Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a first transistor and a second transistor. The first transistor is of a first type in a first layer and includes a gate extending in a first direction and a first active region extending in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction. The second transistor is of a second type arranged in a second layer over the first layer and includes the gate and a second active region extending in the second direction. The semiconductor device further includes a first conductive line in a third layer between the first and second layers. The first conductive line electrically connects a first source/drain region of the first active region to a second source/drain region of the second active region. The gate comprises an intermediate portion disposed between the first active region and the second active region, wherein the first conductive line crosses the gate at the intermediate portion.

Abstract: The present invention is related to a novel positive electrode active material for lithium-ion battery. The positive electrode active material is expressed by the following formula: Li1.2NixMn0.8-x-yZnyO2, wherein x and y satisfy 0<x?0.8 and 0<y?0.1. In addition, the present invention provides a method of manufacturing the positive electrode active material. The present invention further provides a lithium-ion battery which uses said positive electrode active material.

Abstract: An integrated circuit includes conductive rails that are disposed in a first conductive layer and separated from each other in a layout view, signal rails disposed in a second conductive layer different from the first conductive layer, at least one first via coupling a first signal rail of the signal rails to at least one of the conductive rails, and at least one first conductive segment. The first signal rail transmits a supply signal through the at least one first via and the at least one of the conductive rails to at least one element of the integrated circuit. The at least one first via and the at least one first conductive segment are disposed above first conductive layer. The at least one first conductive segment is coupled to the at least one of the conductive rails and is separate from the first signal rail.

Abstract: An integrated circuit includes a first-voltage power rail and a second-voltage power rail in a first connection layer, and includes a first-voltage underlayer power rail and a second-voltage underlayer power rail below the first connection layer. Each of the first-voltage and second-voltage power rails extends in a second direction that is perpendicular to a first direction. Each of the first-voltage and second-voltage underlayer power rails extends in the first direction. The integrated circuit includes a first via-connector connecting the first-voltage power rail with the first-voltage underlayer power rail, and a second via-connector connecting the second-voltage power rail with the second-voltage underlayer power rail.

Abstract: A semiconductor device including vertical transistors with a back side power structure, and methods of making the same are described. In one example, a described semiconductor structure includes: a gate structure including a gate pad and a gate contact on the gate pad; a first source region disposed below the gate pad; a first drain region disposed on the gate pad, wherein the first source region, the first drain region and the gate structure form a first transistor; a second source region disposed below the gate pad; a second drain region disposed on the gate pad, wherein the second source region, the second drain region and the gate structure form a second transistor; and at least one metal line that is below the first source region and the second source region, and is electrically connected to at least one power supply.

Abstract: A system for manufacturing an integrated circuit includes a processor coupled to a non-transitory computer readable medium configured to store executable instructions. The processor is configured to execute the instructions for generating a layout design of the integrated circuit that has a set of design rules. The generating of the layout design includes generating a set of gate layout patterns corresponding to fabricating a set of gate structures of the integrated circuit, generating a cut feature layout pattern corresponding to a cut region of a first gate of the set of gate structures of the integrated circuit, generating a first conductive feature layout pattern corresponding to fabricating a first conductive structure of the integrated circuit, and generating a first via layout pattern corresponding to a first via. The cut feature layout pattern overlaps a first gate layout pattern of the set of gate layout patterns.

Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a first cell. The first cell is surrounded by a castle-shaped forbidden region. The first cell includes a first active region, a second active region, and at least one via. The first active region and the second active region extend along a first direction and are separated from each other along a second direction traverse to the first direction. The first active region partially overlaps an upper region of the castle-shaped forbidden region, and the second active region partially overlaps a lower region of the castle-shaped forbidden region. The at least one via is arranged outside the castle-shaped forbidden region.

Abstract: A semiconductor structure is provided and includes a first gate structure, a second gate structure, and at least one local interconnect that extend continuously across a non-active region from a first active region to a second active region. The semiconductor structure further includes a first separation spacer disposed on the first gate structure and first vias on the first gate structure. The first vias are arranged on opposite sides of the first separation spacer are isolated from each other and apart from the first separation spacer by different distances.

Abstract: A combinable nucleic acid pre-processing apparatus includes a sample transfer chamber transferring a sample from a sampling tube to a nucleic acid extraction kit, a nucleic acid extraction chamber performing a nucleic acid extraction of the sample in the nucleic acid extraction kit for obtaining a nucleic acid extract, an assay setup chamber preparing reagents and transferring reagents and the nucleic acid extract to an assay plate, and at least two bridging modules respectively disposed between the sample transfer chamber and the nucleic acid extraction chamber and between the nucleic acid extraction chamber and the assay setup chamber. The sample transfer chamber, the nucleic acid extraction chamber and the assay setup chamber are separated and operated independently. Three chambers are connected through the bridging modules, so the nucleic acid extraction kit can be sequentially moved in the sample transfer chamber, the nucleic acid extraction chamber and the assay setup chamber.

Abstract: In an embodiment, a method of forming a structure includes forming a first transistor and a second transistor over a first substrate; forming a front-side interconnect structure over the first transistor and the second transistor; etching at least a backside of the first substrate to expose the first transistor and the second transistor; forming a first backside via electrically connected to the first transistor; forming a second backside via electrically connected to the second transistor; depositing a dielectric layer over the first backside via and the second backside via; forming a first conductive line in the dielectric layer, the first conductive line being a power rail electrically connected to the first transistor through the first backside via; and forming a second conductive line in the dielectric layer, the second conductive line being a signal line electrically connected to the second transistor through the second backside via.

Abstract: An integrated circuit includes multiple backside conductive layers disposed over a backside of a substrate. The multiple backside conductive layers each includes conductive segments. The conductive segments in at least one of the backside conductive layers are configured to transmit one or more power signals. The conductive segments of the multiple backside conductive layers cover select areas of the backside of the substrate, thereby leaving other areas of the backside of the substrate exposed.

Abstract: A connecting structure includes a first dielectric layer, a first connecting via in the first dielectric layer, a second connecting via in the first dielectric layer, and an isolation between the first connecting via and the second connecting via. The isolation separates the first and second connecting vias from each other. The first connecting via, the isolation and the second connecting via are line symmetrical about a central line perpendicular to a top surface of the first dielectric layer.

Abstract: A semiconductor structure includes: a first gate structure and a second gate structure extending in a first direction; a first base level metal interconnect (M0) pattern extending in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction; a second M0 pattern extending in the second direction; a third M0 pattern located between the first and second gate structures and extending in the first direction, two ends of the third M0 pattern connected to the first M0 pattern and the second M0 pattern, respectively; a fourth M0 pattern and a fifth M0 pattern located between the first and second M0 patterns and extending in the second direction. A distance between the fourth M0 pattern and the first M0 pattern in the first direction is equal to a minimum M0 pattern pitch, and a distance between the fourth M0 pattern and the second M0 pattern is equal to the minimum M0 pattern pitch.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device, including: forming a plurality of gate strips, each gate strip is a gate terminal of a transistor; forming a plurality of first contact vias connected to a part of the gate strips; forming a plurality of first metal strips above the plurality of gate strips; connecting one of the first metal strips to one of the first contact vias; forming a plurality of second metal strips above the plurality of first metal strips, wherein the plurality of second metal strips are co-planar, each second metal strip and one of the first metal strips are crisscrossed from top view; a length between two adjacent gate strips is twice as a length between two adjacent second metal strips, and a length of said one of the first metal strips is smaller than two and a half times as the length between two adjacent gate strips.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device, including: forming a plurality of first metal strips extending in a first direction on a first plane; and forming a plurality of second metal strips extending in the first direction on a second plane over the first plane by executing a photolithography operation with a single mask, wherein a first second metal strip (FIG. 1, 131) is disposed over a first first metal strip; wherein the first first metal strip and the first second metal strip are directed to a first voltage source; wherein a distance between the first second metal strip and a second second metal strip immediate adjacent to the first second metal strip is greater than a distance between the second second metal strip and a third second metal strip immediate adjacent to the second second metal strip.

Abstract: Exemplary embodiments for an exemplary dual transmission gate and various exemplary integrated circuit layouts for the exemplary dual transmission gate are disclosed. These exemplary integrated circuit layouts represent double-height, also referred to as double rule, integrated circuit layouts. These double rule integrated circuit layouts include a first group of rows from among multiple rows of an electronic device design real estate and a second group of rows from among the multiple rows of the electronic device design real estate to accommodate a first metal layer of a semiconductor stack. The first group of rows can include a first pair of complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect (CMOS) transistors, such as a first p-type metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect (PMOS) transistor and a first n-type metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect (NMOS) transistor, and the second group of rows can include a second pair of CMOS transistors, such as a second PMOS transistor and a second NMOS transistor.

Abstract: A semiconductor structure includes: a first gate structure and a second gate structure extending in a first direction; a first base level metal interconnect (M0) pattern extending in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction; a second M0 pattern extending in the second direction; a third M0 pattern located between the first and second gate structures and extending in the first direction, two ends of the third M0 pattern connected to the first M0 pattern and the second M0 pattern, respectively; a fourth M0 pattern and a fifth M0 pattern located between the first and second M0 patterns and extending in the second direction. A distance between the fourth M0 pattern and the first M0 pattern in the first direction is equal to a minimum M0 pattern pitch, and a distance between the fourth M0 pattern and the second M0 pattern is equal to the minimum M0 pattern pitch.

Abstract: An integrated circuit includes a first transistor, a horizontal routing track extending in a first direction in a first metal layer, and a via connector conductively connecting the horizontal routing track to a first terminal of the first transistor. The integrated circuit also includes a backside routing track extending in the first direction in a backside metal layer, and a backside via connector conductively connecting the backside routing track to a second terminal of the first transistor. The backside metal layer and the first metal layer are formed at opposite sides of a semiconductor substrate. In the integrated circuit, either the first terminal or the second terminal is a gate terminal of the first transistor.

Abstract: Various memory cell structures and power routings for one or more cells in an integrated circuit are disclosed. In one embodiment, different metal layers are used for power stripes that are operable to connect to voltage sources to supply different voltage signals, which allows some or all of the power stripes to have a larger width. Additionally or alternatively, fewer metal stripes are used for signals in a metal layer to allow the power stripe in that metal layer to have a larger width. The larger width(s) in turn increases the total area of the power stripe(s) to reduce the IR drop across the power stripe. The various power routings include connecting metal pillars in one metal layer to a power stripe in another metal layer, and extending a metal stripe in one metal layer to provide additional connections to a power stripe in another metal layer.

Abstract: A monolithic three-dimensional (3D) integrated circuit (IC) device includes a lower tier including a lower tier cell and an upper tier arranged over the lower tier. The upper tier has a first upper tier cell and a second upper tier cell separated by a predetermined lateral space. A monolithic inter-tier via (MIV) extends from the lower tier through the predetermined lateral space, and the MIV has a first end electrically connected to the lower tier cell and a second end electrically connected to the first upper tier cell.