Abstract: A semiconductor device structure is provided. The semiconductor device structure includes a first source/drain epitaxial feature formed over a substrate, a second source/drain epitaxial feature formed over the substrate, two or more semiconductor layers disposed between the first source/drain epitaxial feature and the second source/drain epitaxial feature, a gate electrode layer surrounding a portion of one of the two or more semiconductor layers, a first dielectric region disposed in the substrate and in contact with a first side of the first source/drain epitaxial feature, and a second dielectric region disposed in the substrate and in contact with a first side of the second source/drain epitaxial feature, the second dielectric region being separated from the first dielectric region by a substrate.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides a method for fabricating an image sensor. The method includes the following operations. A cavity is formed at a first surface of a substrate. A germanium layer is formed in the cavity. A first heavily doped region is formed in the germanium layer by an implantation operation. A second heavily doped region is formed at a position proximal to a top surface of the germanium layer, wherein the second heavily doped region is laterally surrounded by the first heavily doped region from a top view perspective. An interconnect structure is formed over the germanium layer.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to an integrated chip. The integrated chip includes a substrate having a first semiconductor material. A second semiconductor material is disposed on the first semiconductor material and a passivation layer is disposed on the second semiconductor material. A first doped region and a second doped region extend through the passivation layer and into the second semiconductor material. A silicide is arranged within the passivation layer and along tops of the first doped region and the second doped region.

Abstract: Germanium-based sensors are disclosed herein. An exemplary germanium-based sensor includes a germanium photodiode and a junction field effect transistor (JFET) formed from a germanium layer disposed on and/or in a silicon substrate. A doped silicon layer, which can be formed by in-situ doping epitaxially grown silicon, is disposed between the germanium layer and the silicon substrate. In embodiments where the germanium layer is on the silicon substrate, the doped silicon layer is disposed between the germanium layer and an oxide layer. The JFET has a doped polysilicon gate, and in some embodiments, a gate diffusion region is disposed in the germanium layer under the doped polysilicon gate. In some embodiments, a pinned photodiode passivation layer is disposed in the germanium layer. In some embodiments, a pair of doped regions in the germanium layer is configured as an e-lens of the germanium-based sensor.

Abstract: A grading apparatus and a method based on digital data are provided. In the method, feature information of an image is obtained through a first model. Content of the image includes a real object, and the first model is trained based on a deep learning algorithm. A first inference result is determined according to a first feature in the feature information. The first feature is a region feature and is corresponding to objects, and the first inference result is one or more defects on the real object. A second inference result of a second feature in the feature information is determined through a second model based on a semantic algorithm. The second feature is related to locations, and the second inference result is related to context presented by the real object. The first and the second inference results are fused to obtain a grading result of the real object.

Abstract: A PWM controller for controlling a switching voltage regulator comprises a first comparator, a second comparator and a third comparator. The first comparator is configured to detect voltages of a first node and a second node so as to determine whether to stop the PWM controller. The PWM controller is stopped if a first potential is lower than a threshold, and the first potential derives from the voltage of the first node by a level shift of a first voltage difference. The second comparator is configured to detect the voltage of the first node and then to compare the voltage with a power reference voltage so as to determine whether the PWM controller receives necessary power. The third comparator is configured to compare the voltage of the second node with an enable reference voltage so as to determine whether to disable the PWN controller.

Abstract: A pulse width modulation controller comprises a disabling unit, a level sensor and an over current protector. These three devices are all coupled to a multi-function node for accomplishing a disable function, input level sensing, and over-current protection, respectively.

Abstract: A PWM controller for controlling a switching voltage regulator comprises a first comparator, a second comparator and a third comparator. The first comparator is configured to detect voltages of a first node and a second node so as to determine whether to stop the PWM controller. The PWM controller is stopped if a first potential is lower than a threshold, and the first potential derives from the voltage of the first node by a level shift of a first voltage difference. The second comparator is configured to detect the voltage of the first node and then to compare the voltage with a power reference voltage so as to determine whether the PWM controller receives necessary power. The third comparator is configured to compare the voltage of the second node with an enable reference voltage so as to determine whether to disable the PWN controller.

Abstract: A PWM controller applied to a switching voltage regulator comprises a disabling circuit, a power-sensing circuit, an over-current protection circuit and a PWM logic circuit. The disabling circuit is connected to an external frequency compensation circuit for detecting a voltage used to stop the operation of the PWM controller. The power-sensing circuit is configured to stop the operation of the PWM controller if the input voltage of the high side switch is lower than a threshold. The over-current protection circuit is configured to monitor current flowing through the output circuit, and the over-current protection circuit generates an over-current protection signal when the current exceeds a threshold. The PWM logic circuit is connected to the outputs of the disabling circuit, power-sensing circuit and over-current protection circuit.