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 1-10, in the reply filed on 12/22/2025 is acknowledged.
Claims 11-20 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected invention, there being no allowable generic or linking claim.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 12/22/2025.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
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.
Claims 1-10 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 1 recites the limitation "the second segment" in line 8. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 1 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being incomplete for omitting essential structural cooperative relationships of elements, such omission amounting to a gap between the necessary structural connections. See MPEP § 2172.01. The omitted structural cooperative relationships are among via, first segment, local extension and second segment. For the purpose of examination regarding claim interpretation, in so far as understood, the Examiner used broadest reasonable interpretation as described in the following rejections to interpret the elements and the structural relationships.
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.
Claims 1-3 and 6-9, as so far as understood, are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Sato (US 2019/0096751).
Regarding claim 1, Sato discloses, in FIGS. 1G and 3 and in related text, an interconnect structure, comprising:
a first metal layer comprising at least one metal wire with a first segment (metal in trench interconnect 322 in FIG. 3) and a local extension (174 in FIG. 1G; metal in via trench 320 in FIG. 3) having a width (WVT) in a first direction (horizontal direction in FIG. 3) that is larger than a width (WTI) of the first segment;
a second metal layer (104) on top or below the first metal layer comprising at least one metal wire; and
a via (170 in FIG. 1G) connected between the at least one metal wire of the first metal layer and the at least one metal wire of the second metal layer, wherein a width (WV) of the via in the first direction is larger than the width (WTI) of the first segment but smaller than a width (WVT) of the second segment (second segment is considered as local extension here) (see Sato, [0016], [0022], [0024]-[0027], [0034]).
Regarding claim 2, Sato discloses the structure of claim 1.
Sato discloses wherein a width of the local extension (metal in via trench 320 in FIG. 3) in a second direction (vertical direction in FIG. 3) is wider than a width in the second direction of the via (metal in via opening 350 in FIG. 3) (see Sato, FIG. 3, [0034]: via opening 350 is enclosed by via trench 320).
Regarding claim 3, Sato discloses the structure of claim 1.
Sato discloses wherein the local extension (metal in via trench 320 in FIG. 3) completely envelops a side surface of the via (metal in via opening 350 in FIG. 3) at the first metal layer (see Sato, FIG. 3).
Regarding claim 6, Sato discloses the structure of claim 1.
Sato discloses wherein the local extension (metal in via trench 320 in FIG. 3) is offset from a center of the at least one metal wire of the first metal layer (metal in trenches in FIG. 3) (see Sato, FIG. 3: sides of via trench 320 extends beyond the mid point of trenches in FIG. 3 in horizontal direction).
Regarding claim 7, Sato discloses the structure of claim 1.
Sato discloses wherein the at least one metal wire of the first metal layer is created by a subtractive etch (see Sato, FIGS. 1A-1G, [0016]-[0025]: trenches are formed by subtractive etching of IMD then filling with metal).
Regarding claim 8, Sato discloses the structure of claim 1.
Sato discloses wherein the via is a dual damascene via (see Sato, [0014]).
Regarding claim 9, Sato discloses the structure of claim 1.
Sato discloses wherein the via is self-aligned to the at least one metal wire of the first metal layer (see Sato, [0012], [0022]).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 4, 5 and 10, in so far as understood, would be allowable (subject to an updated search) if rewritten to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, set forth in this Office action and to include all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
The prior art of records, individually or in combination, do not disclose nor teach “wherein the first metal layer is below the second metal layer with respect to a substrate of the interconnect structure” in combination with other limitations as recited in claim 4.
The prior art of records, individually or in combination, do not disclose nor teach “wherein the at least one metal wire of the first metal layer is part of a plurality of metal wires arranged at a minimum wire pitch capability of the first metal layer” in combination with other limitations as recited in claim 5.
The prior art of records, individually or in combination, do not disclose nor teach “wherein the via is not self-aligned to the at least one metal wire of the first metal layer” in combination with other limitations as recited in claim 10.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to SHIH TSUN A CHOU whose telephone number is (408)918-7583. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8:00-16:00 Arizona Time.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Lynne Gurley can be reached at (571) 272-1670. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/SHIH TSUN A CHOU/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2811