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 .
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of Invention I (claims 1-17) in the reply filed on November 11, 2025 is acknowledged.
Claim Objections
Claim 9 is objected to because of the following informalities: Claim 9 is dependent on claim X. For examining purposes, claim 9 will be treated as dependent on claim 1. Appropriate correction is required.
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 1-4 and 9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by More et al (US Publication No. 2022/0254891).
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Regarding claim 1, More discloses a semiconductor device structure, comprising: a substrate ¶0017 comprising an NMOS region and a PMOS region abutting the NMOS region ¶0018;a first shallow trench isolation (STI) Fig 14, 112 disposed across the PMOS region and the NMOS region Fig 14,
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the first STI has a first bottom being slanted from the NMOS region towards the PMOS region Fig 14;a first fin Fig 14, 110c disposed in the PMOS region Fig 14, 102P;a first source/drain epitaxial feature Fig 14, 154 ¶0035 disposed over the first fin Fig 14, 110c;a second fin Fig 14, 108c disposed in the NMOS region Fig 14, 102N;a second source/drain epitaxial feature Fig 14, 152 disposed over the second fin Fig 14, 108c;a first dielectric feature Fig 14, 114c disposed between the first source/drain epitaxial feature and the second source/drain epitaxial feature Fig 14, the first dielectric feature having a portion embedded in the first STI Fig 14; and a conductive feature Fig 14, 172 ¶0043 disposed over the first and second source/drain epitaxial features and the first dielectric feature Fig 14.
Regarding claim 2, More discloses a third fin Fig 14, 110b disposed adjacent the first fin Fig 14, 110c;a third source/drain epitaxial feature disposed over the third fin Fig 14, a portion of the third source/drain epitaxial feature being merged with a portion of the first source/drain epitaxial feature Fig 14;a fourth fin Fig 14, 108b disposed adjacent the second fin Fig 14, 108c; and a fourth source/drain epitaxial feature Fig 14, 152 disposed over the fourth fin Fig 14, 108b, a portion of the fourth source/drain epitaxial feature being merged with a portion of the second source/drain epitaxial feature Fig 14.
Regarding claim 3, More discloses: a second STI disposed between second fin and the fourth fin, the second STI having a second bottom at an elevation higher than an elevation of the first bottom of the first STI Fig 14.
Regarding claim 4, More discloses a third STI disposed between first fin and the third fin, the third STI having a third bottom at an elevation higher than the elevation of the second bottom of the second STI Fig 14.
Regarding claim 9, More discloses a silicide layer Fig 14, 170 disposed between the first source/drain epitaxial feature and the conductive feature and between the second source/drain epitaxial feature and the conductive feature Fig 14.
Regarding claim 5, More discloses :a fourth STI Fig 14 disposed adjacent the fourth fin Fig 14, the fourth STI having a fourth bottom at an elevation lower than the first bottom of the first STI Fig 14; and a second dielectric feature having a portion embedded in the fourth STI Fig 14.
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.
Claim 5-8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over More et al (US Publication No. 2022/0254891) in view of Wu et al (US Publication No. 2018/0151414).
Regarding claim 5, More discloses all the limitations but silent on the elevations of the STI. Whereas Wu discloses a fourth STI Fig 8 disposed adjacent the fourth fin Fig 8, the fourth STI having a fourth bottom at an elevation lower than the first bottom of the first STI Fig 8; and a second dielectric feature having a portion embedded in the fourth STI ¶0023-0024 Fig 8.More and Wu are analogous art because they are directed to semiconductor devices having metal gates and one of ordinary skill in the art would have had a reasonable expectation of success to modify More because they are from the same field of endeavor. Therefore it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill of the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the device of More and incorporate the teachings of Wu to provide suitable isolations ¶0023.
Regarding claim 6, Wu discloses a fifth STI disposed adjacent the third fin, the fifth STI having a fifth bottom at an elevation between the elevation of the first bottom of the first STI and the elevation of the third bottom of the third STI; and a third dielectric feature having a portion embedded in the fifth STI¶0023-0024 Fig 8.
Regarding claim 7, Wu discloses wherein the second and third dielectric features have a height shorter than a height of the first dielectric feature¶0023-0024 Fig 8.
Regarding claim 8, Wu discloses wherein the first, second and third dielectric features have a bottom at the same elevation¶0023-0024 Fig 8.
Claim 11-17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over More et al (US Publication No. 2022/0254891) in view of Liaw (US Publication No. 2019/0326287).
Regarding claim 11, More discloses a semiconductor device structure, comprising: a substrate ¶0017 comprising a first P-well region ¶0022,a first shallow trench isolation (STI) Fig 14, 112 disposed in the N-well region, the first STI having a non-inclined bottom surface Fig 14;a second STI disposed in the N-well region Fig 14;a third STI disposed across the N-well region and the first P-well region Fig 14, the third STI having a sloped bottom surface with respect to the non-inclined bottom surface of the first STI Fig 14; and a fourth STI disposed across the N-well region and the P-well region Fig 14, the fourth STI having a sloped bottom surface with respect to the non-inclined bottom surface of the first STI Fig 14. More discloses all the limitations but silent on the second P well region. Whereas Liaw discloses a first P-well region ¶0029, a second P-well region, and an N-well region disposed between the first and second P-well regions¶0029 Fig 11;a first shallow trench isolation (STI) Fig 11, 106 disposed in the N-well region Fig 11. More and Liaw are analogous art because they are directed to semiconductor devices having metal gates and one of ordinary skill in the art would have had a reasonable expectation of success to modify More because they are from the same field of endeavor. Therefore it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill of the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the device of More and incorporate the teachings of Liaw to incorporate more active regions for the integrated circuit.
Regarding claim 12, More discloses wherein the sloped bottom surface of the third STI is slanted from the N-well region towards the first P-well region at a downward angle Fig 14.
Regarding claim 13, More in view of Liaw discloses wherein the sloped bottom surface of the fourth STI is slanted from the N-well region towards the P- well region at a downward angle Fig 14.
Regarding claim 14, More discloses wherein the non- inclined bottom surface is at an elevation higher than an elevation of the slopped bottom surfaces of the third STI and the fourth STI Fig 14.
Regarding claim 15, More discloses :a first source/drain epitaxial feature disposed over the N-well region between the first STI and the second STI; a second source/drain epitaxial feature disposed over the N-well region between the second STI and the third STI, wherein the first and second source/drain epitaxial features are partially merged Fig 14.
Regarding claim 16, More discloses a third source/drain epitaxial feature disposed over the N-well region between the first STI and the fourth STI; and a first dielectric feature disposed between the first source/drain epitaxial feature and the third source/drain epitaxial feature, the first dielectric feature having a portion embedded in the first STI Fig 14.
Regarding claim 17, More discloses a second dielectric feature disposed adjacent the third source/drain epitaxial feature and away from the first dielectric feature, the second dielectric feature having a portion embedded in the fourth STI, and a bottom of the portion of the second dielectric feature is at an elevation lower than a bottom of the portion of the first dielectric feature Fig 14.
Claims 21-22 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Liaw (US Publication No. 2019/0326287) in view of Wu et al (US Publication No. 2018/0151414).
Regarding claim 21, Liaw discloses a semiconductor device structure, comprising: a substrate comprising a first P-well region¶0029, a second P-well region¶0029, and an N-well region disposed between the first and second P-well regions Fig 11;a first shallow trench isolation (STI) disposed at a first elevation in the N-well region Fig 11;a second STI disposed at a second elevation in the N-well region Fig 11, and a third STI disposed at a third elevation across the N-well region and the second P-well region Fig 11. Liaw discloses all the limitations but silent on the elevation. Whereas Wu discloses a first shallow trench isolation (STI) disposed at a first elevation in the N-well region ¶0023-0024 Fig 8;a second STI disposed at a second elevation in the N-well region¶0023-0024 Fig 8, the second elevation being higher than the first elevation¶0023-0024 Fig 8; and a third STI disposed at a third elevation across the N-well region and the second P-well region, the third elevation being lower than the first elevation¶0023-0024 Fig 8. Liaw and Wu are analogous art because they are directed to semiconductor devices having metal gates and one of ordinary skill in the art would have had a reasonable expectation of success to modify Liaw because they are from the same field of endeavor. Therefore it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill of the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the device of Liaw and incorporate the teachings of Wu to provide suitable isolations ¶0023.
Regarding claim 22, Wu discloses a fourth STI disposed at a fourth elevation across the N-well region and the first P- well region, the fourth elevation being lower than the third elevation Fig 8.
Claim 23 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Liaw (US Publication No. 2019/0326287) in view of Wu et al (US Publication No. 2018/0151414) and in further view of More et al (US Publication No. 2022/0254891).
Regarding claim 23, Liaw and Wu discloses all the limitations except for the arrangement of the bottom surface of the STI. Whereas More discloses wherein the third STI has a bottom surface slanted at a downward angle away from a bottom surface of the first STI, and the fourth STI has a bottom surface slanted at a downward angle away from the bottom surface of the first STI Fig 14. Liaw and More are analogous art because they are directed to semiconductor devices having metal gates and one of ordinary skill in the art would have had a reasonable expectation of success to modify Liaw because they are from the same field of endeavor. Therefore it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill of the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the device of Liaw and incorporate the teachings of More to provide suitable isolations.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 10 is objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Conclusion
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/CHRISTINE A ENAD/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2811