Abstract: An electrode is provided for an electrochemical lithium battery cell. The electrode includes a bulk material that has a plurality of voids dispersed substantially throughout the bulk material. The bulk material is silicon. Numerous other aspects are provided.

Abstract: An electrode is provided for an electrochemical lithium battery cell. The electrode includes multiple silicon sheets, each silicon sheet including multiple apertures, each aperture extending all or partly through a thickness of the silicon sheet. Numerous other aspects are provided.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a dummy pattern having a plurality of dummy features (e.g., waffles) are employed to help achieve a relatively planar surface by chemical-mechanical planarization (CMP). The dummy features are placed based on a dielectric pattern density of a region of an integrated circuit. The dummy features may be added to the design of the integrated circuit using a one pass or two pass approach. The dummy features in a second pass may be fragmented using an AndNot algorithm, for example.

Abstract: A method is provided for eliminating a polish stop layer from a polishing process. In particular, a method is provided which may include polishing an upper layer of a semiconductor topography to form an upper surface at an elevation above an underlying layer, wherein the upper surface does not include a polish stop material. Preferably, the upper surface of the topography formed by polishing is spaced sufficiently above the underlying layer to avoid polishing the underlying layer. The entirety of the upper surface may be simultaneously etched to expose the underlying layer. In an embodiment, the underlying layer may comprise a lateral variation in polish characteristics. The method may include using fixed abrasive polishing of a dielectric layer for reducing a required thickness of an additional layer underlying the dielectric layer. Such a method may be useful when exposing an underlying layer is desirable by techniques other than polishing.

Abstract: A dummy structure pattern for fabricating a substantially planar surface within an inactive region of a semiconductor topography is provided. In particular, a semiconductor topography is provided which includes an inactive region comprising a sacrificial annular dummy structure configured to surround an area larger than a square of a minimum critical dimension of a device arranged within an active region of the semiconductor topography. In a preferred embodiment, the area is exclusively designated for a formation of an isolation structure within the semiconductor substrate of the semiconductor topography. As such, a semiconductor topography is provided which includes a separate isolation structure arranged within a spacing of a contiguous isolation structure, which is arranged in a grid pattern within a portion of a semiconductor substrate. Moreover, a semiconductor device is provided which includes an inactive region with a plurality of similarly sized and uniformly arranged annular diffusion regions.

Abstract: The invention concerns a method for forming metallization and contact structures in an integrated circuit. The method involoves the steps of etching a trench in the trench dielectric layer a trench dielectric layer of a composite structure containing a semiconductor substrate comprising an active region, a gate structure thereover, and dielectric spacers adjacent to the gate structure, a contact dielectric layer; and the trench dielectric layer; etching the contact dielectric layer under conditions which do not damage the gate structure to form a first contact opening that exposes a region of the semiconductor substrate; and depositing a conductive material into the contact opening and the trench.

Abstract: The invention concerns a method for forming metallization and contact structures in an integrated circuit. The method involoves the steps of etching a trench in the trench dielectric layer a trench dielectric layer of a composite structure containing a semiconductor substrate comprising an active region, a gate structure thereover, and dielectric spacers adjacent to the gate structure, a contact dielectric layer; and the trench dielectric layer; etching the contact dielectric layer under conditions which do not damage the gate structure to form a first contact opening that exposes a region of the semiconductor substrate; and depositing a conductive material into the contact opening and the trench.

Abstract: The invention concerns a method for simultaneously forming a metallization and contact structure in an integrated circuit. The method involves the steps of etching a trench dielectric layer of a composite structure having a semiconductor substrate with an active region, a gate structure thereon, at least one dielectric spacer adjacent to the gate structure, a contact dielectric layer over the semiconductor substrate, the gate structure and the dielectric spacer, an etch stop layer over the contact dielectric layer, and a trench dielectric layer over the etch stop layer, to form a trench in the trench dielectric under etch conditions which do not substantially etch the etch stop layer; thereafter, forming an opening in the etch stop layer and the contact dielectric layer by etching under conditions which do not damage the gate structure to expose the active region; and depositing a conductive material into the opening and the trench.