Abstract: Conductive contacts, methods for forming the same, and semiconductor devices including the same are disclosed. In an embodiment, a semiconductor device includes a first interlayer dielectric (ILD) layer over a transistor structure; a first contact extending through the first ILD layer, the first contact being electrically coupled with a first source/drain region of the transistor structure, a top surface of the first contact being convex, and the top surface of the first contact being disposed below a top surface of the first ILD layer; a second ILD layer over the first ILD layer and the first contact; and a second contact extending through the second ILD layer, the second contact being electrically coupled with the first contact.

Abstract: A monolithic integrated multi-segment cascade optical frequency comb and its chip are disclosed, which belongs to the technical field of sensing detection, quantum information and optical communication technology. The optical frequency comb includes a first semiconductor passive mode-locking laser, a semiconductor optical amplifier, and a second semiconductor passive mode-locking laser sequentially integrated and connected; the first semiconductor passive mode-locking laser includes a first reverse bias absorption area integrated with an optogalvanic distribution grating and a first gain cavity length extender (coupled multi-ring or multi-disk); the second semiconductor passive mode-locking laser includes a second reverse bias absorption area and a second gain cavity length extender (coupled multi-ring or multi-disk); each structure is connected to each other by electrical isolation grooves.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure propose an Erasing-based Lossless Floating-point compression method, i.e., Elf. The main idea of Elf is to erase the last few bits (i.e., set them to zero) of floating-point values, so the XORed values are supposed to contain many trailing zeros, where the erased bits are determined based on the decimal place count and the digits on the exponent bits.

Abstract: An example method of distributed load balancing in a virtualized computing system includes: configuring, at a logical load balancer, a traffic detector to detect traffic to a virtual internet protocol address (VIP) of an application having a plurality of instances; detecting, at the traffic detector, a first request to the VIP from a client executing in a virtual machine (VM) supported by a hypervisor executing on a first host; sending, by a configuration distributor of the logical load balancer in response to the detecting, a load balancer configuration to a configuration receiver of a local load balancer executing in the hypervisor for configuring the local load balancer to perform load balancing for the VIP at the hypervisor using the load balancer configuration.

Abstract: A method that includes measuring vibration levels in a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus, determining one or more sections of the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus that vibrate at levels greater than a predetermined vibration level, and reducing the vibration levels in the one or more sections to be at or within the predetermined vibration level by coupling one or more weights to an external surface of the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus in the one or more sections.

Abstract: Systems and methods for remote management of work-life balance scheduling are provided. In some examples, a computing device may receive, from a client device, one or more remote management configurations, wherein the remote management configurations include one or more action s, selected from a plurality of actions, and one or more conditions. The computing device can receive, from a first calendar application, a first calendar event and a second calendar event and determining a period between the first calendar event and the second calendar event. The computing device may determine, based on the period, that a first condition corresponding to a first remote management configuration has been satisfied. The computing device can determine a planned action corresponding to the first remote management configuration and output a first command to cause the client device to schedule the planned action.

Abstract: The disclosure provides a high-efficient swift stepless layering water intaking gate device, is including setting up the water intaking gate slot of the relative setting of the inlet port both sides on the dam body, its characterized in that: a plurality of sections of door leaves are arranged in the water taking gate groove from bottom to top; all the door leaves in the water intaking gate groove are divided into a group, and the adjacent door leaves are connected by adopting an internode connecting plate to form an integral water intaking gate; or all the gate leaves in the water intake gate groove are divided into a plurality of groups to form a plurality of sets of stop log type water intake gates, each set of stop log type water intake gate is provided with a plurality of sections of gate leaves.

Abstract: An environment managing and monitoring system and a method using same are provided. The environment managing and monitoring system is configured to assist monitors to obtain real-time information of the monitoring field and control device in the monitoring field. The environmental managing and monitoring system includes at least one sub-system and a host system. The host system is configured to output a region of interest condition and a monitoring condition to the sub-system, wherein the sub-system is configured to generate monitoring results according to the monitoring conditions, and selects an image range from the captured wide-angle dynamic real-time images according to the region of interest condition.

Abstract: Compositions and provided to induce cells of the inner ear to renter the cell cycle and to proliferate. In particular, hair cells are induced to proliferate by administration of a composition which activates the Myc and Notch. Supporting cells are induced to transdifferentiate to hair cells by inhibition of Myc and Notch activity or the activation of Atoh1. Methods of treatment include the intracellular delivery of these molecules to a specific therapeutic target.

Abstract: A slurry dispersion system is provided, and includes a slurry source system, an in-line analyzer and a controller. The slurry source system provides a slurry for a chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) process. The in-line analyzer measures at least one parameter of a sampled slurry sampled from the slurry dispersion system, and generates an indication signal based on the parameter, in which the indication signal indicates at lease one characteristic of the slurry. The controller receives the indication signal, and generates a control signal based on the indication signal for performing a real time control on the slurry dispersion system for controlling quality of the slurry.

Abstract: A reflective mask includes a substrate, a reflective multilayer disposed on the substrate, a capping layer disposed on the reflective multilayer, and an absorber layer disposed on the capping layer. The absorber layer includes one or more alternating pairs of a first Cr based layer and a second Cr based layer different from the first Cr based layer.

Abstract: A device and a method for simulating layered stratum containing natural gas hydrates are provided. The device includes a reactor; wherein the reactor includes an upper cover, a lower cover, and a reactor body, wherein the upper cover and the lower cover are sealably attached to two ends of the reactor body to form a closed chamber; an overlying pressure layer, a superstratum layer, a hydrate layer and a substratum layer are sequentially formed throughout inside of the closed chamber from the upper cover to the lower cover, wherein each layer is respectively filled with different kinds of porous media and fluids and the each layer is provided with a stratal-fluid annular container; each stratal-fluid annular container has an outer periphery contacting an inner surface of the reactor body. The method is conducted using the device.

Abstract: An organometallic precursor for extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography is provided. An organometallic precursor includes an aromatic di-dentate ligand, a transition metal coordinated to the aromatic di-dentate ligand, and an extreme ultraviolet (EUV) cleavable ligand coordinated to the transition metal. The aromatic di-dentate ligand includes a plurality of pyrazine molecules.

Abstract: Wireless communications systems and methods related to hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) history feedbacks are provided. A user equipment (UE) receives one or more data blocks associated with a plurality of hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) processes. The UE may transmit an individual feedback for each of the one or more data blocks indicating whether the data block is received successfully. The UE may transmit a feedback history report for a set of HARQ processes less than all of the plurality of HARQ processes.

Abstract: A reflective mask includes a substrate, a reflective multilayer disposed on the substrate, a capping layer disposed on the reflective multilayer, and an absorber layer disposed on the capping layer. The absorber layer includes a base material made of one or more of a Cr based material, an Ir based material, a Pt based material, or Co based material, and further contains one or more additional elements selected from the group consisting of Si, B, Ge, Al, As, Sb, Te, Se and Bi.

Abstract: An electronic apparatus performs a method of decoding video data. The method comprises: receiving, from a bitstream, a first control flag that indicates merge mode with motion vector difference (MMVD) is enabled for one or more coding units in a video sequence; receiving a first syntax from the video data that identifies a set of motion vector difference (MVD) offsets from a plurality sets of MVD offsets; receiving, a second control flag corresponding to a respective coding unit of the one or more coding units, which indicates the MMVD is applied to the coding unit; receiving a second syntax that selects an MVD offset from the identified set of MVD offsets, and a third syntax that selects an MVD direction; forming MVD based on the selected MVD offset and MVD direction; and reconstructing the coding unit by applying the formed MVD to generate motion vectors to the coding unit.

Abstract: Provided is an array substrate including: a first base, wherein the first base is provided with a plurality of pixel regions, and the pixel region includes a white sub-pixel region and at least two color sub-pixel regions; and a plurality of photosensitive devices disposed on the first base, wherein an orthographic projection of the photosensitive device onto the first base at least partially overlaps with the white sub-pixel region. A liquid crystal display panel and a display apparatus are also provided.

Abstract: A wet etching chemistry to selectively remove a polymer residue on an opening embedded in a low-k dielectric layer and an underlying stop layer in a process of forming an interconnect structure is provided. The wet etching chemistry includes: two type of organic solvents, wherein a concentration of the two type of organic solvents is greater than or equal to 70%; an Alkali source amine, at least comprising a tertiary amine; an inhibitor; and water. In some embodiment, the wet etching chemistry is free of a peroxide to avoid damage to the WdC hard mask.

Abstract: An aluminum battery negative electrode structure includes an aluminum foil and a coating layer. The coating layer is arranged on the aluminum foil. A material of the coating layer includes a high specific surface area carbon material. A specific surface area of the high specific surface area carbon material ranges from 500 m2/g to 3,000 m2/g.

Abstract: A semiconductor device according to the present disclosure includes a first transistor and a second transistor disposed over the first transistor. The first transistor includes a plurality of channel members vertically stacked over one another, and a first source/drain feature adjoining the plurality of channel members. The second transistor includes a fin structure, and a second source/drain feature adjoining the fin structure. The semiconductor device further includes a conductive feature electrically connecting the first source/drain feature and the second source/drain feature.