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and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114.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 7/10/26 has been entered.
Election/Restrictions
Claims 1-9, 17-20 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected invention, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on 10/30/25.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 10-16 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claim(s) 10-15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2020/0303551 (Chen) in view of U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2022/0271138 (Su) and U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2011/0272765 (Seo).
Chen discloses (Figs. 8-15)
10. (Currently Amended) A backside power connection device, comprising:
a first source/drain contact 1218 in electrical contact with a first source/drain 802 ([0085]) on a first side of the first source/drain 802;
a gate contact ([0072]) in electrical contact with a replacement metal gate structure 1216 ([0070], [0079]) on a first side of the replacement metal gate structure 1216, the first side of the first source/drain 802 and the first side of the replacement metal gate structure 1216 being on a same side; and
a conductive metal forming conductive contacts 1208A / 1208B / 1324 / 1328.
Chen fails to specifically disclose
a conductive metal forming conductive contacts in electrical contact with the source/drain and the replacement metal gate structure, wherein the conductive metal is on a second side of the replacement metal gate structure that is opposite the first side of the replacement metal gate structure and on a second side of the first source/drain that is opposite the first side of the first source/drain.
Su teaches
A connection device comprising:
a conductive metal 302 (or 304 / 306) forming conductive contacts 294-1 / 294-2 / 274-1 / 274-2 in electrical contact with the source/drain 230 and on a second side BS of the first source/drain 230 that is opposite the first side FS of the first source/drain 230.
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide a conductive metal and conductive contacts that provide electrical connections to a backside of the transistor structure in Chen. The motivation would be to provide backside gate contacts to further interconnect structure and routing on the backside of a semiconductor structure, thereby reducing the number of metal lines on the front side as taught by Su ([0032]-[0034]).
Seo teaches
A connection device comprising:
a conductive metal forming conductive contacts 112 / 114 / 116 in electrical contact with the source/drain 58/60 and the metal gate structure 69, wherein the conductive metal is on a second side of the replacement metal gate structure 60 ([0045]).
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide a conductive metal and conductive contacts that provide electrical connections to both source/drain and a gate structure from a common side of the transistor structure in Chen. The motivation would be to improve electrical routing and interconnection between source/drain and gate structure while maintaining advantages of backside power delivery as taught by Seo. Common conductive interconnection improves power distribution, reduces routing congestions, and improves electrical performance.
Chen discloses
11. (Original) The backside power connection device of claim 10, further comprising a back-end-of-line metallization layer ([0087], [0091]) on and in electrical contact with the first source/drain contact 1218 and the gate contact ([0072]).
Chen discloses (multiple source/drains, and source/drain contacts [0085])
12. (Original) The backside power connection device of claim 11, further comprising a sacrificial contact plug V0 / V1 on a second source/drain 802, and a second source/drain contact 1218 in electrical contact with the second source/drain 802 on a side opposite the sacrificial contact plug V0 / V1.
Seo teaches
13. (Original) The backside power connection device of claim 12, further comprising dummy gate sidewalls 67 adjacent to the replacement metal gate structure 69.
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide a dummy gate sidewall in Chen. The motivation would be to they are well-known in the art of MOSFETs as shown in Seo. See MPEP 2144.03.
Chen discloses
14. (Original) The backside power connection device of claim 13, further comprising a back-end-of-line metallization layer ([0087], [0091]) on the gate contact ([0072]), the first source/drain contact 1218, and the second source/drain contact 1218.
Chen discloses
15. (Original) The backside power connection device of claim 14, further comprising a backside power delivery network (BSPDN) on and in electrical contact with the conductive contact 1208A / 1208B / 1324 / 1328 ([0086], [0095], [0107]).
Claim(s) 16 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Chen in view of Su and Seo as applied to claim 15 above, and further in view of U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2021/0407900 (Yu).
The combination of references fails to teach
16. (Original) The backside power connection device of claim 15, further comprising nanosheet layer segments on opposite sides of the replacement metal gate structure.
Yu teaches (Fig. 12A)
A backside power connection device comprising:
nanosheet layer segments ([0130]) on opposite sides of the replacement metal gate structure 450.
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide nanosheet wire segments in the modified device of Chen. The motivation would be to reduce electrical resistance and reduce the voltage drop and RC delay in signal transmission as taught by Yu ([0093]).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. U.S. Patent Application Publication Nos. 2023/0420367 (Xie), 2023/0343838 (Chang), 2023/0197815 (Huang) teach a backside power connection device.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to TERESA M ARROYO whose telephone number is (703)756-1576. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday (8:30 A.M. E.T. - 5:00 P.M. E.T.).
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, Sue Purvis can be reached at 571.272.1236. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/TERESA M. ARROYO/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2893
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