Abstract: An integrated circuit includes first and second semiconductor fins, first and second epitaxy structures, and first and second dielectric fin sidewall structures. The first and second epitaxy structures are respectively on the first and second semiconductor fins. The first epitaxy structure and the second epitaxy structure are merged together. The first and second dielectric fin sidewall structures are respectively on opposite first and second sidewalls of the first epitaxy structure. The first sidewall of the first epitaxy structure faces the second epitaxy structure. The first dielectric fin sidewall structure is shorter than the second dielectric fin sidewall structure.

Abstract: An electric power steering assembly includes a motor which includes a brush assembly. The brush assembly includes a brush base, a plurality of brush units and a plurality of fixing units for fixing the brush units to the brush base. The brush unit includes a brush, a guide rail and a spring. The rail includes two guiding arms, a closed end interconnecting the guiding arms and wings extending from free ends of the guiding arms. Grooves in the brush receive the guiding arms. The fixing unit includes a first fixture and a second fixture. The closed end of the guide rail engages the first fixture. The second fixture includes two columns spaced from each other. Each column defines a slot in a top end. Protrusions extend from a side of each slot to lock the wings in the slots.

Abstract: A method of forming an integrated circuit includes the following steps. A substrate including a plurality of exposure fields is provided, and each of the exposure field includes a target portion and a set of alignment marks. Measure the set of alignment marks of each exposure field by a measuring system to obtain alignment data for the respective exposure field. Determine an exposure parameter corresponding to each exposure field and an exposure location on the target portion from the alignment data for the respective exposure field by a calculating system. Feedback the alignment data to a next substrate.

Abstract: A device includes a substrate and insulation regions over a portion of the substrate. A first semiconductor region is between the insulation regions and having a first conduction band. A second semiconductor region is over and adjoining the first semiconductor region, wherein the second semiconductor region includes an upper portion higher than top surfaces of the insulation regions to form a semiconductor fin. The second semiconductor region also includes a wide portion and a narrow portion over the wide portion, wherein the narrow portion is narrower than the wide portion. The semiconductor fin has a tensile strain and has a second conduction band lower than the first conduction band. A third semiconductor region is over and adjoining a top surface and sidewalls of the semiconductor fin, wherein the third semiconductor region has a third conduction band higher than the second conduction band.

Abstract: A method comprises performing a surface treatment on a plurality of recesses in a substrate to form a first cloak-shaped recess, a second cloak-shaped recess and a third cloak-shaped recess, wherein each cloak-shaped recess is between two isolation regions over the substrate and growing a semiconductor material in the first cloak-shaped recess, the second cloak-shaped recess and the third cloak-shaped recess to form a first cloak-shaped active region, a second cloak-shaped active region and a third cloak-shaped active region, wherein the first cloak-shaped active region has a first non-planar top surface, the second cloak-shaped active region has a second non-planar top surface and the third cloak-shaped active region has a third non-planar top surface.

Abstract: An integrated circuit includes a first semiconductor fin, a first epitaxy structure, and at least two first dielectric fin sidewall structures. The first epitaxy structure is disposed on the first semiconductor fin. The first dielectric fin sidewall structures are disposed on opposite sidewalls of the first epitaxy structure. The first dielectric fin sidewall structures have different heights.

Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a substrate; an isolation structure over the substrate; and two fins in a first region of the semiconductor device extending from the substrate and through the isolation structure. Each of the two fins has a channel region and two source/drain (S/D) regions sandwiching the channel region. The semiconductor device further includes a gate stack over the isolation structure and engaging the channel regions of the two fins; and four S/D features over the S/D regions of the two fins. Each of the four S/D features includes a lower portion and an upper portion over the lower portion. Each of the lower portions of the four S/D features has a cross-sectional profile that is wider at its bottom than at its top. The upper portions of the four S/D features merge into two merged S/D features with one on each side of the gate stack.

Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a substrate, a first semiconductor fin, a second semiconductor fin, an n-type epitaxy structure, a p-type epitaxy structure, and a plurality of dielectric fin sidewall structures. The first semiconductor fin is disposed on the substrate. The second semiconductor fin is disposed on the substrate and adjacent to the first semiconductor fin. The n-type epitaxy structure is disposed on the first semiconductor fin. The p-type epitaxy structure is disposed on the second semiconductor fin and separated from the n-type epitaxy structure. The dielectric fin sidewall structures are disposed on opposite sides of at least one of the n-type epitaxy structure and the p-type epitaxy structure.

Abstract: A device includes a substrate and insulation regions over a portion of the substrate. A first semiconductor region is between the insulation regions and having a first conduction band. A second semiconductor region is over and adjoining the first semiconductor region, wherein the second semiconductor region includes an upper portion higher than top surfaces of the insulation regions to form a semiconductor fin. The second semiconductor region also includes a wide portion and a narrow portion over the wide portion, wherein the narrow portion is narrower than the wide portion. The semiconductor fin has a tensile strain and has a second conduction band lower than the first conduction band. A third semiconductor region is over and adjoining a top surface and sidewalls of the semiconductor fin, wherein the third semiconductor region has a third conduction band higher than the second conduction band.

Abstract: An intention inference system includes, a morphological analyzer to perform morphological analysis for a complex sentence with multiple intentions involved, a syntactic analyzer to perform syntactic analysis for the complex sentence morphologically analyzed by the morphological analyzer and to divide it into the first simple sentence and the second simple sentence, an intention inference unit to infer the first intention involved in the first simple sentence and the second intention involved in the second simple sentence, a feature extractor to extract as the first feature a morpheme showing execution order of operations involved in the first simple sentence and to extract as the second feature a morpheme showing execution order of operations involved in the second simple sentence, and an execution order inference unit to infer the execution order of the first operation corresponding to the first intention and the second operation corresponding to the second intention on the basis of the first feature and the

Abstract: A device includes a substrate, insulation regions extending into the substrate, a first semiconductor region between the insulation regions and having a first valence band, and a second semiconductor region over and adjoining the first semiconductor region. The second semiconductor region has a compressive strain and a second valence band higher than the first valence band. The second semiconductor region includes an upper portion higher than top surfaces of the insulation regions to form a semiconductor fin, and a lower portion lower than the top surfaces of the insulation regions. The upper portion and the lower portion are intrinsic. A semiconductor cap adjoins a top surface and sidewalls of the semiconductor fin. The semiconductor cap has a third valence band lower than the second valence band.

Abstract: A device includes a substrate and insulation regions over a portion of the substrate. A first semiconductor region is between the insulation regions and having a first conduction band. A second semiconductor region is over and adjoining the first semiconductor region, wherein the second semiconductor region includes an upper portion higher than top surfaces of the insulation regions to form a semiconductor fin. The semiconductor fin has a tensile strain and has a second conduction band lower than the first conduction band. A third semiconductor region is over and adjoining a top surface and sidewalls of the semiconductor fin, wherein the third semiconductor region has a third conduction band higher than the second conduction band.

Abstract: A semiconductor device and methods of forming the same are disclosed. The semiconductor device comprises a substrate; an isolation structure over the substrate; two fins extending from the substrate and through the isolation structure; a gate stack engaging channel regions of the two fins; a dielectric layer disposed over the isolation structure and adjacent to S/D regions of the two fins; and four S/D features over the S/D regions of the two fins. Each of the four S/D features includes a lower portion and an upper portion over the lower portion. The lower portions of the four S/D features are surrounded at least partially by the dielectric layer. The upper portions of the four S/D features merge into two merged second S/D features with one on each side of the gate stack. Each of the two merged S/D features has a curvy top surface.

Abstract: A FinFET comprises an isolation region formed in a substrate, a cloak-shaped active region formed over the substrate, wherein the cloak-shaped active region has an upper portion protruding above a top surface of the isolation region. In addition, the FinFET comprises a gate electrode wrapping the channel of the cloak-shaped active region.

Abstract: A structure includes a semiconductor substrate including a first semiconductor material. A portion of the semiconductor substrate extends between insulation regions in the semiconductor substrate. The portion of the semiconductor substrate has a (111) surface and a bottom surface. The (111) surface is slanted and has a top edge and a bottom edge. The bottom surface is parallel to a top surface of the insulation regions, and is connected to the bottom edge. A semiconductor region overlaps the portion of the semiconductor substrate, wherein the semiconductor region includes a second semiconductor material different from the first semiconductor material. The top edge and the bottom edge of the (111) surface are at a first depth and a second depth, respectively, relative to a top surface of the semiconductor region. A ratio of the first depth to the second depth is smaller than about 0.6.

Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a substrate, a first semiconductor fin, a second semiconductor fin, an n-type epitaxy structure, a p-type epitaxy structure, and a plurality of dielectric fin sidewall structures. The first semiconductor fin is disposed on the substrate. The second semiconductor fin is disposed on the substrate and adjacent to the first semiconductor fin. The n-type epitaxy structure is disposed on the first semiconductor fin. The p-type epitaxy structure is disposed on the second semiconductor fin and separated from the n-type epitaxy structure. The dielectric fin sidewall structures are disposed on opposite sides of at least one of the n-type epitaxy structure and the p-type epitaxy structure.

Abstract: A device includes a substrate, insulation regions extending into the substrate, a first semiconductor region between the insulation regions and having a first valence band, and a second semiconductor region over and adjoining the first semiconductor region. The second semiconductor region has a compressive strain and a second valence band higher than the first valence band. The second semiconductor region includes an upper portion higher than top surfaces of the insulation regions to form a semiconductor fin, and a lower portion lower than the top surfaces of the insulation regions. The upper portion and the lower portion are intrinsic. A semiconductor cap adjoins a top surface and sidewalls of the semiconductor fin. The semiconductor cap has a third valence band lower than the second valence band.

Abstract: An overlay mask includes a plurality of first patterns, a plurality of second patterns and a plurality of third patterns. The first patterns are arranged within a first pitch. The second patterns are arranged within a second pitch. A first portion of the third patterns are arranged alternately with the first patterns, within the first pitch, and a second portion of the third patterns are arranged alternately with the second patterns, within the second pitch, and the first pitch is not equal to the second pitch.

Abstract: A device includes a substrate and insulation regions over a portion of the substrate. A first semiconductor region is between the insulation regions and having a first conduction band. A second semiconductor region is over and adjoining the first semiconductor region, wherein the second semiconductor region includes an upper portion higher than top surfaces of the insulation regions to form a semiconductor fin. The semiconductor fin has a tensile strain and has a second conduction band lower than the first conduction band. A third semiconductor region is over and adjoining a top surface and sidewalls of the semiconductor fin, wherein the third semiconductor region has a third conduction band higher than the second conduction band.

Abstract: A semiconductor device and methods of forming the same are disclosed. The semiconductor device comprises a substrate; an isolation structure over the substrate; two fins extending from the substrate and through the isolation structure; a gate stack engaging channel regions of the two fins; a dielectric layer disposed over the isolation structure and adjacent to S/D regions of the two fins; and four S/D features over the S/D regions of the two fins. Each of the four S/D features includes a lower portion and an upper portion over the lower portion. The lower portions of the four S/D features are surrounded at least partially by the dielectric layer. The upper portions of the four S/D features merge into two merged second S/D features with one on each side of the gate stack. Each of the two merged S/D features has a curvy top surface.