Abstract: A method of operating a memory circuit includes generating, by a first memory cell array, a first current in response to a first voltage, generating, by a tracking circuit, a second set of leakage currents, generating, by a first current source, a second write current, and mirroring, by a first current mirror. The first current includes a first set of leakage currents and a first write current. The first current is in a first path with a second current in a second path. The second current includes the second set of leakage currents and the second write current. The first write current corresponds to the second write current. The first set of leakage currents corresponds to the second set of leakage currents. The second set of leakage currents is configured to track the first set of leakage currents of the first memory cell array.

Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a substrate having a semiconductor fin. A gate structure is over the semiconductor fin, in which the gate structure has a tapered profile and comprises a gate dielectric. A work function metal layer is over the gate dielectric, and a filling metal is over the work function metal layer. A gate spacer is along a sidewall of the gate structure, in which the work function metal layer is in contact with the gate dielectric and a top portion of the gate spacer. An epitaxy structure is over the semiconductor fin.

Abstract: A voltage regulator circuit is provided. The voltage regulator circuit includes a voltage regulator configured to provide an output voltage at an output terminal. A plurality of macros are connectable at a plurality of connection nodes of a connector connected to the output terminal of the voltage regulator. A feedback circuit having a plurality of feedback loops is connectable to the plurality of connection nodes. The feedback loop of the plurality of feedback loops, when connected to a connection node of the plurality of connection nodes, is configured to provide an instantaneous voltage of the connection node as a feedback to the voltage regulator. The voltage regulator is configured, in response to the instantaneous voltage, regulate the output voltage to maintain the instantaneous voltage of the connection node approximately equal to a reference voltage.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides a method of forming a semiconductor structure. The method comprises providing a substrate comprising an isolation region, an active region adjacent to the isolation region, and a first top surface, wherein the isolation region includes an isolation trench filled with a dielectric material, and the active region includes a gate trench filled with a gate electrode material; forming a hard mask on the substrate; and performing an etching process to partially remove portions of the dielectric material and gate electrode material exposed by the hard mask to form a second top surface of the dielectric material and a third top surface of the gate electrode material, wherein the second top surface and the third top surface are substantially at the same level and are substantially lower than the first top surface.

Abstract: A method for performing a lithography process is provided. The method includes forming a photoresist layer over a substrate, providing a plurality of target droplets to a source vessel, and providing a plurality of first laser pulses according to a control signal provided by a controller to irradiate the target droplets in the source vessel to generate plasma as an EUV radiation. The plasma is generated when the control signal indicates a temperature of the source vessel is within a temperature threshold value. The method further includes directing the EUV radiation from the source vessel to the photoresist layer to form a patterned photoresist layer and developing and etching the patterned photoresist layer to form a circuit layout.

Abstract: A memory circuit includes a first driver circuit, a memory cell array including a first column of memory cells, a first transistor coupled between the first driver circuit and the memory cell array, a second driver circuit, a first column of tracking cells and a header circuit coupled to the first driver circuit and the second driver circuit. The first transistor is configured to receive a first select signal. The first column of tracking cells is configured to track a leakage current of the first column of memory cells, and is coupled between a first conductive line and a second conductive line, the first conductive line being coupled to the second driver circuit.

Abstract: In some aspects of the present disclosure, a memory device is disclosed. In some aspects, the memory device includes a first voltage regulator to receive a word line voltage provided to a memory array; a resistor network coupled to the first voltage regulator to provide an inhibit voltage to the memory array, wherein the resistor network comprises a plurality of resistors and wherein each of the resistors are coupled in series to an adjacent one of the plurality of resistors; and a switch network comprising a plurality of switches, wherein each of the switches are coupled to a corresponding one of the plurality of resistors and to the memory array via a second voltage regulator.

Abstract: A method of maximizing power efficiency for a power amplifier system comprises obtaining a power supply voltage; determining a first voltage level sufficient for a power amplifier of the power amplifier system to output an output power; determining a second voltage level lower than the first voltage level; determining whether the power amplifier is activated, to generate a determination result; determining to convert the power supply voltage into a supply voltage with the first voltage level or the second voltage level according to the determination result; and supplying the power amplifier with the supply voltage.

Abstract: A system includes a charge pump system having a plurality of enable signal input terminals and an output terminal, the charge pump system configured to provide an output voltage at the output terminal; and a detection circuit connected to the enable terminals and the output terminal of the charge pump system, the detection circuit configured to compare the charge pump system output voltage to a plurality of predefined input detection voltage levels, and to selectively output a plurality of enable signals to the charge pump system enable signal input terminals in response to the comparison.

Abstract: Semiconductor devices and methods of manufacture are provided whereby fences are formed over a substrate and III-V materials are grown over the substrate, wherein the fences block growth of the III-V materials. As such, smaller areas of the III-V materials are grown, thereby preventing stresses that occur with the growth of larger sheets.

Abstract: A method for automatic speech recognition using joint acoustic echo cancellation, speech enhancement, and voice separation includes receiving, at a contextual frontend processing model, input speech features corresponding to a target utterance. The method also includes receiving, at the contextual frontend processing model, at least one of a reference audio signal, a contextual noise signal including noise prior to the target utterance, or a speaker embedding including voice characteristics of a target speaker that spoke the target utterance. The method further includes processing, using the contextual frontend processing model, the input speech features and the at least one of the reference audio signal, the contextual noise signal, or the speaker embedding vector to generate enhanced speech features.

Abstract: A voltage regulator circuit is provided. The voltage regulator circuit includes a voltage regulator configured to provide an output voltage at an output terminal. A plurality of macros are connectable at a plurality of connection nodes of a connector connected to the output terminal of the voltage regulator. A feedback circuit having a plurality of feedback loops is connectable to the plurality of connection nodes. The feedback loop of the plurality of feedback loops, when connected to a connection node of the plurality of connection nodes, is configured to provide an instantaneous voltage of the connection node as a feedback to the voltage regulator. The voltage regulator is configured, in response to the instantaneous voltage, regulate the output voltage to maintain the instantaneous voltage of the connection node approximately equal to a reference voltage.

Abstract: A target droplet source for an extreme ultraviolet (EUV) source includes a droplet generator configured to generate target droplets of a given material. The droplet generator includes a nozzle configured to supply the target droplets in a space enclosed by a chamber. The target droplet source further includes a sleeve disposed in the chamber distal to the nozzle. The sleeve is configured to provide a path for the target droplets in the chamber.

Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a substrate having a semiconductor fin. A gate structure is over the semiconductor fin, in which the gate structure has a tapered profile and comprises a gate dielectric. A work function metal layer is over the gate dielectric, and a filling metal is over the work function metal layer. A gate spacer is along a sidewall of the gate structure, in which the work function metal layer is in contact with the gate dielectric and a top portion of the gate spacer. An epitaxy structure is over the semiconductor fin.

Abstract: A method includes receiving a sequence of audio features characterizing an utterance and processing, using an encoder neural network, the sequence of audio features to generate a sequence of encodings. At each of a plurality of output steps, the method also includes determining a corresponding hard monotonic attention output to select an encoding from the sequence of encodings, identifying a proper subset of the sequence of encodings based on a position of the selected encoding in the sequence of encodings, and performing soft attention over the proper subset of the sequence of encodings to generate a context vector at the corresponding output step. The method also includes processing, using a decoder neural network, the context vector generated at the corresponding output step to predict a probability distribution over possible output labels at the corresponding output step.

Abstract: A method for performing speech recognition using sequence-to-sequence models includes receiving audio data for an utterance and providing features indicative of acoustic characteristics of the utterance as input to an encoder. The method also includes processing an output of the encoder using an attender to generate a context vector, generating speech recognition scores using the context vector and a decoder trained using a training process, and generating a transcription for the utterance using word elements selected based on the speech recognition scores. The transcription is provided as an output of the ASR system.

Abstract: A circuit includes a memory macro comprising a plurality of memory banks. The circuit includes a first voltage regulator configured to provide a first operation voltage to the memory macro at a first output node. The circuit includes a second voltage regulator configured to provide a second operation voltage to the memory macro at a second output node. The second operation voltage is substantially higher than the first operation voltage. The circuit includes a decoupling capacitor configured to be alternately shared by the first voltage regulator when the memory macro receives the first operation voltage, and by the second voltage regulator when the memory macro receives the second operation voltage.

Abstract: A memory device includes a first memory array including a plurality of first memory bits. Each of the plurality of first memory bits is configured as a one-time-programmable (OTP) memory bit. A second memory array includes a plurality of second memory bits, each of the plurality of second memory bits being configured as a multi-time-programmable (MTP) memory bit. A lock bit circuit operatively coupled to the first memory array and not the second memory array. The lock bit circuit is configured to generate a lock bit indicative of whether at least one of the plurality of first memory bits has been programmed.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device. The method includes: forming a dummy via in a trench of a stacking structure with a bottom anti-reflection coated material, in which the stacking structure includes a low-k material layer and a cap layer, and the trench runs through the low-k material layer and the cap layer; and removing a portion of the dummy via by performing a first etching process and a second etching process, and in which the first etching process and the second etching process are performed such that a top surface of the dummy via is lower than a top surface of the low-k material layer and higher than a bottom surface of the low-k material layer.

Abstract: A method of operating a memory circuit includes generating a first current in response to a first voltage. The first current includes a first set of leakage currents and a first write current. The method further includes generating, by a tracking circuit, a second set of leakage currents configured to track the first set of leakage currents of the first column of memory cells, and mirroring the first current in a first path with a second current in a second path by a first current mirror. The second current includes the second set of leakage currents and a second write current. The first write current corresponds to the second write current. The first set of leakage currents corresponds to the second set of leakage currents.