Abstract: Interconnect structures and methods of fabricating an interconnect structure. A first interconnect and a second interconnect extend in a first direction in a interlayer dielectric layer and are spaced apart from each other. A third interconnect is arranged in the interlayer dielectric layer to connect the first interconnect with the second interconnect. The first interconnect and the second interconnect have a first width, and the third interconnect has a second width that is less than the first width.

Abstract: A data acquisition and analysis method for a mass spectrometer includes providing at least one ion source for generating ions, the generated ions containing ions of a substance to be analyzed; dividing the full mass-to-charge ratio range of the ions of the substance into several mass-to-charge ratio windows, feeding ions corresponding to different mass-to-charge ratio windows into a collision cell to fragment at least part of the corresponding ions, and recording mass spectra of the ions passing through the collision cell as corresponding product ion spectra; obtaining a mass-to-charge ratio window corresponding to the product ion spectra obtained by the searching; within the mass-to-charge ratio range of the obtained mass-to-charge ratio window, obtaining ion peaks from the product ion spectra obtained by the searching; and determining whether ions corresponding to the obtained ion peaks are precursor ions corresponding to the product ion spectra obtained by the searching.

Abstract: An ion optical device includes one or more pairs of confinement electrode units arranged at two sides of a first direction; a power supply device for applying opposite radio-frequency voltages to the paired confinement electrode units respectively and forming thereon DC potentials distributed in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction to form a potential barrier herein over a length portion of the first direction; one first area and one second area positioned at two sides of the potential barrier in the second direction; and a control device connected with the power supply device for controlling an output thereof to change the potential barrier to manipulate the ions transported/stored in the first area being transferred to the second area through the potential barrier in ways based on the mass to charge ratio or mobility of the ions and continue being transported along the first direction.

Abstract: The invention relates to an ion source for generating ions for calibrating a mass spectrometer and methods for calibrating the mass spectrometer using the generated ions. The ion source includes a container used for containing a sample; an ionization device used for ionizing a sample by plasma discharge to generate ions for calibrating the mass spectrometer, where the ionization device operates at atmospheric pressure; and a delivery device for delivering the sample from the container to the ionization device. The method includes generating ions by plasma discharge at atmospheric pressure using a sample; inputting at least one part of the ions into the mass spectrometer to obtain a mass spectrogram; and calibrating the mass spectrometer according to the mass spectrogram.

Abstract: A data acquisition method in a mass spectrometer includes a. providing an ion source to generate precursor ions; b. feeding the precursor ions into a first mass analyzer that selects one mass window such that the precursor ions located outside the mass window pass through the first mass analyzer and the precursor ions located within the mass window cannot pass through the first mass analyzer; c. feeding the precursor ions passing through the first mass analyzer into a collision cell for collisional dissociation, to generate product ions; d. feeding the product ions into a second mass analyzer for mass analysis and recording a spectrum; and e. repeating Steps b-d. Each time when Step b is repeatedly performed, the selected mass window does not overlap with all the mass windows previously selected. After all the mass windows in a mass range are selected, the repetition is stopped.

Abstract: The invention provides a mass spectrometer, an ion optical device, and a method for ion manipulation in a mass spectrometer. The mass spectrometer includes a mass analyzer; and an ion guiding device, including two electrode arrays positioned in parallel with each other, each electrode array including at least two ring electrodes concentrically disposed or at least three linear electrode assemblies having a radial distribution; and a power supply means, configured to apply a voltage on at least a part of the ring electrodes, to form a radio-frequency electric field and a DC electric field. By means of the radio-frequency electric field and the DC electric field, ions are allowed to be stored in a region between the two arrays, and controlled to be sequentially released along a radial direction according to a preset mass-to-charge ratio requirement, then exit the ion guiding device and enter the mass analyzer for mass analysis.

Abstract: The invention provides ion mobility analyzer and analysis method. The analyzer includes an ion source, a first drift/analyzer region provided with an ions entrance, a second drift/analyzer region provided with an ions exit, a connection region connecting the first drift/analyzer region and the second drift/analyzer region, and a detector connected to the ion exit. Direct current electric fields and gas flows in the first drift/analyzer region and the second drift/analyzer region apply opposing forces on ions, and first and second gas flows have the same gas flow direction. The connection region includes a third direct current electric field that causes ions to transfer from the first drift/analyzer region to the second drift/analyzer region. Because the first and second regions have the same gas flow direction, the invention achieves stable resolution and sensitivity as a high-resolution ion mobility analyzer and/or an ion mobility filter for a continuous ion beam.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to semiconductor structures and, more particularly, to an anti-fuse with self-aligned via patterning and methods of manufacture. The anti-fuse includes: a lower wiring layer composed of a plurality of lower wiring structures; at least one via structure in direct contact and misaligned with a first wiring structure of the plurality of lower wiring structures and offset from a second wiring structure of the plurality of lower wiring structures; and an upper wiring layer composed of at least one upper wiring structure in direct contact with the at least one via structure.

Abstract: A memory cell includes a memory cell stack, a first word line, a second word line, a bit line coupled to one end of the memory cell stack, a first unidirectional selector having one end coupled to another end of the memory cell stack and another end coupled to the first word line, and a second unidirectional selector having one end coupled to the another end of the memory cell stack and another end coupled to the second word line. Current flow directions of the first unidirectional selector and the second unidirectional selector are opposite to each other.

Abstract: A resistive network include multiple resistive units; each resistive unit is made up of multiple resistive elements, which can be arranged in a parallel configuration. Each of the resistive elements can be programmable (e.g., switched on or off, or set to one of multiple resistance values). Furthermore, a method of analog computing includes configuring multiple resistive elements in each of multiple resistive units and configuring the resistive units into a network. The configuration of the resistive elements can be, for example, arranging them into a parallel combination. The method further includes programming each resistive unit, for example, by switching individual resistive elements into, or out of, the parallel combination.

Abstract: A data acquisition method for a mass spectrometer includes providing at least one ion source for generating ions; not fragmenting or less fragmenting the ions when a collision cell is in a first working mode; recording a mass spectrum of the ions generated in the first working mode; selecting more than one ion from the ions, the more than one ion being distributed in a plurality of discontinuous mass-to-charge ratio channels; partially fragmenting the selected ions when the collision cell is in a second working mode; recording a mass spectrum of the ions generated in the second working mode; and, repetitively executing the above steps for several times. The ions distributed in the discontinuous mass-to-charge ratio channels is always selected during the subsequent repeated execution, until the ion intensity of the selected ions is less than a set value.

Abstract: A mass spectrometer includes an ion source configured to generate reagent ions; a drift tube configured to cause sample molecules to react with the reagent ions to generate sample ions, the drift tube comprising two sets of electrodes which are identical in structure and symmetrically distributed in a direction perpendicular to a direction of ion drift, each set of electrodes comprising a plurality of curved cell electrodes which are distributed in a same plane and arranged in the direction of ion drift so that the sample ions are generated and drifted within a region between the two sets of electrodes and focused in the direction perpendicular to the direction of ion drift; a power supply device configured to apply, to each of the cell electrodes, a DC voltage changing in the direction of ion drift; and, a mass analyzer configured to perform mass analysis for the sample ions.

Abstract: An ion guiding device includes ring electrodes with a same size disposed in parallel; wherein a connection line of centers of the ring electrodes is defined as an axis, a normal of a plane where any of the ring electrodes is located and a tangent line of the axis at a center of the ring electrode form an included angle being a range of (0, 90) degrees; a radio-frequency voltage source, for applying an out-phase radio-frequency voltage on a neighboring ring electrode along the axis, so that ions are confined inside the ring electrode during a transmission process; and a direct-current voltage source, applying a direct-current voltage with an amplitude changing along the axis on the ring electrode, so that the ions are transmitted along the axis and focused to a position closer to an inner surface of the ring electrode along a direction of the normal.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to semiconductor structures and, more particularly, to an anti-fuse with self-aligned via patterning and methods of manufacture. The anti-fuse includes: a lower wiring layer composed of a plurality of lower wiring structures; at least one via structure in direct contact and misaligned with a first wiring structure of the plurality of lower wiring structures and offset from a second wiring structure of the plurality of lower wiring structures; and an upper wiring layer composed of at least one upper wiring structure in direct contact with the at least one via structure.

Abstract: The disclosure relates to an ion guiding device, including two sets of electrodes extending along a certain space axis, a first power supply device and a second power supply device. The electrodes are expandably arranged along a direction perpendicular to the space axis, at least one surface of each electrode in each set of electrodes is substantially on the same space plane, and the space planes for each set of electrodes are not same and not parallel, thereby forming an ion transmission channel having the cross sectional area gradually reduced in a direction perpendicular to the space axis; the first power supply device is used for applying radio-frequency voltages on at least a part of electrodes in the two sets of electrodes; and the second power supply device is used for applying voltage signals on at least a part of electrodes in the two sets of electrodes.

Abstract: Interconnect structures and methods of fabricating an interconnect structure. A first interconnect and a second interconnect extend in a first direction in a interlayer dielectric layer and are spaced apart from each other. A third interconnect is arranged in the interlayer dielectric layer to connect the first interconnect with the second interconnect. The first interconnect and the second interconnect have a first width, and the third interconnect has a second width that is less than the first width.

Abstract: An ion mobility spectrometry apparatus and method are provided. The ion mobility spectrometry apparatus includes an ion source for providing ions; an ion guiding device having at least three ends internally communicated: first, second and third guiding ends, wherein ions can enter or exit from the ion guiding device from any ends thereof, the first guiding end is used for entrance of ions provided by the ion source, and the third guiding end is communicated with a downstream device; at least one drift cell in correspondence to the second guiding end, for transmitting ions and/or performing ion mobility analysis, each drift cell having a first and second ends which are internally communicated, wherein the second end of drift cell is communicated with said second guiding end; an ion storage device communicated with said first end of the drift cell, for storing ions or ejecting ions.

Abstract: Various aspects include a static random access memory (SRAM) bitcell array structure. In some cases, the SRAM bitcell array structure includes at least one fin in an array of fins in a substrate, where a width of a first portion of the at least one fin is less than a width of a second portion of the at least one fin in the array of fins.

Abstract: The invention provides signal processing method and system and an electronic apparatus for analysis of time-of-flight mass spectra. The method includes digitalizing an analog signal output from an ion detector to acquire complete raw time-of-flight spectra or each effective part in the raw time-of-flight spectra for a plurality of times; if the complete raw time-of-flight spectra are acquired, extracting the effective parts of each raw time-of-flight spectrum; applying a one-dimensional wavelet transform to each effective part to map to each frequency band or scale; determining positions and intensities of each spectral peak in each raw time-of-flight spectrum by detecting the maxima of an obtained wavelet coefficient distribution, and saving said peak position and intensity as characteristic data of each spectral peak; accumulating the characteristic data obtained by processing each raw time-of-flight spectrum and stacking the data to form spectral peak intensity/time-of-flight histogram.

Abstract: The invention provides an ion mobility analyzer apparatus and analysis method. The analyzer apparatus includes an ion source, two groups of parallel electrodes, a power supply unit and a detector. The drift region is formed between the two groups of parallel electrodes, and has an ion entrance connected to the ion source and an ion exit. Each group of parallel electrodes is located in a plane respectively, and the two planes are parallel to each other. The power supply unit is configured to apply direct current potentials on the two groups of parallel electrodes to form a direct current electric field that applies an opposing force on ions against the gas flow so that ions with different mobilities are trapped under the combined effect of the gas flow and the direct current electric field. The detector is connected to the ion exit to detect ions.