Abstract: An apparatus includes a wafer stage and a particle removing assembly. The wafer stage includes a cup adjacent to a wafer chuck. The particle removing assembly is configured to remove contaminant particles from the cup. In some embodiments, the particle removing assembly comprises a flexible ejecting member that includes one or more elongated tubes, a front tip, and a cleaning tip adapter configured to attach the front tip to each of the one or more elongated tubes. The front tip includes front openings and lateral openings from which pressurized cleaning material are introduced onto an unreachable area of the cup to remove the contaminant particles from the cup.

Abstract: A memory circuit may comprise a memory array comprising a plurality of memory cells, an input/output (I/O) circuit, and a power management circuit. The I/O circuit can be operatively coupled to the memory array and configured to read or write each of the memory cells. The power management circuit can be operatively coupled to the memory array and the I/O circuit. The power management circuit can be configured to provide a first gate control signal and a second gate control signal based on a received first supply voltage and a received second supply voltage. The first supply voltage can be substantially higher than two times the second supply voltage.

Abstract: A memory device is disclosed. The memory device includes a memory array comprising a plurality of memory cells. At least a first one of the memory cells, by default, permanently presents a first logic state based on a short circuit. At least a second one of the memory cells, by default, permanently presents a second logic state opposite to the first logic state based on an open circuit.

Abstract: A fusible structure includes: a metal line in a first metal layer extending along a first direction; and a first dummy structure disposed proximal to the metal line relative to a second direction, the second direction being perpendicular to the first direction, the first dummy structure being in a second metal layer. Relative to the first direction, the metal line includes first, second and third portions, the second portion being between the first portion and third portion. Relative to a third direction that is perpendicular to the first direction and the second direction, the first portion has a first thickness and the second portion has a second thickness, the first thickness being greater than the second thickness.

Abstract: An IC device includes an active area positioned in a substrate, first and second contact structures overlying and electrically connected to the active area, a conductive element overlying and electrically connected to each of the first and second contact structures, an anti-fuse transistor device including a dielectric layer between a gate structure and the active area, a first selection transistor overlying the active area adjacent to each of the anti-fuse transistor device and the first contact structure, and a second selection transistor overlying the active area adjacent to each of the anti-fuse transistor device and the second contact structure.

Abstract: A method (fabricating a fusible structure) includes forming a metal line that extends in a first direction, the forming a metal line including: configuring the mask such that the metal line has a first portion that is between a second portion and a third portion; and using an optical proximity correction technique with a mask so that the first portion has a first thickness that is thinner than a second thickness of each of the second portion and the third portion; and forming a first dummy structure proximal to the metal line and aligned with the first portion relative to the first direction.

Abstract: A home position method of a scanning module and a scanner using the same are provided. The home position method includes: scanning a barcode pattern so as to obtain an image, in which the barcode pattern is set in an area and the area is outside of a flatbed scanning window of the scanner; identifying the image so as to determine whether or not the image is an home position pattern; and when the image is determined to be the home position pattern, setting a scan initial line according to the image and moving the scanning module to the scan initial line.