An apparatus and configuring scheme where a ferroelectric capacitive input circuit can be programmed to perform different logic functions by adjusting the switching threshold of the ferroelectric capacitive input circuit. Digital inputs are received by respective capacitors on first terminals of those capacitors. The second terminals of the capacitors are connected to a summing node. A pull-up and pull-down device are coupled to the summing node. The pull-up and pull-down devices are controlled separately. During a reset phase, the pull-up and pull-down devices are turned on in a sequence, and inputs to the capacitors are set to condition the voltage on node n1. As such, a threshold for the capacitive input circuit is set. After the reset phase, an evaluation phase follows. In the evaluation phase, the output of the capacitive input circuit is determined based on the inputs and the logic function configured during the reset phase.

A multi-chip package comprising an interconnection substrate; a first semiconductor IC chip over the interconnection substrate, wherein the first semiconductor IC chip comprises a first silicon substrate, a plurality of first metal vias passing through the first silicon substrate, a plurality of first transistors on a top surface of the first silicon substrate and a first interconnection scheme over the first silicon substrate, wherein the first interconnection scheme comprises a first interconnection metal layer over the first silicon substrate, a second interconnection metal layer over the first interconnection layer and the first silicon substrate and a first insulating dielectric layer over the first silicon substrate and between the first and second interconnection metal layers; a second semiconductor IC chip over and bonded to the first semiconductor IC chip; and a plurality of second metal vias over and coupling to the interconnection substrate, wherein the plurality of second metal vias are in a space extending from a sidewall of the first semiconductor IC chip.

A method of forming a power rail to semiconductor devices comprising removing a portion of the gate structure forming a gate cut trench separating a first active region of fin structures from a second active region of fin structures. A conformal etch stop layer is formed in the gate cut trench. A fill material is formed on the conformal etch stop layer filling at least a portion of the gate cut trench. The fill material has a composition that is etched selectively to the conformal etch stop layer. A power rail is formed in the gate cut trench. The conformal etch stop layer obstructs lateral etching during forming the power rail to substantially eliminate power rail to gate structure shorting.

A symmetrical layout technique for an electrostatic discharge ESD device and a corresponding power supply network is presented. The ESD device protects an electronic circuit against an overvoltage or overcurrent and contains a first contact area to establish an electrical contact with a first supply rail, a second contact area to establish an electrical contact with a second supply rail, and a third contact area to establish an electrical contact with a third supply rail. The first and third supply rails provide a first supply voltage, and the second supply rail provides a second supply voltage. Within the ESD device, an axis of symmetry passes through the second contact area, and the first contact area and the third contact area are arranged on opposite sides with regard to the axis of symmetry. The symmetrical layout technique allows flipping the orientation of the ESD device with regard to the supply rails.

A semiconductor structure is provided. The semiconductor structure includes: a substrate; discrete channel structures on the substrate in device regions; a power rail line, located in the substrate of a power rail region; a gate structure, extending across the channel structures; source/drain doped regions, located in the channel structures on two sides of the gate structure; an interlayer dielectric layer, located at a side portion of the gate structure; a power rail contact plug, penetrating a partial thickness of the interlayer dielectric layer at a top of the power rail line, the power rail contact plug is in full contact with a top surface of the power rail line in a longitudinal direction; and a source/drain contact layer, located in the interlayer dielectric layer and in contact with the source/drain doped region, on a projection surface parallel to the substrate, the source/drain contact layer extends across the power rail line.

A board-level pad pattern includes staggered ball pads disposed within a surface mount region for mounting a multi-row QFN package. The staggered ball pads include first ball pads arranged in a first row and second ball pads arranged in a second row. The first ball pads in the first row are arranged at two different pitches, and the second ball pads in the second row are arranged at a constant pitch.

A board-level pad pattern includes a corner pad unit disposed at a corner of a surface mount region for mounting a multi-row QFN package. The corner pad unit includes at least a reversed-L-shaped pad. The reversed-L-shaped pad is disposed in proximity to an apex of the corner of the surface mount region.

A board-level pad pattern includes a printed circuit board (PCB) substrate; an exposed pad region disposed within a surface mount region of the base substrate; and multiple staggered ball pads disposed within the surface mount region arranged in a ring shape around the exposed pad region. The staggered ball pads includes first ball pads arranged in a first row and second ball pads arranged in a second row. The first ball pads in the first row are arranged at two different pitches, and the second ball pads in the second row are arranged at a constant pitch. Multiple square-shaped ball pads are arranged in a third row between the exposed pad region and the staggered ball pads.

A memory device includes a first field effect transistor (FET) stack on a first bottom source/drain region, which includes a first vertical transport field effect transistor (VTFET) device between a second VTFET device and the first source/drain region, and a second FET stack on a second bottom source/drain region, which includes a third VTFET device between a fourth VTFET device and the bottom source/drain region. The memory device includes a third FET stack on a third bottom source/drain region, which includes a fifth VTFET between a sixth VTFET and the third source/drain region, which is laterally adjacent to the first and second source/drain regions. The memory device includes a first electrical connection interconnecting a gate structure of the third VTFET with a gate structure of the fifth VTFET, and a second electrical connection interconnecting a gate structure of the second VTFET with a gate structure of the sixth VTFET.

An integrated circuit includes a first active region, a second active region, a first insulating region, a first contact and a second contact. The first and second active region extend in a first direction, are in a substrate, and are located on a first level. The second active region is separated from the first active region in a second direction. The first insulating region is over the first active region. The first contact extends in the second direction, overlaps the second active region, and is located on a second level different from the first level. The second contact extends in the first direction and the second direction, overlaps the first insulating region and the first contact. The second contact is electrically insulated from the first active region, and is located on a third level different from the first level and the second level.