Abstract: A method includes forming a dielectric layer over an epitaxial source/drain region. An opening is formed in the dielectric layer. The opening exposes a portion of the epitaxial source/drain region. A barrier layer is formed on a sidewall and a bottom of the opening. An oxidation process is performing on the sidewall and the bottom of the opening. The oxidation process transforms a portion of the barrier layer into an oxidized barrier layer and transforms a portion of the dielectric layer adjacent to the oxidized barrier layer into a liner layer. The oxidized barrier layer is removed. The opening is filled with a conductive material in a bottom-up manner. The conductive material is in physical contact with the liner layer.

Abstract: A semiconductor package including a first semiconductor die, a second semiconductor die, a first insulating encapsulation, a dielectric layer structure, a conductor structure and a second insulating encapsulation is provided. The first semiconductor die includes a first semiconductor substrate and a through substrate via (TSV) extending from a first side to a second side of the semiconductor substrate. The second semiconductor die is disposed on the first side of the semiconductor substrate. The first insulating encapsulation on the second semiconductor die encapsulates the first semiconductor die. A terminal of the TSV is coplanar with a surface of the first insulating encapsulation. The dielectric layer structure covers the first semiconductor die and the first insulating encapsulation. The conductor structure extends through the dielectric layer structure and contacts with the through substrate via.

Abstract: A gait evaluating system including a processor is provided. The processor identifies whether a gait type of the user belongs to a normal gait, a non-neuropathic gait or a neuropathic gait based on step feature values of a user and walking limb feature values of the user. In response to that the gait type of the user belongs to the non-neuropathic gait, the processor controls the display panel to display a first auxiliary information, a second auxiliary information, and a third auxiliary information. The first auxiliary information indicates a potential sarcopenia of the user. The second auxiliary information indicates a dietary guideline for muscle building and muscle strengthening. The third auxiliary information shows a motion instruction video for regaining or maintaining muscle strength of the user.

Abstract: A single-material-double-process parametric laser-wavelength converter includes a pump-laser source, a nonlinear optical material, a first optical reflective element, and a second optical reflective element. The pump-laser source is configured to emit a pump-laser pulse light. The nonlinear optical material receives the pump-laser pulse and generates a signal-laser pulse and a partially depleted pump-laser pulse through optical parametric amplification. The first optical reflective element is configured to reflect the signal-laser pulse back to the same nonlinear optical material. The second optical reflective element is configured to reflect the partially depleted pump-laser pulse back to the same nonlinear optical material. With an appropriate adjustment on the reflecting path lengths, the nonlinear optical material is configured to receive the temporally synchronized signal-laser pulse and the partially depleted pump-laser pulse to generate an idler output through difference frequency generation.

Abstract: A ferroelectric memory device, a manufacturing method of the ferroelectric memory device and a semiconductor chip are provided. The ferroelectric memory device includes a gate electrode, a ferroelectric layer, a channel layer, first and second blocking layers, and source/drain electrodes. The ferroelectric layer is disposed at a side of the gate electrode. The channel layer is capacitively coupled to the gate electrode through the ferroelectric layer. The first and second blocking layers are disposed between the ferroelectric layer and the channel layer. The second blocking layer is disposed between the first blocking layer and the channel layer. The first and second blocking layers comprise a same material, and the second blocking layer is further incorporated with nitrogen. The source/drain electrodes are disposed at opposite sides of the gate electrode, and electrically connected to the channel layer.

Abstract: A method of fabricating a contact structure includes the following steps. An opening is formed in a dielectric layer. A conductive material layer is formed within the opening and on the dielectric layer, wherein the conductive material layer includes a bottom section having a first thickness and a top section having a second thickness, the second thickness is greater than the first thickness. A first treatment is performed on the conductive material layer to form a first oxide layer on the bottom section and on the top section of the conductive material layer. A second treatment is performed to remove at least portions of the first oxide layer and at least portions of the conductive material layer, wherein after performing the second treatment, the bottom section and the top section of the conductive material layer have substantially equal thickness.

Abstract: A keyboard including a key module is provided. The key module includes a keycap, a rigid modular circuit board and a linkage element. The linkage element is located between the keycap and the modular circuit board. The key module is detachably disposed on the keyboard, so that the key module, either in its entirety or as a part, could be disassembled from or assembled to the keyboard.

Abstract: A semiconductor structure includes a first transistor having a first source/drain (S/D) feature and a first gate; a second transistor having a second S/D feature and a second gate; a multi-layer interconnection disposed over the first and the second transistors; a signal interconnection under the first and the second transistors; and a power rail under the signal interconnection and electrically isolated from the signal interconnection, wherein the signal interconnection electrically connects one of the first S/D feature and the first gate to one of the second S/D feature and the second gate.

Abstract: A semiconductor structure includes a substrate, an isolation structure disposed in the substrate, and a hybrid structure disposed over the isolation structure. The hybrid structure is substantially conformal with respect to a profile of the isolation structure. The hybrid structure includes an oxide component, a nitride component surrounding the oxide component, and a first polysilicon component alongside the nitride component. The nitride component includes a first upper surface closed to the first polysilicon component, and a second upper surface distal to the first polysilicon component. The second upper surface is lower than the first upper surface.

Abstract: An object position determining system comprising: at least one light source, configured to emit light; at least one optical sensor, configured to sense optical data generated based on reflected light of the light; and a processing circuit, configured to compute distance information between the optical sensor and an object which generates the reflected light. The processing circuit further determines a position of the object according to the distance information.

Abstract: Methods for chemical mechanical polishing (CMP), and methods for forming an interconnect structure of a semiconductor device are provided. The methods include performing CMP on a surface of a dielectric structure with a CMP slurry to remove a portion of a metal layer formed in the dielectric structure and having at least a first layer exposed through the surface. In some examples, the CMP slurry that includes an abrasive, an oxidizing agent, and a compound configured to reduce aggregation of the abrasive on the surface of the dielectric structure. In some examples, the compound has positively charged ions that interact with the abrasive to reduce aggregation of the abrasive on a dielectric material. In some examples, the CMP slurry includes potassium hydroxide. In some examples, the compound includes an ammonium salt.

Abstract: A latch circuit includes first and second supply nodes having a first voltage value and a second voltage below the first voltage value, first and second input nodes, first and second output nodes, a first switch coupled between the first and second output nodes and turned on and off responsive to first and second clock signal states, first and second transistors coupled between the respective second and first output nodes and the second supply node. A second switch is coupled between a first transistor gate and the first input node, a third switch is coupled between a second transistor gate and the second input node, and each is turned on and off responsive to the first and second states. During the first state, one of the first or second transistors is part of a low resistance path from the first power supply node to the second power supply node.

Abstract: A latch circuit includes a power supply node, first and second input nodes, and first and second output nodes. A first switching device is coupled between the first and second output nodes and is turned on and off in response to respective first and second states of a clock signal. A first transistor has a source coupled with a common node, a drain coupled with the second output node, and a gate directly coupled with the first input node, and a second transistor has a source coupled with the common node, a drain coupled with the first output node, and a gate directly coupled with the second input node. A second switching device is coupled between the common node and the power supply node and is turned on and off in response to the respective second and first states of the clock signal.

Abstract: A circuit includes a first power node configured to carry a first voltage having a first voltage level, a second power node configured to carry a second voltage having a second voltage level, an output node, and first and second cascode transistors coupled between the first power node and the output node and to each other at a node. A bias circuit uses the first and second cascode transistors to generate an output signal at the output node that transitions between the first voltage level and a third voltage level, and a delay circuit generates a transition in a first signal from one of the first or second voltage levels to the other of the first or second voltage levels, the transition having a time delay based on the output signal. A contending transistor couples the node to the second power node responsive to the first signal.

Abstract: A circuit receives an input signal that switches between reference and first voltage levels, a power node carries a second voltage level, and a set of transistors is coupled between the power node and an output node. The second voltage level is a multiple of the first voltage level, and the multiple and a number of the transistors have a same value greater than two. A control signal circuit includes a level shifting circuit including a series of capacitive devices paired with latch circuits, a number of the pairs being one less than the value of the multiple, and, responsive to the input signal, outputs a control signal to a gate of a transistor of the first set of transistors closest to the power node, the control signal switching between the second voltage level and a third voltage level equal to the second voltage level minus the first voltage level.

Abstract: A clock generation circuit includes: a two-phase clock generation circuit including first and second branches correspondingly configured to generate a first phase clock signal and a second phase clock signal based correspondingly on a non-inverted clock signal and an inverted clock signal, the first and second branches being cross-coupled with each other; an inverter configured to generate the inverted clock signal based on an input clock signal; and a delay circuit which is non-inverter-based and which is configured to generate the non-inverted clock signal based on the input clock signal, the delay circuit having a predetermined delay.

Abstract: A circuit includes a first power node configured to carry a first voltage having a first voltage level, a second power node configured to carry a second voltage having a second voltage level, an output node, and first and second cascode transistors coupled between the first power node and the output node and to each other at a node. A bias circuit uses the first and second cascode transistors to generate an output signal at the output node that transitions between the first voltage level and a third voltage level, and a delay circuit generates a transition in a first signal from one of the first or second voltage levels to the other of the first or second voltage levels, the transition having a time delay based on the output signal. A contending transistor couples the node to the second power node responsive to the first signal.

Abstract: A circuit receives an input signal that switches between reference and first voltage levels, a power node carries a second voltage level, and a set of transistors is coupled between the power node and an output node. The second voltage level is a multiple of the first voltage level, and the multiple and a number of the transistors have a same value greater than two. A control signal circuit includes a level shifting circuit including a series of capacitive devices paired with latch circuits, a number of the pairs being one less than the value of the multiple, and, responsive to the input signal, outputs a control signal to a gate of a transistor of the first set of transistors closest to the power node, the control signal switching between the second voltage level and a third voltage level equal to the second voltage level minus the first voltage level.

Abstract: A circuit includes a first power node configured to carry a first voltage having a first voltage level, an output node, a node coupled between the first power node and the output node, and a contending transistor coupled between the node and a second power node configured to carry a second voltage having a second voltage level. The circuit generates a signal at the output node that ranges between the first voltage level and a third voltage level, the contending transistor couples the node with the second power node responsive to the signal, a difference between the first voltage level and the second voltage level has a first magnitude, a difference between the first voltage level and the third voltage level has a second magnitude, and the second magnitude is a multiple of the first magnitude having a value greater than one.

Abstract: A level-shifting circuit includes an input device configured to receive an input signal capable of switching between a reference voltage level and a first voltage level, and a set of capacitive devices paired in series with latch circuits. A first capacitive device of the set is coupled with an output of the input device, and each capacitive device and latch circuit pair is configured to upshift a corresponding received signal by an amount equal to a difference between the first voltage level and the reference voltage level.