DETAILED ACTION
This Office action is in response to the Amendment filed on 18 May 2026. Claims 1-3, 5-8, 11-13, 15-20, and 22-25 are pending in the application. Claims 4, 9, 10, 14, and 21 have been cancelled.
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 .
This application is a continuation of application Serial No. 15/851661, filed on 21 December 2017, now US Patent 11,075,112; which is a divisional of application Serial No. 14/985157, filed on 30 December 2015, now US Patent 9,859,156.
Terminal Disclaimer
The terminal disclaimer filed on 15 April 2024 disclaiming the terminal portion of any patent granted on this application which would extend beyond the expiration date of US Patent 9,859,156 has been reviewed and is accepted. The terminal disclaimer has been recorded.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
The following is a quotation of the appropriate paragraphs of 35 U.S.C. 102 that form the basis for the rejections under this section made in this Office action:
A person shall be entitled to a patent unless –
(a)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale, or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1-3, 7, 8, and 11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being clearly anticipated by Sone, US 2006/0003577, newly cited.
With respect to claim 1, Sone discloses an interconnection structure, shown in Fig. 1, comprising:
a first metal structure 1, see Fig. 1 and paragraph [0043];
a first dielectric layer 2b over the first metal structure 1, see Fig. 1 and paragraph [0043];
an etch stop layer 2c/6a over the first dielectric layer 2b, wherein the etch stop layer 2c/6a is formed of a carbon-containing material, see Fig. 1 and paragraphs [0043] and [0049];
a second dielectric layer 6b over the first dielectric layer 2b and the etch stop layer 2c/6a, see Fig. 1 and paragraph [0049];
a second metal structure 5/9 having an upper portion 9 extending through the second dielectric layer 6b, and a lower portion 5 extending through the first dielectric layer 2b, the upper portion 9 having a width greater than a width of the lower portion 5, see Fig. 1 and paragraphs [0047] and [0054];
a first protective layer 4 spacing the first dielectric layer 2b apart from the lower portion 5 of the second metal structure 5/9, the first protective layer 4 having a bottommost surface higher than and spaced apart from an entirety of the first metal structure 1, as shown in Fig. 1,
wherein the first metal structure 1 has a topmost surface at a first elevation, and the bottommost surface of the first protective layer 4 is at a second elevation different from the first elevation of the topmost surface of the first metal structure 1, as shown in Fig. 1,
wherein the first protective layer 4 is formed of a material different from the carbon-containing material of the etch stop layer, see paragraphs [0044]-[0046]; and
a second protective layer 8 spacing the second dielectric layer 6b apart from the upper portion 9 of the second metal structure 5/9, the second protective layer 8 having a top width greater than a top width of the first protective layer 4 (The width of the second protective layer 8 is 5nm (see paragraph [0052]), and the width of the first protective layer 4 is 3 nm (see paragraph [0044].).
With respect to claim 2, in the interconnection structure of Sone, the first dielectric layer 2b comprises an anti-reflective coating, see paragraph [0039].
With respect to claim 3, in the interconnection structure of Sone, the anti-reflective coating is nitrogen-free, see paragraph [0039].
With respect to claim 7, in the interconnection structure of Sone, the first protective layer 4 and the second protective layer 8 are formed of a same material, that is, TaN, see paragraphs [0044] and [0052].
With respect to claim 8, the interconnection structure of Sone further comprises: a silicon carbide layer 2a between the first metal structure 1 and the first dielectric layer 2b, the lower portion 5 of the second metal structure 5/9 extending through the silicon carbide layer 2a, see Fig. 1 and paragraph [0039]
With respect to claim 11, as shown in Fig. 1 of Sone, an interface between the first protective layer 4 and the second metal structure 5/9 has a different cross-sectional profile than an interface between the second protective layer 8 and the second metal structure 5/0, due to the different widths.
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 5 and 6 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Sone, US 2006/0003577, as applied to claim 1 above, further in view of Yang et al., US 7,132,363, of record.
Claims 5 and 6, respectively, require the first protective layer comprise silicon nitride or silicon oxynitride (claim 5) and the second protective layer comprise silicon nitride or silicon oxynitride (claim 6). In the interconnection structure of Sone, the first and second protective layers comprise TaN, see paragraphs [0044] and [0052], which acts as a barrier to the diffusion of Cu. In the same field of endeavor, Yang et al. teach the functional equivalence of TaN and silicon nitride for barrier layers which prevent the diffusion of Cu, see column 1, lines 56-67; column 2, lines 1-6; and column 3, lines 26-38. In light of the teaching of Yang et al., it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention that the first and second protective layers 4 and 8 in the known interconnection structure of Sone could comprise silicon nitride, since Yang et al. teach the functional equivalence of TaN and SiN as barriers to the diffusion of Cu.
Claims 22 and 23 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Sone, US 2006/0003577, as applied to claim 1 above, further in view of Yang et al., US 7,132,363, of record.
With respect to claim 22, sone lacks anticipation of an entirety of a sidewall of the etch stop layer 2c/6a being covered by the second protective layer 8. With respect to claim 23, Sone lacks anticipation of the second protective layer 6b forming a first vertical interface with the etch stop layer 2c/6a and a second vertical interface with the second dielectric layer 6b, wherein the first vertical interface is aligned with the second vertical interface. In the same field of endeavor, Yang et al. teach an etch stop layer 31/70, wherein an entirety of a sidewall of the etch stop layer 70 is covered by a second protective layer 71A, as shown in Fig. 10 of Yang et al. Also as shown in Fig. 10 of Yang, the second protective layer 71A forms a first vertical interface with the etch stop layer 70 and a second vertical interface with the second dielectric layer 71, wherein the first vertical interface is aligned with the second vertical interface. In order to achieve the configurations of dependent claims 22 and 23, Yang etches etch stop layer 70 prior to the formation of the second protective layer 71A. With respect to claim 22, in light of the teaching of Yang et al., it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention that an entirety of a sidewall of the etch stop layer 2c/6a could have been covered by the second protective layer 8 in the known interconnection structure of Sone, if etch stop layer 6a was patterned prior to the deposition of SiC layer 13 which forms the second protective layer 8. With respect to claim 23, in light of the teaching of Yang et al., it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention that of the second protective layer 6b could form a first vertical interface with the etch stop layer 2c/6a and a second vertical interface with the second dielectric layer 6b, wherein the first vertical interface is aligned with the second vertical interface in the known interconnection structure of Sone, if etch stop layer 6a was patterned prior to the deposition of SiC layer 13 which forms the second protective layer 8.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 12, 13, 15-20, 24, and 25 are allowable over the prior art of record.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: With respect to the newly-cited reference to Sone, Sone fails to teach or suggest the interconnection structure of independent claim 12 in which the second metal structure is spaced apart from the etch stop layer by a dielectric layer; and a protective layer laterally between the lower portion of the second metal structure and the first dielectric layer, the protective layer extending upwardly from a top surface of the liner layer to a position lower than a top surface of the etch stop layer, wherein a topmost surface of the protective layer is lower than the top surface of the etch stop layer and no surface of the protective layer is in contact with the etch stop layer, wherein the protective layer.
With respect to independent claim 17, Sone fails to teach or suggest an interconnection structure comprising first protective layer on a sidewall of the first dielectric layer and having a tapered top end; and a second protective layer on a sidewall of the second dielectric layer and free of a tapered top end, the second protective layer having a bottom end in direct contact with a top surface of the first dielectric layer to form an interface, wherein the interface formed by the bottom end of the second protective layer and the top surface of the first dielectric layer is lower than a top surface of the etch stop layer, wherein the second protective layer comprises an inner sidewall that is straight and extends in a continuous plane along both the sidewall of the second dielectric layer and a sidewall of the etch stop layer.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claims 1-3, 5-8, 11, 22, and 23 have been considered but are moot in light of the new grounds of rejection based on Sone, US 2006/0003577.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. The additionally cited references disclose various interconnection structures.
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MARY A WILCZEWSKI whose telephone number is (571)272-1849. The examiner can normally be reached M-TH 7:30 AM-5:00 PM.
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MARY A. WILCZEWSKI
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2898
/MARY A WILCZEWSKI/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2898
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