Abstract: A semiconductor structure including a semiconductor substrate is provided. The semiconductor substrate includes a surface. A gate structure is provided on the surface. An interface lower than the surface is provided. An epitaxial regrowth region adjacent the gate structure is disposed on the interface. In addition, the epitaxial regrowth region extends over the surface and includes a bottom layer and a cap layer. The activation of the cap layer is lower than that of the bottom layer. Moreover, the bottom layer is lower than the surface and the gate structure. Furthermore, the bottom layer includes a first downwardly-curved edge and a second downwardly-curved edge over the first one. The first downwardly-curved edge is connected with the second downwardly-curved edge at two endpoints. The two endpoints are in contact with the surface of the semiconductor substrate.

Abstract: A method of fabricating a FinFET includes at last the following steps. A semiconductor substrate is patterned to form a plurality of trenches in the semiconductor substrate and at least one semiconductor fin between the trenches. Insulators are formed in the trenches. A gate stack is formed over portions of the semiconductor fin and over portions of the insulators. A strained material doped with a conductive dopant is formed over portions of the semiconductor fin revealed by the gate stack, and the strained material is formed by selectively growing a bulk layer with a gradient doping concentration.

Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a gate structure located on a substrate and a raised source/drain region adjacent to the gate structure. The raised source/drain region includes: a first epitaxial-grown doped layer of the raised source/drain region in contact with the substrate; a second epitaxial-grown doped layer on the first epitaxial-grown doped layer and including a same dopant species as the first epitaxial-grown doped layer, wherein the second epitaxial-grown doped layer includes a higher dopant concentration than the first epitaxial-grown doped layer and interfacing the gate structure by using a predetermined distance; and a third epitaxial-grown doped layer on the second epitaxial-grown doped layer and including the same dopant species as the first epitaxial-grown doped layer, wherein the third epitaxial-grown doped layer includes a higher dopant concentration than the second epitaxial-grown doped layer.

Abstract: A method of fabricating a semiconductor integrated circuit (IC) is disclosed. The method includes proving a substrate. The substrate includes a gate stack over the substrate and source/drain regions separated by the gate stack. A first dislocation with a first pinch-off point is formed within the source/drain region with a first depth. A second dislocation with a second pinch-off point is formed within the source/drain region at a second depth. The second depth is substantial smaller than the first depth.

Abstract: A semiconductor structure that includes crystalline surfaces and amorphous hydrophilic surfaces is provided. The hydrophilic surfaces are treated with silane that includes a hydrophobic functional group, converting the hydrophilic surfaces to hydrophobic surfaces. Chemical vapor deposition or other suitable deposition methods are used to simultaneously deposit a material on both surfaces and due to the surface treatment, the deposited material exhibits superior adherence qualities on both surfaces. In one embodiment, the structure is an opening formed in a semiconductor substrate and bounded by at least one portion of a crystalline silicon surface and at least one portion of an amorphous silicon oxide structure.

Abstract: A semiconductor device includes an isolation feature in a substrate. The semiconductor device further includes a first source/drain feature in the substrate, wherein a first side of the first source/drain feature contacts the isolation feature, and the first source/drain feature exposes a portion of the isolation feature below a top surface of the substrate. The semiconductor device further includes a silicide layer over the first source/drain feature. The semiconductor device further includes a dielectric layer along the exposed portion of the isolation feature below the top surface of the substrate, wherein the dielectric layer contacts the silicide layer. The semiconductor device further includes a second source/drain feature in the substrate on an opposite side of a gate stack from the first source/drain feature, wherein the second source/drain feature has a substantially uniform thickness.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for irradiating a scattering medium with increased resolution. The method includes transmitting EM radiation from an Electromagnetic (EM) radiation source to a target inside a scattering medium, wherein the target encodes the EM radiation with a variance structure to form encoded EM radiation; measuring, in a detector, transmitted EM radiation comprising at least a portion of the encoded EM radiation transmitted through and exiting the scattering medium; decoding the transmitted EM radiation, comprising EM fields, in a computer, comprising selecting one or more of the EM fields having the variance structure; and irradiating the scattering medium with time reversed EM radiation from a spatial light modulator (SLM), the time reversed EM radiation generated from time reversing the EM fields having the variance structure, thereby forming a focus of the time reversed EM radiation in the scattering medium with the increased resolution.

Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a source/drain feature in a substrate. The source/drain feature has an upper portion and a lower portion, the upper portion having a lower concentration of Ge than the lower portion. A Si-containing layer over the source/drain feature includes a metal silicide layer.

Abstract: A device and method for performing fluorescence imaging with digitally time reversed ultrasound encoded light, using a source of ultrasound waves, a coherent light source, a digital optical phase conjugation (DOPC) device comprising a camera and a spatial light modulator (SLM), a detector of fluorescence, and one or more computers, to obtain an output that at least approximates an interaction between a complete time reversed field, of all of the encoded light's fields, and the scattering medium.

Abstract: A method for fabrication of metal film with nanoapertures is provided. The method includes the steps of providing a nanopatterned template including a plurality of nanostructures, depositing of the metal film onto the nanopatterned template, and thermally induced dewetting of the metal film to define the nanoapertures in the metal film by diffusion and reflow of the metal film.

Abstract: A semiconductor structure that includes crystalline surfaces and amorphous hydrophilic surfaces is provided. The hydrophilic surfaces are treated with silane that includes a hydrophobic functional group, converting the hydrophilic surfaces to hydrophobic surfaces. Chemical vapor deposition or other suitable deposition methods are used to simultaneously deposit a material on both surfaces and due to the surface treatment, the deposited material exhibits superior adherence qualities on both surfaces. In one embodiment, the structure is an opening formed in a semiconductor substrate and bounded by at least one portion of a crystalline silicon surface and at least one portion of an amorphous silicon oxide structure.

Abstract: A method includes providing a gate structure over a semiconductor substrate and forming a source/drain region associated with the gate structure by etching an opening in the semiconductor substrate, performing a first epitaxial growth process while an entirety of a sidewall of the opening is exposed to grow a first epitaxy material in the opening. The first epitaxial growth process is free of a first dopant impurity. A second epitaxial growth process is performed after first epitaxial growth process to grow a second epitaxy material on the first epitaxy material. The second epitaxy material has the first dopant impurity at a first concentration. Further, a third epitaxial growth process is performed after the second epitaxial growth process that includes introducing the first dopant impurity at a second concentration, the second concentration greater than the first concentration.

Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a gate structure located on a substrate and a raised source/drain region adjacent to the gate structure. The raised source/drain region includes: a first epitaxial-grown doped layer of the raised source/drain region in contact with the substrate; a second epitaxial-grown doped layer on the first epitaxial-grown doped layer and including a same dopant species as the first epitaxial-grown doped layer, wherein the second epitaxial-grown doped layer includes a higher dopant concentration than the first epitaxial-grown doped layer and interfacing the gate structure by using a predetermined distance; and a third epitaxial-grown doped layer on the second epitaxial-grown doped layer and including the same dopant species as the first epitaxial-grown doped layer, wherein the third epitaxial-grown doped layer includes a higher dopant concentration than the second epitaxial-grown doped layer.

Abstract: A method of fabricating a semiconductor integrated circuit (IC) is disclosed. The method includes proving a substrate. The substrate includes a gate stack over the substrate and source/drain regions separated by the gate stack. A first dislocation with a first pinch-point is formed within the source/drain region with a first depth. A second dislocation with a second pinch-point is formed within the source/drain region at a second depth. The second depth is substantial smaller than the first depth.

Abstract: A semiconductor structure including a semiconductor substrate is provided. The semiconductor substrate includes a surface. A gate structure is provided on the surface. An interface lower than the surface is provided. An epitaxial regrowth region adjacent the gate structure is disposed on the interface. In addition, the epitaxial regrowth region extends over the surface and includes a bottom layer and a cap layer. The activation of the cap layer is lower than that of the bottom layer. Moreover, the bottom layer is lower than the surface and the gate structure. Furthermore, the bottom layer includes a first downwardly-curved edge and a second downwardly-curved edge over the first one. The first downwardly-curved edge is connected with the second downwardly-curved edge at two endpoints. The two endpoints are in contact with the surface of the semiconductor substrate.

Abstract: A semiconductor structure and method for forming the same provide a high mobility stressor material suitable for use as source/drain regions or other active devices. The structure is formed in a substrate opening and is doped with an impurity such as boron in upper portions but is void of the impurity in regions that contact the surfaces of the opening. The structure is therefore resistant to out-diffusion of the dopant impurity during high temperature operations and may be formed through selective deposition using reduced pressure chemical vapor deposition or reduced pressure epitaxial deposition.

Abstract: A method for fabricating a dual damascene metal gate includes forming a dummy gate onto a substrate, disposing a protective layer on the substrate and the dummy gate, and growing an expanding layer on sides of the dummy gate. The method further includes removing the protective layer, forming a spacer around the dummy gate, and depositing and planarizing a dielectric layer. The method further includes selectively removing the expanding layer, and removing the dummy gate.

Abstract: An asynchronous master-slave serial communication system, a data transmission method, and a control module using the same are disclosed. The asynchronous master-slave serial communication system comprises a master control module and a slave control module. The master control module generates a check code according to an address information and a data information, and generates a data package according to the address information, the data information, the check code and the master clock signal. The slave control module generates a decoding data according to the data package and a slave clock signal, and generates the address information, the data information and the check code according to the decoding data.

Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a source/drain feature in a substrate. The source/drain feature has an upper portion and a lower portion, the upper portion having a lower concentration of Ge than the lower portion. A Si-containing layer over the source/drain feature includes a metal silicide layer.

Abstract: In a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device, a source/drain feature is formed over a substrate. A Si-containing layer is formed over the source/drain feature. A metal layer is formed over the Si-containing layer. A metal silicide layer is formed from the metal layer and Si in the Si-containing layer.