Abstract: Some embodiments relate to A deep trench isolation (DTI) structure, including: a DTI core extending into a substrate; a first film surrounding the DTI core and having a first material with a first conduction band at a first band energy; a second film between the first film and the DTI core, the second film having a second material with a second conduction band at a second band energy less than the first band energy; and a third film between the second film and the DTI core, the third film having a third material with a third conduction band at a third band energy greater than the second band energy.

Abstract: An apparatus includes a solid state circuit breaker selectively configured as a closed switch or an open switch. A current sensor is coupled to a current path passing through the closed switch and configured to sense an electrical current flowing on the current path while the switch is closed. A student convolutional neural network (CNN) model is pretrained using a knowledge distillation-based teacher-student approach. The student CNN model is coupled to the solid state circuit breaker and the current sensor and configured to process data representative of the electrical current, the data being processed cyclically with a period defined by an arc fault detection cycle. According to some aspects, in response to the student CNN model detecting, in association with the electrical current, an arc fault lasting a predetermined number of consecutive arc fault detection cycles, the solid state circuit breaker is reconfigured as the open switch.

Abstract: The present invention discloses a method of estimating a state of charge (SOC) of a battery and a system thereof. The method of estimating the SOC of the battery includes following steps: calculating a voltage difference (?V) using a voltaic gauge based on a battery voltage (VBAT) and an open-circuit voltage (OCV); adaptively adjusting a gain (K) using a gain control engine based on a battery current (IBAT) and a full charged capacity (FCC), wherein the gain (K) is adjusted to generate an adjusted gain (K?); generating a present SOC change (?SOC_T) using the voltaic gauge based on the voltage difference (?V) and the adjusted gain (K?); and generating a next SOC (SOC_T+1) using an accumulator based on a present SOC (SOC_T) and the present SOC change (?SOC_T).

Abstract: A method for determining the reference internal impedance of a battery includes the following steps: (a) during a sensing period, sensing a battery voltage, a battery current flowing through the battery, and a battery temperature to obtain a sensing result, thereby determining a depth of discharge (DOD); (b) in step (a), comparing the sensing result with a predetermined threshold to determine whether to accept the sensing result; (c) when the sensing result is accepted, calculating a corresponding battery internal impedance based on the sensing result and the depth of discharge; (d) performing regression analysis on the battery internal impedance and a plurality of previous battery internal impedances to obtain a moving average battery internal impedance corresponding to the depth of discharge; and (e) obtaining a corresponding reference battery internal impedance based on the moving average battery internal impedance.

Abstract: A battery control parameter estimation system includes sensing, storage, and estimation circuits. The estimation circuit determines an operation model based on an estimated control parameter signal and a battery property signal or an internal reference information. The operation model defines a control parameter, a status parameter, and a relationship therebetween, and performs an estimation operation to generate an estimation result.

Abstract: A polysilicon well is formed at a cross-road portion between a plurality of pixel sensors in a pixel sensor array. Moreover, the underlying oxide layer between the polysilicon well and a semiconductor layer of the pixel sensor array may be thinner than other areas of the oxide layer. The polysilicon well and the thinner oxide layer may reduce the likelihood of and/or the magnitude of lateral etching that occurs during etching of the semiconductor layer to form recesses in which a BDTI structure of the pixel sensor array is formed. Moreover, the bottom of the BDTI structure being surrounded by the polysilicon well enables a voltage bias to be applied to the BDTI structure through the polysilicon well to passivate damage that might have occurred to the semiconductor layer around the bottom of the BDTI structure.

Abstract: A memory device is provided in various embodiments. The memory device, in those embodiments, has an ovonic threshold switching (OTS) selector comprising multiple layers of OTS materials to achieve a low leakage current and as well as relatively low threshold voltage for the OTS selector. The multiple layers can have at least one layer of low bandgap OTS material and at least one layer of high bandgap OTS material.

Abstract: Some embodiments relate to an integrated circuit device incorporating a dual via structure for through-chip connections. The integrated circuit device includes a substrate, at least one dielectric layer disposed over a frontside surface of the substrate, and a plurality of metal layers residing in the at least one dielectric layer. The integrated circuit device also includes a first via structure and a second via structure. The first via structure includes a plurality of vias. The first via structure is electrically connected to one of the plurality of metal layers and extends through the frontside surface of the substrate. The second via structure extends from a backside surface of the substrate opposite the frontside surface into the substrate and contacts the first via structure.

Abstract: Fabricating a metal-insulator-metal (MIM) capacitor structure includes: forming a patterned metallization layer; disposing a dielectric material on the patterned metallization layer; etching one or more deep trenches through the dielectric material to the patterned metallization layer; depositing a MIM multilayer on the dielectric material and inside the one or more deep trenches formed in the dielectric material; and fabricating at least one three-dimensional MIM (3D-MIM) capacitor comprising a portion of the MIM multilayer deposited inside at least one of the one or more deep trenches; and fabricating at least one second capacitor, including at least one shallow 3D-MIM capacitor comprising a portion of the MIM multilayer deposited inside one or more shallow trenches passing partway through the dielectric material that are shallower than the one or more deep trenches, and/or at least one two-dimensional MIM (2D-MIM) capacitor comprising a portion of the MIM multilayer deposited on the dielectric material.

Abstract: An integrated chip including a semiconductor substrate having a first side and a second side, opposite the first side. A first transistor and a second transistor are along the first side of the semiconductor substrate. A dielectric structure including a plurality of dielectric layers is under the first side of the semiconductor substrate. A first metal line is within the dielectric structure. A second metal line is within the dielectric structure and under the first metal line. A first metal via extends between the first metal line and the second metal line. A through-substrate via (TSV) extends from the second side of the semiconductor substrate, through the semiconductor substrate between the first transistor and the second transistor, to the first metal line and the second metal line.

Abstract: An optical device and a method of fabricating the same are disclosed. The optical device includes a first die layer and a second die layer. The first die layer includes a first substrate having a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface, first and second pixel structures, an inter-pixel isolation structure disposed in the first substrate and surrounding the first and second pixel structures, and a floating diffusion region disposed in the first substrate and between the first and second pixel structures. The second die layer includes a second substrate having a third surface and a fourth surface opposite to the third surface and a pixel transistor group disposed on the third surface of the second substrate and electrically connected to the first and second pixel structures.

Abstract: A guard ring structure and a component structure are provided. The guard ring structure includes a first attached guard ring and a second attached guard ring. The first attached guard ring is disposed at a periphery of an active region. The second attached guard ring is disposed at a periphery of the first attached guard ring. The first attached guard ring and the second attached guard ring are each an attached guard ring, and form a stepped structure. The guard ring structure is a stepped diffusion structure for an avalanche photodiode.

Abstract: A device structure includes semiconductor devices located on a substrate; metal interconnect structures located in dielectric material layers overlying the semiconductor devices; and a non-Ohmic voltage-triggered switch including a first switch electrode that is electrically connected to one of the semiconductor devices through a subset of the metal interconnect structures, a second switch electrode, and a non-Ohmic switching material portion providing a non-Ohmic current-voltage characteristics and in contact with the first switch electrode and the second switch electrode. The non-Ohmic voltage-triggered switch may be used as an electrostatic discharge (ESD) switch.

Abstract: A collection and test device for a rapid test is provided. The device comprises a test fluid accommodation part having a test fluid accommodation space, a test paper accommodation part having a test paper accommodation space, and a collection probe having a channel for the test fluid to flow out from the collection probe. The two ends of the test paper accommodation part are respectively connected to the test fluid accommodation part and the collection probe, and the test paper accommodation space communicates with the channel of the collection probe. The test fluid accommodation space and the test paper accommodation space are separated from each other by a temporary barrier. The temporary barrier can be manually removed or broken to make the test fluid accommodation space communicate with the test paper accommodation space. The device of the present invention can provide the test results conveniently and rapidly.

Abstract: The problem of connecting a TSV to a BEOL metal interconnect structure without damaging the BEOL metal interconnect structure is solved by landing the TSV on a metal coupling structure formed during FEOL processing. The metal coupling structure is produced in accordance with design rules that apply to FEOL processing. The metal coupling structure may include substructures that have the composition and shape of wires in a transistor level metal interconnect and substructures that have the composition and shape of metal gate strips. The metal coupling structure may include pluralities of the substructures arrayed across the TSV landing area. The substructures that make up the metal coupling structure are connected to the BEOL metal interconnect through vias.

Abstract: The present disclosure, in some embodiments, relates to an image sensor integrated chip. The image sensor integrated chip includes a plurality of gate structures arranged along a first side of a substrate within a plurality of pixel regions. An etch block structure is arranged on the first side of the substrate between neighboring ones of the plurality of gate structures. A contact etch stop layer (CESL) is arranged on the etch block structure between the neighboring ones of the plurality of gate structures. An isolation structure is disposed between one or more sidewalls of the substrate and extends from a second side of the substrate to the first side of the substrate. The etch block structure is vertically between the isolation structure and the CESL.

Abstract: A semiconductor structure includes a substrate including a first region and a second region; a first device disposed in the first region and a second device disposed in the second region; a first isolation disposed in the first region, wherein the first isolation is between a first source and a first drain, a first spacer overlaps the first isolation, the first isolation is separated from the first spacer by a first gate dielectric.

Abstract: A prediction processing system includes a processing circuit and a reference data buffer. The processing circuit performs a first inter prediction operation upon a first prediction block in a frame to generate a first inter prediction result, and further performs a second inter prediction operation upon a second prediction block during a first period. The reference data buffer buffers a reference data derived from the first inter prediction result. The processing circuit further fetches the reference data from the reference data buffer, and performs a non-inter prediction operation according to at least the reference data during a second period, wherein the second period overlaps the first period.

Abstract: A process of forming a back side deep trench isolation structure for an image sensing device includes etching first trenches in the back side of a semiconductor substrate, lining the first trenches with dielectric, depositing passivation layers over and within the first trenches, and etching second trenches through the passivation layers into the first trenches, and filling the second trenches to form a substrate-embedded metal grid. Optionally, the bottoms of the first trenches are filled by depositing and etching a lower fill material prior to depositing the passivation layers. The method prevents the passivation layers from pinching off in a way that causes voids within the first trenches. The result is better optical performance such as increased quantum efficiency and reduced crosstalk.