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and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114.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 8 April 2026 has been entered.
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Response to Arguments
Regarding the rejection of Claim 11 under 35 U.S.C. 103 set forth in the previous Office Action filed 27 January 2026, on page 5 of the previous reply filed 8 April 2026, Applicant asserts:
Udrea however fails to disclose that the electrode (8) is on and directly contacting top surfaces of the barrier layer (1) and the buffer layer (3).
Applicant’s assertion has been fully considered but is not found persuasive, as the Examiner is able to provide a new and clear item-to-item mapping for the rejection of this amended claim below via the use of a proper broadest reasonable interpretation of the claim language as necessitated by Applicant’s amendment. Therefore, amending Claim 11 as provided by Applicant in the aforementioned reply is not deemed to patentably distinguish Applicant’s claimed invention from the known invention of the prior art of record.
Further regarding the rejection of Claim 11 under 35 U.S.C. 103 set forth in the previous Office Action filed 27 January 2026, on page 6 of the previous reply filed 8 April 2026, Applicant asserts:
Marinella however still fails to disclose that the electrode is on and directly contacting top surfaces of the barrier layer and the buffer layer.
Applicant’s assertion and associated argument have been fully considered but are moot in light of the fact that MARINELLA is no longer used for the associated rejection.
Specification
The title of the invention is not descriptive. A new title is required that is clearly indicative of the invention to which the claims are directed.
The following title is suggested: ALGAN/GAN HEMT RESISTOR STRUCTURE AND METHOD FOR FABRICATING THE SAME.
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 11 – 18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) and 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by UDREA (US 20200168599 A1).
Regarding Claim 11,
UDREA discloses:
A resistor structure (Fig. 14), comprising:
a buffer layer (2) on a substrate (4);
(Note, 2 clearly provides a physical buffer between 3 and 1. Therefore, under a broadest reasonable interpretation, 2 may be construed as a “buffer layer”.)
a barrier layer (1) on the buffer layer (2);
a p-type semiconductor layer (11) on the barrier layer (1); and
an electrode (8) on and directly contacting top surfaces of the barrier layer (1) and the buffer layer (2);
(Note, Fig. 14 shows the top surface of 1 meets the sidewall of 8 at a point. At this point, 8 directly contacts the top surface of 1.)
Regarding Claim 12,
UDREA discloses:
The resistor structure of claim 11,
wherein a width of the barrier layer (1) is less than a width of the buffer layer (2).
(The width of 1 between 8 & 9 in the horizontal direction is less than the full width of 2 in the same direction.)
Regarding Claim 13,
UDREA discloses:
The resistor structure of claim 11,
wherein the electrode (8) comprises a source electrode (Par. 116).
Regarding Claim 14,
UDREA discloses:
The resistor structure of claim 11, further comprising
forming the electrode (8) on a top surface and sidewalls of the barrier layer (1).
(Fig. 14 shows 8 on a top surface of 1--indirectly--and on sidewalls of 1--directly.)
Regarding Claim 15,
UDREA discloses:
The resistor structure of claim 11,
wherein the electrode (8) comprises a reverse U-shape.
(Fig. 15 shows 8 comprises a reverse U-shape between two given "source fingers" 8 and a connecting portion of "source pad" 18, which is construed to be a part of 8.)
Regarding Claim 16,
UDREA discloses:
The resistor structure of claim 11,
wherein the buffer layer (2) comprises gallium nitride (GaN) (Par. 6).
Regarding Claim 17,
UDREA discloses:
The resistor structure of claim 11,
wherein the barrier layer (1) comprise AlxGa1-xN (Par. 115).
Regarding Claim 18,
UDREA discloses:
The resistor structure of claim 11,
wherein the p-type semiconductor layer (11) comprises p-type gallium nitride (pGaN) (Par. 6).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Kenneth S. Stephenson whose telephone number is (571)272-6686. The examiner can normally be reached Monday through Friday, 9 A.M. to 5 P.M. (EST)..
Examiner interviews are available via telephone 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, Julio Maldonado can be reached at (571) 272-1864. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/K.S.S./Examiner, Art Unit 2898 /JULIO J MALDONADO/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2898
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