Abstract: In some embodiments, the present disclosure relates to a 3D integrated circuit (IC) stack that includes a first IC die bonded to a second IC die. The first IC die includes a first semiconductor substrate, a first interconnect structure arranged on a frontside of the first semiconductor substrate, and a first bonding structure arranged over the first interconnect structure. The second IC die includes a second semiconductor substrate, a second interconnect structure arranged on a frontside of the second semiconductor substrate, and a second bonding structure arranged on a backside of the second semiconductor substrate. The first bonding structure faces the second bonding structure. Further, the 3D IC stack includes a first backside contact that extends from the second bonding structure to the backside of the second semiconductor substrate and is thermally coupled to at least one of the first or second interconnect structures.

Abstract: Various embodiments of the present application are directed towards an integrated circuit (IC) in which a shield structure blocks the migration of charge to a semiconductor device from proximate a through substrate via (TSV). In some embodiments, the IC comprises a substrate, an interconnect structure, the semiconductor device, the TSV, and the shield structure. The interconnect structure is on a frontside of the substrate and comprises a wire. The semiconductor device is on the frontside of the substrate, between the substrate and the interconnect structure. The TSV extends completely through the substrate, from a backside of the substrate to the wire, and comprises metal. The shield structure comprises a PN junction extending completely through the substrate and directly between the semiconductor device and the TSV.

Abstract: An image sensor includes a substrate including a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface; a plurality of pixel sensors disposed in the substrate, a sensor isolation feature disposed in the substrate defining an active region, and a dielectric layer between the sensor isolation feature and the substrate, wherein the sensor isolation feature comprises a conductive material.

Abstract: An exemplary semiconductor structure includes a device substrate having a first side and a second side. A dielectric layer is disposed over the first side of the device substrate. A through via extends along a first direction through the dielectric layer and through the device substrate from the first side to the second side. The through via has a total length along the first direction and a width along a second direction that is different than the first direction. The total length is a sum of a first length of the through via in the dielectric layer and a second length of the through via in the device substrate. The first length is less than the second length. A guard ring is disposed in the dielectric layer and around the through via.

Abstract: A semiconductor structure and a manufacturing method thereof are provided. A semiconductor structure includes top, bottom, and middle tiers. The bottom tier includes a first interconnect structure overlying a first semiconductor substrate, and a first front-side bonding structure overlying the first interconnect structure. The middle tier interposed between and electrically coupled to the top and bottom tiers includes a second interconnect structure overlying a second semiconductor substrate, a second front-side bonding structure interposed between the top tier and the second interconnect structure, and a back-side bonding structure interposed between the second semiconductor substrate and the first front-side bonding structure.

Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a substrate having a front side and a back side opposite to each other. A plurality of photodetectors is disposed in the substrate within a pixel region. An isolation structure is disposed within the pixel region and between the photodetectors. The isolation structure includes a back side isolation structure extending from the back side of the substrate to a position in the substrate. A conductive plug structure is disposed in the substrate within a periphery region. A conductive cap is disposed on the back side of the substrate and extends from the pixel region to the periphery region and electrically connects the back side isolation structure to the conductive plug structure. A conductive contact lands on the conductive plug structure, and is electrically connected to the back side isolation structure through the conductive plug structure and the conductive cap.

Abstract: A socket of a testing tool is configured to provide testing signals. A device-under-test (DUT) board is configured to provide electrical routing. An integrated circuit (IC) die is disposed between the socket and the DUT board. The testing signals are electrically routed to the IC die through the DUT board. The IC die includes a substrate in which plurality of transistors is formed. A first structure contains a plurality of first metallization components. A second structure contains a plurality of second metallization components. The first structure is disposed over a first side of the substrate. The second structure is disposed over a second side of the substrate opposite the first side. A trench extends through the DUT board and extends partially into the IC die from the second side. A signal detection tool is configured to detect electrical or optical signals generated by the IC die.

Abstract: The present disclosure, in some embodiments, relates to an integrated chip structure. The integrated chip structure includes a first via disposed on a first side of a substrate. A second via is disposed on the first side of the substrate and is laterally separated from the first via. An interconnect wire vertically contacts the second via. A through-substrate via (TSV) extends through the substrate to physically contact one or more of the second via and the interconnect wire. The first via has a first width and the second via has a second width. The second width is between approximately 2,000% and approximately 5,000% larger than the first width.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing a semiconductor structure is provided. The method includes the operations as follows. A first opening is formed at a surface of a semiconductor substrate to expose a portion of an isolation region embedded in the semiconductor substrate. A buffer layer is formed over the surface of the semiconductor substrate and lining the first opening. A second opening is formed at a bottom of the first opening. A barrier layer is formed over the surface of the semiconductor substrate. A conductive pad is formed in the first and the second openings. The barrier layer includes an upper portion in contact with the buffer layer in the first opening and a lower portion lining the second opening. The lower portion of the barrier layer is free from surrounded by the buffer layer. A method for manufacturing a BSI image sensor is also provided.

Abstract: A method for cultivating alcohol-brewing sorghum on the basis of a biodegradable mulching film includes five steps such as farmland preparation, film mulching, sowing operation, field management and harvesting. Compared with a traditional alcohol-brewing sorghum planting method, the method of the present invention can effectively bring forward the planting time of alcohol-brewing sorghum, reduce the sowing amount of alcohol-brewing sorghum, assist in increasing the germination rate of alcohol-brewing sorghum, and promote the growth and development of alcohol-brewing sorghum; moreover, the method of the present invention effectively reduces the labor intensity and cost of a weeding operation in field management.

Abstract: Various embodiments of the present application are directed towards an integrated circuit (IC) in which a shield structure blocks the migration of charge to a semiconductor device from proximate a through substrate via (TSV). In some embodiments, the IC comprises a substrate, an interconnect structure, the semiconductor device, the TSV, and the shield structure. The interconnect structure is on a frontside of the substrate and comprises a wire. The semiconductor device is on the frontside of the substrate, between the substrate and the interconnect structure. The TSV extends completely through the substrate, from a backside of the substrate to the wire, and comprises metal. The shield structure comprises a PN junction extending completely through the substrate and directly between the semiconductor device and the TSV.

Abstract: An image sensor includes a substrate including a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface; a plurality of pixel sensors disposed in the substrate, a sensor isolation feature disposed in the substrate defining an active region, and a dielectric layer between the sensor isolation feature and the substrate, wherein the sensor isolation feature comprises a conductive material.

Abstract: Various embodiments described herein provide monitoring and intelligence generation for one or more farm fields by: using remote sensing to monitor progress of a developing crop; comparing a user's field to another field in the area; providing cropped area extent estimates for a current season; using one or more disease risk models to determine disease risk (or disease pressure) with respect to a field; or some combination thereof.

Abstract: In some embodiments, the present disclosure relates to a 3D integrated circuit (IC) stack that includes a first IC die bonded to a second IC die. The first IC die includes a first semiconductor substrate, a first interconnect structure arranged on a frontside of the first semiconductor substrate, and a first bonding structure arranged over the first interconnect structure. The second IC die includes a second semiconductor substrate, a second interconnect structure arranged on a frontside of the second semiconductor substrate, and a second bonding structure arranged on a backside of the second semiconductor substrate. The first bonding structure faces the second bonding structure. Further, the 3D IC stack includes a first backside contact that extends from the second bonding structure to the backside of the second semiconductor substrate and is thermally coupled to at least one of the first or second interconnect structures.

Abstract: A metal grid within a trench isolation structure on the back side of an image sensor is coupled to a contact pad so that a voltage on the metal grid is continuously variable with a voltage on the contact pad. One or more conductive structures directly couple the metal grid to a contact pad. The conductive structures may bypass a front side of the image sensor. A bias voltage on the metal grid may be varied through the contact pad whereby a trade-off between reducing cross-talk and increasing quantum efficiency may be adjusted dynamically in accordance with the application of the image sensor, its environment of use, or its mode of operation.

Abstract: The present disclosure, in some embodiments, relates to an integrated chip structure. The integrated chip structure includes a first via disposed within a dielectric structure on a substrate, and a second via disposed within the dielectric structure and laterally separated from the first via by the dielectric structure. The first via has a first width that is smaller than a second width of the second via. An interconnect wire vertically contacts the second via and extends laterally past an outermost sidewall of the second via. A through-substrate via (TSV) is arranged over the second via and extends through the substrate. The TSV has a minimum width that is smaller than the second width of the second via. The second via has opposing outermost sidewalls that are laterally outside of the TSV.

Abstract: A method for free flow fever screening is presented. The method includes capturing a plurality of frames from thermal data streams and visual data streams related to a same scene to define thermal data frames and visual data frames, detecting and tracking a plurality of individuals moving in a free-flow setting within the visual data frames, and generating a tracking identification for each individual of the plurality of individuals present in a field-of-view of the one or more cameras across several frames of the plurality of frames. The method further includes fusing the thermal data frames and the visual data frames, measuring, by a fever-screener, a temperature of each individual of the plurality of individuals within and across the plurality of frames derived from the thermal data streams and the visual data streams, and generating a notification when a temperature of an individual exceeds a predetermined threshold temperature.

Abstract: A semiconductor structure includes: a semiconductor substrate arranged over a back end of line (BEOL) metallization stack, and including a scribe line opening; a conductive pad having an upper surface that is substantially flush with an upper surface of the semiconductor substrate, the conductive pad including an upper conductive region and a lower conductive region, the upper conductive region being confined to the scribe line opening substantially from the upper surface of the semiconductor substrate to a bottom of the scribe line opening, and the lower conductive region protruding downward from the upper conductive region, through the BEOL metallization stack; a passivation layer arranged over the semiconductor substrate; and an array of pixel sensors arranged in the semiconductor substrate adjacent to the conductive pad.

Abstract: A structure for forming a 3D-coil transponder, wherein each group of leads is encapsulated by a separated insulating molding body and a magnetic body disposed over the plurality of separated groups of leads, wherein each said insulating molding body does not extend across two or more groups of leads.

Abstract: Some implementations herein provide a semiconductor device and methods for forming the semiconductor device. A multi-layer structure of the semiconductor device includes a metal ring structure and a dielectric sidewall structure along interior sidewalls of the metal ring structure. An interconnect structure (e.g., a through silicon via interconnect structure) is along a central interior axis of the metal ring structure. A protective layer is between the interconnect structure and the dielectric sidewall structure. During a deposition operation that fills a cavity with a conductive material to form the interconnect structure, the protective layer may protect the dielectric sidewall structure from damage to improve a quality and/or a reliability of the semiconductor device.