Abstract: A protective film thickness measuring method includes a step of applying light to a top surface of a wafer in a state in which no protective film is formed and measuring a first reflection intensity of the light reflected from the top surface, a step of forming the protective film including a light absorbing material, a step of irradiating the protective film with exciting light of a wavelength at which the light absorbing material fluoresces and measuring a second reflection intensity including fluorescence of the protective film and the light reflected from the top surface, and a step of excluding reflection intensity of patterns formed on the top surface, by subtracting the measured first reflection intensity from the measured second reflection intensity, and calculating fluorescence intensity of the protective film.

Abstract: A semiconductor component burn-in test module includes a burn-in board and an external power transmission component. The burn-in board includes a plurality of burn-in seats, wherein a plurality of chips are disposed on the burn-in seats. The external power transmission component is arranged at opposite two sides of the burn-in board, where the external power transmission component includes a plurality of conductive members and a plurality of terminal seats. The burn-in board is provided with a plurality of wirings corresponding to the external power transmission component. As such, electric power can be conveyed to the plural burn-in seats of the burn-in board, through the plural terminal seats and the plural conductive strips. This decreases the length and the number of copper foil wirings in the burn-in boards for power transmission, so as to lower the cost of the burn-in boards.

Abstract: Structures and formation methods of a semiconductor device structure are provided. The semiconductor device structure includes a gate stack over a semiconductor substrate and a cap element over the gate stack. The cap element has an upper portion and a lower portion, and the upper portion is wider than the lower portion. The semiconductor device structure also includes a spacer element over a sidewall of the cap element and a sidewall of the gate stack.

Abstract: A dummy gate electrode and a dummy gate dielectric are removed to form a recess between adjacent gate spacers. A gate dielectric is deposited in the recess, and a barrier layer is deposited over the gate dielectric. A first work function layer is deposited over the barrier layer. A first anti-reaction layer is formed over the first work function layer, the first anti-reaction layer reducing oxidation of the first work function layer. A fill material is deposited over the first anti-reaction layer.

Abstract: A method includes attaching semiconductor devices to an interposer structure, attaching the interposer structure to a first carrier substrate, attaching integrated passive devices to the first carrier substrate, forming an encapsulant over the semiconductor devices and the integrated passive devices, debonding the first carrier substrate, attaching the encapsulant and the semiconductor devices to a second carrier substrate, forming a first redistribution structure on the encapsulant, the interposer structure, and the integrated passive devices, wherein the first redistribution structure contacts the interposer structure and the integrated passive devices, and forming external connectors on the first redistribution structure.

Abstract: The present disclosure describes various non-planar semiconductor devices, such as fin field-effect transistors (finFETs) to provide an example, having one or more metal rail conductors and various methods for fabricating these non-planar semiconductor devices. In some situations, the one or more metal rail conductors can be electrically connected to gate, source, and/or drain regions of these various non-planar semiconductor devices. In these situations, the one or more metal rail conductors can be utilized to electrically connect the gate, the source, and/or the drain regions of various non-planar semiconductor devices to other gate, source, and/or drain regions of various non-planar semiconductor devices and/or other semiconductor devices. However, in other situations, the one or more metal rail conductors can be isolated from the gate, the source, and/or the drain regions these various non-planar semiconductor devices.

Abstract: A photolithography system utilizes tin droplets to generate extreme ultraviolet radiation for photolithography. The photolithography system irradiates the droplets with a laser. The droplets become a plasma and emit extreme ultraviolet radiation. The photolithography system senses contamination of a collector mirror by the tin droplets and adjusts the flow of a buffer fluid to reduce the contamination.

Abstract: A pixel sensor may include a deep trench isolation (DTI) structure that extends the full height of a substrate in which a photodiode of the pixel sensor is included. Incident light entering the pixel sensor at a non-orthogonal angle is absorbed or reflected by the DTI structure along the full height of the substrate. In this way, the DTI structure may reduce, minimize, and/or prevent the incident light from traveling through the pixel sensor and into an adjacent pixel sensor along the full height of the substrate. This may increase the spatial resolution of an image sensor in which the DTI structure is included, may increase the overall sensitivity of the image sensor, may reduce and/or prevent color mixing between pixel sensors of the image sensor, and/or may decrease image noise after color correction.

Abstract: Methods of forming a slurry and methods of performing a chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) process utilized in manufacturing semiconductor devices, as described herein, may be performed on semiconductor devices including integrated contact structures with ruthenium (Ru) plug contacts down to a semiconductor substrate. The slurry may be formed by mixing a first abrasive, a second abrasive, and a reactant with a solvent. The first abrasive may include a first particulate including titanium dioxide (TiO2) particles and the second abrasive may include a second particulate that is different from the first particulate. The slurry may be used in a CMP process for removing ruthenium (Ru) materials and dielectric materials from a surface of a workpiece resulting in better WiD loading and planarization of the surface for a flat profile.

Abstract: A method includes forming a tri-layer. The tri-layer includes a bottom layer; a middle layer over the bottom layer; and a top layer over the middle layer. The top layer includes a photo resist. The method further includes removing the top layer; and removing the middle layer using a chemical solution. The chemical solution is free from potassium hydroxide (KOH), and includes at least one of a quaternary ammonium hydroxide and a quaternary ammonium fluoride.

Abstract: A method includes attaching semiconductor devices to an interposer structure, attaching the interposer structure to a first carrier substrate, attaching integrated passive devices to the first carrier substrate, forming an encapsulant over the semiconductor devices and the integrated passive devices, debonding the first carrier substrate, attaching the encapsulant and the semiconductor devices to a second carrier substrate, forming a first redistribution structure on the encapsulant, the interposer structure, and the integrated passive devices, wherein the first redistribution structure contacts the interposer structure and the integrated passive devices, and forming external connectors on the first redistribution structure.

Abstract: A pixel sensor includes a transfer fin field effect transistor (finFET) to transfer a photocurrent from a photodiode to a drain region. The transfer finFET includes at least a portion of the photodiode, an extension region associated with the drain region, a plurality of channel fins, and a transfer gate at least partially surrounding the channel fins to control the operation of the transfer finFET. In the transfer finFET, the transfer gate is wrapped around (e.g., at least three sides) of each of the channel fins, which provides a greater surface area over which the transfer gate is enabled to control the transfer of electrons. The greater surface area results in greater control over operation of the finFET, which may reduce switching times of the pixel sensor (which enables faster pixel sensor performance) and may reduce leakage current of the pixel sensor relative to a planar transfer transistor.

Abstract: A pixel array may include a group of time-of-flight (ToF) sensors. The pixel array may include an image sensor comprising a group of pixel sensors. The image sensor may be arranged among the group of ToF sensors such that the image sensor is adjacent to each ToF sensor in the group of ToF sensors.

Abstract: A sound adjustment method is disclosed. The sound adjustment method includes the following the steps: receiving a sound adjustment command; receiving a right channel sound signal and a left channel sound signal; selecting a corresponding adjustment mode according to the sound adjustment command and processing the right channel sound signal and the left channel sound signal based on the adjustment mode to generate a right channel first sound signal and a left channel first sound signal, wherein different adjustment modes have different intensity adjustment levels; shifting the frequency of the right channel first sound signal by X Hz to generate a right channel second sound signal and shifting the frequency of the left channel first sound signal by Y Hz to generate a left channel second sound signal, wherein 0.5?|X?Y|?100; outputting the right channel second sound signal and the left channel second sound signal.

Abstract: Structures and formation methods of a semiconductor device structure are provided. The semiconductor device structure includes a gate stack over a semiconductor substrate and a cap element over the gate stack. The cap element has an upper portion and a lower portion, and the upper portion is wider than the lower portion. The semiconductor device structure also includes a spacer element over a sidewall of the cap element and a sidewall of the gate stack.

Abstract: In some embodiments, the present disclosure relates to a method for forming a memory device, including forming a plurality of word line stacks respectively including a plurality of word lines alternatingly stacked with a plurality of insulating layers over a semiconductor substrate, forming a data storage layer along opposing sidewalls of the word line stacks, forming a channel layer along opposing sidewalls of the data storage layer, forming an inner insulating layer between inner sidewalls of the channel layer and including a first dielectric material, performing an isolation cut process including a first etching process through the inner insulating layer and the channel layer to form an isolation opening, forming an isolation structure filling the isolation opening and including a second dielectric material, performing a second etching process through the inner insulating layer on opposing sides of the isolation structure to form source/drain openings, and forming source/drain contacts in the source/drain

Abstract: A memory device includes a stack of gate electrode layers and interconnect layers arranged over a substrate. A first memory cell that is arranged over the substrate includes a first source/drain conductive lines and a second source/drain conductive line extending vertically through the stack of gate electrode layers. A channel layer and a memory layer are arranged on outer sidewalls of the first and second source/drain conductive lines. A first barrier structure is arranged between the first and second source/drain conductive lines. A first protective liner layer separates the first barrier structure from each of the first and second source/drain conductive lines. A second barrier structure is arranged on an opposite side of the first source/drain conductive line and is spaced apart from the first source/drain conductive line by a second protective liner layer.

Abstract: A pixel sensor may include a vertically arranged (or vertically stacked) photodiode region and floating diffusion region. The vertical arrangement permits the photodiode region to occupy a larger area of a pixel sensor of a given size relative to a horizontal arrangement, which increases the area in which the photodiode region can collect photons. This increases performance of the pixel sensor and permits the overall size of the pixel sensor to be reduced. Moreover, the transfer gate may surround at least a portion of the floating diffusion region and the photodiode region, which provides a larger gate switching area relative to a horizontal arrangement. The increased gate switching area may provide greater control over the transfer of the photocurrent and/or may reduce switching delay for the pixel sensor.

Abstract: A dummy gate electrode and a dummy gate dielectric are removed to form a recess between adjacent gate spacers. A gate dielectric is deposited in the recess, and a barrier layer is deposited over the gate dielectric. A first work function layer is deposited over the barrier layer. A first anti-reaction layer is formed over the first work function layer, the first anti-reaction layer reducing oxidation of the first work function layer. A fill material is deposited over the first anti-reaction layer.

Abstract: A method includes forming a first conductive feature over a semiconductor substrate, forming an ILD layer over the first conductive feature, patterning the ILD layer to form a trench, and forming a conductive layer over the patterned ILD layer to fill the trench. The method further includes polishing the conductive layer to form a via contact configured to interconnect the first conductive feature with a second conductive feature, where polishing the conductive layer exposes a top surface of the ILD layer, polishing the exposed top surface of the ILD layer, such that a top portion of the via contact protrudes from the exposed top surface of the ILD layer, and forming the second conductive feature over the via contact, such that the top portion of the via contact extends into the second conductive feature.