Decoupling structures are provided. The decoupling structures may include first conductive patterns, second conductive patterns and a unitary supporting structure that structurally supports the first conductive patterns and the second conductive patterns. The decoupling structures may also include a common electrode disposed between ones of the first conductive patterns and between ones of the second conductive patterns. The first conductive patterns and the common electrode are electrodes of a first capacitor, and the second conductive patterns and the common electrode are electrodes of a second capacitor. The unitary supporting structure may include openings when viewed from a plan perspective. The first conductive patterns and the second conductive patterns are horizontally spaced apart from each other with a separation region therebetween, and none of the openings extend into the separation region.

A method of operating a mechanical switching device is disclosed. The switching device includes a housing, an assembly disposed in the housing, and a body. The assembly is thermally deformable and comprises a beam held in two different places by two arms secured to edges of the housing. The beam is remote from the body in a first configuration and in contact with and immobilized by the body in a second configuration. The assembly has the first configuration at a first temperature and the second configuration when one of the arms has a second temperature different from the first temperature. The method includes exposing an arm of the assembly to the second temperature, and releasing the beam using a release mechanism. The release mechanism includes a pointed element comprising a pointed region directed towards the body. The pointed element limits an open crater in a concave part of a projection.

A semiconductor device includes a landing pad and a capacitor disposed on and electrically connected to the landing pad. The capacitor includes a cylindrical bottom electrode, a dielectric layer and a top electrode. The cylindrical bottom electrode is disposed on an in contact with the landing pads, wherein an inner surface the cylindrical bottom electrode includes a plurality of protruding portions, and an outer surface of the cylindrical bottom electrode includes a plurality of concaved portions. The dielectric layer is conformally disposed on the inner surface and the outer surface of the cylindrical bottom electrode, and covering the protruding portions and the concaved portions. The top electrode is conformally disposed on the dielectric layer over the inner surface and the outer surface of the cylindrical bottom electrode.

Disclosed are devices having a metal-insulator-metal (MIM) capacitor and methods for fabricating the devices. The MIM capacitor includes a plurality of trenches in a Silicon (Si) substrate; a porous Si surface formed in the plurality of trenches, where the porous Si surface has an irregular surface on sidewalls and bottoms of the plurality of trenches; an oxide layer conformally disposed on the porous Si surface; a first plate conformally disposed on the oxide layer; a first dielectric layer conformally disposed on the first plate; and a second plate conformally disposed on the first dielectric, where the first plate, the first dielectric layer, and the second plate, each have an irregular surface that generally conforms to the irregular surface of the porous Si surface.

A method for detecting orientation of an integrated circuit is disclosed. The method includes moving, in response to a gravitational force, a mobile metallic piece in an evolution zone of a housing. The housing is formed in an interconnect region of the integrated circuit. The housing includes walls defining the evolution zone. The walls are formed within multiple metallization levels of the interconnect region. The walls include a floor wall and a ceiling wall. At least one of the floor wall and ceiling wall incorporate a pointed element directing its pointed region towards the mobile metallic piece. The pointed element delimits an open crater in a concave part of a projection. The method further includes creating an electrical signal by movement of the mobile metallic piece at a plurality of electrically conducting elements positioned at boundary points of the evolution zone and detecting the electrical signal by a detector.

A semiconductor device includes a capacitor. The capacitor includes a bottom electrode, a dielectric layer, and a top electrode that are sequentially stacked in a first direction. The dielectric layer includes a first dielectric layer and a second dielectric layer that are interposed between the bottom electrode and the top electrode and are stacked in the first direction. The first dielectric layer is anti-ferroelectric, and the second dielectric layer is ferroelectric. A thermal expansion coefficient of the first dielectric layer is greater than a thermal expansion coefficient of the second dielectric layer.

An electronic system comprising a substrate with a substrate conductor pattern including substrate pads; a semiconductor component with active circuitry, and component pads coupled to the active circuitry of the semiconductor component and connected to the substrate pads of the substrate; a power source interface for receiving power from a power source; and a power distribution network for distributing power from the power source interface to the active circuitry of the semiconductor component. The power distribution network includes a first capacitor realized by conductive structures comprised in the semiconductor component, the first capacitor being coupled to a first component pad and a second component pad of the semiconductor component; a second capacitor arranged between the substrate and the semiconductor component, the second capacitor being coupled to the first component pad and the second component pad of the component package; and a power grid portion of the substrate conductor pattern.

A semiconductor device includes a plurality of lower electrode structures disposed on a substrate, and a supporter pattern disposed between pairs of lower electrode structures of the plurality of lower electrode structures. The semiconductor device further includes a capacitor dielectric layer disposed on surfaces of each of the plurality of lower electrode structures and the supporter pattern, and an upper electrode disposed on the capacitor dielectric layer. The plurality of lower electrode structures includes a first lower electrode and a second lower electrode disposed on the first lower electrode and having a cylindrical shape. The first lower electrode has a pillar shape. The first lower electrode includes an insulating core. The insulating core is disposed in the first lower electrode. An outer side surface of the first lower electrode and an outer side surface of the second lower electrode are coplanar.

A multilayer capacitive element and a design method of the same are provided. The capacitive element includes a substrate having a groove, a first aspect ratio modulation structure, and a plurality of conductive layers and a plurality of dielectric layers. The first aspect ratio modulation structure is located in the groove to define the groove as a first region and a first modulation region, wherein an aspect ratio of the first modulation region is different from that of the first region. The plurality of conductive layers and the plurality of dielectric layers are alternately stacked in the groove.

A method for manufacturing an electrical device that includes: anodizing a portion of an anodizable metal layer so as to obtain an anodic porous oxide region and an anodizable metal region adjoining the anodic porous oxide region, the anodic porous oxide region being thicker than the anodizable metal region; depositing a layer of liner material on the anodic porous oxide region and on the anodizable metal region; depositing a layer of filler material on the layer of liner material to obtain a stacked structure having a top surface; planarizing the stacked structure from a top surface thereof until reaching the layer of the liner material, so as to expose a portion of liner material located above at least a portion of the anodic porous oxide region; and removing the exposed portion of liner material.