Abstract: A manufacturing method of a lithium battery negative electrode includes the following. A copper foil is providing. An electroplating process is performed to form a lithium deposition layer on the copper foil. An electrolyte solution used in the electroplating process includes an organic solvent and fluorine-containing lithium salt. The organic solvent includes ester solvents, ether solvents, alcohol solvents, or combinations thereof, and the fluorine-containing lithium salt includes LiPF6, LiFSI, LiTF, LiDFOB, LiTFSI, or combinations thereof.

Abstract: In an embodiment, a device includes: a gate structure on a channel region of a substrate; a gate mask on the gate structure, the gate mask including a first dielectric material and an impurity, a concentration of the impurity in the gate mask decreasing in a direction extending from an upper region of the gate mask to a lower region of the gate mask; a gate spacer on sidewalls of the gate mask and the gate structure, the gate spacer including the first dielectric material and the impurity, a concentration of the impurity in the gate spacer decreasing in a direction extending from an upper region of the gate spacer to a lower region of the gate spacer; and a source/drain region adjoining the gate spacer and the channel region.

Abstract: In an embodiment, a device includes: a gate structure on a channel region of a substrate; a gate mask on the gate structure, the gate mask including a first dielectric material and an impurity, a concentration of the impurity in the gate mask decreasing in a direction extending from an upper region of the gate mask to a lower region of the gate mask; a gate spacer on sidewalls of the gate mask and the gate structure, the gate spacer including the first dielectric material and the impurity, a concentration of the impurity in the gate spacer decreasing in a direction extending from an upper region of the gate spacer to a lower region of the gate spacer; and a source/drain region adjoining the gate spacer and the channel region.

Abstract: A method of forming a semiconductor device includes removing a light-sensitive material from a workpiece utilizing polarized electromagnetic radiation and annealing features on the workpiece utilizing electromagnetic radiation polarized in a different direction than the polarized electromagnetic radiation utilized to remove the light-sensitive material. In some embodiments, the electromagnetic radiation used to anneal the features on the workpiece is not polarized. In some described embodiments, light-sensitive material removed from the workpiece is exhausted from the chamber in which the light-sensitive removal process is carried out before it can deposit on surfaces of the chamber.

Abstract: A method includes forming a first protruding fin and a second protruding fin over a base structure, with a trench located between the first protruding fin and the second protruding fin, depositing a trench-filling material extending into the trench, and performing a laser reflow process on the trench-filling material. In the reflow process, the trench-filling material has a temperature higher than a first melting point of the trench-filling material, and lower than a second melting point of the first protruding fin and the second protruding fin. After the laser reflow process, the trench-filling material is solidified. The method further includes patterning the trench-filling material, with a remaining portion of the trench-filling material forming a part of a gate stack, and forming a source/drain region on a side of the gate stack.

Abstract: A method of forming a semiconductor device includes removing a light-sensitive material from a workpiece utilizing polarized electromagnetic radiation and annealing features on the workpiece utilizing electromagnetic radiation polarized in a different direction than the polarized electromagnetic radiation utilized to remove the light-sensitive material. In some embodiments, the electromagnetic radiation used to anneal the features on the workpiece is not polarized. In some described embodiments, light-sensitive material removed from the workpiece is exhausted from the chamber in which the light-sensitive removal process is carried out before it can deposit on surfaces of the chamber.

Abstract: A temperature measuring apparatus for measuring a temperature of a substrate is described. A light emitting source that emits light signals such as laser pulses are applied to the substrate. A detector on the other side of the light emitting source receives the reflected laser pulses. The detector further receives emission signals associated with temperature or energy density that is radiated from the surface of the substrate. The temperature measuring apparatus determines the temperature of the substrate during a thermal process using the received laser pulses and the emission signals. To improve the signal to noise ratio of the reflected laser pulses, a polarizer may be used to polarize the laser pulses to have a S polarization. The angle in which the polarized laser pulses are applied towards the substrate may also be controlled to enhance the signal to noise ratio at the detector's end.

Abstract: A method of forming a semiconductor device includes removing a light-sensitive material from a workpiece utilizing polarized electromagnetic radiation and annealing features on the workpiece utilizing electromagnetic radiation polarized in a different direction than the polarized electromagnetic radiation utilized to remove the light-sensitive material. In some embodiments, the electromagnetic radiation used to anneal the features on the workpiece is not polarized. In some described embodiments, light-sensitive material removed from the workpiece is exhausted from the chamber in which the light-sensitive removal process is carried out before it can deposit on surfaces of the chamber.

Abstract: In an embodiment, a method includes forming a plurality of fins adjacent to a substrate, the plurality of fins comprising a first fin, a second fin, and a third fin; forming a first insulation material adjacent to the plurality of fins; reducing a thickness of the first insulation material; after reducing the thickness of the fist insulation material, forming a second insulation material adjacent to the first insulation material and the plurality of fins; and recessing the first insulation material and the second insulation material to form a first shallow trench isolation (STI) region.

Abstract: According to an exemplary embodiment, a method of forming a vertical device is provided. The method includes: providing a protrusion over a substrate; forming an etch stop layer over the protrusion; laterally etching a sidewall of the etch stop layer; forming an insulating layer over the etch stop layer; forming a film layer over the insulating layer and the etch stop layer; performing chemical mechanical polishing on the film layer and exposing the etch stop layer; etching a portion of the etch stop layer to expose a top surface of the protrusion; forming an oxide layer over the protrusion and the film layer; and performing chemical mechanical polishing on the oxide layer and exposing the film layer.

Abstract: In an embodiment, a method includes forming a plurality of fins adjacent to a substrate, the plurality of fins comprising a first fin, a second fin, and a third fin; forming a first insulation material adjacent to the plurality of fins; reducing a thickness of the first insulation material; after reducing the thickness of the first insulation material, forming a second insulation material adjacent to the first insulation material and the plurality of fins; and recessing the first insulation material and the second insulation material to form a first shallow trench isolation (STI) region.

Abstract: A separator for a lithium battery and a method for manufacturing the same are provided. The separator includes a substrate layer and a coating layer. The substrate layer is a polyolefin porous film and has a substrate thickness ranging from 10 to 30 micrometers. The coating layer is coated on the substrate layer, and has a coating layer thickness ranging from 1 to 5 micrometers. The coating layer includes a heat-resistant resin material and a plurality of inorganic ceramic particles glued in the heat-resistant resin material. The heat-resistant resin material has a melting point (Tm) or a glass transition temperature (Tg) of not less than 150° C. An average particle size of the inorganic ceramic particles is 10% to 40% of the coating layer thickness of the coating layer. The inorganic ceramic particles are stacked in the coating layer with a height of at least three layers.

Abstract: Embodiments disclosed herein relate to using an implantation process and a melting anneal process performed on a nanosecond scale to achieve a high surface concentration (surface pile up) dopant profile and a retrograde dopant profile simultaneously. In an embodiment, a method includes forming a source/drain structure in an active area on a substrate, the source/drain structure including a first region comprising germanium, implanting a first dopant into the first region of the source/drain structure to form an amorphous region in at least the first region of the source/drain structure, implanting a second dopant into the amorphous region containing the first dopant, and heating the source/drain structure to liquidize and convert at least the amorphous region into a crystalline region, the crystalline region containing the first dopant and the second dopant.

Abstract: A method includes forming a gate stack on a first portion of a semiconductor substrate, removing a second portion of the semiconductor substrate on a side of the gate stack to form a recess, growing a semiconductor region starting from the recess, implanting the semiconductor region with an impurity, and performing a melt anneal on the semiconductor region. At least a portion of the semiconductor region is molten during the melt anneal.

Abstract: According to an exemplary embodiment, a method of forming a vertical device is provided. The method includes: providing a protrusion over a substrate; forming an etch stop layer over the protrusion; laterally etching a sidewall of the etch stop layer; forming an insulating layer over the etch stop layer; forming a film layer over the insulating layer and the etch stop layer; performing chemical mechanical polishing on the film layer and exposing the etch stop layer; etching a portion of the etch stop layer to expose a top surface of the protrusion; forming an oxide layer over the protrusion and the film layer; and performing chemical mechanical polishing on the oxide layer and exposing the film layer.

Abstract: A method includes forming a gate stack on a first portion of a semiconductor substrate, removing a second portion of the semiconductor substrate on a side of the gate stack to form a recess, growing a semiconductor region starting from the recess, implanting the semiconductor region with an impurity, and performing a melt anneal on the semiconductor region. At least a portion of the semiconductor region is molten during the melt anneal.

Abstract: Provided is a device including a fin structure and methods for forming such a device. A method includes forming an initial fin having a sidewall. Further, the method includes forming an additional layer of fin material over the sidewall, wherein the additional layer has a thickness. Also, the method includes adjusting the thickness of the additional layer of fin material to form a fin structure with a desired critical dimension.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing a semiconductor device includes: forming a patterned structure on a substrate, the patterned structure including a dielectric layer and a dummy gate structure disposed in the dielectric layer; and subjecting the patterned structure to an ion implantation process so as to modulate a profile of the dummy gate structure.

Abstract: In an embodiment, an apparatus includes a first pyrometer and a second pyrometer configured to monitor thermal radiation from a first point and a second point on a backside of a wafer, respectively, a first heating source in a first region and a second heating source in a second region of an epitaxial growth chamber, respectively, where a first controller adjusts an output of the first heating source and the second heating source based upon the monitored thermal radiation from the first point and the second point, respectively, a third pyrometer and a fourth pyrometer configured to monitor thermal radiation from a third point and a fourth point on a frontside of the wafer, respectively, where a second controller adjusts a flow rate of one or more precursors injected into the epitaxial growth chamber based upon the monitored thermal radiation from the first, second, third, and fourth points.

Abstract: An intensity of a power laser beam applied to a semiconductor device is adjusted. An applied intensity of the power laser beam is indicative of a magnitude at which the power laser beam is emitted toward the semiconductor device and a reflection intensity of a probing laser beam applied to the semiconductor device is indicative of an emissivity of the semiconductor device. The reflection intensity of the probing laser beam is measured to determine the emissivity of the semiconductor device and the applied intensity of the power laser beam is adjusted as a function of the emissivity.