Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a substrate, a pair of semiconductor fins, a dummy fin structure, a gate structure, a plurality of source/drain structures, a crystalline hard mask layer, and an amorphous hard mask layer. The pair of semiconductor fins extend upwardly from the substrate. The dummy fin structure extends upwardly above the substrate and is laterally between the pair of semiconductor fins. The gate structure extends across the pair of semiconductor fins and the dummy fin structure. The source/drain structures are above the pair of semiconductor fins and on either side of the gate structure. The crystalline hard mask layer extends upwardly from the dummy fin and has an U-shaped cross section. The amorphous hard mask layer is in the first hard mask layer, wherein the amorphous hard mask layer having an U-shaped cross section conformal to the U-shaped cross section of the crystalline hard mask layer.

Abstract: A neural network is used to place macros on a chip canvas in an integrated circuit (IC) design. The macros are first clustered into multiple macro clusters. Then the neural network generates a probability distribution over locations on a grid and aspect ratios of a macro cluster. The grid represents the chip canvas and is formed by rows and columns of grid cells. The macro cluster is described by at least an area size, aspect ratios, and wire connections. Action masks are generated for respective ones of the aspect ratios to block out a subset of unoccupied grid cells based on design rules that optimize macro placement. Then, by applying the action masks on the probability distribution, a masked probability distribution is generated. Based on the masked probability distribution, a location on the grid is selected for placing the macro cluster with a chosen aspect ratio.

Abstract: A method for detecting a notch band is applied to a multicarrier communication system that operates in a wideband. The method includes: receiving a received signal, and generating a plurality of frequency-domain signals according to the received signal; performing a magnitude operation on the frequency-domain signals to obtain a plurality of magnitude values; determining a plurality of ratios of a first magnitude set among the magnitude values to a second magnitude set among the magnitude value to determine whether the received signal contains a notch band.

Abstract: An echo detection circuit for a multi-carrier system includes a memory, a threshold generating circuit and an echo determining circuit. The memory stores a plurality of channel impulse response values of the multi-channel system. The channel impulse response values include a target channel impulse response value, a plurality of preceding channel impulse response values and a plurality of subsequent channel impulse response values; a threshold generating circuit, coupled to the memory, generating a threshold corresponding to the target channel impulse response according to the preceding channel impulse response values and the subsequent channel impulse response values; and an echo determining circuit, coupled to the threshold generating circuit and the memory, comparing the target channel impulse response value with the threshold to determine whether the target channel impulse response value corresponds to an echo path of the multi-carrier system.

Abstract: An echo detection circuit for a multi-carrier system includes a memory, a threshold generating circuit and an echo determining circuit. The memory stores a plurality of channel impulse response values of the multi-channel system. The channel impulse response values include a target channel impulse response value, a plurality of preceding channel impulse response values and a plurality of subsequent channel impulse response values; a threshold generating circuit, coupled to the memory, generating a threshold corresponding to the target channel impulse response according to the preceding channel impulse response values and the subsequent channel impulse response values; and an echo determining circuit, coupled to the threshold generating circuit and the memory, comparing the target channel impulse response value with the threshold to determine whether the target channel impulse response value corresponds to an echo path of the multi-carrier system.

Abstract: A signal processing device of a television receiving end is provided. The television receiving end includes a tuner, which receives a television signal including a preamble signal. The signal processing device includes: an analog-to-digital converter, converting the television signal from an analog format to a digital format; an FFT circuit, transforming the television signal in the digital format to a frequency domain; a preamble data detecting circuit, detecting the preamble signal in the frequency-domain television signal to generate a preamble data detection result; a frequency notch detecting circuit, detecting a frequency notch of the preamble signal in the frequency-domain television signal according to the preamble data detection result to generate a frequency notch detection result; and a decoder, decoding the frequency-domain television signal to generate decoded data. The frequency notch detection result is for the tuner to accordingly determine whether to change the receiving frequency band.

Abstract: A method for detecting a notch band is applied to a multicarrier communication system that operates in a wideband. The method includes: receiving a received signal, and generating a plurality of frequency-domain signals according to the received signal; performing a magnitude operation on the frequency-domain signals to obtain a plurality of magnitude values; determining a plurality of ratios of a first magnitude set among the magnitude values to a second magnitude set among the magnitude value to determine whether the received signal contains a notch band.

Abstract: An impulsive noise detection method is applied to an orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM) system to detect whether an input signal includes impulsive noise. The impulsive noise detection method includes receiving the input signal, converting the input signal to a digital input signal, filtering out a data band from the digital input signal to generate a signal under detection, calculating the signal under detection to generate a calculation result, and determining whether the input signal includes the impulsive noise according to the calculation result and a threshold.