Author: claimsbot

1. A lithium secondary battery comprising:
a positive electrode; a negative electrode; and a sulfide solid electrolyte disposed between the positive electrode and the negative electrode, wherein the positive electrode comprises a positive active material particle and a coating film including an oxide comprising lithium (Li) and zirconium (Zr) on a surface of the positive active material particle.
2. The lithium secondary battery of claim 1, wherein
an average secondary particle diameter D50 of the positive active material particle and the coating film is 5 micrometers or less.
3. The lithium secondary battery of claim 1, wherein
the oxide containing lithium (Li) and zirconium (Zr) is a compound of Formula 1:
aLi2O\u2014ZrO2\u2003\u2003Formula 1
wherein 0.1\u2266a\u22662.0.
4. The lithium secondary battery of claim 3, wherein in Formula 1, a is 1.
5. The lithium secondary battery of claim 3, wherein an amount of Li2O\u2014ZrO2 is in a range of about 0.01 to about 2 mole percent, based on a total weight of the positive active material particle and the compound of Formula 1.
6. The lithium secondary battery of claim 5, wherein the amount of Li2O\u2014ZrO2 is in a range of about 0.01 to about 0.95 mole percent, based on the total weight of the positive active material particle and the compound of Formula 1.
7. The lithium secondary battery of claim 1, wherein the positive active material particle is Li1-x-y-zNixCoyAlzO2 wherein 0<x<1, 0<y<1, 0<z<1, and x+y+z<1, Li1-x-y-zNixCoyMnzO2 wherein 0<x<1, 0<y<1, 0<z<1, and x+y+z<1, or a combination thereof.
8. The lithium secondary battery of claim 1, wherein the sulfide solid electrolyte comprises lithium sulfide and phosphorus pentasulfide.
9. The lithium secondary battery of claim 8, wherein a ratio of the lithium sulfide to the phosphorus pentasulfide is in a range of about 50:50 to about 80:20.
10. The lithium secondary battery of claim 1, wherein
the positive active material particle has a D10 particle diameter of about 2.0 micrometers to about 3.5 micrometers, a D50 particle diameter of about 3.0 micrometers to about 5.0 micrometers, and a D90 particle diameter of about 3.5 micrometers to about 5.0 micrometers.
11. The lithium secondary battery of claim 1, wherein
a D10 particle diameter of the positive active material particle is about 2.5 micrometers,
a D50 particle diameter of the positive active material particle is about 3.3 micrometers, and
a D90 particle diameter of the positive active material particle is about 4.5 micrometers.
12. The lithium secondary battery of claim 3, wherein the sulfide solid electrolyte comprises at least one of Li2S and P2S5, and an amount of the compound of Formula 1 is in a range of about 0.1 to about 2.0 mole percent, based on the total amount of the positive active material particle and the compound of Formula 1.
13. The lithium secondary battery of claim 1, wherein the positive active material has a layered rock salt structure.

The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.

1. A package comprising:
a first fan-out tier comprising:
a first device die;
a first molding compound extending along sidewalls of the first device die; and
a first through intervia (TIV) extending through the first molding compound;

one or more first fan-out redistribution layers (RDLs) over the first fan-out tier and bonded to the first device die;
a second fan-out tier over the one or more first fan-out RDLs, wherein the second fan-out tier comprises a second device die bonded to the one or more first fan-out RDLs, wherein the one or more first fan-out RDLs electrically connects the first device die to the second device die;
one or more second fan-out RDLs on an opposing side of the first fan-out tier as the one or more first fan-out RDLs, wherein the first TIV electrically connects the one or more first fan-out RDLs to the one or more second fan-out RDLs; and
a plurality of external connectors at least partially disposed in the one or more second fan-out RDLs, wherein the plurality of external connectors are further disposed on conductive features in the one or more second fan-out RDLs.
2. The package of claim 1, wherein the second fan-out tier further comprises:
a second molding compound extending along sidewalls of the second device die; and
a second TIV extending through the second molding compound.
3. The package of claim 2, wherein the second fan-out tier further comprises a third device die bonded to one or more first fan-out RDLs, wherein the second TIV is disposed between the second and the third device dies.
4. The package of claim 2, wherein the second fan-out tier further comprises a fourth device die, wherein back surfaces of the second device die and the fourth device die are bonded by an adhesive layer.
5. The package of claim 1, further comprising one or more third fan-out RDLs between the one or more first fan-out RDLs and the second fan-out tier, wherein the second device die is bonded to the one or more third fan-out RDLs, and wherein a plurality of connectors bonds the one or more third fan-out RDLs to the one or more second fan-out RDLs.
6. The package of claim 1 further comprising:
one or more third fan-out RDLs over the second fan-out tier, wherein the one or more third fan-out RDLs is electrically connected to the one or more second fan-out RDLs; and
a third fan-out tier disposed over the one or more third fan-out RDLs, the third fan-out tier comprising a fifth device die bonded to the one or more third fan-out RDLs, and wherein the one or more third fan-out RDLs electrically connects the fifth device die to the first device die.
7. The package of claim 1 further comprising one or more heat dissipation features on a surface of the package.
8. A package comprising:
a first device die;
a first fan-out tier bonded to the first device die, the first fan-out tier comprising:
a second device die;
a first molding compound extending along sidewalls of the second device die; and
a first through intervia (TIV) extending through the first molding compound;

a first fan-out RDL bonded to the first fan-out tier; and
a third device die electrically connected to the first fan-out RDL, wherein the first device die is electrically connected to the third device die by a first dedicated signaling path comprising the first TIV.
9. The package of claim 8, wherein the first device die and the second device die are electrically isolated from each other.
10. The package of claim 8, the second device die comprises a through-silicon via (TSV), wherein the TSV electrically connects the first and the second device dies.
11. The package of claim 8, wherein the third device die is disposed in a second fan-out tier, the second fan-out tier further comprising:
a second molding compound extending along sidewalls of the third device die; and
a second TIV extending through the second molding compound, wherein the first dedicated signaling path comprises the second TIV.
12. The package of claim 8, wherein the second device die is electrically connected to the third device die by a second dedicated signaling path, the second dedicated signaling path being electrically isolated from the first dedicated signaling path.
13. The package of claim 8, wherein the first device die is disposed in a second fan-out tier, and wherein the first device die is bonded to a second fan-out RDL disposed between the first and the second fan-out tiers.
14. The package of claim 8, wherein the first dedicated signaling path electrically connects the first device die to an external connector disposed on a surface of the package.
15. A method for forming a package comprising:
forming one or more first fan-out redistribution layers (RDLs) comprising a conductive line;
forming a fan-out tier over the one or more first fan-out RDLs, wherein forming the fan-out tier comprises:
forming a first through intervia (TIV) over the one or more first fan-out RDLs;
bonding a first device die to the one or more first fan-out RDLs;
dispensing a first molding compound around the first device die and the first TIV; and
exposing connectors on the first device die and the first TIV;

forming one or more second fan-out RDLs over the fan-out tier, wherein the first TIV electrically connects the one or more second fan-out RDLs to the one or more first fan-out RDLs;
bonding a second device die to the one or more second fan-out RDLs, wherein the one or more second fan-out RDLs electrically connects the first and the second device dies;
patterning the one or more first fan-out RDLs to expose the conductive line; and
disposing an external connector on the conductive line, wherein the external connector is at least partially disposed in the one or more first fan-out RDLs.
16. The method of claim 15, wherein patterning the one or more first fan-out RDLs to expose the conductive line comprises laser drilling.
17. The method of claim 15, wherein bonding the first device die comprises adhering the first device die to the one or more first fan-out RDLs using an adhesive layer on a backside of the first device die.
18. The method of claim 15, further comprising:
forming a second TIV over the one or more second fan-out RDLs;
dispensing a second molding compound around the second device die and the second TIV;
exposing the second TIV;
forming one or more third fan-out RDLs over the second TIV and the second device die, wherein the second TIV electrically connects the one or more third fan-out RDLs to the one or more second fan-out RDLs; and
bonding a third device die to the one or more third fan-out RDLs, wherein the one or more third fan-out RDLs electrically connects the first and the third device dies.
19. The method of claim 15 wherein forming the first TIV comprises:
disposing a photoresist over the one or more first fan-out RDLs;
patterning an opening in the photoresist;
filling the opening with a conductive material; and
removing the photoresist.
20. The method of claim 19, wherein forming the first TIV further comprises disposing seed layer between the photoresist and the one or more fan-out RDLs, wherein the opening exposes the seed layer, and wherein filling the opening comprises using the seed layer in a uni-directional electroless or electrochemical plating process.

1. A system of guideway construction and vehicle design methods as described in FIG. 1-2, and FIG. 4 to 10, in which vehicles ride on the guideways groups supporting left and right wheels, with empty space between the left and the right guideways. Lane and direction switching are accomplished by guideway switching among inner, middle and outer guideways. A vehicle initiates the guideway switching by widening or narrowing its wheel width, at a horizontal section that contains at least two of the inner, middle and outer guideways. After guideway switching, upper-moving guideways (outer) could guide the vehicle up and down-moving guideways (inner) could guide the vehicle down, and straight-moving guideways (middle) could guide the vehicle forward. In this system, outer guideways are for sending vehicles to above and receiving vehicles from above; inner guideways are for sending vehicles to below and receiving vehicles from below; and middle guideways are for carrying vehicles traveling at the current level. If a vehicle at one level needs to move up, it could move out of the straight guideways by widening the space between its left wheel and the corresponding right wheel and moving to the outer guideways. If a vehicle needs to move downward, the width of its wheel spacing needs to be narrowed to match the width of inner guideways, so that the wheels could ride on the down-moving guideways. In such a transportation system, vehicles diverge from a source lane and merge into a target lane aerially either above or below the tracks. Vehicles could move between levels by going through the empty space between left guideways and the corresponding right guideways.
2. A guideway construction method of claim 1, in which outer guideways of a level could guide a vehicle up to another level and inner guideways of a level could guide a vehicle down to another level. If the later level receives the vehicle from its underside, then the guideways would curve into inner guideways of the later level, with varying left to right track width along the way. If the later level receives the vehicle from above, then the guideways would curve into outer guideways of the later level, with varying left to right track width along the way. It is convenient for multiple levels aligned vertically; however, the principle could be applied to any relative spatial location of the lanes.
3. A guideway construction method of claim 1, in which up-moving guideways and down-moving guideways have fixed width. However, the upper level guideway width is wider than that of the lower level, so that lower level outer guideways could connect to upper level inner guideways without narrowing or widening.
4. A guideway construction and vehicle design method of claim 1, by which a vehicle’s passenger or cargo compartment could be located above the guideway level, even with the guideway level and below the guideway level. Such construction method would allow the passenger or the cargo compartment of a vehicle to be lowered or raised for loading and unloading, and for safer operation due to lowered center of gravity.
5. A guideway construction and vehicle design method for directional changes of a rigid vehicle with non-rotating axles, as shown by FIG. 11 and FIG. 12. In a directional change, all outer wheels will follow a single outer guideway and the inner wheels will follow mutiple tracks, one for each inner wheel. The track trajectories are determined by tracing the movements of each inner wheel. All the inner tracks could be combined to form a wide single inner guideway to accommodate all the inner wheels. This implies that all vehicles in the system must have the same size and the same wheel locations.
6. A guideway construction method and a wheel restraining method as shown in FIG. 14, in which the guideway is a channel and the wheel assembly includes supporting wheel and guiding wheels. The edges of the channel restrain the guiding wheels and prevent a vehicle from derailing.
7. A guideway construction and vehicle design method of claim 1, with each section of the guideways as an open channel as defined by FIG. 9 and FIG. 14. The ascending and descending guideways form continuous arches that could also provide structural support for the straight moving guideways as show by FIG. 15A. This guideway construction method could accommodate dual mode vehicles that could travel both on guideways and on regular road. A dual mode vehicle could enter an elevated guideway system by aligning its wheels with a pair of up-moving guideways and exits the guideway system by aligning its wheels with a pair of down-moving guideways that lead to the ground. A dual mode vehicle could enter an underground guideway system by aligning its wheels with a pair of down-moving guideways and exits the guideway system by aligning its wheels with a pair of up-moving guideways that lead to ground openings on the street.

The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.

1. A method, comprising:
forming a layer of insulating material above a semiconducting substrate;
performing a physical vapor deposition process to form a metal nitride layer above said layer of insulating material, said metal nitride layer having an intrinsic as-deposited stress level; and
performing at least one process operation on said metal nitride layer to reduce a magnitude of said intrinsic as-deposited stress level in said metal nitride layer.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein said intrinsic as-deposited stress level of said metal nitride layer is a compressive stress.
3. The method of claim 1, wherein said intrinsic as-deposited stress level of said metal nitride layer is a tensile stress.
4. The method of claim 1, wherein said metal nitride layer is one of the following: titanium nitride, tantalum nitride, niobium nitride, tungsten nitride, vanadium nitride, zirconium nitride, hafnium nitride, yttrium nitride or molybdenum nitride
5. The method of claim 1, wherein said layer of insulating material is one of a TEOS-based layer of silicon dioxide that is formed by performing a CVD process, an ultra-low-k insulating material or a low-k insulating material.
6. The method of claim 1, wherein performing said at least one process operation on said metal nitride layer comprises performing an anneal process on said metal nitride layer in the presence of a forming gas.
7. The method of claim 6, wherein said forming gas comprises nitrogen and hydrogen.
8. The method of claim 6, wherein said anneal process is performed at a temperature of at least about 250\xb0 C. for a duration of at least ten minutes.
9. The method of claim 1, wherein performing said at least one process operation on said metal nitride layer comprises performing an anneal process on said metal nitride layer in the presence of hydrogen.
10. The method of claim 9, wherein said anneal process is performed at a temperature of at least about 300\xb0 C. for a duration of at least 30 seconds.
11. The method of claim 1, wherein performing said at least one process operation on said metal nitride layer comprises performing a remote plasma process on said metal nitride layer.
12. The method of claim 11, wherein said remote plasma process is performed using ammonia.
13. The method of claim 11, wherein said remote plasma process is performed at a temperature of at least about 350\xb0 C. for a duration of at least 30 seconds.
14. The method of claim 1, wherein performing said at least one process operation on said metal nitride layer reduces a magnitude of said intrinsic as-deposited stress level in said metal nitride layer by at least 20%.
15. The method of claim 6, wherein performing said anneal process on said metal nitride layer in the presence of a forming gas reduces a magnitude of said intrinsic as-deposited stress level in said metal nitride layer by at least 66%.
16. The method of claim 9, wherein performing said anneal process on said metal nitride layer in the presence of hydrogen reduces a magnitude of said intrinsic as-deposited stress level in said metal nitride layer by at least 20%.
17. The method of claim 11, wherein performing said remote plasma process on said metal nitride layer reduces a magnitude of said intrinsic as-deposited stress level in said metal nitride layer by at least 33%.
18. The method of claim 1, wherein said layer of insulating material has a density that is less than about 2.20 gcm3.
19. A method, comprising:
forming a layer of insulating material above a semiconducting substrate;
performing a physical vapor deposition process to form a layer of titanium nitride above said layer of insulating material, said layer of titanium nitride having an intrinsic as-deposited stress level; and
performing at least one process operation on said layer of titanium nitride to reduce a magnitude of said intrinsic as-deposited stress level in said layer of titanium nitride.
20. The method of claim 19, wherein said layer of insulating material is a TEOS-based layer of silicon dioxide that is formed by performing a CVD process.
21. The method of claim 19, wherein performing said at least one process operation on said layer of titanium nitride comprises performing an anneal process on said layer of titanium nitride in the presence of a forming gas.
22. The method of claim 21, wherein said forming gas comprises nitrogen and hydrogen.
23. The method of claim 21, wherein said anneal process is performed at a temperature of at least about 250\xb0 C. for a duration of at least ten minutes.
24. The method of claim 19, wherein performing said at least one process operation on said layer of titanium nitride comprises performing an anneal process on said layer of titanium nitride in the presence of hydrogen.
25. The method of claim 24, wherein said anneal process is performed at a temperature of at least about 300\xb0 C. for a duration of at least 30 seconds.
26. The method of claim 19, wherein performing said at least one process operation on said layer of titanium nitride comprises performing a remote plasma process on said layer of titanium nitride.
27. The method of claim 26, wherein said remote plasma process is performed using ammonia.
28. The method of claim 26, wherein said remote plasma process is performed at a temperature of at least about 350\xb0 C. for a duration of at least 30 seconds.
29. The method of claim 19, wherein performing said at least one process operation on said layer of titanium nitride reduces a magnitude of said intrinsic as-deposited stress level in said layer of titanium nitride by at least 20%.
30. The method of claim 21, wherein performing said anneal process on said layer of titanium nitride in the presence of a forming gas reduces a magnitude of said intrinsic as-deposited stress level in said layer of titanium nitride by at least 66%.
31. The method of claim 24, wherein performing said anneal process on said layer of titanium nitride in the presence of hydrogen reduces a magnitude of said intrinsic as-deposited stress level in said layer of titanium nitride by at least 20%.
32. The method of claim 26, wherein performing said remote plasma process on said layer of titanium nitride reduces a magnitude of said intrinsic as-deposited stress level in said layer of titanium nitride by at least 33%.
33. The method of claim 19, wherein said layer of insulating material has a density that is less than about 2.20 gcm3 .
34. A method, comprising:
performing a chemical vapor deposition process to form a TEOS-based layer of silicon dioxide above a semiconducting substrate;
performing a physical vapor deposition process to form a layer of titanium nitride above said TEOS-based layer of silicon dioxide, said layer of titanium nitride having an intrinsic as-deposited stress level; and
performing an anneal process on said layer of titanium nitride in the presence of a forming gas to reduce a magnitude of said intrinsic as-deposited stress level in said layer of titanium nitride.
35. The method of claim 34, wherein said anneal process is performed at a temperature of at least about 250\xb0 C. for a duration of at least ten minutes.
36. The method of claim 35, wherein said anneal process is performed for a duration of about 20 minutes.
37. The method of claim 34, wherein said forming gas comprises nitrogen and hydrogen.
38. The method of claim 34, wherein performing said anneal process on said layer of titanium nitride in the presence of said forming gas reduces a magnitude of said intrinsic as-deposited stress level in said layer of titanium nitride by at least 66%.