Abstract: Semiconductor devices including fin-shaped isolation structures and methods of forming the same are disclosed. In an embodiment, a semiconductor device includes a fin extending from a semiconductor substrate; a shallow trench isolation (STI) region over the semiconductor substrate adjacent the fin; and a dielectric fin structure over the STI region, the dielectric fin structure extending in a direction parallel to the fin, the dielectric fin structure including a first liner layer in contact with the STI region; and a first fill material over the first liner layer, the first fill material including a seam disposed in a lower portion of the first fill material and separated from a top surface of the first fill material, a first carbon concentration in the lower portion of the first fill material being greater than a second carbon concentration in an upper portion of the first fill material.

Abstract: An image encoder or decoder includes circuitry and a memory coupled to the circuitry. The circuitry, in operation, predicts a first set of samples for a first partition of a current picture with one or more motion vectors including a first motion vector and predicts a second set of samples for a first portion of the first partition with one or more motion vectors from a second partition different from the first partition. The samples of the first set of samples of the first portion of the first partition and of the second set of samples of the first portion of the first partition are weighted. A motion vector for the first portion of the first partition is stored which is based on one or both of the first motion vector and the second motion vector. The first partition is encoded or decoded using at least the weighted samples of the first portion of the first partition.

Abstract: An image encoder or decoder includes circuitry and a memory coupled to the circuitry. The circuitry, in operation, predicts a first set of samples for a first partition of a current picture with one or more motion vectors including a first motion vector and predicts a second set of samples for a first portion of the first partition with one or more motion vectors from a second partition different from the first partition. The samples of the first set of samples of the first portion of the first partition and of the second set of samples of the first portion of the first partition are weighted. A motion vector for the first portion of the first partition is stored which is based on one or both of the first motion vector and the second motion vector. The first partition is encoded or decoded using at least the weighted samples of the first portion of the first partition.

Abstract: An image encoder or decoder includes circuitry and a memory coupled to the circuitry. The circuitry, in operation, predicts a first set of samples for a first partition of a current picture with one or more motion vectors including a first motion vector and predicts a second set of samples for a first portion of the first partition with one or more motion vectors from a second partition different from the first partition. The samples of the first set of samples of the first portion of the first partition and of the second set of samples of the first portion of the first partition are weighted. A motion vector for the first portion of the first partition is stored which is based on one or both of the first motion vector and the second motion vector. The first partition is encoded or decoded using at least the weighted samples of the first portion of the first partition.

Abstract: An image encoder or decoder includes circuitry and a memory coupled to the circuitry. The circuitry, in operation, predicts a first set of samples for a first partition of a current picture with one or more motion vectors including a first motion vector and predicts a second set of samples for a first portion of the first partition with one or more motion vectors from a second partition different from the first partition. The samples of the first set of samples of the first portion of the first partition and of the second set of samples of the first portion of the first partition are weighted. A motion vector for the first portion of the first partition is stored which is based on one or both of the first motion vector and the second motion vector. The first partition is encoded or decoded using at least the weighted samples of the first portion of the first partition.

Abstract: During video encoding or decoding, cross-component prediction can be used to predict a chroma sample from collocated reconstructed luma samples. The prediction can be based on a gradient of the collocated reconstructed luma samples, a down-sampled value of the collocated reconstructed luma samples, or a combination thereof. An exemplary method includes: determining a first value associated with a chroma sample, by applying a first gradient pattern to reconstructed values of a first plurality of luma samples; determining a second value associated with the chroma sample, by applying a down-sampling filter to reconstructed values of a second plurality of luma samples; and predicting the chroma sample based on the first value and the second value.

Abstract: An encoder which includes circuitry and memory. Using the memory, the circuitry generates a list which includes candidates for a first motion vector for a first partition. The list has a maximum list size and an order of the candidates, and at least one of the maximum list size or the order of the candidates is dependent on at least one of a partition size or a partition shape of the first partition. The circuitry selects the first motion vector from the candidates included in the list; encodes an index indicating the first motion vector among the candidates in the list into the bitstream based on the maximum list size; and generates the predicted image for the first partition using the first motion vector.

Abstract: An image encoder writes a first parameter and a second parameter to a bitstream, and derives a partition mode based on the first and second parameters. Responsive to the derived partition mode being a first partition mode, the image encoder executes the first partition mode including: splitting a block of a picture into a plurality of first blocks including a N×2N block sized N pixels by 2N pixels; splitting the N×2N block, wherein a ternary split is allowed to split the N×2N block in a vertical direction, which is a direction along the 2N pixels, into a plurality of sub blocks including at least one sub block sized N/4×2N, while a binary split is not allowed to split the N×2N block in the vertical direction into two sub blocks that are equally sized N/2×2N; and encoding the plurality of sub blocks.

Abstract: A VVC-standard encoder and a VVC-standard decoder implement improvements over VVC and ECM in a number of regards: a temporal motion vector prediction candidate selection method utilizing relocation of a collocated CTU; a temporal motion vector prediction candidate selection method utilizing expanded selection range; a temporal motion vector prediction candidate selection method utilizing unconditional derivation of a scaled motion vector; a temporal motion vector prediction candidate selection method utilizing omission of scaling uni-predicted motion vectors to bi-predicted motion vectors; a temporal motion vector prediction candidate selection method utilizing multiple options in setting a reference picture index; a temporal motion vector prediction candidate selection method utilizing scaling factor offsetting; a merge candidate list building method omitting a temporal motion vector prediction candidate; and a picture reconstruction method utilizing motion information refinement.

Abstract: An encoder includes: circuitry; and memory coupled to the circuitry. The circuitry, in operation, stores a first parameter into a bitstream, the first parameter indicating, as a prediction mode, one of (i) a multiple prediction mode in which a prediction image is generated by overlapping an inter prediction image of a current block and an intra prediction image of the current block and (ii) one of a plurality of prediction modes including a non-rectangular mode in which a prediction image is generated for each non-rectangular partition in the current block, and encodes the current block according to the prediction mode.

Abstract: An encoder includes: circuitry; and memory coupled to the circuitry. In operation, the circuitry: derives a base motion vector to be used in predicting a current block to be encoded; derives a first motion vector different from the base motion vector; derives a motion vector difference based on a difference between the base motion vector and the first motion vector; determines whether the motion vector difference is greater than a threshold; modifies the first motion vector when the motion vector difference is determined to be greater than the threshold, and does not modify the first motion vector when the motion vector difference is determined not to be greater than the threshold; and encodes the current block using the first motion vector modified or the first motion vector not modified.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides methods for picture processing. The method can include: receiving a bitstream comprising a set of pictures; determining, according to the received bitstream, whether a virtual boundary is signaled at a sequence level for the set of pictures; in response to the virtual boundary being signaled at the sequence level, determining a position of the virtual boundary for the set of pictures, the position being bounded by a range signaled in the received bitstream; and disabling in-loop filtering operations across the virtual boundary.

Abstract: An image encoder includes circuitry and a memory, wherein the circuitry, in operation, determines whether inter prediction is to be applied to a current block; in response to determining that the inter prediction is to be applied to the current block, performs a partition prediction process; and, in response to determining that the inter prediction is not to be applied, encodes the current block without using the partition prediction process. The partition prediction process includes predicting first values of a set of pixels between a first partition and a second partition in the current block, using a first motion vector for the first partition; predicting second values of the set of pixels, using a second motion vector for the second partition; weighting the first values and the second values; and generating a prediction image for the current block using the weighted first values and the weighted second values.

Abstract: A method for processing video includes receiving a bitstream; and decoding, using coded information of the bitstream, one or more pictures. The decoding includes performing overlapped block motion compensation (OBMC) on a block predicted with an intra mode.

Abstract: Methods for encoding a video sequence into a bitstream and decoding a bitstream to output one or more pictures for a video stream. An exemplary method includes: receiving a video sequence; encoding one or more pictures of the video sequence; and generating a bitstream associated with the encoded pictures, wherein the encoding comprises: predicting chroma samples within a current block based on luma samples corresponding to the chroma samples by a plurality of cross-component residual models (CCRMs).

Abstract: An encoder includes circuitry and memory connected to the circuitry. In operation, the circuitry corrects a base motion vector using a correction value in a fixed direction; and encodes a current partition by using the corrected base motion vector corrected. The correction value is specified by an index indicating one of correction values included in a table. The table is selected from among a plurality of tables, wherein the correction values in one of the plurality of tables have different increments from the correction values in another one of the plurality of tables.

Abstract: An encoder according to one aspect of the present disclosure encodes a block of an image, and includes a processor and memory connected to the processor. Using the memory, the processor partitions a block into a plurality of sub blocks and encodes a sub block included in the plurality of sub blocks in an encoding process including at least a transform process or a prediction process. The block is partitioned using a multiple partition including at least three odd-numbered child nodes and each of a width and a height of each of the plurality of sub blocks is a power of two.

Abstract: An encoder includes circuitry and a memory coupled to the circuitry. The circuitry, in operation, determines whether or not a ternary split process of splitting a block into three sub blocks in a first direction parallel to a first longer side of the block is allowed by comparing a size of a second shorter side of the block to a minimum threshold value. The circuitry, responsive to the ternary split process being allowed, writes, into a bitstream, a split direction parameter indicative of a splitting direction. The circuitry, in operation, splits the block into a plurality of sub blocks in a direction indicated by the split direction parameter; and encodes the plurality of sub blocks. The minimum threshold value corresponds to a minimum size supported in a transform process.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides methods and apparatuses for processing chroma sampled pictures. An exemplary video processing method includes: determining whether a chroma component is included in a sequence of frames; and in response to a determination that the chroma component is included in the sequence, activating a sub-process for processing the sequence, wherein the sub-process comprises one or more of joint coding for chroma residues (JCCR), block differential pulse coded modulation (BDPCM), palette mode, or adaptive color transform (ACT).

Abstract: A method includes etching a semiconductor region aside of a gate stack to form a recess, forming a dielectric layer at a bottom of the recess, selectively forming a first semiconductor layer at the bottom of the recess, and epitaxially growing a second semiconductor layer on the first semiconductor layer. A bottom surface of the first semiconductor layer forms an interface with a top surface of the dielectric layer, with the interface extending to opposing sides of the recess. The selectively forming the first semiconductor layer comprises a first deposition process performed under first process conditions. The second semiconductor layer is formed using a second deposition process under second process conditions. The second process conditions are different from the first process conditions.