Abstract: An integrated circuit device includes: a first chip including a first substrate and a main circuit formed on said first chip; a second chip stacked on the first substrate and including a second substrate that is independent from the first substrate, and a protective circuit for protecting the main circuit; and a conductive channel unit extending from the protective circuit and electrically connected to the main circuit.

Abstract: Improved silicide formation and associated devices are disclosed. An exemplary method includes providing a semiconductor material having spaced source and drain regions therein, forming a gate structure interposed between the source and drain regions, performing a gate replacement process on the gate structure to form a metal gate electrode therein, forming a hard mask layer over the metal gate electrode, forming silicide layers on the respective source and drain regions in the semiconductor material, removing the hard mask layer to expose the metal gate electrode, and forming source and drain contacts, each source and drain contact being conductively coupled to a respective one of the silicide layers.

Abstract: Improved silicide formation and associated devices are disclosed. An exemplary semiconductor device includes a semiconductor substrate, a fin structure disposed over the semiconductor substrate and having spaced source and drain regions extending outwardly from a channel region, and a gate structure disposed on a portion of the fin structure, the gate structure engaging the fin structure adjacent to the channel region. The device also includes a first silicide layer disposed on the fin structure, the first silicide layer extending outwardly from the gate structure along a top portion of the source region and a second silicide layer disposed on the fin structure, the second silicide layer extending outwardly from the gate structure along a top portion of the drain region. Further, the device includes a source contact conductively coupled to the first silicide layer and a drain contact conductively coupled to the second silicide layer.

Abstract: An integrated circuit structure includes a substrate having a first portion in a first device region and a second portion in a second device region; and two insulation regions in the first device region and over the substrate. The two insulation regions include a first dielectric material having a first k value. A semiconductor strip is between and adjoining the two insulation regions, with a top portion of the semiconductor strip forming a semiconductor fin over top surfaces of the two insulation regions. An additional insulation region is in the second device region and over the substrate. The additional insulation region includes a second dielectric material having a second k value greater than the first k value.

Abstract: A method for fluorescence detection is provided and includes mixing a fluorescence detecting reagent into a sample, placing the sample into a sample tray, where the sample tray includes at least a row of blank slots and at least a row of sampling slots. Then, exposing the sample tray to a background light, and obtaining a grayscale background image of the sample tray.

Abstract: A method of fast analog layout migration from an original layout is disclosed. Various placement constraints, including topology, matching and symmetry are extracted from the schematic or netlist as well as the original layout. In addition, relative placement patterns are extracted from the original layout for matching and symmetry constraints. A constraint hierarchy tree can be built according to the constraints, and relative placement patterns are attached accordingly. By using the constraint hierarchy tree, multiple new placement results are efficiently explored that preserve the relative placement patterns for matching and symmetry constraints.

Abstract: An integrated circuit structure includes a substrate having a first portion in a first device region and a second portion in a second device region; and two insulation regions in the first device region and over the substrate. The two insulation regions include a first dielectric material having a first k value. A semiconductor strip is between and adjoining the two insulation regions, with a top portion of the semiconductor strip forming a semiconductor fin over top surfaces of the two insulation regions. An additional insulation region is in the second device region and over the substrate. The additional insulation region includes a second dielectric material having a second k value greater than the first k value.

Abstract: Improved silicide formation and associated devices are disclosed. An exemplary method includes providing a semiconductor material having spaced source and drain regions therein, forming a gate structure interposed between the source and drain regions, performing a gate replacement process on the gate structure to form a metal gate electrode therein, forming a hard mask layer over the metal gate electrode, forming silicide layers on the respective source and drain regions in the semiconductor material, removing the hard mask layer to expose the metal gate electrode, and forming source and drain contacts, each source and drain contact being conductively coupled to a respective one of the silicide layers.

Abstract: An integrated circuit structure includes a substrate; two insulation regions over the substrate, with one of the two insulation regions including a void therein; and a first semiconductor strip between and adjoining the two insulation regions. The first semiconductor strip includes a top portion forming a fin over top surfaces of the two insulation regions.

Abstract: An integrated circuit structure includes a substrate; two insulation regions over the substrate, with one of the two insulation regions including a void therein; and a first semiconductor strip between and adjoining the two insulation regions. The first semiconductor strip includes a top portion forming a fin over top surfaces of the two insulation regions.

Abstract: An integrated circuit including a plurality of Fin field effect transistors (FINFETs) is provided. The integrated circuit includes a plurality of fin-channel bodies over a substrate. The fin-channel bodies include a first fin-channel body and a second fin-channel body. A gate structure is disposed over the fin-channel bodies. At least one first source/drain (S/D) region of a first FINFET is adjacent the first fin-channel body. At least one second source/drain (S/D) region of a second FINFET is adjacent the second fin-channel body. The at least one first S/D region is electrically coupled with the at least one second S/D region. The at least one first and second S/D regions are substantially free from including any fin structure.

Abstract: An integrated circuit device includes: a first chip including a first substrate and a main circuit formed on said first chip; a second chip stacked on the first substrate and including a second substrate that is independent from the first substrate, and a protective circuit for protecting the main circuit; and a conductive channel unit extending from the protective circuit and electrically connected to the main circuit.

Abstract: Improved silicide formation and associated devices are disclosed. An exemplary method includes providing a semiconductor material having spaced source and drain regions therein, forming a gate structure interposed between the source and drain regions, performing a gate replacement process on the gate structure to form a metal gate electrode therein, forming a hard mask layer over the metal gate electrode, forming silicide layers on the respective source and drain regions in the semiconductor material, removing the hard mask layer to expose the metal gate electrode, and forming source and drain contacts, each source and drain contact being conductively coupled to a respective one of the silicide layers.

Abstract: The disclosure relates to a fin field effect transistor (FinFET). An exemplary structure for a FinFET comprises a substrate comprising a top surface; a first insulation region and a second insulation region over the substrate top surface comprising tapered top surfaces; a fin of the substrate extending above the substrate top surface between the first and second insulation regions, wherein the fin comprises a recessed portion having a top surface lower than the tapered top surfaces of the first and second insulation regions, wherein the fin comprises a non-recessed portion having a top surface higher than the tapered top surfaces; and a gate stack over the non-recessed portion of the fin.

Abstract: Improved silicide formation and associated devices are disclosed. An exemplary method includes providing a semiconductor material having spaced source and drain regions therein, forming a gate structure interposed between the source and drain regions, performing a gate replacement process on the gate structure to form a metal gate electrode therein, forming a hard mask layer over the metal gate electrode, forming silicide layers on the respective source and drain regions in the semiconductor material, removing the hard mask layer to expose the metal gate electrode, and forming source and drain contacts, each source and drain contact being conductively coupled to a respective one of the silicide layers.

Abstract: A method of fast analog layout migration from an original layout is disclosed. Various placement constraints, including topology, matching and symmetry are extracted from the schematic or netlist as well as the original layout. In addition, relative placement patterns are extracted from the original layout for matching and symmetry constraints. A constraint hierarchy tree can be built according to the constraints, and relative placement patterns are attached accordingly. By using the constraint hierarchy tree, multiple new placement results are efficiently explored that preserve the relative placement patterns for matching and symmetry constraints.

Abstract: A pin out designation method for package board codesign has steps of defining pin characteristics and requirements, generating multiple pin patterns, pin blocks construction and grouping and pin blocks floorplanning. Designers may use an EDA tool to generate multiple pin patterns and may use the pin patterns to construct multiple pin blocks, to group the pin blocks around four sides of a chip and to adjust the pin blocks into a minimized package size of the chip.

Abstract: A system for image processing is provided. The system includes a region of interest (ROI) module receiving video from a camera and detects a ROI(s) in a first image. A lookup table generates a value responsive to block type for a first vanishing point (VP). A labeling module identifies a point “p” most close to the first VP, a point “q” most remote to the first VP and a length “h” between “p” and “q” in each ROI(s), and generates information on p, q and h. Another lookup table generates information on p?, q? and h?, wherein p? is a point most close to a second VP, q? is a point most remote to the second VP and h? is a length between p? and q? in ROI(s) in the second image. A transforming module transforms ROI(s) in the first image into an ROI in the second image.

Abstract: An electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection structure for a 3D IC is provided. The ESD protection structure includes a first active layer, a through-silicon via (TSV) device and a second active layer. The TSV is disposed in the first active layer, and the second active layer is stacked with the first active layer. The second active layer includes a substrate and an ESD protection device, wherein the ESD protection device having a doping area embedded in the substrate, and the ESD protection device electrically connects the TSV device.

Abstract: The disclosure relates to a fin field effect transistor (FinFET). An exemplary structure for a FinFET comprises a substrate comprising a top surface; a first insulation region and a second insulation region over the substrate top surface comprising tapered top surfaces; a fin of the substrate extending above the substrate top surface between the first and second insulation regions, wherein the fin comprises a recessed portion having a top surface lower than the tapered top surfaces of the first and second insulation regions, wherein the fin comprises a non-recessed portion having a top surface higher than the tapered top surfaces; and a gate stack over the non-recessed portion of the fin.