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and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114.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 14 November 2025 has been entered.
Claim and Specification Status
The Examiner acknowledges the amendments to claims 1 and 8. The claim amendments and the Applicant’s accompanying comments have been addressed below.
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.
Claims 1-4, 6-11 and 13-14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Wen-Li Chen et. al (CN 110970403 A; hereinafter “Chen”) in view of Dongkyun Park et al. (US 2012/0193761 A1; hereinafter “Park”).
Regarding Claim 1, Chen discloses a semiconductor device, comprising:
a substrate (100, Fig. 14, page 6 of the PE2E machine translation, describes as a substrate made of a silicon material);
a lower horizontal supporting layer disposed on and contacted with a top surface of the substrate (102, Fig. 14, page 9 of the PE2E machine translation describes an isolation layer that is part of the wrapping support structure and is comprised of the same material as the support structure);
an upper horizontal supporting layer disposed on the lower horizontal supporting layer (104, Fig. 14, page 9 of the PE2E machine translation describes a transverse support layer);
a vertical supporting structure extending between the lower horizontal supporting layer and the upper horizontal supporting layer (105 from Fig. 13, Fig. 14, page 9 of the PE2E machine translation describes a longitudinal support layer); and
a first capacitor electrode disposed on the substrate and extending from the lower horizontal supporting layer to the upper horizontal supporting layer (106, Fig. 14, page 10 of the PE2E machine translation describes a lower electrode of the capacitor device).
Chen fails to explicitly disclose wherein a material of the upper horizontal supporting layer is different from a material of the vertical supporting structure, wherein the vertical supporting structure includes a conductive material.
However, Park teaches a similar semiconductor device, wherein a material of the upper horizontal supporting layer (125a, Fig. 4, para [0021] describes a support pattern 125a formed of an insulating material such as a silicon nitride film) is different from a material of the vertical supporting structure (144, Fig. 4, para [0021] and para [0026] describe a core support pattern 144 which may be comprised of a conductive material such as tungsten), wherein the vertical supporting structure includes a conductive material (para [0026] describes wherein core support pattern 144 may be comprised of a conductive material such as tungsten).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the teachings of Chen and Park to further disclose a semiconductor device that has a vertical support structure that comprises a conductive material that is different from horizontal support layer materials in order to provide the advantage of providing a vertical support layer that has a superior mechanical strength as compared to a conductive pattern of the electrodes so as to provide proper support (Park, para [0025]).
Regarding Claim 2, the combination of Chen and Park teaches the semiconductor device of claim 1, wherein the first capacitor electrode is spaced apart from the vertical supporting structure (Chen, annotated Fig. 14, wherein the first capacitor electrode 106 can be seen spaced apart from the vertical supporting structure 105 in annotated Fig. 14 below).
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Regarding Claim 3, the combination of Chen and Park teaches the semiconductor device of claim 1, further comprising:
a capacitor dielectric (Chen, 107, Fig. 14, page 11 of the PE2E machine translation describes a capacitor dielectric layer); and
a second capacitor electrode spaced apart from the first capacitor electrode by the capacitor dielectric (Chen, 108, Fig. 14, page 11 of the PE2E machine translation describes as an upper electrode of the capacitor device, which is spaced apart from the first electrode 106 by the capacitor dielectric 107),
wherein the second capacitor electrode is spaced apart from the vertical supporting structure (Chen, Fig. 14, the capacitor dielectric 107 and upper horizontal supporting layer 104 separate the vertical supporting structure 105 from the second capacitor electrode 108).
Regarding Claim 4, the combination of Chen and Park teaches the semiconductor device of claim 3, wherein the capacitor dielectric is in contact with the vertical supporting structure (Chen, annotated Fig. 14 II, wherein capacitor dielectric 107 can be seen in contact with vertical supporting structure 105 in annotated Fig. 14 II below), and the first capacitor electrode is spaced apart from the vertical supporting structure by the capacitor dielectric and the second capacitor electrode (Chen, annotated Fig. 14 II, wherein the first capacitor electrode 106 can be seen spaced apart from the vertical supporting structure 105 by the capacitor dielectric 107 and second capacitor electrode 108 in annotated Fig. 14 II below).
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Regarding Claim 6, the combination of Chen and Park teaches the semiconductor device of claim 1, wherein the first capacitor electrode is in contact with the lower horizontal supporting layer (Chen, Fig. 14, the first capacitor electrode 106 can be seen in contact with the lower horizontal support layer 102 in Fig. 14).
Regarding Claim 7, the combination of Chen and Park teaches the semiconductor device of claim 1, wherein a material of the vertical supporting structure is the same as that of the lower horizontal supporting layer (Chen, page 15 of the PE2E machine translation describes wherein the vertical supporting structure 105 and the lower horizontal supporting structure 102 comprise the subject support structure which is comprised of a silicon nitride wherein upon combining Chen and Park, a portion of the vertical support structure may comprise a conductive material such as found in Park and a portion of the vertical supporting structure may comprise a silicon nitride material such as found in the vertical supporting structure 105 and lower horizontal supporting structure 102 of Chen).
Regarding Claim 8, Chen discloses a semiconductor device, comprising:
a substrate (100, Fig. 14, page 6 of the PE2E machine translation, describes as a substrate made of a silicon material);
a lower horizontal supporting layer disposed on and contacted with a top surface of the substrate (102, Fig. 14, page 9 of the PE2E machine translation describes an isolation layer that is part of the wrapping support structure and is comprised of the same material as the support structure);
an upper horizontal supporting layer disposed on the lower horizontal supporting layer (104, Fig. 14, page 9 of the PE2E machine translation describes a transverse support layer);
a first vertical supporting structure extending between the lower horizontal supporting layer and the upper horizontal supporting layer (105 from Fig. 13, Fig. 14, page 9 of the PE2E machine translation describes a longitudinal support layer); and
a plurality of capacitor structures (106, Fig. 14, page 10 of the PE2E machine translation describes a lower electrode of the capacitor device, wherein a plurality of capacitor devices can be seen pictured in Fig. 14).
Chen fails to explicitly disclose a second vertical supporting structure extending between the lower horizontal supporting layer and the upper horizontal supporting layer and wherein the plurality of capacitor structures are disposed between the first vertical supporting structure and the second vertical supporting structure; wherein a material of the upper horizontal supporting layer is different from a material of the vertical supporting structure, wherein the vertical supporting structure includes a conductive material.
However, Park teaches a similar semiconductor device, comprising:
a second vertical supporting structure extending between the lower horizontal supporting layer and the upper horizontal supporting layer (SVSS, annotated Fig. 4, depicts a second vertical supporting structure SVSS extending between a lower horizontal supporting layer 121 and an upper horizontal supporting layer 125a and furthermore second vertical supporting structure SVSS would extend between the lower supporting layer and upper supporting layer of Chen upon combining Chen and Park); and
a plurality of capacitor structures disposed between the first vertical supporting structure and the second vertical supporting structure (PC, annotated Fig. 4, wherein a plurality of capacitor structures PC can be seen disposed between a first vertical supporting structure FVSS and a second vertical supporting structure SVSS);
wherein a material of the upper horizontal supporting layer (125a, Fig. 4, para [0021] describes a support pattern 125a formed of an insulating material such as a silicon nitride film) is different from a material of the vertical supporting structure (144, Fig. 4, para [0021] and para [0026] describe a core support pattern 144 which may be comprised of a conductive material such as tungsten), wherein the vertical supporting structure includes a conductive material (para [0026] describes wherein core support pattern 144 may be comprised of a conductive material such as tungsten).
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Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the teachings of Chen and Park to further disclose a semiconductor device that has a first and a second vertical support structure with a plurality of capacitor structures disposed between wherein the vertical support structures comprise a conductive material that is different from horizontal support layer materials in order to provide the advantage of providing a vertical support layer that has a superior mechanical strength as compared to a conductive pattern of the electrodes so as to provide proper support for a plurality of capacitor structures (Park, para [0025]).
Regarding Claim 9, the combination of Chen and Park teaches the semiconductor device of claim 8, wherein the plurality of capacitor structures comprises a first capacitor (Chen, FC, annotated Fig. 14 III below wherein component FC comprises a first capacitor) comprising a first capacitor electrode (Chen, 106, Fig. 14, page 10 of the PE2E machine translation describes a lower electrode of the capacitor device) spaced apart from the first vertical supporting structure (Chen, annotated Fig. 14, wherein the first capacitor electrode 106 can be seen spaced apart from the vertical supporting structure 105 in annotated Fig. 14 above), the first capacitor further comprises a capacitor dielectric (Chen, 107, Fig. 14, page 11 of the PE2E machine translation describes a capacitor dielectric layer) and a second capacitor electrode spaced apart from the first capacitor electrode by the capacitor dielectric (Chen, 108, Fig. 14, page 11 of the PE2E machine translation describes as an upper electrode of the capacitor device, which is spaced apart from the first electrode 106 by the capacitor dielectric 107), the second capacitor electrode is spaced apart from the first vertical supporting structure (Chen, Fig. 14, the capacitor dielectric 107 and upper horizontal supporting layer 104 separate the vertical supporting structure 105 from the second capacitor electrode 108).
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Regarding Claim 10, the combination of Chen and Park teaches the semiconductor device of claim 9, wherein the capacitor dielectric of the first capacitor is in contact with the first vertical supporting structure (Chen, 107, Fig. 14, depicts wherein the capacitor dielectric 107 of the first capacitor FC can be seen in contact with the first vertical supporting structure as can be seen in annotated Fig. 14 IV below).
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Regarding Claim 11, the combination of Chen and Park teaches the semiconductor device of claim 9, wherein the first capacitor electrode is spaced apart from the first vertical supporting structure by the capacitor dielectric and the second capacitor electrode (Chen, annotated Fig. 14 II, wherein the first capacitor electrode can be seen spaced apart from the first vertical supporting structure by the capacitor dielectric and second capacitor electrode in annotated Fig. 14 II above).
Regarding Claim 13, the combination of Chen and Park teaches the semiconductor device of claim 9, wherein the first capacitor electrode is in contact with the lower horizontal supporting layer (Chen, Fig. 14, the first capacitor electrode 106 can be seen in contact with the lower horizontal support layer 102 in Fig. 14).
Regarding Claim 14, the combination of Chen and Park teaches the semiconductor device of claim 9, wherein a material of the first vertical supporting structure is the same as that of the lower horizontal supporting layer (Chen, page 15 of the PE2E machine translation describes wherein the vertical supporting structure 105 and the lower horizontal supporting structure 102 comprise the subject support structure which is comprised of a silicon nitride wherein upon combining Chen and Park, a portion of the vertical support structure may comprise a conductive material such as found in Park and a portion of the vertical supporting structure may comprise a silicon nitride material such as found in the vertical supporting structure 105 and lower horizontal supporting structure 102 of Chen).
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claims 1 and 8 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.
Conclusion
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/ALEXANDER MICHAEL MILLER/Examiner, Art Unit 2898 /JULIO J MALDONADO/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2898