Abstract: Aspects of the disclosure provide a method for fabricating semiconductor device. The method includes characterizing an etch process that is used to etch channel holes and dummy channel holes in a stack of alternating sacrificial gate layers and insulating layers upon a substrate of a semiconductor device. The channel holes are in a core region and the dummy channel holes are in a staircase region. The stack of alternating sacrificial gate layers and insulating layers extend from the core region into in the staircase region of a stair-step form. The method further includes determining a first shape for defining the dummy channel holes in a layout based on the characterization of the etch process. The first shape is different from a second shape for defining the channel holes.

Abstract: Aspects of the disclosure provide a method for fabricating semiconductor device. The method includes characterizing an etch process that is used to etch channel holes and dummy channel holes in a stack of alternating sacrificial gate layers and insulating layers upon a substrate of a semiconductor device. The channel holes are in a core region and the dummy channel holes are in a staircase region. The stack of alternating sacrificial gate layers and insulating layers extend from the core region into in the staircase region of a stair-step form. The method further includes determining a first shape for defining the dummy channel holes in a layout based on the characterization of the etch process. The first shape is different from a second shape for defining the channel holes.

Abstract: Aspects of the disclosure provide a semiconductor device. The semiconductor device includes gate layers and insulating layers that are stacked alternatingly along a first direction perpendicular to a substrate of the semiconductor device in a first region upon the substrate. The gate layers and the insulating layers are stacked of a stair-step form in a second region. The semiconductor device includes a channel structure that is disposed in the first region. The channel structure and the gate layers form a stack of transistors in a series configuration with the gate layers being gates for the transistors. The semiconductor device includes a contact structure disposed in the second region, and a first dummy channel structure disposed in the second region and around the contact structure. The first dummy channel structure is patterned with a first shape that is different from a second shape of the channel structure.

Abstract: The disclosure concerns optical components comprising a polycarbonate-containing composition, the polycarbonate-containing composition comprising: about 95 wt % to about 99.6 wt % polycarbonate polymer; about 0.25 wt % to about 1 wt % silicon resin; about 0.05 wt % to about 0.5 wt % flame retardant; and about 0.1 wt % to about 0.5 wt % styrene-acrylonitrile copolymer coated polytetrafluoroethylene, wherein the polycarbonate-containing composition exhibits a VO rating at 0.75 mm as determined by the UL94 Flammability test, and wherein the total wt % of all components of the polycarbonate-containing composition does not exceed 100 wt %.

Abstract: A thermoplastic polymer composition including 10 to 99 wt % of a phthalimidine copolycarbonate having a glass transition temperature of greater than 150° C., preferably greater than 170° C., as measured using differential scanning calorimetry; 1 to 90 wt % of a poly(etherimide-siloxane) copolymer; and 0 to 10 wt % of an additive is provided.

Abstract: The invention relates to a process for the preparation of a final heterophasic propylene copolymer (A) having a final melt flow rate in the range from 65 to 110 dg/min, comprising visbreaking an intermediate heterophasic propylene copolymer (A?) having an intermediate melt flow rate, which intermediate melt flow rate is lower than the final melt flow rate, to obtain the final heterophasic propylene copolymer, wherein the intermediate heterophasic propylene copolymer (A?) consists of (a) a propylene-based matrix, (b) a dispersed ethylene-?-olefin copolymer, wherein the sum of the total amount of propylene-based matrix and total amount of the dispersed ethylene-?-olefin copolymer in the intermediate heterophasic propylene copolymer is 100 wt % based on the intermediate heterophasic propylene copolymer.

Abstract: A thermoplastic composition comprises: 35 to 45 weight percent of a branched, end capped polycarbonate, 55 to 70 weight percent of a poly(aliphatic ester-carbonate) having a weight average molecular weight of 15,000 to 25,000, a non-flourinated sulfonate salt flame retardant and a polysiloxane. Weight percent is based on the combined weight of the branched, end capped polycarbonate and poly(aliphatic ester-carbonate).

Abstract: A thermoplastic composition comprisese: 35 to 45 weight percent of a branched, end capped polycarbonate, 55 to 70 weight percent of a poly(aliphatic ester-carbonate) having a weight average molecular weight of 15,000 to 25,000, a non-flourinated sulfonate salt flame retardant and a polysiloxane. Weight percent is based on the combined weight of the branched, end capped polycarbonate and poly(aliphatic ester-carbonate).

Abstract: A metal-to-metal antifuse having a lower metal electrode, a lower thin adhesion promoting layer disposed over the lower metal electrode, an amorphous carbon antifuse material layer disposed over the thin adhesion promoting layer, an upper thin adhesion promoting layer disposed over said antifuse material layer, and an upper metal electrode. The thin adhesion promoting layers are about 2 angstroms to 20 angstroms in thickness, and are from a material selected from the group comprising SixCy and SixNy. The ratio of x to y in SixCy is in a range of about 1±0.4, and the ratio of x to y in SixNy is in a range of about 0.75±0.225.

Abstract: A metal-to-metal antifuse having a lower metal electrode, a lower thin adhesion promoting layer disposed over the lower metal electrode, an amorphous carbon antifuse material layer disposed over the thin adhesion promoting layer, an upper thin adhesion promoting layer disposed over said antifuse material layer, and an upper metal electrode. The thin adhesion promoting layers are about 2 angstroms to 20 angstroms in thickness, and are from a material selected from the group comprising SixCy and SixNy. The ratio of x to y in SixCy is in a range of about 1+/?0.4, and the ratio of x to y in SixNy is in a range of about 0.75+/?0.225.

Abstract: An apparatus for feature detection of a test object includes at least one light source module and at least one image capturing unit. The light source module provides light to illuminate a test region of the test object, and includes a substrate, a set of light-emitting components, and a light-focusing unit. The light-emitting components are mounted on the substrate for emitting light in parallel directions that are generally transverse to the substrate. The light-focusing unit is to be disposed between the light-emitting components and the test object, receives the light emitted by the light-emitting components, and focuses the light on the test region of the test object. The image capturing unit captures an image of the test object at the test region.

Abstract: A method for forming a semiconductor device (10) includes forming an organic anti-reflective coating (OARC) layer (18) over the semiconductor device (10). A tetra-ethyl-ortho-silicate (TEOS) layer (20) is formed over the OARC layer (18). The TEOS layer (20) is exposed to oxygen-based plasma at a temperature of at most about 300 degrees Celsius. In an alternative embodiment, the TEOS layer (20) is first exposed to a nitrogen-based plasma before being exposed to the oxygen-based plasma. A photoresist layer (22) is formed over the TEOS layer (20) and patterned. By applying oxygen based plasma and nitrogen based plasma to the TEOS layer (20) before applying photoresist, pattern defects are reduced.

Abstract: An apparatus for feature detection of a test object includes at least one light source module and at least one image capturing unit. The light source module provides light to illuminate a test region of the test object, and includes a substrate, a set of light-emitting components, and a light-focusing unit. The light-emitting components are mounted on the substrate for emitting light in parallel directions that are generally transverse to the substrate. The light-focusing unit is to be disposed between the light-emitting components and the test object, receives the light emitted by the light-emitting components, and focuses the light on the test region of the test object. The image capturing unit captures an image of the test object at the test region.

Abstract: A metal-to-metal antifuse having a lower metal electrode, a lower thin adhesion promoting layer disposed over the lower metal electrode, an amorphous carbon antifuse material layer disposed over the thin adhesion promoting layer, an upper thin adhesion promoting layer disposed over said antifuse material layer, and an upper metal electrode. The thin adhesion promoting layers are about 2 angstroms to 20 angstroms in thickness, and are from a material selected from the group comprising SixCy and SixNy. The ratio of x to y in SixCy is in a range of about 1+/?0.4, and the ratio of x to y in SixNy is in a range of about 0.75+/?0.225.