Abstract: A method for manufacturing a semiconductor device is provided. The method includes the following operations. A first layout including a plurality of first features is provided. A modified second layout is determined. The modified second layout includes a plurality of modified features separated from each other, and each of the plurality of modified features respectively overlaps each of the plurality of first features. The modified second layout is outputted to a photomask.

Abstract: A semiconductor device with different gate structure configurations and a method of fabricating the same are disclosed. The semiconductor device includes a fin structure disposed on a substrate, and first and second gate structures on the fin structure. The first and second gate structures includes first and second interfacial oxide layers, respectively, first and second high-K gate dielectric layers disposed on the first and second TO layers, respectively, and first and second dopant control layers disposed on the first and second HK gate dielectric layers, respectively. The second dopant control layer has a silicon-to-metal atomic concentration ratio greater than an Si-to-metal atomic concentration ratio of the first dopant control layer. The semiconductor further includes first and second work function metal layers disposed on the first and second dopant control layers, respectively, and first and second gate metal fill layers disposed on the first and second work function metal layers, respectively.

Abstract: A semiconductor structure includes a substrate including a first surface; a dielectric layer disposed over the first surface of the substrate; a first conductive line surrounded by the dielectric layer and extended over the first surface of the substrate; a second conductive line disposed adjacent to the first conductive line, surrounded by the dielectric layer and extended parallel to the first conductive line; a conductive via disposed over the first conductive line and extended through the dielectric layer; and a cross section of the conductive via substantially parallel to the first surface of the substrate, wherein the cross section of the conductive via is at least partially protruded from the first conductive line towards the second conductive line. Further, a method of manufacturing the semiconductor structure is also disclosed.

Abstract: A video processing method for a video encoder or decoder comprises receiving input data of a current chroma block in a current picture coded in a 4:2:2 color format, determining a luma mode of a luma block corresponding to the current chroma block, mapping the luma mode to a mapped intra mode of the current chroma block, selectively replacing the mapped intra mode by wide angle intra prediction mapping based on a width to height ratio of the current chroma block, deriving an intra predictor according to the mapped intra mode after wide angle intra prediction mapping, and encoding or decoding the current chroma block according to the intra predictor. The mapped intra mode is mode 57 when the luma mode is mode 61 and the mapped intra mode is mode 55 when the luma mode is mode 57.

Abstract: A semiconductor device manufacturing method including: simultaneously forming a plurality of conductive bumps respectively on a plurality of formation sites by adjusting a forming factor in accordance with an environmental density associated with each formation site; wherein the plurality of conductive bumps including an inter-bump height uniformity smaller than a value, and the environmental density is determined by a number of neighboring formation sites around each formation site in a predetermined range.

Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a substrate, a semiconductor fin, a gate structure, and source/drain structures. The semiconductor fin extends upwardly from the substrate. The gate structure is across the semiconductor fin and includes a high-k dielectric layer over the semiconductor fin, a fluorine-containing work function layer over the high-k dielectric layer and comprising fluorine, a tungsten-containing layer over the fluorine-containing work function layer, and a metal gate electrode over the tungsten-containing layer. The source/drain structures are on the semiconductor fin and at opposite sides of the gate structure.

Abstract: The disclosed embodiments provide a system for processing data. During operation, the system obtains a function call for a function that calculates an attribute associated with a machine learning model. For each argument of the function call, the system identifies a parameter type of the argument, wherein the parameter type represents a type of data used with the machine learning model. The system also obtains a value accessor for retrieving features specific to the parameter type and obtains a value represented by the argument using the value accessor. The system then calculates the attribute by applying the function to the value and uses the attribute to execute the machine learning model.

Abstract: A method of forming a semiconductor device includes following steps. A first organic layer is formed to cover a first conductive layer. A first opening is formed in the first organic layer to expose a first surface of the first conductive layer. A first silicon layer is formed on a sidewall of the first opening and the first surface of the first conductive layer. A first dielectric layer is formed on the sidewall of the first opening and the first surface of the first conductive layer over the first silicon layer. By using a first mask, portions of the first silicon layer and the first dielectric layer on the first surface are simultaneously removed to expose the first surface, wherein after removing the portions of the first silicon layer and the first dielectric layer, the first dielectric layer covers a top surface of the first silicon layer.

Abstract: A semiconductor device with multiple silicide regions is provided. In embodiments a first silicide precursor and a second silicide precursor are deposited on a source/drain region. A first silicide with a first phase is formed, and the second silicide precursor is insoluble within the first phase of the first silicide. The first phase of the first silicide is modified to a second phase of the first silicide, and the second silicide precursor being soluble within the second phase of the first silicide. A second silicide is formed with the second silicide precursor and the second phase of the first silicide.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for video coding using Intra prediction are disclosed. In one method, a first prediction sample in an immediately right column of the current block and a second prediction sample in an immediately below row of the current block are derived using angular prediction. The first prediction sample and a left column reference sample in the same row as the first prediction sample are interpolated to generate a horizontal predictor. The second prediction sample and an above-row reference sample in the same column as the second prediction sample are interpolated to generate a vertical predictor. The vertical predictor and the horizontal predictor are linearly combined to generate an angular-planar prediction sample. In another method, a first predictor is generated using angular prediction and a second predictor is generated using planar prediction. The first predictor and the second predictor are linearly combined to generate a fused Intra predictor.

Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a gate structure disposed over a channel region and a source/drain region. The gate structure includes a gate dielectric layer over the channel region, one or more work function adjustment material layers over the gate dielectric layer, and a metal gate electrode layer over the one or more work function adjustment material layers. The one or more work function adjustment layers includes an aluminum containing layer, and a diffusion barrier layer is disposed at at least one of a bottom portion and a top portion of the aluminum containing layer. The diffusion barrier layer is one or more of a Ti-rich layer, a Ti-doped layer, a Ta-rich layer, a Ta-doped layer and a Si-doped layer.

Abstract: Method and apparatus of coding a video sequence, are disclosed. According to the method, a bitstream corresponding to encoded data of the video sequence is generated at an encoder side or received at a decoder side, where the bitstream complies with a bitstream conformance that one or more constraints are satisfied. The constraints are related to a set of RPR (Reference Picture Resampling) parameters including scaling window width or height of a current picture, scaling window width or height of a reference picture, current picture width or height, and maximum picture width or height specified for the video sequence. Scaling information for the RPR mode is derived using the set of RPR parameters. A target picture of the video sequence is then encoded at the encoder side or decoded at the decoder side by utilizing the scaling information when the RPR mode is enabled for the target picture.

Abstract: A video processing method for a video encoder or decoder comprises receiving input data of a current chroma block in a current picture coded in a 4:2:2 color format, determining a luma mode of a luma block corresponding to the current chroma block, mapping the luma mode to a mapped intra mode of the current chroma block, selectively replacing the mapped intra mode by wide angle intra prediction mapping based on a width to height ratio of the current chroma block, deriving an intra predictor according to the mapped intra mode after wide angle intra prediction mapping, and encoding or decoding the current chroma block according to the intra predictor. The mapped intra mode is mode 57 when the luma mode is mode 61 and the mapped intra mode is mode 55 when the luma mode is mode 57.

Abstract: A device includes a fin extending from a semiconductor substrate, a gate stack over and along a sidewall of the fin, an isolation region surrounding the gate stack, an epitaxial source/drain region in the fin and adjacent the gate stack, and a source/drain contact extending through the isolation region, including a first silicide region in the epitaxial source/drain region, the first silicide region including NiSi2, a second silicide region on the first silicide region, the second silicide region including TiSix, and a conductive material on the second silicide region.

Abstract: The present disclosure describes a semiconductor device having metal boundary trench isolation with electrically conductive intermediate structures acting as a metal diffusion barrier. The semiconductor structure includes a first fin structure and a second fin structure on a substrate, an insulating layer between the first and second fin structures, a gate dielectric layer on the insulating layer and the first and second fin structures, and a first work function stack and a second work function stack on the gate dielectric layer. The first work function stack is over the first fin structure and a first portion of the insulating layer, and the second work function stack is over the second fin structure and a second portion of the insulating layer adjacent to the first portion. The semiconductor structure further includes a conductive intermediate structure on the gate dielectric layer and between the first and second work function stacks.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing a semiconductor device is provided. The method includes providing a first layout including a plurality of first features and a second layout including a plurality of second features; shifting the second layout to generate a plurality of virtual layouts; comparing a score of each of the plurality of virtual layouts and determining a modified second layout having a target score out of the plurality of virtual layouts; and outputting the modified second layout to a photomask.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for constrained de-blocking filter are disclosed. One method receives input data related to a current block in a current picture at a video encoder side or a video bitstream corresponding to compressed data including the current block in the current picture at a video decoder side, and determines a first boundary associated with the current block, wherein the first boundary corresponds to one vertical boundary or one horizontal boundary of the current block. The method then applies de-blocking process to a reconstructed current block corresponding to the current block to result in a filtered-reconstructed current block, using a plurality of first reference samples at a same side of the first boundary, and replaces a first set of the first reference samples by one or more padding values. The method then generates a filtered decoded picture including the filtered-reconstructed current block.

Abstract: A power supply apparatus is electrically connected with a load and one of a second substrate, a third substrate and a fourth substrate each of which has a first locking portion. The power supply apparatus comprises a first substrate, a power distribution circuit and a position board. The first substrate comprises a first coupling portion and a second coupling portion. The power distribution circuit is disposed at the first substrate, receives the external electric power and converts it into a supplying power. The position board comprises a second locking portion that is coupled to the second coupling portion of the first substrate when the power supply apparatus is electrically connected with one of the second substrate and the third substrate. The first locking portion of one of the second substrate, the third substrate and the fourth substrate is coupled to the first coupling portion of the first substrate.

Abstract: A semiconductor device with different gate structure configurations and a method of fabricating the same are disclosed. The semiconductor device includes a fin structure disposed on a substrate, and first and second gate structures on the fin structure. The first and second gate structures includes first and second interfacial oxide layers, respectively, first and second high-K gate dielectric layers disposed on the first and second IO layers, respectively, and first and second dopant control layers disposed on the first and second HK gate dielectric layers, respectively. The second dopant control layer has a silicon-to-metal atomic concentration ratio greater than an Si-to-metal atomic concentration ratio of the first dopant control layer. The semiconductor further includes first and second work function metal layers disposed on the first and second dopant control layers, respectively, and first and second gate metal fill layers disposed on the first and second work function metal layers, respectively.

Abstract: Embodiments disclosed herein relate generally to forming an effective metal diffusion barrier in sidewalls of epitaxy source/drain regions. In an embodiment, a structure includes an active area having a source/drain region on a substrate, a dielectric layer over the active area and having a sidewall aligned with the sidewall of the source/drain region, and a conductive feature along the sidewall of the dielectric layer to the source/drain region. The source/drain region has a sidewall and a lateral surface extending laterally from the sidewall of the source/drain region, and the source/drain region further includes a nitrided region extending laterally from the sidewall of the source/drain region into the source/drain region. The conductive feature includes a silicide region along the lateral surface of the source/drain region and along at least a portion of the sidewall of the source/drain region.