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 .
Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after final rejection. Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on 12/31/2025 has been entered.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of the first paragraph of 35 U.S.C. 112(a):
(a) IN GENERAL.—The specification shall contain a written description of the invention, and of the manner and process of making and using it, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and use the same, and shall set forth the best mode contemplated by the inventor or joint inventor of carrying out the invention.
The following is a quotation of the first paragraph of pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112:
The specification shall contain a written description of the invention, and of the manner and process of making and using it, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and use the same, and shall set forth the best mode contemplated by the inventor of carrying out his invention.
Claims 1-3, 5-9 and 12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(a) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), first paragraph, as failing to comply with the written description requirement. The claim(s) contains subject matter which was not described in the specification in such a way as to reasonably convey to one skilled in the relevant art that the inventor or a joint inventor, or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the inventor(s), at the time the application was filed, had possession of the claimed invention.
Re claim 1, the phrase “a first passage section of the drift region extends from the first superficial implanted region to the deep implanted region and spaces the first superficial implanted region from the deep implanted region; and a second passage section of the drift region extends from the first superficial implanted region to the deep implanted region and spaces the first superficial implanted region from the deep implanted region, the second passage section is opposite to the first passage section about the at least one deep implanted region, and wherein the plurality of superficial implanted regions are spaced outward from the at least one deep implanted region by the first passage section and the second passage section, respectively.” was not described in the original specification. Note: first passage section appears to be the same as the second passage section according to the instant claim. Therefore, they can’t be opposite to each other.
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, 5-9 and 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 applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Re claim 1, the phrase “a first passage section of the drift region extends from the first superficial implanted region to the deep implanted region and spaces the first superficial implanted region from the deep implanted region; and a second passage section of the drift region extends from the first superficial implanted region to the deep implanted region and spaces the first superficial implanted region from the deep implanted region, the second passage section is opposite to the first passage section about the at least one deep implanted region, and wherein the plurality of superficial implanted regions are spaced outward from the at least one deep implanted region by the first passage section and the second passage section, respectively.” is unclear and indefinite. Note: first passage section appears to be the same as the second passage section according to the instant claim.
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.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1-3, 5-9 and 12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Siemieniec et al., US Pub. No. 2015/0061089 A1.
Due to the 112 issues, the instant claims are interpreted as following: Re claim 1. Siemieniec et al. disclose a vertical conduction electronic device, comprising: a body of wide-bandgap semiconductor material 1 having a first conductivity type (i.e., n-type) and a surface 15 (i.e., fig. 1) defining a first direction and a second direction, the body including a drift region 1 (fig. 1); a plurality of superficial implanted regions 2 (fig. 1, i.e., p-type) having a second conductivity type, extending into the drift region 1 (fig. 1), from the surface 15 (fig. 1), the plurality of superficial implanted regions 2 including a first superficial implanted region 2 (e.g, fig. 1 the one on the left) and a second superficial implanted region (e.g., fig. 1 the one on the right) that are spaced apart and delimit between them at least one superficial portion extending into the drift region from the surface (fig. 1); at least one deep implanted region 2a (fig. 1, the one in the center; i.e., p-type) having the second conductivity type, the at least one deep implanted region 2a disposed in the drift region 1 and spaced apart from the surface 15 of the body 1 (fig. 1); the at least one deep implanted region is between the first superficial implanted region and the second implanted region (fig. 1), and the at least one deep implanted region is fully covered by the superficial portion (fig. 1); and a metal region 8 extending on the surface of the body 1, the metal region 8 in Schottky contact with the superficial portion of the drift region 1 (fig. 1), and a first passage section of the drift region extends from the first superficial implanted region 2 (e.g., fig. 1, the one on the left) to the deep implanted region 2a and spaces the first superficial implanted region 2 from the deep implanted region 2a (fig. 1); and a second passage section of the drift region extends from the first superficial implanted region 2 (e.g., fig. 1, the one on the left) to the deep implanted region and spaces the first superficial implanted region 2 from the deep implanted region 2a, the second passage section is adjacent to the first passage section (e.g., fig. 1), and wherein the plurality of superficial implanted regions 2 are spaced outward from the at least one deep implanted region 2a by the first passage section and the second passage section, respectively. see figs. 1-6C and pages 1-10 for more details.
Re claim 2. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the first superficial implanted region 2 and the second superficial implanted region 2 of the plurality of superficial implanted regions 2 are spaced apart from one another by a distance along the first direction (fig. 1), and the at least one deep implanted region 2a extends, along the first direction (fig. 1).
Re claim 3. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the drift region 1 includes a first portion 2a, and a second portion 2 overlying the first portion 2a, the first portion having a first doping level (i.e., paragraph 36) and the second portion having a second doping level higher than the first doping level (i.e., paragraph 36), the second portion 2 extending between the first portion 2a and the surface of the body 1 (fig. 1).
Re claim 5. The electronic device according to claim 3, wherein the deep implanted region 2a extends in the first portion 2a of the drift region 1, and the plurality of superficial implanted regions 2 extend in the second portion 2 of the drift region 1 (fig. 1).
Re claim 6. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of superficial implanted regions 2 are in ohmic contact with the metal region 8 (fig. 1, i.e., paragraph 30).
Re claim 7. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the deep implanted region 2a is floating (fig. 1).
Re claim 8. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the deep implanted region 2a is in direct electrical contact with the metal region 8 (fig. 1, i.e., paragraph 35).
Re claim 9. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of superficial implanted regions 2 have a superficial doping level and the deep implanted region 2a has a deep doping level, the superficial doping level being higher than the deep doping level (fig. 1, paragraph 36).
Re claim 12. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of superficial implanted regions 2 and the deep implanted region 2a are strip-shaped (fig. 1), and have a long axis extending in the second direction (i.e., fig. 1, in this case, the axis in the second direction is considered as “a long axis”).
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 12/31/2025 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive for reasons herein above.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JACK CHEN whose telephone number is (571)272-1689. The examiner can normally be reached Monday to Friday, 8am to 4pm.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Yara J. Green can be reached on (571)270-3035. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/JACK S CHEN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2893