Abstract: A method includes forming an insulating layer over a conductive feature; etching the insulating layer to expose a first surface of the conductive feature; covering the first surface of the conductive feature with a sacrificial material, wherein the sidewalls of the insulating layer are free of the sacrificial material; covering the sidewalls of the insulating layer with a barrier material, wherein the first surface of the conductive feature is free of the barrier material, wherein the barrier material includes tantalum nitride (TaN) doped with a transition metal; removing the sacrificial material; and covering the barrier material and the first surface of the conductive feature with a conductive material.

Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to methods for forming source/drain (S/D) epitaxial structures with a hexagonal shape. The method includes forming a fin structure that includes a first portion and a second portion proximate to the first portion, forming a gate structure on the first portion of the fin structure, and recessing the second portion of the fin structure. The method further includes growing a S/D epitaxial structure on the recessed second portion of the fin structure, where growing the S/D epitaxial structure includes exposing the recessed second portion of the fin structure to a precursor and one or more reactant gases to form a portion of the S/D epitaxial structure. Growing the S/D epitaxial structure further includes exposing the portion of the S/D structure to an etching chemistry and exposing the portion of the S/D epitaxial structure to a hydrogen treatment to enhance growth of the S/D epitaxial structure.

Abstract: An electronic device, a wireless communication method, and a computer readable storage medium. The electronic device comprises a processing circuit, configured to: be connected to an integrated access and backhaul (IAB) donor by means of one or more IAB nodes; be directly connected to a serving base station of the electronic device; and send uplink data by using IAB connection to the IAB donor or direction connection to the serving base station, and receive downlink data by using the IAB connection or the direct connection. A hybrid connection mode of IAB connection and direct connection is adopted so as to take advantage of the IAB connection and the direct connection, thereby satisfying the requirements for both time delay and energy saving.

Abstract: Described is a system for preventing unauthorized access to an upgrade implementation module while an authentication-authorization service is offline. Various embodiments of the upgrade implementation module record an upgrade token generated by a system manager. The upgrade implementation module sets an authentication-authorization service to an offline mode. The upgrade implementation module determines a match between a received upgrade token and the recorded upgrade token in order to prevent unauthorized access of the upgrade implementation module. In response to determining the match, the upgrade implementation module authorizes implementation of an upgrade package associated with the upgrade token while the authentication-authorization service is in the offline mode.

Abstract: Embodiments for optimizing data storage instances in a cloud environment in which metadata is stored and accessed separately from content data in multiple different instances of data storage units. A metadata and content data storage instance optimization process determines the status of different instances of virtual storage resources for both metadata and content data. Full instances are powered down when they are not needed, empty instances are deleted, and data of partially full instances is moved to other appropriate instances to create empty instances that can be deleted. The data storage instance optimization process is provided as part of a data protection search process that provides an execution environment and user interface to the optimization process.

Abstract: A terminal is disclosed including a processor that starts a timer based on a beam failure instance counter; a receiver that receives a reference signal for identifying a candidate beam; and a transmitter that, if the reference signal has layer 1 reference signal received power (L1-RSRP) exceeding a threshold value before the timer expires, and if there is at least one of contention-free random access (CFRA) resources corresponding to the reference signal, transmits a random access preamble using the at least one of CFRA resources. In other aspects, a radio communication method and a base station are also disclosed.

Abstract: A flexible vapor chamber includes a first flexible casing, a second flexible casing, a plurality of capillary strips and a plurality of inner capillary layers. The capillary strips are installed between the first flexible casing and the second flexible casing, and the inner capillary layers are arranged between the first flexible casing and the second flexible casing, and the capillary strips.

Abstract: A semiconductor device includes an insulating layer, wherein the insulating layer has a via opening and a conductive line opening. The semiconductor device further includes a via in the via opening, wherein the via includes a first conductive material. The semiconductor device further includes a conductive line in the conductive line opening. The conductive line includes a first liner layer, wherein a first thickness of the first liner layer over the via is less than a second thickness of the first liner layer over the insulating layer, and a conductive fill comprising a second conductive material different from the first conductive material.

Abstract: An interface device includes an on-panel pad and a sensor controller. The interface device is used to perform an input to an electronic device in response to an operation by a user on a capacitive touch panel display of the electronic device. The on-panel pad causes sensor electrodes included in the touch panel display to generate a two-dimensional pattern of capacitance while the on-panel pad is on the touch panel display. When the two-dimensional pattern generated while the on-panel pad is on the touch panel display has been detected, the sensor controller generates or outputs data including operation information in response to a change in capacitance in a region that is associated with the two-dimensional pattern and that receives an operation of the on-panel pad, the operation information indicating an operation state of the on-panel pad.

Abstract: A pre-flotation high efficiency slurry conditioning device for wide-particle-grade flotation, suitable for coal slime flotation.

Abstract: An air source heat pump system includes at least one heat pump sub-system and at least one water tank. Each heat pump sub-system includes a refrigerant circulation path and a water supply circulation path. The refrigeration circulation path includes a compressor, a first heat exchanger, a first throttling device, and an evaporator that are sequentially connected to one another. The water supply circulation path includes a first supply pipe, a second supply pipe, a return pipe, and a waterway control valve. The first supply pipe and the second supply pipe are each communicated with an end of the first heat exchanger through the waterway control valve, and the return pipe is communicated with another end of the first heat exchanger. The return pipe is communicated with a water inlet of a corresponding water tank, and the second supply pipe is communicated with a water outlet of the corresponding water tank.

Abstract: A vapor chamber with structure for enhancing two-phase flow boiling includes a main body formed of a first and a second plate member, which are correspondingly closed to each other to define an airtight chamber between them. The airtight chamber has a condensing side and an evaporating side and has a working fluid filled therein. The evaporating side is formed on its surface with a plurality of projected sections and a plurality of recessed sections and has a wick structure provided thereon. The projected sections extend through and project beyond the wick structure, and the recessed sections are located below the wick structure without being filled by the wick structure to thereby form spaces for receiving the working fluid. The provision of the projected and the recessed sections enables the vapor chamber to provide largely enhanced two-phase flow boiling effect in the airtight chamber.

Abstract: A method for generating a wireless signal fingerprint database includes: obtaining an initial atmospheric pressure value, in which the initial atmospheric pressure value is an atmospheric pressure value collected when a terminal enters indoors; obtaining periodically a current wireless signal fingerprint and a current atmospheric pressure value collected by the terminal; and determining a floor corresponding to the current wireless signal fingerprint based on the initial atmospheric pressure value and the current atmospheric pressure value, to obtain the wireless signal fingerprint database.

Abstract: A circuit includes an array of OTP cells, an array of NVM cells, an amplifier coupled to each of the array of OTP cells and the array of NVM cells, and a control circuit configured to generate one or more control signals. Responsive to the one or more control signals, the amplifier is configured to generate an output voltage based on a current received from the array of OTP cells in a first configuration, and generate the output voltage based on a voltage received from the array of NVM cells in a second configuration.

Abstract: An apparatus, method, and system for indexing backed up files is disclosed. The operations comprise: maintaining a File index and a Backup index, the File index comprising entries each associated with an individual file backed up, the Backup index comprising entries each associated with a particular backup; receiving a request to determine whether or not a first file is included in a first backup; determining whether or not the first file is included in the first backup based on the File index entry corresponding to the first file and the Backup index entry corresponding to the first backup; and returning a result of the determination of whether or not the first file is included in the first backup.

Abstract: Examples described herein relate to a central processing unit (CPU) that includes at least two cores, at least two caching agents (CAs), and circuitry to monitor a workload mapped to a CA of the at least two CAs and adjust the workload allocated to the CA to allocation among the CA and at least one other CA of the at least two CAs based on the monitored workload.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides an electronic device and method for wireless communication, and a computer-readable storage medium. The electronic device comprises: a processing circuit, configured to acquire a channel state information (CSI) resource configuration and a CSI report configuration from a base station, the CSI report configuration being associated with one or more CSI resource configurations, the CSI resource configuration comprising a resource configuration for a reference signal on one or more bandwidth parts (BWPs), and to send, on the basis of the CSI report configuration, to the base station a measurement result, obtained by measuring a reference signal specified in the associated CSI resource configuration, of a beam corresponding to the reference signal.

Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a first device region and a second device region. The first device region includes a first source/drain region extending from a substrate and a first and a second pair of spacers. The first source/drain region extends between the first pair of spacers and the second pair of spacers. The first pair of spacers and the second pair of spacers have a first height. The second device region includes a second and a third source/drain region extending from the substrate and a third and a fourth pair of spacers. The third source/drain region is separate from the second source/drain region. The second source/drain region extends between the third pair of spacers. The third source/drain region extends between the fourth pair of spacers. The third pair of spacers and the fourth pair of spacers have a second height greater than the first height.

Abstract: A device includes an enclosure and logic. The enclosure includes a plurality of capacitive touch sensor arrays disposed at least on two of a top side, a bottom side, a left side, a right side, a front side, and a back side of the device. The enclosure also includes a first display on the front side of the device. The logic receives touch interaction information from the plurality of capacitive touch sensor arrays and initiates an action based at least in part on the touch interaction information.

Abstract: Methods and systems for generating virtual appliance products. The techniques include obtaining an operating system virtual disk file; creating a configuration file to include a first reference to the operating system virtual disk file and a second reference to a product-specific disk file; generating a virtual appliance file including the configuration file, the operating system virtual disk file, and the product-specific disk file; and distributing the virtual appliance file to a user.