Abstract: The present disclosure describes the formation of a pad structure in an image sensor device using a sacrificial isolation region and a silicon oxide based stack with no intervening nitride etch-stop layers. The image sensor device includes a semiconductor layer comprising a first horizontal surface opposite to a second horizontal surface; a metallization layer formed on the second horizontal surface of the semiconductor layer, where the metallization layer includes a dielectric layer. The image sensor device also includes a pad region traversing through the semiconductor layer from the first horizontal surface to the second horizontal surface. The pad region includes an oxide layer with no intervening nitride layers formed on the dielectric layer of the metallization layer and a pad structure in physical contact with a conductive structure of the metallization layer.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides a method of fabricating a semiconductor structure, and the method includes following steps. A gate structure is formed on a substrate, and a liner layer is formed to cover the gate structure and the substrate. A spacer layer is formed on the liner layer, and an etching gas is continuously provided to remove a portion of the spacer layer while maintaining the substrate at a second pressure, which the etching gas has a first pressure. The second pressure is greater than the first pressure.

Abstract: In a method for forming a semiconductor device photo-sensing regions are formed over a frontside of a substrate. A first layer is formed over a backside of the substrate and is patterned to form a plurality of grid lines. The grid lines can define a plurality of first areas and a plurality of second areas. A second layer maybe formed over exposed portions of the backside, the gridlines, the first areas, and the second areas and a third layer may be formed over the second layer. The second and third layer may have different etch rates and the third layer is pattern so as to remove the third layer from over the plurality of first areas.

Abstract: A method for forming a semiconductor device structure is provided. The semiconductor device structure includes forming a film over a substrate. The semiconductor device structure includes forming a first mask layer over the film. The semiconductor device structure includes forming a second mask layer over the first mask layer. The second mask layer exposes a first portion of the first mask layer. The semiconductor device structure includes performing a plasma etching and deposition process to remove the first portion of the first mask layer and to form a protection layer over a first sidewall of the second mask layer. The first mask layer exposes a second portion of the film after the plasma etching and deposition process. The semiconductor device structure includes removing the second portion using the first mask layer and the second mask layer as an etching mask.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides a semiconductor structure. The structure includes a first substrate; a first dielectric layer having a first surface in proximity to the first substrate and a second surface away from the first substrate; a first interconnect penetrating the first surface of the first dielectric layer; and a protection layer extending along a portion of a sidewall of the first interconnect. A thickness of the protection layer is in a range of from about 0.02 ?m to about 0.2 ?m.

Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a substrate, a conductive layer, a transparent layer, a transparent hard mask layer, a carrier, and a device layer. The substrate has a first surface and a second surface opposite to each other. The conductive layer is disposed on the first surface of the substrate. The transparent layer is disposed on the conductive layer. The transparent hard mask layer is disposed on the transparent layer, in which the substrate has an etch selectivity with respect to the transparent hard mask layer. The device layer is disposed between the carrier and the second surface of the substrate, in which various portions of the device layer are respectively exposed by various through holes which pass through the transparent hard mask layer, the transparent layer, the conductive layer, and the substrate.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is an oral dosage formulation suitable for treating a neurodegenerative disorder. The oral dosage formulation contains both sustained-release and immediate-release drugs. The sustained-release drug in the oral dosage formulation is memantine, and the immediate-release drug in the oral dosage formulation is donepezil and/or memantine, and the formulation is characterized in having a pH-independent dissolution profile of memantine at a pH range from about 1.0 to about 7.0.

Abstract: An apparatus for estimating a carrier frequency offset (CFO) is provided. A differential correlation calculation is performed on a received signal and a reference signal to generate multiple calculation results. One among M number of peak values with largest amplitudes determined from the calculation results is selected as a candidate peak value and outputted each time. A data capturing circuit captures from the received signal a data segment corresponding to the candidate peak value as a candidate data segment. A fast Fourier transform (FFT) circuit performs FFT on a product of the candidate data segment and a conjugate signal of reference data to obtain a candidate transform result. A selecting circuit determines whether to select the candidate transform result as a target transform result. The CFO calculating circuit determines an estimated CFO according to a frequency corresponding to the largest amplitude in the target transform result.

Abstract: CMOS sensors and methods of forming the same are disclosed. The CMOS sensor includes a semiconductor substrate, a plurality of dielectric patterns, a first conductive element and a second conductive element. The semiconductor substrate has a pixel region and a circuit region. The dielectric patterns are disposed between the first portion and the second portion, wherein top surfaces of the plurality of dielectric patterns are lower than top surfaces of the first and second portions. The first conductive element is disposed below the plurality of dielectric patterns. The second conductive element inserts between the plurality of dielectric patterns to electrically connect the first conductive element.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides a semiconductor structure. The structure includes a first substrate; a first dielectric layer having a first surface in proximity to the first substrate and a second surface away from the first substrate; a first interconnect penetrating the first surface of the first dielectric layer; and a protection layer extending along a portion of a sidewall of the first interconnect. A thickness of the protection layer is in a range of from about 0.02 ?m to about 0.2 ?m.

Abstract: A semiconductor component including a Wheatstone bridge rectifying circuit and a transistor is provided, wherein the Wheatstone bridge rectifying circuit and the transistor are formed on a same growth substrate, and wherein the Wheatstone bridge rectifying circuit includes a first rectifying diode; a second rectifying diode electrically connected to the first rectifying diode; a third rectifying diode electrically connected to the second rectifying diode; and a fourth rectifying diode electrically connected to the third rectifying diode.

Abstract: A phase recovery device includes a phase recovery module and a residual phase recovery module. The phase recovery module performs a first-stage phase recovery on a received signal to generate a first phase recovered signal. The residual phase recovery module performs a second-stage phase recovery on the first phase-recovered signal to generate a second phase recovered signal.

Abstract: CMOS sensors and methods of forming the same are disclosed. The CMOS sensor includes a semiconductor substrate, a dielectric layer, an interconnect, a bonding pad and a dummy pattern. The semiconductor substrate has a pixel region and a circuit region. The dielectric layer is surrounded by the semiconductor substrate in the circuit region. The interconnect is disposed over the dielectric layer in the circuit region. The bonding pad is disposed in the dielectric layer and electrically connects the interconnect in the circuit region. The dummy pattern is disposed in the dielectric layer and surrounds the bonding pad in the circuit region.

Abstract: CMOS sensors and methods of forming the same are disclosed. The CMOS sensor includes a semiconductor substrate, a dielectric layer, an interconnect, a bonding pad and a dummy pattern. The semiconductor substrate has a pixel region and a circuit region. The dielectric layer is surrounded by the semiconductor substrate in the circuit region. The interconnect is disposed over the dielectric layer in the circuit region. The bonding pad is disposed in the dielectric layer and electrically connects the interconnect in the circuit region. The dummy pattern is disposed in the dielectric layer and surrounds the bonding pad in the circuit region.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides a semiconductor structure. The structure includes a first substrate; a first dielectric layer having a first surface in proximity to the first substrate and a second surface away from the first substrate; a first interconnect penetrating the first surface of the first dielectric layer; and a protection layer extending along a portion of a sidewall of the first interconnect. A thickness of the protection layer is in a range of from about 0.02 ?m to about 0.2 ?m.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides a method of fabricating a semiconductor structure, and the method includes following steps. A gate structure is formed on a substrate, and a liner layer is formed to cover the gate structure and the substrate. A spacer layer is formed on the liner layer, and an etching gas is continuously provided to remove a portion of the spacer layer while maintaining the substrate at a second pressure, which the etching gas has a first pressure. The second pressure is greater than the first pressure.

Abstract: A method for forming a semiconductor device structure is provided. The semiconductor device structure includes forming a film over a substrate. The semiconductor device structure includes forming a first mask layer over the film. The semiconductor device structure includes forming a second mask layer over the first mask layer. The second mask layer exposes a first portion of the first mask layer. The semiconductor device structure includes performing a plasma etching and deposition process to remove the first portion of the first mask layer and to form a protection layer over a first sidewall of the second mask layer. The first mask layer exposes a second portion of the film after the plasma etching and deposition process. The semiconductor device structure includes removing the second portion using the first mask layer and the second mask layer as an etching mask.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides a method of fabricating a semiconductor structure, and the method includes following steps. A gate structure is formed on a substrate, and a liner layer is formed to cover the gate structure and the substrate. A spacer layer is formed on the liner layer, and an etching gas is continuously provided to remove a portion of the spacer layer while maintaining the substrate at a second pressure, which the etching gas has a first pressure. The second pressure is greater than the first pressure.

Abstract: A packet output device includes: a first extracting unit, extracting a plurality of first packets and a plurality of first null packet values corresponding to a first channel; a first buffer, storing the first packets and the first null packet values; a second extracting unit, extracting a plurality of second packets and a plurality of second null packet values corresponding to a second channel; a second buffer, storing the second packets and the second null packet values; and a packet outputting unit, selecting, according to the first null packet values and the second null packet values, one of the first packets and the second packets as an output packet.

Abstract: A method for detecting a notch band is applied to a multicarrier communication system that operates in a wideband. The method includes: receiving a received signal, and generating a plurality of frequency-domain signals according to the received signal; performing a magnitude operation on the frequency-domain signals to obtain a plurality of magnitude values; determining a plurality of ratios of a first magnitude set among the magnitude values to a second magnitude set among the magnitude value to determine whether the received signal contains a notch band.