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 .
Claims 15 and 17-19 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected invention, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on 11/17/2025.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
The text of those sections of Title 35, U.S. Code not included in this action can be found in a prior Office action.
Claim(s) 1-5, 8, 10, 12-14, 25, and 28 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Redaelli et al. (EP 2034536 A1; a copy of which was already provided by Applicant on 9/29/2021) in view of Lai et al. (US 9,537,093 B1).
Regarding claim 1, Redaelli discloses a phase change memory cell (Fig. 5) comprising:
first electrode (41a);
a heater (2) electrically connected to the first electrode;
a bottom projection liner (11), wherein a bottom surface of the bottom projection liner is in contact with and electrically connected to a top surface of the heater, and wherein the bottom projection liner comprises a first metal and/or semiconductor material (“TiN”, ¶ 0018);
a PCM material (4/5) wherein a bottom surface and a top surface of the PCM material extend horizontally, and wherein the bottom surface of the PCM material is electrically connected to and in direct contact with a top surface of the bottom projection liner; and
a second electrode (50), wherein a bottom surface of the second electrode is electrically connected to and in direct contact with the top surface of the PCM material;
wherein:
the bottom projection liner is configured to transmit current between the first electrode and the second electrode during operation of the PCM cell (the bottom projection liner is an electrically conductive layer along the electrical path from the first electrode to the second electrode and, as such, will transmit the current between the first electrode and the second electrode during operation).
Redaelli does not disclose a sidewall projection liner electrically connected to the bottom projection liner and the second electrode, the sidewall projection liner comprises a second metal and/or semiconductor material and the sidewall projection liner is configured to transmit current between the first electrode and the second electrode during operation of the PCM cell and the sidewall projection liner is in contact with the PCM material only along a side of the PCM material that is adjacent to the bottom of the PCM material.
However, Lai teaches a sidewall projection liners (216A) electrically connected to and in contact with a second electrode (206), the sidewall projection liner (216A) comprises a second metal and/or semiconductor material (“TiAlN” in Col. 4, Line 24) and the sidewall projection liner is configured to transmit current between the first electrode and the second electrode during operation of the PCM cell (the sidewall projection liner is an electrically conductive layer directly contacting the first electrode (204; Col. 3, Line 54) and the second electrode (206; Col. 3, Line 55) and, as such, will transmit the current between the first electrode and the second electrode during operation) and the sidewall projection liner (216A) is electrically and thermally connected to and in direct contact with the PCM material (202) only along each vertically extending side of the PCM material that is adjacent to the bottom of the PCM material so that sidewall projection liner laterally surrounds the outer surface of the PCM material (see Fig. 4B and the Examiner’s Mark-up below; the bottom is the bottom surface of the PCM material and the side that is adjacent to the bottom is the vertical side surface which is directly contacting the sidewall projection liner).
There was a benefit to forming sidewall projection liners as such in that it aids in providing stable resistance and stable operating efficiency (Col. 2, Lines 35-36 of Lai).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the Application was filed to form a sidewall projection liner as taught by Lai along the phase change region of Redaelli (see rendering below) for this benefit.
With regards to the relative placement of the sidewall projection liner and the bottom projection liner in the device of the combination, while Fig. 3B of Lai shows the etching performed as a precursor to the deposition of the sidewall projection liner extends beneath the phase change material layer 202, the text of Lai discloses that, as an alternative, the etching step may be performed such that etching stops at the bottom of the phase change memory material (Col. 4, Lines 14-16). In the resulting configuration, sidewall projection liner forms a continuous vertical boundary (top surface of the right portion of the sidewall projection liner) adjacent to the PCM material and the second electrode and the bottom surface of the sidewall projection liner is electrically connected to and in direct contact with the top surface of the bottom projection liner (see Examiner’s Mark-up below).
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Regarding claim 2, Redaelli discloses that the heater has a first width (see Fig. 5);
the PCM material, the bottom projection liner, and the second electrode layer have a second width (see Fig. 5); and
the second width is greater than the first width (see Fig. 5).
Redaelli does not explicitly state the widths of the components to determine if the second width is at least thrice the first width.
However, the specific ratio of widths between the PCM material, the bottom projection liner, the second electrode layer and the heater is a matter of routine optimization as a larger width heater requires more energy per change of degree, reducing efficiency, while too small a heater would take longer to transfer enough heat to the PCM, reducing speed. "[W]here the general conditions of a claim are disclosed in the prior art, it is not inventive to discover the optimum or workable ranges by routine experimentation." In re Aller, 220 F.2d 454, 456, 105 USPQ 233, 235 (CCPA 1955).
As such, forming the second width to be at least three times the first width falls under routine optimization and is therefore obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art.
Regarding claim 3, Redaelli does not explicitly state the widths of the components to determine if the second width is about five times greater than the first width.
However, the specific ratio of widths between the PCM material and the heater is a matter of routine optimization as a larger width heater requires more energy per change of degree, reducing efficiency, while too small a heater would take longer to transfer enough heat to the PCM, reducing speed. "[W]here the general conditions of a claim are disclosed in the prior art, it is not inventive to discover the optimum or workable ranges by routine experimentation." In re Aller, 220 F.2d 454, 456, 105 USPQ 233, 235 (CCPA 1955).
As such, forming the second width to be about five times greater than the first width falls under routine optimization and is therefore obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art.
Regarding claim 4, Lai discloses that the second metal and/or semiconductor material (“TiAlN” in Col. 4, Line 24) is different from the first metal and/or semiconductor material (“TiN”, ¶ 0018 of Redaelli).
Regarding claim 5, Redaelli and Lai do not disclose the specific electric resistivities of the first and second metal and/or semiconductor materials and the PCM material in both the polycrystalline and amorphous phases in order to determine if the first and second materials have a higher electrical resistivity than the PCM material in a polycrystalline phase and lower electrical resistivity than the PCM material in the amorphous phase.
However, it is well known in the art that the resistivities of the various components within a phase change memory device, both individually and with respect to the difference of resistivities between the components and the polycrystalline and amorphous phases of the PCM material, may be adjusted to optimize the performance of the memory device (¶ 0018 of Redaelli). "[W]here the general conditions of a claim are disclosed in the prior art, it is not inventive to discover the optimum or workable ranges by routine experimentation." In re Aller, 220 F.2d 454, 456, 105 USPQ 233, 235 (CCPA 1955). As such, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the Application was filed to use routine optimization to choose materials for the first material, second material, and PCM material to fall within the claimed range.
Regarding claim 8, Redaelli discloses a phase change memory cell (Fig. 5) comprising:
first electrode (41a);
a heater (2) electrically connected to the first electrode;
a bottom projection liner (11), wherein a bottom surface of the bottom projection liner is in direct contact with and electrically connected to a top of the heater, the bottom projection liner comprising a first metal and/or semiconductor material (“TiN”, ¶ 0018);
a PCM material (4/5), wherein a bottom surface and a top surface of the PCM material extend horizontally, and wherein the bottom surface of the PCM material is in direct contact with and electrically connected to a top surface of the bottom projection liner; and
a second electrode (50), wherein a bottom surface of the second electrode is electrically connected to and in direct contact with a top surface of the PCM material;
wherein:
the bottom projection liner is configured to transmit current between the first electrode and the second electrode during operation of the PCM cell (the bottom projection liner is an electrically conductive layer along the electrical path from the first electrode to the second electrode and, as such, will transmit the current between the first electrode and the second electrode during operation).
Redaelli does not disclose a sidewall projection liner electrically connected to the bottom projection liner and the second electrode, the sidewall projection liner comprises a second metal and/or semiconductor material and the sidewall projection liner is configured to transmit current between the first electrode; wherein the second metal and/or semiconductor material is different from the first metal and/or semiconductor material.
However, Lai teaches a sidewall projection liners (216A) electrically connected to and in contact with a second electrode (206), the sidewall projection liner (216A) comprises a second metal and/or semiconductor material (“TiAlN” in Col. 4, Line 24) different from the first metal and/or semiconductor material and the sidewall projection liner is configured to transmit current between the first electrode and the second electrode during operation of the PCM cell (the sidewall projection liner is an electrically conductive layer directly contacting the first electrode (204; Col. 3, Line 54) and the second electrode (206; Col. 3, Line 55) and, as such, will transmit the current between the first electrode and the second electrode during operation) and the sidewall projection liner (216A) is in contact with the PCM material (202) only along each side of the PCM material that is adjacent to the bottom of the PCM material (see Fig. 4B and the Examiner’s Mark-up below; the bottom is the bottom surface of the PCM material and the side that is adjacent to the bottom is the vertical side surface which is directly contacting the sidewall projection liner);
the sidewall projection liner being electrically and thermally connected to and in direct contact with the PCM material only along each vertically extending side of the PCM material that is adjacent to the bottom of the PCM material so that the sidewall projection liner laterally surrounds the PCM material (see Fig. 4B).
There was a benefit to forming sidewall projection liners as such in that it aids in providing stable resistance and stable operating efficiency (Col. 2, Lines 35-36 of Lai).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the Application was filed to form a sidewall projection liner as taught by Lai along the phase change region of Redaelli (see rendering below) for this benefit.
With regards to the relative placement of the sidewall projection liner and the bottom projection liner in the device of the combination, while Fig. 3B of Lai shows the etching performed as a precursor to the deposition of the sidewall projection liner extends beneath the phase change material layer 202, the text of Lai discloses that, as an alternative, the etching step may be performed such that etching stops at the bottom of the phase change memory material (Col. 4, Lines 14-16). In the resulting configuration, the sidewall projection liner forms a continuous vertical boundary (top surface of the right portion of the sidewall projection liner) located adjacent to the PCM material and the second electrode and the bottom surface of the sidewall projection liner is electrically connected to and in direct contact with the top surface of the bottom projection liner and electrically connected to and in direct contact with the second electrode (see Examiner’s Mark-up below).
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Regarding claim 10, Redaelli discloses that the heater has a first width (see Fig. 5);
the PCM material has a second width (see Fig. 5); and
the second width is greater than the first width (see Fig. 5).
Redaelli does not explicitly state the widths of the components to determine if the second width is at least thrice the first width.
However, the specific ratio of widths between the PCM material and the heater is a matter of routine optimization as a larger width heater requires more energy per change of degree, reducing efficiency, while too small a heater would take longer to transfer enough heat to the PCM, reducing speed. "[W]here the general conditions of a claim are disclosed in the prior art, it is not inventive to discover the optimum or workable ranges by routine experimentation." In re Aller, 220 F.2d 454, 456, 105 USPQ 233, 235 (CCPA 1955).
As such, forming the second width to be at least three times the first width falls under routine optimization and is therefore obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art.
Regarding claim 12, Redaelli and Lai do not disclose the specific electric resistivities of the first and second material and the PCM material in both the polycrystalline and amorphous phases in order to determine if the first and second materials have a higher electrical resistivity than the PCM material in a polycrystalline phase and lower electrical resistivity than the PCM material in the amorphous phase.
However, it is well known in the art that the resistivities of the various components within a phase change memory device, both individually and with respect to the difference of resistivities between the components and the polycrystalline and amorphous phases of the PCM material, may be adjusted to optimize the performance of the memory device (¶ 0018 of Redaelli). "[W]here the general conditions of a claim are disclosed in the prior art, it is not inventive to discover the optimum or workable ranges by routine experimentation." In re Aller, 220 F.2d 454, 456, 105 USPQ 233, 235 (CCPA 1955). As such, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the Application was filed to use routine optimization to choose materials for the first material, second material, and PCM material to fall within the claimed range.
Regarding claim 13, Redaelli and Lai do not disclose the specific electrical resistivities of the first and second metal and/or semiconductor materials in order to determine if the second electrical resistivity is greater than or equal to twice the first electrical resistivity.
However, it is well known in the art that the resistivities of the various components within a phase change memory device, both individually and with respect to the difference of resistivities between the components and the polycrystalline and amorphous phases of the PCM material, may be adjusted to optimize the performance of the memory device (¶ 0018 of Redaelli). "[W]here the general conditions of a claim are disclosed in the prior art, it is not inventive to discover the optimum or workable ranges by routine experimentation." In re Aller, 220 F.2d 454, 456, 105 USPQ 233, 235 (CCPA 1955). As such, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the Application was filed to use routine optimization to choose materials for the first and second metal and/or semiconductor materials to fall within the claimed range.
Regarding claim 14, Redaelli discloses that the bottom projection liner has a first thickness (“5 nm” in ¶ 0019);
Lai discloses that the sidewall projection liner has a second thickness (“20 angstroms”, Col. 4, Line 26); and
the second thickness is less than or equal to half the first thickness (20 angstroms is less than half of 5 nanometers).
Regarding claim 25, Redaelli further discloses wherein the heater is composed of a first metal or metallic compound (titanium, ¶ 0018); and
the first electrode is composed of a metal or metallic compound (tungsten, ¶ 0026) having a lower resistivity than the first metal or metallic compound (https://www.thoughtco.com/table-of-electrical-resistivity-conductivity-608499).
Redaelli differs from the claimed invention by the substitution of by not disclosing the specific material of the second electrode to determine if it also comprise tungsten. However, forming electrodes from tungsten and the corresponding function was known in the art (¶ 0026 of Redaelli). As such, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the Application's effective filing date to have substituted the known element of Tungsten as taught by Redaelli for the second electrode of and the results of the substitution would have been predictable. (see MPEP § 2143(I)(B)).
Regarding claim 28, the heater of Redaelli may alternatively be considered to comprise both metal layer 2 which has a first electrical conductivity and spacer layer 48 of silicon nitride (¶ 0027 of Redaelli) which has a second electrical conductivity. As silicon nitride is insulative, the second electrical conductivity is different from the first electrical conductivity.
Claim(s) 23, and 24 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Redaelli et al. (EP 2034536 A1; a copy of which was already provided by Applicant on 9/29/2021) in view of Lai et al. (US 9,537,093 B1) and applied to claim 8, above, and further in view of Zhong (US 2023/0363299 A1).
Regarding claim 23, Redaelli does not explicitly disclose the PCM material has a cylindrical shape comprising a single lateral side.
Zhong, in the same field of endeavor, discloses forming phase change materials to have cylindrical shape comprising a single lateral side (¶ 0134). It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the Application's effective filing date to have formed the PCM material of Redaelli to have a cylindrical shape comprising a single lateral side as it has been held that changes in shape are prima facie obvious (see MPEP 2144.04(IV)(B).
Regarding claim 24, Redaelli does not explicitly disclose the PCM material has a prismatic shape.
Zhong, in the same field of endeavor, discloses forming phase change materials to have a prismatic shape (¶ 0134). It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the Application's effective filing date to have formed the PCM material of Redaelli to have a prismatic shape as it has been held that changes in shape are prima facie obvious (see MPEP 2144.04(IV)(B).
Claim(s) 26 and 27 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Redaelli et al. (EP 2034536 A1; a copy of which was already provided by Applicant on 9/29/2021) in view of Lai et al. (US 9,537,093 B1) and applied to claim 1, above, and further in view of BrightSky et al. (US 2015/0243884 A1).
Regarding claim 26, Lai further discloses that the sidewall projection liner is undoped titanium nitride (Col. 4, Line 24).
Redaelli differs from the claimed invention by the substitution of a-C or TaN for the bottom projection liner with TiN. However, TaN and the corresponding function of a projection liner was known in the art (¶ 0118 of BrightSky). As such, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the Application's effective filing date to have substituted the known compound of TaN as taught by BirghtSky for compound of the bottom projection liner of Redaelli and the results of the substitution would have been predictable. (see MPEP § 2143(I)(B)).
With regards to the liner being formed by atomic layer deposition, this process refers to the specific method steps used to make the liners and does not distinguish the final structure of the liners from that of the prior art.
Regarding claim 27, the resistivities of TiN and TaN fall within the claimed range (https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0167931705004314 and https://pubs.aip.org/avs/jva/article/38/3/032403/1063949/Role-of-temperature-on-structure-and-electrical).
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 9/8/2025 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
Applicant argues that Redaelli in view of Liu does not disclose the newly added limitations to claims 1 and 8. This argument is not persuasive as Redaelli in view of Liu discloses all of the newly added limitations, as discussed in the rejections above.
Conclusion
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 CHRISTOPHER A CULBERT whose telephone number is (571)272-4893. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9-5.
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/C.A.C/Examiner, Art Unit 2815
/JOSHUA BENITEZ ROSARIO/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2815