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 .
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 11/28/2025 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
Applicant argues that Lee does not disclose the newly amended portions of claim 1, particularly that the conductive first plug is shorter than the first edge member in the first direction.
Examiner respectfully disagrees. Examiner has remapped the conductive first plug to element ML4 which meets the new claim limitations.
The rejection has been updated to include the newly amended portions.
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)(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) 1-6, 8, 9, and 15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Lee (US PGPub 2022/0045093).
Re claim 1: Lee teaches (e.g. figs. 1A and 1B) a semiconductor device comprising: a plurality of first electrode films (CP) stacked in a first direction (vertical direction; hereinafter “1D”) and electrically isolated from each other (IP provided therebetween); a plurality of semiconductor members (channel layer CL; e.g. paragraph 40) extending in the first direction (1D) through the plurality of first electrode films (CP); a first conductive film (source layer SA; e.g. paragraph 46) including a first surface (bottom surface of SA; hereinafter “1S”) and connected to the plurality of semiconductor members (CL) on the first surface (1S); a first insulating film (insulating layer 160, 170; e.g. paragraph 46) spaced from the first conductive film (SA) on a second surface (top surface of SA; hereinafter “2S”) of the first conductive film (SA) opposite to the first surface (1S); a first edge member (CG3 of chip guard ring CGR; e.g. paragraph 24; hereinafter “1EM”) disposed in an edge area (area of CGR and RG2; hereinafter “EA”) that surrounds an element area (cell region CER; e.g. paragraph 24) including the first electrode film (CP), the semiconductor member (CL), and the first conductive film (SA); and a conductive first plug (ML4 furthest from SA; hereinafter “1CP”) disposed in the edge area (EA), provided between the first edge member (1EM) and the element area (CER), and is in contact with the first insulating film (160, 170), wherein the conductive first plug (1CP) is shorter than the first edge member (1EM) in the first direction (1D).
Re claim 2: Lee teaches the semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein a width of the first plug (1CP) in a direction substantially perpendicular to the first direction (1D) reduces (the width of 1CP decreases along its depth in the downward direction, insomuch as ACP of instant application reduces width) in a direction from the first insulating film (160, 170) to the first conductive film (SA).
Re claim 3: Lee teaches the semiconductor device according to claim 1, further comprising: a second edge member (middle CT3; hereinafter “2EM”) provided on an inner side of the first edge member (1EM) to surround the element area (CER) and extends in the first direction (1D) in the edge area (EA), wherein the first plug (1CP) is provided between the first edge member (1EM) and the second edge member (2EM) in the edge area (EA) when viewed from the first direction (1D).
Re claim 4: Lee teaches the semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein the first plug (1CP) is provided between the first conductive film (SA) and the first insulating film (160, 170) in the edge area (EA).
Re claim 5: Lee teaches the semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein the first conductive film (SA) includes first (SA) and second (ML3) conductive material layers stacked in the first direction (1D), the first conductive material layer (SA) is closer to the first insulating film (bottom surface of 160, 170) than the second conductive material layer (ML3), and the first plug (1CP) is configured (1CP is configured along the side of SA) with the first conductive material layer (SA).
Re claim 6: Lee teaches the semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein the first conductive film (SA) includes first (SA) and second (ML3) conductive material layers stacked in the first direction (1D), the second conductive material layer (ML3) is farther from the first insulating film (bottom surface of 160, 170) than the first conductive material layer (SA), and the first plug (1CP) is configured (1CP is configured along the side of ML3) with the second conductive material layer (ML3).
Re claim 8: Lee teaches the semiconductor device according to claim 1, further comprising: a third plug provided (right CT3; hereinafter “3P”) between the first conductive film (SA) and the first insulating film (160, 170) in the element area (CER) and including the same material as the first conductive film (SA).
Re claim 9: Lee teaches the semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein the first plug (1CP) is provided between the first insulating film (160, 170) and a second insulating film (150) below the first insulating film (160, 170).
Re claim 15: Lee teaches the semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein a surface of the conductive first plug (1CP) in contact with the first insulating film (160, 170) is provided above the first electrode films (CP) in the first direction.
Conclusion
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. 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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/JESSE Y MIYOSHI/
Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2898