Abstract: A photolithography system utilizes tin droplets to generate extreme ultraviolet radiation for photolithography. The photolithography system irradiates the droplets with a laser. The droplets become a plasma and emit extreme ultraviolet radiation. The photolithography system senses contamination of a collector mirror by the tin droplets and adjusts the flow of a buffer fluid to reduce the contamination.

Abstract: A method includes providing a substrate including a channel region, the substrate comprising a two-stage structure having a first surface, a second surface higher than the first surface and a third surface connected between the first surface and the second surface; covering the substrate from a top thereof with an oxide layer; forming a ferroelectric material strip on a topmost surface of the oxide layer; and forming a gate strip covering the ferroelectric material strip and the oxide layer from a top of the gate strip.

Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a first conductive structure extending along a vertical direction and a second conductive structure extending along the vertical direction. The second conductive structure is spaced apart from the first conductive structure along a first lateral direction. The semiconductor device includes third conductive structures each extending along the first lateral direction. The third conductive structures are disposed across the first and second conductive structures. The semiconductor device includes a first semiconductor channel extending along the vertical direction. The first semiconductor channel is disposed between the third conductive structures and the first conductive structure, and between the third conductive structures and the second conductive structure. The first and second conductive structures each have a first varying width along the first lateral direction, and the first semiconductor channel has a second varying width along a second lateral direction.

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: The present disclosure provides a semiconductor structure. The semiconductor structure includes a semiconductor substrate having a first region and a second region; a first fin active region of a first semiconductor material disposed within the first region, oriented in a first direction, wherein the first fin active region has a <100> crystalline direction along the first direction; and a second fin active region of a second semiconductor material disposed within the second region and oriented in the first direction, wherein the second fin active region has a <110> crystalline direction along the first direction.

Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a substrate and a fin feature over the substrate. The fin feature includes a first portion of a first semiconductor material and a second portion of a second semiconductor material disposed over the first portion. The second semiconductor material is different from the first semiconductor material. The semiconductor device further includes a semiconductor oxide feature disposed on sidewalls of the first portion and a gate stack disposed on the fin feature. The gate stack includes an interfacial layer over a top surface and sidewalls of the second portion and a gate dielectric layer over the interfacial layer and sidewalls of the semiconductor oxide feature. A portion of the gate dielectric layer is below the interfacial layer.

Abstract: A semiconductor memory device includes a stack of alternating insulating layers and first conductive layers disposed over a substrate; a plurality of memory cell strings penetrating the stack over the substrate, each memory cell string comprising a central portion extending through the stack, a semiconductor layer surrounding the central portion, and a ferroelectric layer surrounding the semiconductor layer, and the central portion comprising a channel isolation structure and a second conductive layer and a third conductive layer at two sides of the channel isolation structure; and a plurality of cell isolation structures penetrating the conductive layers and the insulating layers over the substrate and disposed between two memory cell strings, each cell isolation structure comprising a top portion and a bottom portion adjoined to the top portion and different from the top portion.

Abstract: A semiconductor device comprises a first conductive structure extending along a vertical direction and a second conductive structure 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 first and second conductive structures each have a varying width along the lateral direction. The plurality of third conductive structures are configured to be applied with respective different voltages in accordance with the varying width of the first and second conductive structures.

Abstract: A ferroelectric memory device includes a multi-layer stack, a ferroelectric layer, and channel layers. The multi-layer stack is disposed on a substrate and includes conductive layers and dielectric layers stacked alternately. The ferroelectric layer has a curvy profile and is disposed along sidewalls of the conducive layers and sidewalls of the dielectric layers. The channel layers are separated from each other and disposed on the ferroelectric layer, and correspond to the conductive layers respectively.

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 permission-controlled smart contract upgrade method. The method first deploys a contract upgrade smart contract, and then deploys a smart contract to be upgraded including information of a required minimum number of agreements on passing a proposal related to the contract. Then, any of the blockchain nodes receives a contract upgrade proposal submitted by one of the plurality of user clients. After the contract upgrade smart contract determines to pass the proposal, a proposing event is generated and then is forwarded to each user client participating in the contract. After the user client receives the proposing event, the user client receives user's vote and feeds it back to the contract upgrade smart contract. If the number of agreements exceeds the required minimum number of agreements, the proposal is passed and employed, and a binary replacement is performed to complete upgrade of the smart contract.

Abstract: The disclosed MTJ read circuits include a current steering element coupled to the read path. At a first node of the current steering element, a proportionally larger current is maintained to meet the requirements of a reliable voltage or current sensing. At a second node of the current steering element, a proportionally smaller current is maintained, which passes through the MTJ structure. The current at the first node is proportional to the current at the second node such that sensing the current at the first node infers the current at the second node, which is affected by the MTJ resistance value.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure includes a semiconductor device. The semiconductor device includes first suspended nanostructures vertically stacked over one another and disposed on a substrate, a first gate stack engaging the first suspended nanostructures, a first gate spacer disposed on sidewalls of the first gate stack, second suspended nanostructures vertically stacked over one another and disposed on the substrate, a second gate stack engaging the second suspended nanostructures, and a second gate spacer disposed on sidewalls of the second gate stack. A middle portion of the first suspended nanostructures has a first thickness measured in a direction perpendicular to a top surface of the substrate. A middle portion of the second suspended nanostructures has a second thickness measured in the direction. The second thickness is smaller than the first thickness.

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 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: The present disclosure provides a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device. The method includes forming a stack of first semiconductor layers and second semiconductor layers over a substrate, etching the stack to form a source/drain (S/D) recess in exposing the substrate, and forming an S/D formation assistance region in the S/D recess. The S/D formation assistance region is partially embedded in the substrate and includes a semiconductor seed layer embedded in an isolation layer. The isolation layer electrically isolates the semiconductor seed layer from the substrate. The method also includes epitaxially growing an S/D feature in the S/D recess from the semiconductor seed layer. The S/D feature is in physical contact with the second semiconductor layers.

Abstract: An MRAM cell block and a magnetic shielding structure for the MRAM cell block are incorporated into a metal interconnect of an integrated circuit (IC) device. The magnetic shielding structure may be provided by metallization layers and via layers having wires and vias that incorporate a magnetic shielding material. The magnetic shielding material may form the wires and vias, form a liner around the wires, or may be a layer of the wires. The wires and vias may also include a metal that is more conductive than the magnetic shielding material. The metal interconnect may include layers above or below the magnetic shielding structure that lack the magnetic shielding material and are more conductive. The MRAM cell block with the magnetic shielding structure is optionally provided as a standalone memory device or incorporated into a 3-D IC device that includes a second substrate having a conventional metal interconnect.

Abstract: A semiconductor device structure includes a dielectric layer, a first source/drain feature in contact with the dielectric layer, wherein the first source/drain feature comprises a first sidewall, and a second source/drain feature in contact with the dielectric layer and adjacent to the first source/drain feature, wherein the second source/drain feature comprises a second sidewall. The structure also includes an insulating layer disposed over the dielectric layer and between the first sidewall and the second sidewall, wherein the insulating layer comprises a first surface facing the first sidewall, a second surface facing the second sidewall, a third surface connecting the first surface and the second surface, and a fourth surface opposite the third surface. The structure includes a sealing material disposed between the first sidewall and the first surface, wherein the sealing material, the first sidewall, the first surface, and the dielectric layer are exposed to an air gap.

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: Multi-gate devices and methods for fabricating such are disclosed herein. An exemplary device includes a channel layer, a first source/drain feature, a second source/drain feature, and a metal gate. The channel layer has a first horizontal segment, a second horizontal segment, and a vertical segment connects the first horizontal segment and the second horizontal segment. The first horizontal segment and the second horizontal segment extend along a first direction, and the vertical segment extends along a second direction. The vertical segment has a width along the first direction and a thickness along the second direction, and the thickness is greater than the width. The channel layer extends between the first source/drain feature and the second source/drain feature along a third direction. The metal gate wraps channel layer. In some embodiments, the first horizontal segment and the second horizontal segment are nanosheets.