DETAILED ACTION
Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 1-3, 11-12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor, or for pre-AIA the applicant regards as the invention. Claim 1 recites “an oxidized filament forming layer” in line 4 and line 6. The limitations does not clearly distinguish if the oxidized filament forming layer in line 4 and line 6 are the same layer or different layer. For examining purposes, the “an oxidized filament forming layer” in line 6 is considered to be “an oxidized channel forming layer”.
Claim 1 also recites the limitation "the oxidized channel forming layer" in line 12. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claims 2-3, 11, 12 also recites the limitation "the oxidized channel forming layer". There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 103 which forms the basis for all obviousness rejections set forth in this Office action:
A patent for a claimed invention may not be obtained, notwithstanding that the claimed invention is not identically disclosed as set forth in section 102, if the differences between the claimed invention and the prior art are such that the claimed invention as a whole would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the claimed invention pertains. Patentability shall not be negated by the manner in which the invention was made.
Claims 1-9, 11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hwang et al (US Publication No. 2013/0270509) in view of Kochergin (US Publication No. 2012/0202334) and Li et al (US Publication No. 2019/0043562).
Regarding claim 1, Hwang discloses an apparatus comprising: a bottom electrode Fig 3C, 140; a filament forming layer Fig 3C, 135b formed on the bottom electrode Fig 3C, 140; a channel forming layer Fig 3C, 135a formed on the filament forming layer Fig 3C, 135b; a top electrode Fig 3C, 110 formed on the channel forming layer Fig 3C, 135a, wherein the filament forming layer is configured to form a filament within the filament forming layer Fig 3C, the channel forming layer is configured to form a channel within the channel forming layer when applying a switching voltage upon the filament forming layer and the channel forming layer Fig 3C ¶0056-0059. Hwang discloses all the limitations but silent on the oxidized filament forming layer and the oxidized channel forming layer.
Whereas Kochergin discloses a filament forming layer formed on the bottom electrode; an oxidized filament forming layer; and wherein the filament forming layer is Fig 2A-2D ¶0064, 0069-0070.
While Li discloses a filament forming layer formed on the bottom electrode; an oxidized filament forming layer; and wherein the filament forming layer is surrounded by the oxidized filament forming layer and the channel forming layer is surrounded by the oxidized channel forming layer Fig 2. Therefore it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill of the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the device of Hwang and incorporate Kochergin and Li to improve device reliability and performance.
Regarding claim 2, Kochergin discloses wherein the oxidized filament forming layer is less likely than the filament forming layer to form filaments, and the oxidized channel forming layer is less likely than the channel forming layer to form channels Fig 2A-2D ¶0064, 0069-0070.
Regarding claim 3, Kochergin discloses wherein a first oxygen concentration of the oxidized channel forming layer is higher than that of the channel forming layer, and a second oxygen concentration of the oxidized filament forming layer is higher than that of the filament forming layer Fig 2A-2D ¶0064, 0069-0070.
Regarding claim 4, Kochergin discloses wherein a material of the filament forming layer comprises TaOX(where x < 2.5), HfO,(where x < 2), TiOX(where x < 2), ZrOX(where x < 2), or the combination thereof Fig 2A-2D ¶0064. .
Regarding claim 5, Hwang discloses wherein a material of the channel forming layer comprises Nb2os, V205, Ti203, Ti205, TiO2, LaCoO3, SmNiO3, or a combination thereof ¶0043.
Regarding claim 7, Hwang discloses wherein a material of the channel comprises VO2, NbO2, V205/VO2, Nb2O5/NbO2, or a combination thereof¶0043.
Regarding claim 8, Hwang discloses wherein a material of the filament comprises an oxygen vacancy rich material ¶0052-0059.
Regarding claim 9, Hwang discloses wherein the channel forming layer is configured to form the channel within the channel forming layer when a Joule heating is applied from the filament forming layer Fig 3B-3D.
Regarding claim 11, Li discloses wherein the filament forming layer, the oxidized filament forming layer, the channel forming layer, and the oxidized channel forming layer forms a stack, and a shape of the stack is a cylinder Fig 2.
Claim 10 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hwang et al (US Publication No. 2013/0270509) in view of Kochergin (US Publication No. 2012/0202334) and Li et al (US Publication No. 2019/0043562) and in further view of Castro et al (US Publication No. 2014/0104938).
Regarding claim 10, Hwang, Li and Kochergin disclose all the limitation except for the arrangement of the column/row wire. Whereas Castro discloses a column wire connected to the bottom electrode; and a row wire connected to the top electrode Fig 5 ¶0079. Therefore it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill of the art .
Claim 12 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hwang et al (US Publication No. 2013/0270509) in view of Kochergin (US Publication No. 2012/0202334) and Li et al (US Publication No. 2019/0043562) and in further view of Jo et al (US Publication No. 2016/0225824).
Regarding claim 12, Hwang, Li and Kochergin discloses all the limitations except for the thickness of the layers. Whereas Jo discloses wherein a first thickness of the oxidized filament forming layer is less than a second thickness of the oxidized channel forming layer Fig 2. Therefore it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill of the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the device of Hwang and incorporate Jo’s since it has been held that where the general conditions of a claim are disclosed in the prior art, discovering optimum or workable ranges involves only routine skill in the art. In re Aller, 105 USPQ 233 (1955).
Claims 13-14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hwang et al (US Publication No. 2013/0270509) in view of Kochergin (US Publication No. 2012/0202334) and in further view of Trinh et al (US Publication No. 2020/0052203).
Regarding claim 13, Hwang discloses a method comprising: forming a bottom electrode Fig 3C, 140; on a substrate; forming a filament forming layer Fig 3C, 135b on the bottom electrode Fig 3C, 140; forming a channel forming layer Fig 3C, 135a on the Fig 3C, 110 on the channel forming layer Fig 3C, 135a. Hwang discloses all the limitations but silent on the oxidized filament forming layer and the oxidized channel forming layer.
Whereas Kochergin discloses oxidizing the filament forming layer and the channel forming layer through a first side wall of the filament forming layer and a second side wall of the channel forming layer Fig 2A-2D ¶0064, 0069-0070. Therefore it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill of the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the device of Hwang and incorporate Kochergin to improve device reliability and performance. Hwang and Kochergin discloses all the limitations except the etching.
Whereas Trinh discloses etching a filament forming layer and the channel forming layer by using the top electrode as a self-aligned etch mask Fig 6E and 11C. Therefore it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill of the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the device of Hwang and incorporate Trinh to pattern the device to the desired shape as a matter of design choice.
Regarding claim 14, Trinh in view of Kochergin discloses a passivation layer 78 covering the oxided filament forming layer and the oxidized channel forming layer Fig 6E and 11C.
Claim 15 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hwang et al (US Publication No. 2013/0270509) in view of Kochergin (US Publication No. .
Regarding claim 15, Hwang and Kochergin disclose all the limitation except for the arrangement of the column/row wire. Whereas Castro discloses forming a top wire on the top electrode; and forming a bottom wire on the substrate before forming a bottom electrode on the substrate Fig 5 ¶0079. Therefore it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill of the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the device of Hwang and incorporate Castro to provide a desired connector arrangement as a matter of design choice.
Conclusion
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/CHRISTINE A ENAD/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2811