Abstract: A method for eliminating bubbles from a liquid dispensing system includes flowing a liquid containing bubbles into a liquid inlet of a tank from a filter to substantially fill the tank, wherein substantially all bubbles accumulate in an upper portion of the tank having a lateral dimension greater than a lateral dimension of a lower portion of the tank, and flowing the liquid into the tank comprises flowing the liquid through an inlet pipe extending at an acute angle relative to a horizontally-oriented axis of the tank. The method further includes flowing a liquid substantially free of bubbles out of the tank via a liquid outlet at the lower portion of the tank for dispensing to a substrate.

Abstract: An electro-acoustical transducer device is disclosed, which includes: a hollow disk body that generally defines an axis of propagation, the hollow disk body comprising: a pair of plate members extending substantially perpendicular to the axis of propagation, each provided with a central transmitting port arranged about the axis of propagation, and a peripheral enclosure jointing the pair of plate members at the respective outer edge portions thereof, thereby defining a chamber of resonance between the pair of plate members; wherein a ring-opening about the axis of propagation that enables access to the chamber of resonance is formed between the central transmitting ports of the plate members.

Abstract: An ammonium fluoride gas may be used to form a protection layer for one or more interlayer dielectric layers, one or more insulating caps, and/or one or more source/drain regions of a semiconductor device during a pre-clean etch process. The protection layer can be formed through an oversupply of nitrogen trifluoride during the pre-clean etch process. The oversupply of nitrogen trifluoride causes an increased formation of ammonium fluoride, which coats the interlayer dielectric layer(s), the insulating cap(s), and/or the source/drain region(s) with a thick protection layer. The protection layer protects the interlayer dielectric layer(s), the insulating cap(s), and/or the source/drain region(s) during the pre-clean process from being etched by fluorine ions formed during the pre-clean process.

Abstract: A method for making iridium oxide nanoparticles includes dissolving an iridium salt to obtain a salt-containing solution, mixing a complexing agent with the salt-containing solution to obtain a blend solution, and adding an oxidating agent to the blend solution to obtain a product mixture. A molar ratio of a complexing compound of the complexing agent to the iridium salt is controlled in a predetermined range so as to permit the product mixture to include iridium oxide nanoparticles.

Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a single diffusion break (SDB) structure dividing a fin-shaped structure into a first portion and a second portion, an isolation structure on the SDB structure, a first spacer adjacent to the isolation structure, a metal gate adjacent to the isolation structure, a shallow trench isolation (STI around the fin-shaped structure, and a second isolation structure on the STI. Preferably, a top surface of the first spacer is lower than a top surface of the isolation structure and a bottom surface of the first spacer is lower than a bottom surface of the metal gate.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to an integrated chip. The integrated chip includes a substrate having one or more interior surfaces forming a recess within an upper surface of the substrate. Source/drain regions are disposed within the substrate on opposing sides of the recess. A first gate dielectric is arranged along the one or more interior surfaces forming the recess, and a second gate dielectric is arranged on the first gate dielectric and within the recess. A gate electrode is disposed on the second gate dielectric. The second gate dielectric includes one or more protrusions that extend outward from a recessed upper surface of the second gate dielectric and that are arranged along opposing sides of the second gate dielectric.

Abstract: An integrated circuit includes an upper threshold circuit configured to set a logic level of a first enabling signal, a lower threshold circuit configured to set a logic level of a second enabling signal, and a control circuit configured to change an output voltage signal in response to a condition that the logic level of the first enabling signal and the logic level of the second enabling signal are changed consecutively. In the control circuit, a first switch is electrically connected to a second switch at a buffer output node. The control circuit includes a regenerative circuit configured to maintain the output voltage signal at the buffer output node while each of the first switch and the second switch is at a disconnected state.

Abstract: An edge exposure tool may include a lens adjustment device that is capable of automatically adjusting various parameters of an edge exposure lens to account for changes in operating parameters of the edge exposure tool. In some implementations, the edge exposure tool may also include a controller that is capable of determining edge adjustment parameters for the edge exposure lens and exposure control parameters for the edge exposure tool using techniques such as big data mining, machine learning, and neural network processing. The lens adjustment device and the controller are capable of reducing and/or preventing the performance of the edge exposure tool from drifting out of tolerance, which may maintain the operation performance of the edge exposure tool and reduce the likelihood of wafer scratching, and may reduce the down-time of the edge exposure tool that would otherwise be caused by cleaning and calibration of the edge exposure lens.

Abstract: An ammonium fluoride gas may be used to form a protection layer for one or more interlayer dielectric layers, one or more insulating caps, and/or one or more source/drain regions of a semiconductor device during a pre-clean etch process. The protection layer can be formed through an oversupply of nitrogen trifluoride during the pre-clean etch process. The oversupply of nitrogen trifluoride causes an increased formation of ammonium fluoride, which coats the interlayer dielectric layer(s), the insulating cap(s), and/or the source/drain region(s) with a thick protection layer. The protection layer protects the interlayer dielectric layer(s), the insulating cap(s), and/or the source/drain region(s) during the pre-clean process from being etched by fluorine ions formed during the pre-clean process.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device is as below. An exposed photoresist layer is developed using a developer supplied by a developer supplying unit. An ammonia gas by-product of the developer is discharged through a gas outlet of the developer supplying unit into a treating tool. The ammonia gas by-product is retained in the treating tool. A concentration of the ammonia gas by-product is monitored.

Abstract: An electronic device includes a fuel cell providing a fuel voltage, a first switch, a rechargeable battery providing a battery voltage, a second switch, a relay, a driving circuit, and a controller. The first switch provides the fuel voltage to a first node according to a first control signal. The second switch is coupled to the first node, and charges the rechargeable battery with the fuel voltage according to a second control signal. The relay provides a voltage of the first node to the load according to the third control signal. The driving circuit generates the first control signal, the second control signal, and the third control signal according to a driving signal. The controller generates the driving signal according to the fuel voltage and the battery voltage.

Abstract: An edge exposure tool may include a lens adjustment device that is capable of automatically adjusting various parameters of an edge exposure lens to account for changes in operating parameters of the edge exposure tool. In some implementations, the edge exposure tool may also include a controller that is capable of determining edge adjustment parameters for the edge exposure lens and exposure control parameters for the edge exposure tool using techniques such as big data mining, machine learning, and neural network processing. The lens adjustment device and the controller are capable of reducing and/or preventing the performance of the edge exposure tool from drifting out of tolerance, which may maintain the operation performance of the edge exposure tool and reduce the likelihood of wafer scratching, and may reduce the down-time of the edge exposure tool that would otherwise be caused by cleaning and calibration of the edge exposure lens.

Abstract: A semiconductor device is disclosed. The device includes a source/drain feature formed over a substrate. A dielectric layer formed over the source/drain feature. A contact trench formed through the dielectric layer to expose the source/drain feature. A titanium nitride (TiN) layer deposited in the contact trench and a cobalt layer deposited over the TiN layer in the contact trench.

Abstract: An electronic device includes a fuel cell, a first switch, a rechargeable battery, a second switch, and a relay. The fuel cell provides a fuel voltage. The first switch provides the fuel voltage to a first node according to a first control signal. The rechargeable battery provides a battery voltage. The second switch is coupled to the first node and charges the rechargeable battery with the fuel voltage according to a second control signal. The relay provides a voltage of the first node to the load according to the third control signal.

Abstract: A semiconductor device is disclosed. The device includes a source/drain feature formed over a substrate. A dielectric layer formed over the source/drain feature. A contact trench formed through the dielectric layer to expose the source/drain feature. A titanium nitride (TiN) layer deposited in the contact trench and a cobalt layer deposited over the TiN layer in the contact trench.

Abstract: A switch mode power supply circuit with high voltage output, an electrostatic spray apparatus and agricultural plant protection apparatus using the same are provided. The switch mode power supply circuit is electrically connected in series with at least a pre-stage power converter and a post-stage power converter. In order to simplify the control, the switch of the pre-stage power converter is omitted, only one switch of the post-stage power converter is adopted to perform synchronous control. Since the multiple sets of power conversion circuits in the previous stage are connected in series, the turn ratio of the transformer in the power converter in the subsequent stage can be reduced. Therefore, the transformer can be miniaturized and the power supply circuit would be more suitable for agricultural plant protection machine and electrostatic spray apparatus.

Abstract: A photoresist baking apparatus is provided. The photoresist baking apparatus includes a baking chamber, a hot plate disposed in the baking chamber, and a cover plate disposed over the hot plate. The cover plate has a plurality of exhaust holes. The exhaust holes include a first exhaust hole and a second exhaust hole arranged in a first direction. The first exhaust hole and the second exhaust hole have different sizes.

Abstract: The present disclosure describes a method for replacing a photoresist (PR) bottle using a vehicle. An exemplary vehicle includes a processor configured to receive a request signal to replace a first PR bottle. The processor is also configured to transmit an order based on the request signal. The vehicle also includes a plurality of wheels configured to move the vehicle from the first location to a second location, and from the second location to the first location. The vehicle further includes a robotic arm configured to load, at the first location, the first PR bottle into a first container; load a second PR bottle in a second container; remove a cap from the second PR bottle and a socket from the first PR bottle; couple the socket of the first PR bottle to the second PR bottle; and unload the second PR bottle from the second container.

Abstract: The present disclosure describes a method for replacing a photoresist (PR) bottle using a vehicle. An exemplary vehicle includes a processor configured to receive a request signal to replace a first PR bottle. The processor is also configured to transmit an order based on the request signal. The vehicle also includes a plurality of wheels configured to move the vehicle from the first location to a second location, and from the second location to the first location. The vehicle further includes a robotic arm configured to load, at the first location, the first PR bottle into a first container; load a second PR bottle in a second container; remove a cap from the second PR bottle and a socket from the first PR bottle; couple the socket of the first PR bottle to the second PR bottle; and unload the second PR bottle from the second container.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a scalp protection composition that includes a carboxylate compound, an emulsifier, and water. The carboxylate compound is represented by formula (I): In formula (I), R1 represents a C4-C8 alkyl group, and R2 represents a C10-C26 alkyl group.