and transmitting the voltage signal to a enclosure-controller. The enclosure-controller then converts the voltage signal into a flag. The host can read the flag via a serial bus to build the corresponding relation between the channel connected to the hard disk and the enclosure-controller. The effects of easy use and friendly operation can thus be accomplished.

Abstract: A fast data alignment display queue structure for image block transfer comprises a shift circuit, a bit mask, a multi-layer FIFO buffer and a plurality of multiplexers, wherein input data are shifted a desired number of bytes by the shift circuit, and written to the FIFO buffer, and then the data in each level of the FIFO buffer are read by an external DRAM. By using the structure above, a block can be shifted to right or left by filling the data to the FIFO buffer in the sequence started from the first level or in the sequence started from the last level. Therefore, shifting operation for a block can be implemented in different directions without additional transfer logic.

Abstract: A line buffer apparatus with an extendible command queue length, includes a first level command queue for receiving commands from a computer; a line buffer for temporarily receiving video data or a command queue, the line buffer including a data input port and a data output port; a first multiplexer and a second multiplexer respectively connected to the data input port and the data output port of the line buffer for operatively enabling the line buffer to receive command data coming from a first level command queue or video data coming from a memory, and to output data into a graphic engine or a two dimensional operating device; a controller for controlling the two multiplexers to selectively connect the line buffer between the first level command queue and the graphic engine so as to treat the line buffer as a second level command queue when the line buffer does not temporarily store video, thereby flexibly extending the command queue length of an video window accelerator.