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 .
Applicant’s election of Species I with claims 24-34 indicated by Applicant to read thereon, in the reply filed on 11/3/2025 is acknowledged. Because applicant did not distinctly and specifically point out the supposed errors in the restriction requirement, the election has been treated as an election without traverse (MPEP § 818.01(a)).
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 27-29, 39-41 and 42-44 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.
Re claim 27, line 2, the phrase “the first region” lacks antecedent basis.
Re claim 39, lines 2-3, the phrase “the first region” lacks antecedent basis.
Re claim 42, line 12, the phrase “the first region” lacks antecedent basis.
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.
(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 24-27, 30-32, 34-39 and 42-43 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Ohse, US Pub. No. 2021/0391437 A1.
Re claim 24. Ohse discloses a semiconductor device, comprising: a semiconductor layer 30 (e.g., figs. 1-3) comprising an active region 10 (e.g., fig. 3) and an edge termination region 20 (e.g., fig. 3); first metal regions 33/34 (e.g., fig. 3) on the semiconductor layer in the active region 10 of the semiconductor layer, wherein the first metal regions 33/34 comprise a first metal (e.g., Nickel, paragraph 72); second metal regions 33/35 (e.g., figs. 1-3) on the semiconductor layer in the edge termination region 20 of the semiconductor layer, wherein the second metal regions 33/35 comprise the first metal (e.g., Nickel, paragraph 72); and a first metal layer 31 on the semiconductor layer in the active region 10 of the semiconductor layer (e.g., fig. 3), wherein the first metal layer 31 comprises a second metal (e.g., Ti, paragraph 72), and wherein the first metal layer 31 contacts the first metal regions 33/34 and contacts the semiconductor layer 30 in spaces between the first metal regions 33/34 (e.g. ,fig. 3), see figs. 1-30 and pages 1-17 for more details.
Re claim 25. The semiconductor device of Claim 24, wherein the semiconductor layer 30 comprises silicon carbide (e.g., fig. 3 and paragraph 63).
Re claim 26. The semiconductor device of Claim 24, wherein the first metal regions comprise first metal silicide regions 34 (e.g., fig. 3) and the second metal regions comprise second metal silicide regions 35 (e.g., fig. 3).
Re claim 27. The semiconductor device of Claim 26, wherein the first metal silicide regions 34 form a first Schottky barrier junction to the semiconductor layer 30, wherein the first Schottky barrier junction has a first Schottky barrier height (e.g., fig. 3); and wherein the first metal layer 31 forms a second Schottky barrier junction to the semiconductor layer 30, the second Schottky barrier junction having a second Schottky barrier height that is lower than the first Schottky barrier height (e.g., fig. 3).
Re claim 30. The semiconductor device of Claim 24, wherein the semiconductor layer 30 comprises an epitaxial layer 12 on a substrate 11 (e.g., fig. 3), the semiconductor device further comprising: a second metal layer 19 (e.g., fig. 3) on a back side of the substrate 11 opposite the epitaxial layer 12, wherein the second metal layer comprises the first metal (e.g., nickel, paragraph 127).
Re claim 31. The semiconductor device of Claim 30, wherein the second metal layer 19 forms an ohmic contact to the substrate 11 (e.g., fig. 3).
Re claim 32. The semiconductor device of Claim 24, wherein the first metal comprises nickel (e.g., paragraph 72), titanium, molybdenum and/or tungsten, and wherein second metal comprises titanium or titanium nitride (e.g., paragraph 72).
Re claim 34. The semiconductor device of Claim 24, further comprising: a first plurality of trenches (e.g., the location of the silicide) in the active region of the semiconductor layer 30 (e.g., fig .3), wherein the first metal regions 33/34 (e.g., fig .3) are in the first plurality of trenches.
Re claim 35. The semiconductor device of Claim 34, further comprising: a second plurality of trenches (e.g., the location of the silicide) in the edge termination region of the semiconductor layer 30, wherein the second metal regions 33/35 (e.g., fig. 3) are in the second plurality of trenches.
Re claim 36. The semiconductor device of Claim 24, further comprising: a plurality of trenches (e.g., the location of the silicide) in the edge termination region 20 of the semiconductor layer, wherein the second metal regions 33/35 (e.g., fig. 3) are in the plurality of trenches.
Re claim 37. Ohse discloses a semiconductor device, comprising: a semiconductor layer 30 (e.g., figs. 1-3) comprising an active region 10 (e.g., fig. 3) and an edge termination region 20 (e.g., fig. 3); first metal silicide regions 33/34 (e.g., fig. 3) on the semiconductor layer 30 in the active region 10 of the semiconductor layer, wherein the first metal silicide regions 33/34 comprise a first metal (e.g., Nickel, fig. 3 and paragraph 72); second metal silicide regions 33/35 (e.g., fig. 3) on the semiconductor layer 30 in the edge termination region 20 of the semiconductor layer, wherein the second metal silicide regions 33/35 comprise the first metal (e.g., Nickel, fig. 3 and paragraph 72); and a first metal layer 31 (e.g., fig. 3) on the semiconductor layer 30 in the active region 10 of the semiconductor layer, wherein the first metal layer 31 comprises a second metal (e.g., Ti, paragraph 72) that is different from the first metal (e.g., Ni, paragraph 72), and wherein the first metal layer 31 contacts the first metal silicide regions 33/34 and contacts the semiconductor layer 30 in spaces between the first metal silicide regions 33/34. see figs. 1-30 and pages 1-17 for more details.
Re claim 38. The semiconductor device of Claim 37, wherein the semiconductor layer 30 comprises silicon carbide (e.g., fig. 3 and paragraph 63).
Re claim 39. The semiconductor device of Claim 37, wherein the first metal silicide regions 33/34 form a first Schottky barrier junction to the semiconductor layer 30 (e.g., fig. 3), wherein the first Schottky barrier junction has a first Schottky barrier height (e.g., fig. 3); and wherein the first metal layer 31 forms a second Schottky barrier junction to the semiconductor layer 30 (e.g., fig. 3), the second Schottky barrier junction having a second Schottky barrier height that is lower than the first Schottky barrier height (e.g., fig. 3).
Re claim 42. Ohse discloses a semiconductor device, comprising: a semiconductor layer 30 (e.g., figs. 1-3) comprising an active region 10 and an edge termination region 20 (e.g, fig. 3); first metal regions 33/34 on the semiconductor layer 30 in the active region 10 of the semiconductor layer 30 (e.g., fig. 3), wherein the first metal regions 33/34 comprise a first metal (e.g., Ni, fig. 3 and paragraph 72); second metal regions 33/35 on the semiconductor layer 30 in the edge termination region 20 of the semiconductor layer 30 (e.g., fig. 3), wherein the second metal regions 33/35 comprise the first metal (e.g., Ni, fig. 3 and paragraph 72); and a first metal layer 31 (e.g., fig. 3) on the semiconductor layer 30 in the active region 10 of the semiconductor layer 30, wherein the first metal layer 31 comprises a second metal (e.g., Ti, paragraph 72), and wherein the first metal layer 31 contacts the first metal regions 33/34 and contacts the semiconductor layer 30 in spaces between the first metal regions 33/34 (fig. 3); wherein the first metal regions 33/34 form a first Schottky barrier junction to the semiconductor layer 30 (e.g., fig. 3), wherein the first Schottky barrier junction has a first Schottky barrier height (e.g.,fig. 3); and wherein the first metal layer 31 forms a second Schottky barrier junction to the semiconductor layer 30 (e.g., fig. 3), the second Schottky barrier junction having a second Schottky barrier height that is lower than the first Schottky barrier height (e.g., fig. 3), see figs. 1-30 and pages 1-17 for more details.
Re claim 43. The semiconductor device of Claim 42, wherein the first metal regions 33/34 comprise first metal silicide regions (e.g, fig. 3) and the second metal regions 33/35 comprise second metal silicide regions (e.g, fig. 3).
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 28-29, 40-41 and 44 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ohse, US Pub. No. 2021/0391437 A1.
Ohse disclosed above; however, Ohse does not explicitly show the instant claims’ eV ranges characteristics (Re claims 28-29. 40-41 and 44).
The eV range of claims 28-29. 40-41 and 44 are considered to involve routine optimization while has been held to be within the level of ordinary skill in the art. As noted in In re Aller, the selection of reaction parameters such as temperature and concentration etc. would have been obvious:
“Normally, it is to be expected that a change in temperature, or in concentration, or in both, would be an unpatentable modification. Under some circumstances, however, changes such as these may impart patentability to a process if the particular ranges claimed produce a new and unexpected result which is different in kind and not merely degree from the results of the prior art...such ranges are termed Acritical ranges and the applicant has the burden of proving such criticality.... More particularly, where the general conditions of a claim are disclosed in the prior art, it is not inventive to discover the optimum or workable ranges by routine experimentation.”
In re Aller 105 USPQ233, 255 (CCPA 1955). See also In re Waite 77 USPQ 586 (CCPA 1948); In re Scherl 70 USPQ 204 (CCPA 1946); In re Irmscher 66 USPQ 314 (CCPA 1945); In re Norman 66 USPQ 308 (CCPA 1945); In re Swenson 56 USPQ 372 (CCPA 1942); In re Sola 25 USPQ 433 (CCPA 1935); In re Dreyfus 24 USPQ 52 (CCPA 1934).
Therefore, one of ordinary skill in the requisite art before the invention was made would have used any eV range in device of Ohse in order to optimize the performance of the device. Further in this regard, the specification contains no disclosure of either the critical nature of the claimed arrangement or any unexpected results arising therefrom. Where patentability is said to be based upon particular chosen limitations or upon another variable recited in a claim, the Applicant must show that the chosen limitations are critical. In re Woodruff, 919 F.2d 1575, 1578 (Fed. Cir. 1990).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JACK CHEN whose telephone number is (571)272-1689. The examiner can normally be reached Monday to Friday, 8am to 4pm.
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/JACK S CHEN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2893
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