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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 09/17/2025 is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
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.
Claim 27 is 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.
Claim 27 recites the limitation “a second plurality of bridge connection trenches … intersecting with the second pair of vertical trenches” in the 7th and 8th lines of the claim, which lacks the full support of the original disclosure. The original specification does not use the term “intersecting” to describe the structure relationship between a second plurality of bridge connection trenches and the second pair of vertical trenches. Furthermore, the term “intersect” means “divide (something) by passing or lying across it” defined by Oxford Languages. The elected species Fig. 4 shows two vertical trenches 501 running from the beginning to the end without divided by the bridge connection trenches 505. Thus, the limitation lacks the full support of the original disclosure.
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.
Claim 24-27 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.
Claim 24 recites the limitation “each gate electrode” in the second line of the claim. It is unclear whether this limitation refers to “a gate electrode” recited in the third line of claim 23. It is recommended to replace “each gate electrode” with “each of the gate electrodes”.
Claim 24 recites the limitation “each gate electrode” in the second last line of the claim. It is unclear whether this limitation refers to “a gate electrode” recited in the third line of claim 23. It is recommended to replace “each gate electrode” with “each of the gate electrodes”.
Claim 27 recites the limitation "the first plurality of bridge connection trenches" in the second last line of the claim. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 27 recites the limitation “a second plurality of bridge connection trenches … intersecting with the second pair of vertical trenches” in the 7th and 8th lines of the claim, which in inconsistent with the original disclosure. The term “intersect” means “divide (something) by passing or lying across it” defined by Oxford Languages. The elected species Fig. 4 shows two vertical trenches 501 running from the beginning to the end without divided by the bridge connection trenches 505. The inconsistency renders the claim indefinite. To expedite the examination. The term “intersecting” is interpreted as “joining”.
Claims 25-26 are rejected because they depend on the rejected claim 24.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 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.
Claim(s) 1-4, 10-12 and 23-27 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1)/(a)(2) as being anticipated by Nishiwaki (US 2017/0263767 A1).
Regarding claim 1, Nishiwaki teaches a device (Figs. 14-17), comprising: a mesa (a portion of 1/2/3/4 between a pair of trench T in Fig. 16A, [0036, 0122], also see Fig. 18A) disposed between a pair of vertical trenches (the pair of trenches T in Fig. 16A, [0036, 0122], also see Fig. 18A) in a semiconductor substrate (1/2/3/4; Fig. 16A, [0036]), the mesa (a portion of 1/2/3/4 between a pair of trench T in Fig. 16A) having a horizontal width (the width of the mesa along the x direction in the horizontal x-y plane; see Figs 15 and 16A) over a portion of a length of the mesa (a portion of 1/2/3/4 between a pair of trench T in Fig. 16A along A-A’ line of Fig. 15); a gate electrode (20; Fig. 16A, [0036]) disposed in each of the pair of vertical trenches (the pair of trenches T in Fig. 16A); a shield electrode (10a; Fig. 16A, [0045]) disposed below each of the gate electrode (20) in the pair of vertical trenches (the pair of trenches T in Fig. 16A); a bridge connection trench (a middle portion of the trench T enclosing 10b in Fig. 17, also see Fig. 15) traversing the mesa (a portion of 1/2/3/4 between a pair of trench T in Fig. 16A) and joining the pair of vertical trenches (the pair of trenches T in Fig. 16A, i.e. the left and right portions of the trench T enclosing the left and right 10a in Fig. 17), the mesa (a portion of 1/2/3/4 between a pair of trench T in Fig. 16A) having a widened horizontal width (the width of the mesa along a line forming 45 degrees with the x direction and the y direction in the horizontal x-y plane) in a portion of the mesa (a portion of 1/2/3/4 between a pair of trench T in Fig. 16A surrounding one of the 10b shown in Fig. 15) traversed by the bridge connection trench (a middle portion of the trench T enclosing 10b in Fig. 17), the widened horizontal width (the width of the mesa along a line forming 45 degrees with the x direction and the y direction in the horizontal x-y plane) being greater than the horizontal width (the width of the mesa along the x direction in the horizontal x-y plane; the widened horizontal width is sqrt(2) times the horizontal width due to the fact that the mesa are forming stripes with edges along the y direction according to Figs. 15 below and 16A); and a bridge shield electrode (the lower portion of 10b with the top surface aligned with the top surface of 10a; Fig. 17, [0053]) disposed in the bridge connection trench (a middle portion of the trench T enclosing 10b in Fig. 17) and coupled to each of the shield electrode (10a; Fig. 17, [0045]) in the pair of vertical trenches (the pair of trenches T in Fig. 16A; i.e. the left and right portions of the trench T enclosing the left and right 10a in Fig. 17).
Regarding claim 2, Nishiwaki teaches the device of claim 1, wherein a shield electrode contact element (the upper portion of 10b with the bottom surface aligned with the top surface of 10a; Fig. 17, [0116]) in the bridge connection trench (a middle portion of the trench T enclosing 10b in Fig. 17) contacts the bridge shield electrode (the lower portion of 10b with the top surface aligned with the top surface of 10a).
Regarding claim 3, Nishiwaki teaches the device of claim 2, wherein the shield electrode contact element (the upper portion of 10b with the bottom surface aligned with the top surface of 10a) in the bridge connection trench (a middle portion of the trench T enclosing 10b in Fig. 17) is connected to a source metal (32; Fig. 17; [0079]) of the device (Figs. 14-17).
Regarding claim 4, Nishiwaki teaches the device of claim 1, wherein each of the pair of vertical trenches (the pair of trenches T in Fig. 16A; i.e. the left and right portions of the trench T enclosing the left and right 10a in Fig. 17) and the bridge connection trench (a middle portion of the trench T enclosing 10b in Fig. 17) have about a same vertical depth (see Fig. 17).
Regarding claim 10, Nishiwaki teaches the device of claim 1, wherein the bridge connection trench (a middle portion of the trench T enclosing 10b in Fig. 17) is a first bridge connection trench (a middle portion of the trench T enclosing 10b in Fig. 17 at C-C’ line of Fig. 15) and traverses the mesa (a portion of 1/2/3/4 between a pair of trench T in Fig. 16A) at a first location (C-C’ line of Fig. 15), and wherein the device (Figs. 14-17) further comprises: a second bridge connection trench (a middle portion of the trench T enclosing 10b in Fig. 17) traversing the mesa (a portion of 1/2/3/4 between a pair of trench T in Fig. 16A) at a second location (the 10b in Fig. 15 which is perpendicularly above the 10b at the C-C’ line) and joining the pair vertical trenches (the pair of trenches T in Fig. 16A; i.e. the left and right portions of the trench T enclosing the left and right 10a in Fig. 17), the bridge shield electrode (the lower portion of 10b with the top surface aligned with the top surface of 10a) being additionally disposed in the second bridge connection trench (a middle portion of the trench T enclosing 10b in Fig. 15 which is perpendicularly above the 10b at the C-C’ line).
Regarding claim 11, Nishiwaki teaches the device of claim 10, wherein a first shield electrode contact element (the upper portion of 10b with the bottom surface aligned with the top surface of 10a) in the first bridge connection trench (a middle portion of the trench T enclosing 10b in Fig. 17 at C-C’ line of Fig. 15) contacts the bridge shield electrode (the lower portion of 10b with the top surface aligned with the top surface of 10a) and a second shield electrode contact element (the upper portion of 10b with the bottom surface aligned with the top surface of 10a) in the second bridge connection trench (a middle portion of the trench T enclosing 10b in Fig. 15 which is perpendicularly above the 10b at the C-C’ line) contacts the bridge shield electrode (the lower portion of 10b with the top surface aligned with the top surface of 10a).
Regarding claim 12, Nishiwaki teaches the device of claim 11, wherein the first shield electrode contact element (the upper portion of 10b with the bottom surface aligned with the top surface of 10a) in the first bridge connection trench (a middle portion of the trench T enclosing 10b in Fig. 17 at C-C’ line of Fig. 15) and the second shield electrode contact element (the upper portion of 10b with the bottom surface aligned with the top surface of 10a) in the second bridge connection trench (a middle portion of the trench T enclosing 10b in Fig. 15 which is perpendicularly above the 10b at the C-C’ line) are connected to a source metal (32; Fig. 17; [0079]) of the device (Figs. 14-17).
Regarding claim 23, Nishiwaki teaches a device (Figs. 14-17) comprising: a mesa (a portion of 1/2/3/4 between a pair of trench T in Fig. 16A, [0036, 0122], also see Fig. 18A) disposed between a pair of vertical trenches (the pair of trenches T in Fig. 16A, [0036, 0122], also see Fig. 18A) in a semiconductor substrate (1/2/3/4; Fig. 16A, [0036]); a gate electrode (20; Fig. 16A, [0036]) disposed in each of the pair of vertical trenches (the pair of trenches T in Fig. 16A); and a bridge connection trench (a middle portion of the trench T enclosing 10b in Fig. 17, also see Fig. 15) traversing the mesa (a portion of 1/2/3/4 between a pair of trench T in Fig. 16A), the bridge connection trench (a middle portion of the trench T enclosing 10b in Fig. 17) joined with each of the pair of vertical trenches (the pair of trenches T in Fig. 16A, i.e. the left and right portions of the trench T enclosing the left and right 10a in Fig. 17), the mesa (a portion of 1/2/3/4 between a pair of trench T in Fig. 16A) having a horizontal width (the width of the mesa along the x direction in the horizontal x-y plane; see Figs 15 and 16A) over a portion of a length of the mesa (a portion of 1/2/3/4 between a pair of trench T in Fig. 16A), and the mesa (a portion of 1/2/3/4 between a pair of trench T in Fig. 16A) having a widened horizontal width (the width of the mesa along a line forming 45 degrees with the x direction and the y direction in the horizontal x-y plane) in a portion of the mesa (a portion of 1/2/3/4 between a pair of trench T in Fig. 16A surrounding one of the 10b shown in Fig. 15) traversed by the bridge connection trench (a middle portion of the trench T enclosing 10b in Fig. 17), the widened horizontal width (the width of the mesa along a line forming 45 degrees with the x direction and the y direction in the horizontal x-y plane) being greater than the horizontal width (the width of the mesa along the x direction in the horizontal x-y plane; the widened horizontal width is sqrt(2) times the horizontal width due to the fact that the mesa are forming stripes with edges along the y direction according to Figs. 15 below and 16A).
Regarding claim 24, Nishiwaki teaches the device of claim 23 further comprising: a shield electrode (10a; Fig. 16A, [0045]) disposed below each gate electrode (20) in the pair of vertical trenches (the pair of trenches T in Fig. 16A); and a bridge shield electrode (the lower portion of 10b with the top surface aligned with the top surface of 10a; Fig. 17, [0053]) disposed in the bridge connection trench (a middle portion of the trench T enclosing 10b in Fig. 17), the bridge shield electrode (the lower portion of 10b with the top surface aligned with the top surface of 10a) coupled to the shield electrode (10a; see Fig. 17) disposed below each gate electrode (20) in the pair of vertical trenches (the pair of trenches T in Fig. 16A, i.e. the left and right portions of the trench T enclosing the left and right 10a in Fig. 17).
Regarding claim 25, Nishiwaki teaches the device of claim 24, wherein a shield electrode contact element (the upper portion of 10b with the bottom surface aligned with the top surface of 10a; Fig. 17, [0116]) in the bridge connection trench (a middle portion of the trench T enclosing 10b in Fig. 17) contacts the bridge shield electrode (the lower portion of 10b with the top surface aligned with the top surface of 10a).
Regarding claim 26, Nishiwaki teaches the device of claim 25, wherein the shield electrode contact element (the upper portion of 10b with the bottom surface aligned with the top surface of 10a) in the bridge connection trench (a middle portion of the trench T enclosing 10b in Fig. 17) is electrically connected to a source metal (32; Fig. 17; [0079]) of the device (Figs. 14-17).
Regarding claim 27, Nishiwaki teaches the device of claim 23, wherein the mesa (a portion of 1/2/3/4 between a pair of trench T in Fig. 16A) is a first mesa (a portion of 1/2/3/4 between a pair of trench T in Fig. 16A surrounding two 10a at locations between C and C’ in Fig. 15), the pair of vertical trenches (the pair of trenches T in Fig. 16A surrounding two 10a at locations between C and C’ in Fig. 15) is a first pair of vertical trenches (the pair of trenches T in Fig. 16A surrounding two 10a at locations between C and C’ in Fig. 15) and the bridge connection trench (a middle portion of the trench T enclosing 10b in Fig. 17) is a first bridge connection trench (a middle portion of the trench T enclosing 10b in Fig. 17 at C-C’ line of Fig. 15) of a plurality of bridge connection trenches (a middle portion of the trench T enclosing 10b in Fig. 17 at different locations of 10b in Fig. 15) traversing the mesa (a portion of 1/2/3/4 between a pair of trench T in Fig. 16A surrounding two 10a at locations between C and C’ in Fig. 15), the device (Figs. 14-17) further comprising: a second mesa (a portion of 1/2/3/4 between a pair of trench T in Fig. 16A surrounding two 10a at locations shown in Fig. 15 below) disposed between a second pair of vertical trenches (the pair of trenches T in Fig. 16A surrounding two 10a at locations shown in Fig. 15 below) parallel to the first pair of vertical trenches (the pair of trenches T in Fig. 16A surrounding two 10a at locations between C and C’ in Fig. 15); and a second plurality of bridge connection trenches (a middle portion of the trench T enclosing 10b in Fig. 17 at locations shown in Fig. 15 below) traversing the second mesa (a portion of 1/2/3/4 between a pair of trench T in Fig. 16A surrounding two 10a at locations shown in Fig. 15 below) and intersecting (“intersecting” is interpreted as “joining” due to the 112 rejections disclosed above) with the second pair of vertical trenches (the pair of trenches T in Fig. 16A surrounding two 10a at locations shown in Fig. 15 below), the second plurality of bridge connection trenches (a middle portion of the trench T enclosing 10b in Fig. 17 at locations shown in Fig. 15 below) being unaligned with the first plurality of bridge connection trenches (a middle portion of the trench T enclosing 10b in Fig. 17 at locations shown in Fig. 15 below) in a direction (x direction) perpendicular to the first pair of vertical trenches (the pair of trenches T in Fig. 16A surrounding two 10a at locations between C and C’ in Fig. 15).
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[AltContent: textbox (First mesa)][AltContent: textbox (Second mesa)][AltContent: arrow][AltContent: arrow][AltContent: textbox (First pair
of vertical
trenches in
dash lines)][AltContent: textbox (Second pair
of vertical
trenches in dash lines)][AltContent: arrow][AltContent: arrow][AltContent: arrow][AltContent: arrow][AltContent: textbox (Second plurality of bridge connection trenches)][AltContent: arrow][AltContent: arrow][AltContent: textbox (First plurality of bridge connection trenches)][AltContent: arrow][AltContent: arrow][AltContent: textbox (First bridge connection trench)][AltContent: arrow][AltContent: rect][AltContent: rect][AltContent: rect]
Fig. 15 of Nishiwaki
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s amendments, filed 06/27/2025, overcome the rejections to claims 2-3, 11-12 and 23 under 35 U.S.C. 112. The rejections to claims 2-3, 11-12 and 23 under 35 U.S.C. 112 have been withdrawn.
Applicant's arguments with respect to claims 1 and 23 have been considered but are moot in view of the new ground(s) of rejection.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Yedinak et al. (US 20100140697 A1) teach a trench-based power semiconductor device having the shield electrodes under the gate electrodes in trenches having connections to the top surface of the device.
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.
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/HSIN YI HSIEH/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2899 10/22/2025