Abstract: Methods are disclosed herein for forming fin-like field effect transistors (FinFETs) that maximize strain in channel regions of the FinFETs. An exemplary method includes forming a fin having a first width over a substrate. The fin includes a first semiconductor material, a second semiconductor material disposed over the first semiconductor material, and a third semiconductor material disposed over the second semiconductor material. A portion of the second semiconductor material is oxidized, thereby forming a second semiconductor oxide material. The third semiconductor material is trimmed to reduce a width of the third semiconductor material from the first width to a second width. The method further includes forming an isolation feature adjacent to the fin. The method further includes forming a gate structure over a portion of the fin, such that the gate structure is disposed between source/drain regions of the fin.

Abstract: A transistor includes a substrate. The transistor further includes a channel region comprising dopants of a first type. The transistor further includes a gate structure over the channel region. The transistor further includes a source comprising dopants of a second type. The transistor further includes a lightly doped drain (LDD) comprising dopants of the second type, wherein the LDD is over the source, and the channel region is in direct contact with the LDD. The transistor further includes a deactivated region in the channel region underneath the gate structure, wherein the deactivated region comprises a first region inside an epitaxial layer and a second region outside the epitaxial layer.

Abstract: A semiconductor package, a semiconductor device and a shielding housing for a semiconductor package are provided. The semiconductor package includes a semiconductor chip having a first region and a second region beside the first region; and a shielding housing encasing the semiconductor chip, made of a magnetic permeable material, and including a first shielding plate, a second shielding plate opposite to the first shielding plate and a shielding wall extending between the first shielding plate and the second shielding plate. The first shielding plate has an opening exposing the first region and includes a raised portion surrounding the opening and a flat portion beside the raised portion and shielding the second region. A first distance from a level of the semiconductor chip to an outer surface of the raised portion is greater than a second distance from the level to an outer surface of the flat portion.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides a method for topography simulation of a physical structure under a topography-changing process. The method includes initializing a voxel mesh as a three-dimensional (3D) representation of the physical structure, generating a batch of particles, simulating a flight path of one of the particles with a ray-tracing method by a parallel processing thread in a hardware accelerator, identifying a surface normal of a voxel unit in the voxel mesh that intersects the flight path by the parallel processing thread, determining a surface reaction between the one of the particles and the voxel unit by a central processing unit (CPU), and updating the voxel mesh based on the determining of the surface reaction.

Abstract: The present disclosure describes a method of fabricating a semiconductor structure that includes forming a dummy gate structure over a substrate, forming a first spacer on a sidewall of the dummy gate structure and a second spacer on the first spacer, forming a source/drain structure on the substrate, removing the second spacer, forming a dielectric structure over the source/drain structure, replacing the dummy gate structure with a metal gate structure and a capping structure on the metal gate structure, and forming an opening in the dielectric structure. The opening exposes the source/drain structure. The method further includes forming a dummy spacer on a sidewall of the opening, forming a contact structure in the opening, and removing the dummy spacer to form an air gap between the contact structure and the metal gate structure. The contact structure is in contact with the source/drain structure in the opening.

Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a conductive layer extending along a first lateral direction; a gate dielectric layer disposed over the conductive layer; a channel layer disposed over the gate dielectric layer and extending along a second lateral direction perpendicular to the first lateral direction; a first via-like structure, in direct contact with the channel layer, that is disposed along a first edge of the first channel extending along the second lateral direction; and a second via-like structure, in direct contact with the channel layer, that is disposed along a second, opposite edge of the first channel extending along the second lateral direction. The first via-like structure and second via-like structure are laterally separated apart along a third lateral direction that is clockwise tilted from the second lateral direction with a first positive angle.

Abstract: A semiconductor package, a semiconductor device and a shielding housing for a semiconductor package are provided. The semiconductor package includes a semiconductor chip having a first region and a second region beside the first region; and a shielding housing encasing the semiconductor chip, made of a magnetic permeable material, and including a first shielding plate, a second shielding plate opposite to the first shielding plate and a shielding wall extending between the first shielding plate and the second shielding plate. The first shielding plate has an opening exposing the first region and includes a raised portion surrounding the opening and a flat portion beside the raised portion and shielding the second region. A first distance from a level of the semiconductor chip to an outer surface of the raised portion is greater than a second distance from the level to an outer surface of the flat portion.

Abstract: A semiconductor structure includes a substrate and a semiconductor channel layer over the substrate. The semiconductor structure includes a high-k gate dielectric layer over the semiconductor channel layer, a work function metal layer over the high-k gate dielectric layer, and a bulk metal layer over the work function metal layer. The work function metal layer includes a first portion and a second portion over the first portion. Both the first portion and the second portion are conductive. Materials included in the second portion are also included in the first portion. The first portion is doped with silicon at a first dopant concentration, and the second portion is not doped with silicon or is doped with silicon at a second dopant concentration lower than the first dopant concentration.

Abstract: A light source is provided capable of maintaining the temperature of a collector surface at or below a predetermined temperature. The light source in accordance with various embodiments of the present disclosure includes a processor, a droplet generator for generating a droplet to create extreme ultraviolet light, a collector for reflecting the extreme ultraviolet light into an intermediate focus point, a light generator for generating pre-pulse light and main pulse light, and a thermal image capture device for capturing a thermal image from a reflective surface of the collector.

Abstract: Methods and semiconductor structures are provided. A semiconductor structure according to the present disclosure includes a plurality of transistors, an interconnect structure electrically coupled to the plurality of transistors, a metal feature disposed over the interconnect structure and electrically isolated from the plurality of transistors, an insulation layer disposed over the metal feature, and a first redistribution feature and a second redistribution feature disposed over the insulation layer. A space between the first redistribution feature and the second redistribution feature is disposed directly over at least a portion of the metal feature.

Abstract: A method of fabricating a device on a substrate includes doping a channel region of the device with dopants. The method further includes growing an undoped epitaxial layer over the channel region, wherein growing the undoped epitaxial layer comprises deactivating dopants in the channel region to form a deactivated region. The method further includes forming a gate structure over the deactivated region.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides a semiconductor device and a method of manufacturing the semiconductor device. The semiconductor device includes channel members vertically stacked above a substrate, a gate structure engaging the channel members, a gate sidewall spacer disposed on a sidewall of the gate structure, an epitaxial feature abutting end portions of the channel members, and inner spacers interposing the gate structure and the epitaxial feature. The end portion of at least one of the channel members includes a first dopant. A concentration of the first dopant in the end portion of the at least one of the channel members is higher than in a center portion of the at least one of the channel members. The concentration of the first dopant in the end portion of the at least one of the channel members is higher than in an outer portion of the epitaxial feature.

Abstract: The present disclosure describes a method of fabricating a semiconductor structure that includes forming a dummy gate structure over a substrate, forming a first spacer on a sidewall of the dummy gate structure and a second spacer on the first spacer, forming a source/drain structure on the substrate, removing the second spacer, forming a dielectric structure over the source/drain structure, replacing the dummy gate structure with a metal gate structure and a capping structure on the metal gate structure, and forming an opening in the dielectric structure. The opening exposes the source/drain structure. The method further includes forming a dummy spacer on a sidewall of the opening, forming a contact structure in the opening, and removing the dummy spacer to form an air gap between the contact structure and the metal gate structure. The contact structure is in contact with the source/drain structure in the opening.

Abstract: A memory circuit includes a plurality of memory cells, each memory cell of the plurality of memory cells including a gate electrode, a ferroelectric layer adjacent to the gate electrode, a channel layer adjacent to the ferroelectric layer, the channel layer including indium gallium zinc oxide (IGZO), and source and drain contacts adjacent to the channel layer opposite the ferroelectric layer. The memory circuit is configured to, during write operations to a memory cell of the plurality of memory cells, apply a plurality of voltage levels to the gate electrode relative to a ground voltage level applied to the source and drain contacts, a first voltage level of the plurality of voltage levels has a positive polarity and a first magnitude, and a second voltage level of the plurality of voltage levels has a negative polarity and a second magnitude greater than the first magnitude.

Abstract: A semiconductor device comprises a first conductive structure extending along a vertical direction and a second conductive structuring extending along the vertical direction. The second conductive structure is spaced apart from the first conductive structure along a lateral direction. The semiconductor device further comprises a plurality of third conductive structures each extending along the lateral direction. The plurality of third conductive structures are disposed across the first and second conductive structures. The semiconductor device further comprises a first semiconductor channel extending along the vertical direction. The first semiconductor channel is disposed between the plurality of third conductive structures and the first conductive structure and between the plurality of third conductive structures and the second conductive structure.

Abstract: A semiconductor device includes semiconductor channel members disposed over a substrate, a gate dielectric layer disposed on and wrapping around the semiconductor channel members, a gate electrode layer disposed on the gate dielectric layer and wrapping around the semiconductor channel members, a source/drain (S/D) epitaxial layer in physical contact with the semiconductor channel members, and a dielectric spacer interposing the S/D epitaxial layer and the gate dielectric layer. The dielectric spacer includes a first dielectric layer in physical contact with the gate dielectric layer and a second dielectric layer in physical contact with the first dielectric layer. The first dielectric layer has a dielectric constant higher than that of the second dielectric layer. The second dielectric layer separates the first dielectric layer from physically contacting the S/D epitaxial layer.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides a semiconductor device. The semiconductor device includes channel members vertically stacked over a substrate, a gate structure engaging the channel members, a gate spacer layer disposed on sidewalls of the gate structure, an epitaxial feature abutting the channel members, an inner spacer layer interposing the gate structure and the epitaxial feature, and a semiconductor layer interposing the inner spacer layer and the epitaxial feature.