Abstract: Semiconductor structures and methods are provided. A semiconductor structure according to the present disclosure includes a first fin structure and a second fin structure over a substrate, a first source/drain feature disposed over the first fin structure and a second source/drain feature disposed over the second fin structure, a dielectric feature disposed over the first source/drain feature, and a contact structure formed over the first source/drain feature and the second source/drain feature. The contact structure is electrically coupled to the second source/drain feature and is separated from the first source/drain feature by the dielectric feature.

Abstract: In an embodiment, a device includes: a semiconductor substrate; a first fin extending from the semiconductor substrate; a second fin extending from the semiconductor substrate; an epitaxial source/drain region including: a main layer in the first fin and the second fin, the main layer including a first semiconductor material, the main layer having an upper faceted surface and a lower faceted surface, the upper faceted surface and the lower faceted surface each being raised from respective surfaces of the first fin and the second fin; and a semiconductor contact etch stop layer (CESL) contacting the upper faceted surface and the lower faceted surface of the main layer, the semiconductor CESL including a second semiconductor material, the second semiconductor material being different from the first semiconductor material.

Abstract: A method of semiconductor fabrication includes providing a semiconductor structure having a substrate and first, second, third, and fourth fins above the substrate. The method further includes forming an n-type epitaxial source/drain (S/D) feature on the first and second fins, forming a p-type epitaxial S/D feature on the third and fourth fins, and performing a selective etch process on the semiconductor structure to remove upper portions of the n-type epitaxial S/D feature and the p-type epitaxial S/D feature such that more is removed from the n-type epitaxial S/D feature than the p-type epitaxial S/D feature.

Abstract: A semiconductor structure includes a metal gate structure including a gate dielectric layer and a gate electrode, a conductive layer disposed on the gate electrode, and a gate contact disposed on the conductive layer. The conductive layer extends from a position below a top surface of the metal gate structure to a position above the top surface of the metal gate structure. The gate electrode includes at least a first metal, and the conductive layer includes at least the first metal and a second metal different from the first metal. Laterally the conductive layer is fully between opposing sidewalls of the metal gate structure.

Abstract: A method and structure for forming a semiconductor device includes etching back a source/drain contact to define a substrate topography including a trench disposed between adjacent hard mask layers. A contact etch stop layer (CESL) is deposited along sidewall and bottom surfaces of the trench, and over the adjacent hard mask layers, to provide the CESL having a snake-like pattern disposed over the substrate topography. A contact via opening is formed in a dielectric layer disposed over the CESL, where the contact via opening exposes a portion of the CESL within the trench. The portion of the CESL exposed by the contact via opening is etched to form an enlarged contact via opening and expose the etched back source/drain contact. A metal layer is deposited within the enlarged contact via opening to provide a contact via in contact with the exposed etched back source/drain contact.

Abstract: Vias, along with methods for fabricating vias, are disclosed that exhibit reduced capacitance and resistance. An exemplary interconnect structure includes a first source/drain contact and a second source/drain contact disposed in a dielectric layer. The first source/drain contact physically contacts a first source/drain feature and the second source/drain contact physically contacts a second source/drain feature. A first via having a first via layer configuration, a second via having a second via layer configuration, and a third via having a third via layer configuration are disposed in the dielectric layer. The first via and the second via extend into and physically contact the first source/drain contact and the second source/drain contact, respectively. A first thickness of the first via and a second thickness of the second via are the same. The third via physically contacts a gate structure, which is disposed between the first source/drain contact and the second source/drain contact.

Abstract: A system for monitoring an electric power storage system includes: a processor electrically connected to multiple sensors, each of the sensors being configured to detect at least one parameter of the electric power storage system the processor being configured to acquire a set of direct measurement data of the set of power cells from the plurality of sensors, provide the set of direct measurement data to a physics model within the processor and generate a set of derived measurement data using the physics model, provide the derived measurement data and at least a portion of the direct measurement data to a machine learning model and generate a coordinate position corresponding to a fault condition of the set of power cells, compare the coordinate position to a fault map and identifying a probable fault cause based on the comparison, and alter an operation of the vehicle based on the comparison.

Abstract: Various embodiments of the present disclosure provide a via-first process for connecting a contact to a gate electrode. In some embodiments, the contact is formed extending through a first interlayer dielectric (ILD) layer to a source/drain region bordering the gate electrode. An etch stop layer (ESL) is deposited covering the first ILD layer and the contact, and a second ILD layer is deposited covering the ESL. A first etch is performed into the first and second ILD layers and the etch stop layer to form a first opening exposing the gate electrode. Etches are performed into the second ILD layer and the etch stop layer to form a second opening overlying the contact and overlapping the first opening, such that a bottom of the second opening slants downward from the contact to the first opening. A gate-to-contact (GC) structure is formed filling the first and second openings.

Abstract: A semiconductor device structure is provided. The semiconductor device structure includes a source/drain region formed in a semiconductor substrate, a source/drain contact structure formed over the source/drain region, and a silicide region formed between the source/drain region and the source/drain contact structure. The semiconductor device structure also includes a first insulating spacer surrounding and in direct contact with the source/drain contact structure and a second insulating spacer and a third insulating spacer respectively formed on two opposite sidewalls of the source/drain contact structure and in direct contact with an outer edge of the first insulating spacer. A first sidewall of the second insulating spacer and a second sidewall of the third insulating spacer are respectively aligned to two opposite side edges of the source/drain region.

Abstract: A system uses a machine learning model trained using multitask learning for processing audio signals of different types. The system may be used in a device such as a headset, smart glasses, or a smart watch, and may be used to make predictions based on different types of audio signals, for example, for classifying acoustic events based on audio signal or for keyword spotting to detect wake words. The use of a single machine learning model for analyzing different types of audio signals improves storage efficiency as well as energy efficiency of devices compared to systems that use a different machine learning model for processing each type of audio signal.

Abstract: A semiconductor structure includes semiconductor fins disposed over a substrate, an epitaxial source/drain (S/D) feature disposed over the semiconductor fins, where a top surface portion of the epitaxial S/D feature includes two surfaces slanted downward toward each other at an angle, a silicide layer disposed conformally over the top portion of the epitaxial S/D feature, and an S/D contact disposed over the silicide layer, where a bottom portion of the S/D contact extends into the epitaxial S/D feature.

Abstract: A semiconductor structure includes a channel member, a gate structure disposed over the channel member, a source/drain feature connected to the channel member and adjacent to the gate structure, a source/drain contact disposed below and connected to the source/drain feature, a backside dielectric feature disposed below the channel member, and a first dielectric layer and a second dielectric layer disposed between the backside dielectric feature and the source/drain contact. The first dielectric layer includes a low-k dielectric material.

Abstract: Disclosed is a composition containing 2?-FL for ameliorating, preventing or treating diseases caused by reduction of dopamine. 2?-FL has an advantage of effectively preventing or treating diseases caused by a decrease in dopamine by effectively suppressing degeneration of dopaminergic neurons. In particular, the composition of the present invention is effective in preventing, treating, or ameliorating Parkinson's disease caused by reduction of dopamine because it contains 2?-fucosyllactose (2?-FL) as an active ingredient, thereby suppressing the decrease in dopaminergic neurons and exhibiting an effect of improving motor activity.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides semiconductor devices and methods of forming the same. A semiconductor device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure includes a first fin-shaped structure extending lengthwise along a first direction over a substrate, a first epitaxial feature over a source/drain region of the first fin-shaped structure, a gate structure disposed over a channel region of the first fin-shaped structure and extending along a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, and a source/drain contact over the first epitaxial feature. The bottom surface of the gate structure is closer to the substrate than a bottom surface of the source/drain contact.

Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a fin disposed on a substrate, a first dielectric layer disposed over the fin, a first contact extending through the first dielectric layer to a first depth and electrically coupled to the fin, and a second contact extending through the first dielectric layer to a second depth different than the first depth. The first contact has a first bottom portion having a first cross-sectional shape profile. The second contact being electrically isolated from the fin and having a second bottom portion having a second cross-sectional shape profile different than the first cross-sectional shape profile. The semiconductor device also includes a first protective layer disposed along the first contact without being disposed on at least a portion of the first bottom portion of the first contact, and a second protective layer disposed along the second contact including along the second bottom portion of the second contact.

Abstract: An electrical system having a plurality of power converters each having an input in electrical communication with a power source and an output in electrical communication with a load. A controller is configured to receive an output power request for the plurality of power converters. The controller can then select at least one power converter of the plurality of power converters to satisfy the output power request based on an efficiency of power conversion of each of the plurality of power converters and an operating lifespan of each of the plurality of power converters and direct the at least one power converter to produce power to satisfy the output power request.

Abstract: In an embodiment, a method includes: forming a first fin extending from a substrate; forming a second fin extending from the substrate, the second fin being spaced apart from the first fin by a first distance; forming a metal gate stack over the first fin and the second fin; depositing a first inter-layer dielectric over the metal gate stack; and forming a gate contact extending through the first inter-layer dielectric to physically contact the metal gate stack, the gate contact being laterally disposed between the first fin and the second fin, the gate contact being spaced apart from the first fin by a second distance, where the second distance is less than a second predetermined threshold when the first distance is greater than or equal to a first predetermined threshold.

Abstract: A semiconductor structure and a method of forming the same are provided. In an embodiment, an exemplary semiconductor structure includes a gate structure disposed over a channel region of an active region, a drain feature disposed over a drain region of the active region; a source feature disposed over a source region of the active region, a backside source contact disposed under the source feature, an isolation feature disposed on and in contact with the source feature, a drain contact disposed over and electrically coupled to the drain feature, and a gate contact via disposed over and electrically coupled to the gate structure. A distance between the gate contact via and the drain contact is greater than a distance between the gate contact via and the isolation feature. The exemplary semiconductor structure would have a reduced parasitic capacitance and an enlarged leakage window.

Abstract: The present invention provides a spray gun for conveniently adding liquid, including a gun body, a material pot, a thimble assembly and a trigger assembly, the gun body is provided with a liquid filling channel, the lower end of the liquid filling channel communicates with the material pot, and the liquid filling channel penetrates upwardly through the gun body, so that the upper end of the liquid filling channel is connected to the outside world, and the upper end of the gun body is provided with a sealing cover assembly for sealing off the liquid filling channel. The solution, the sealing cover assembly is located on the top of the gun body, and the space for operation is large when liquid is added, so as to realize the purpose of conveniently and quickly adding liquid.

Abstract: One aspect of the present disclosure pertains to a method of forming a semiconductor device. The method includes forming a gate stack over a channel region and forming a first source/drain (S/D) trench adjacent the channel region and extending into the substrate below a top surface of an isolation structure. The method includes forming a first epitaxial S/D feature in the first S/D trench and forming a first frontside metal contact over the first epitaxial S/D feature. The method further includes forming a first backside trench that exposes a bottom surface of the first epitaxial S/D feature and forming a first backside conductive feature in the first backside trench and on the exposed bottom surface of the first epitaxial S/D feature. A top surface of the first backside conductive feature is under a bottommost surface of the gate stack.