Abstract: An apparatus comprises a through via formed in a substrate. The through via is coupled between a first side and a second side of the substrate. The through via comprises a bottom portion adjacent to the second side of the substrate, wherein the bottom portion is formed of a conductive material. The through via further comprises sidewall portions formed of the conductive material and a middle portion formed between the sidewall portions, wherein the middle portion is formed of a dielectric material.

Abstract: A human detection system includes a thermal sensor and an indoor apparatus. The thermal sensor captures a thermal image of an indoor space. The human detection system includes a human entering detection mode, a first human exiting detection mode corresponding to a state of turning off the indoor apparatus and a second human exiting detection mode corresponding to a state of turning on the indoor apparatus, wherein the human detection system executes a human entering detection procedure according to the thermal image under the first human entering detection mode, and executes a human exiting detection procedure according to the thermal image under the first human exiting detection mode or the second human exiting detection mode.

Abstract: An electronic device includes a first storage unit, a second storage unit and a control unit. The first storage unit stores the cache of the data. The second storage unit stores the data. The control unit calculates a first ratio of the cache corresponding to the data according to the capacity of the first storage unit. The control unit sends a distribution signal to the processing unit when the control unit reads the data from the second storage unit. The processing unit obtains a first distribution result corresponding to the cache according to the first ratio, and stores the cache to the first storage unit according to the first distribution result.

Abstract: An apparatus comprising a substrate with multiple electronic devices. An interconnect structure formed on a first side of the substrate interconnects the electronic devices. Dummy TSVs each extend through the substrate and form an alignment mark on a second side of the substrate. Functional TSVs each extend through the substrate and electrically connect to the electronic devices. A redistribution layer (RDL) formed on the second side of the substrate interconnects ones of the dummy TSVs with ones of the functional TSVs. Step heights of the RDL over the functional TSVs are less than a predetermined value, whereas step heights of the RDL over the dummy TSVs are greater than the predetermined value.

Abstract: A method of forming an integrated circuit includes forming at least one opening through a first surface of a substrate. The method further includes forming at least one conductive structure in the at least one opening. The method further includes removing a portion of the substrate to form a processed substrate having the first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface and to expose a portion of the at least one conductive structure adjacent to the second surface. The at least one conductive structure continuously extending from the first surface through the processed substrate to the second surface of the processed substrate, at least one sidewall of the at least one conductive structure spaced from a sidewall of the at least one opening by an air gap.

Abstract: A method includes depositing a dielectric layer over a substrate, patterning the dielectric layer to form a first opening and a second opening, wherein a width of the second opening is greater than a width of the first opening, forming a first metal layer over the dielectric layer, wherein a planar surface of the first metal layer in the second opening is lower than a top surface of the dielectric layer, forming a second metal layer in a conformal manner over the first metal layer, wherein a material of the first metal layer is different from a material of the second metal layer and applying a polishing process to the first metal layer and the second metal layer until the dielectric layer is exposed.

Abstract: Methods of making and an integrated circuit device. An embodiment method includes patterning a first polymer layer disposed over a first copper seed layer, electroplating a through polymer via in the first polymer layer using the first copper seed layer, a via end surface offset from a first polymer layer surface, forming a second polymer layer over the first polymer layer, the second polymer layer patterned to expose the via end surface, and electroplating an interconnect in the second polymer layer to cap the via end surface using a second copper seed layer.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method of fabricating a fin field effect transistor (finFET), comprising: firstly, an interfacial layer is formed on a fin structure, next, a high-k dielectric layer is formed on the interfacial layer; afterwards, a stress film is formed on the high-k dielectric layer, an annealing process is then performed to the stress film, and an etching process is performed to remove the stress film.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a MEMS package having an outgassing element configured to adjust a pressure within a hermetically sealed cavity by inducing outgassing of into the cavity, and an associated method. In some embodiments, the method is performed by forming an outgassing element within a passivation layer over a CMOS substrate and forming an outgassing resistive layer to cover the outgassing element. The outgassing resistive layer is removed from over the outgassing element, and the MEMS substrate is bonded to a front side of the CMOS substrate to enclose a first MEMS device within a first cavity and a second MEMS device within a second cavity. After removing the outgassing resistive layer, the outgassing element releases a gas into the second cavity to increase a second pressure of the second cavity to be greater than a first pressure of the first cavity.

Abstract: The present invention provides some methods for forming at least two different nanowire structures with different diameters on one substrate. Since the diameter of the nanowire structure will influence the threshold voltage (Vt) and the drive currents of a nanowire field effect transistor, in this invention, at least two nanowire structures with different diameters can be formed on one substrate. Therefore, in the following steps, these nanowire structures can be applied in different nanowire field effect transistors with different Vt and drive currents. This way, the flexibility of the nanowire field effect transistors can be improved.

Abstract: A method for fabricating semiconductor device includes the steps of: providing a substrate having a fin-shaped structure thereon and a shallow trench isolation (STI) around the fin-shaped structure, in which the fin-shaped structure has a top portion and a bottom portion; forming a first doped layer on the STI and the top portion; and performing a first anneal process.

Abstract: An apparatus comprises a dielectric layer formed on a first side of a substrate, a first side interconnect structure comprising a first metal line and a pad formed in the dielectric layer, wherein the pad comprises a bottom portion formed of a first conductive metal and an upper portion formed of a second conductive metal, and wherein sidewalls of the upper portion are surrounded by the bottom portion and a top surface of the pad is coplanar with a top surface of the first metal line and a passivation layer formed over the dielectric layer.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a MEMs package having a heating element configured to adjust a pressure within a hermetically sealed chamber by inducing out-gassing of into the chamber, and an associated method. In some embodiments, the MEMs package has a CMOS substrate having one or more semiconductor devices arranged within a semiconductor body. A MEMs structure is connected to the CMOS substrate and has a micro-electromechanical (MEMs) device. The CMOS substrate and the MEMs structure form a hermetically sealed chamber abutting the MEMs device. A heating element is electrically coupled to the one or more semiconductor devices and is separated from the hermetically sealed chamber by an out-gassing layer arranged along an interior surface of the hermetically sealed chamber. By operating the heating element to cause the out-gassing layer to release a gas, the pressure of the hermetically sealed chamber can be adjusted after it is formed.

Abstract: A memory device and method of operating a memory device are provided. The memory device comprises global control circuitry configured to receive a clock signal for the memory device and the memory device is configured to perform a double memory access in response to a single edge of the clock signal. A first internal clock pulse for a first access of the double memory access and a second internal clock pulse for a second access of the double memory access are generated in response to the single edge of the clock signal. The global control circuitry generates a comparison signal in dependence on a comparison between a first bank indicated by the first access and a second bank indicated by the second access, and local bank control circuitry of the second bank is configured to generate the second internal clock pulse in dependence on the comparison signal.

Abstract: A method for fabricating semiconductor device is disclosed. The method includes the steps of: providing a substrate having a fin-shaped structure thereon and a shallow trench isolation (STI) around the fin-shaped structure, in which the fin-shaped structure has a top portion and a bottom portion; forming a first doped layer on the STI and the top portion; and performing a first anneal process.

Abstract: A method for fabricating semiconductor device is disclosed. The method includes the steps of: providing a substrate having a fin-shaped structure thereon and a shallow trench isolation (STI) around the fin-shaped structure, in which the fin-shaped structure has a top portion and a bottom portion; forming a first doped layer on the STI and the top portion; and performing a first anneal process.

Abstract: An exposure-control system and an associated exposure control method are provided. The exposure-control system includes: an image capturing unit configured to capture a long-exposure image and a short-exposure image with a first exposure value and a second exposure value, respectively; and a processor, configured to calculate histograms of the long-exposure image and the short-exposure image, and calculate an exposure ratio according to the calculated histograms, the first and second exposure values, wherein when the exposure ratio is smaller than a first threshold, the processor switches a current exposure mode to a low dynamic range mode. When the exposure ratio is larger than a second threshold, the processor switches the current exposure mode to a high dynamic range mode. When the exposure ratio is between the first threshold and the second threshold, the processor does not switch the current exposure mode.

Abstract: An exposure-control system and an associated exposure control method are provided. The exposure-control system includes: an image capturing unit configured to capture a long-exposure image and a short-exposure image with a first exposure value and a second exposure value, respectively; and a processor, configured to calculate histograms of the long-exposure image and the short-exposure image, and calculate an exposure ratio according to the calculated histograms, the first and second exposure values, wherein when the exposure ratio is smaller than a first threshold, the processor switches a current exposure mode to a low dynamic range mode. When the exposure ratio is larger than a second threshold, the processor switches the current exposure mode to a high dynamic range mode. When the exposure ratio is between the first threshold and the second threshold, the processor does not switch the current exposure mode.

Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a through-substrate via extending from a frontside to a backside of a semiconductor substrate. The through-substrate via includes a concave or a convex portion adjacent to the backside of the semiconductor substrate. An isolation film is formed on the backside of the semiconductor substrate. A conductive layer includes a first portion formed on the concave or convex portion of the through substrate via and a second portion formed on the isolation film. A passivation layer partially covers the conductive layer.

Abstract: An electronic apparatus and a power management method for a solid state disk thereof are provided. The solid state disk includes a controller and multiple memory dies which are separated into multiple channels. In the method, the solid state disk uses the channels corresponding to one of at least one power state to provide parallel data processing, in which the at least one power state is set in the controller of the solid state disk, each power state only uses a portion of the channels to provide parallel data processing at one time, and a quantity of the channels used by the at least one power state is different.