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and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114.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 01/07/202 has been entered.
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.
Claim(s) 1, 4, 6-11, 13, 15-19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lin (US 2020/0006541) in view of Li (Li et al., “Design of MXene contacts for high-performance WS2 transistors,” Applied Surface Science, 537 (2020). 146701, cited in IDS).
Regarding claim 1, Lin discloses a semiconductor device, comprising: a channel (Fig.2H, numerals 222) on a substrate (210), the channel comprising a two-dimensional (2D) material ([0037]); a gate insulating layer (252) on a portion of the channel (222); a gate electrode (254) on the gate insulating layer (252); a first contact pattern (230)(1) on a first portion of the channel (222) and a second contact pattern (230)(2) on a second portion of the channel (222); and a first source/drain electrode (240)(1) on the first contact pattern (230)(1) and a second source/drain electrode (230)(2) on the second contact pattern (230)(2), the first source/drain electrode and the second source/drain electrode comprising a metal ([0048]).
Lin does not disclose the first contact pattern and the second contact pattern comprising a carbide of a transition metal, wherein the transition metal comprises at least one from among molybdenum (Mo), tungsten (W), rhenium (Re), technetium (Tc), niobium (Nb), tantalum (Ta), and vanadium (V).
Lin however discloses that the first contact pattern and the second contact pattern are formed to reduce contact resistance ([0017]). And Li discloses reducing contact resistance by forming a carbide of a transition metal, wherein the transition metal comprises vanadium (V) (Abstract).
It would have been therefore obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to modify Lin with Li to have the first contact pattern and the second contact pattern comprising a carbide of a transition metal, wherein the transition metal comprises vanadium (V) as an alternative method for reducing contact resistance (Li, Abstract).
Regarding claim 10, Lin discloses a semiconductor device, comprising: a channel (Fig.2H, numeral 222) on a substrate (210), the channel (222) comprising a two-dimensional (2D) material; a gate insulating layer (252) on a portion of the channel (222); a gate electrode (254) on the gate insulating layer (252); a first contact pattern (230)-(1) on a first portion of the channel (222) and a second contact pattern (230)-(2) on a second portion of the channel (222) and a first source/drain electrode (240)(1) on the first contact pattern (230)(1) and a second source/drain electrode (240)(2) on the second contact pattern (230)(2), the first source/drain electrode (240)(1) and the second source/drain electrode (240)(2) comprising a metal ([0048]).
Lin does not disclose the first contact pattern and the second contact pattern comprising a carbide of a transition metal, a nitride of a transition metal or a carbonitride of a transition metal, wherein the transition metal comprises at least one from among molybdenum (Mo), tungsten (W), rhenium (Re), technetium (Tc), niobium (Nb), tantalum (Ta), and vanadium (V).
Lin however discloses that the first contact pattern and the second contact pattern are formed to reduce contact resistance ([0017]). And Li discloses reducing contact resistance by forming a carbide of a transition metal, wherein the transition metal comprises vanadium (V) (Abstract).
It would have been therefore obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to modify Lin with Li to have the first contact pattern and the second contact pattern comprising a carbide of a transition metal, wherein the transition metal comprises vanadium (V) as an alternative method for reducing contact resistance (Li, Abstract).
Regarding claims 4 and 13, Lin discloses wherein the channel comprises a transition metal dichalcogenide (TMD) ([0036]).
Regarding claims 6 and 15, Lin discloses a first contact plug (Fig. 2H, numeral 270) on the gate electrode (254); a second contact plug (270) on the first source/drain electrode (230)-(1); and a third contact plug (270) on the second source/drain electrode (230)-(2).
Regarding claims 7 and 16, Lin discloses wherein the gate insulating layer (252) is provided on a lower surface of the gate electrode (254) and a sidewall of the gate electrode (254) (Fig. 7).
Regarding claims 8 and 17, Lin discloses wherein the gate insulating layer (252) is provided on a sidewall of each of the first contact pattern (230)-(1) and the second contact pattern (230)-(2), and wherein the gate insulating layer (252) is provided on a sidewall and an upper surface of each of the first source/drain electrode (240)-(1) and the second source/drain electrode (240)-(2).
Regarding claims 9 and 18, Lin discloses an insulating layer (212) between the substrate (210) and the channel (222) (Fig. 2H).
Regarding claim 19, Lin discloses a semiconductor device, comprising: an insulating layer (Fig.2H, numeral 212) on a substrate (210); a channel (222) on the insulating layer (212), the channel (222) comprising a two-dimensional (2D) material ([0036]); a first contact pattern (230)(1) on a first edge portion of the channel (222) and a second contact pattern (230)(2) on a second edge portion of the channel (222), the first contact pattern (230)(1) and the second contact pattern (230)(2), a first source/drain electrode (240)(1) on the first contact pattern (230)(1) and a second source/drain electrode (240)(2) on the second contact pattern (230)(2), the first source/drain electrode (240)(1) and the second source/drain electrode (240)(2) comprising a metal ([0048]); a gate insulating layer (252) on a central upper surface of the channel (222), on sidewalls of each of the first contact pattern (230)(1) and the second contact pattern (230)(2), on sidewalls of each of the first source/drain electrode (240)(1) and the second source/drain electrode (240)(2), and on an upper surface of each of the first source/drain electrode (2400(1) and the second source/drain electrode (240)(2); a gate electrode (254) on a portion of the gate insulating layer(252) that is on the central upper surface of the channel (222), wherein the gate insulating layer (252) is provided on a lower surface and a sidewall of the gate electrode (254); a first contact plug (270) contacting an upper surface of the gate electrode (254); a second contact plug (270) extending through the gate insulating layer (252) and contacting an upper surface of the first source/drain electrode (240)(1); and a third contact plug (170) extending through the gate insulating layer (252) and contacting an upper surface of the second source/drain electrode (240)(2).
Lin does not disclose the first contact pattern and the second contact pattern comprising a carbide of a transition metal, wherein the transition metal comprises at least one from among molybdenum (Mo), tungsten (W), rhenium (Re), technetium (Tc), niobium (Nb), tantalum (Ta), and vanadium (V).
Lin however discloses that the first contact pattern and the second contact pattern are formed to reduce contact resistance ([0017]). And Li discloses reducing contact resistance by forming a carbide of a transition metal, wherein the transition metal comprises vanadium (V) (Abstract).
It would have been therefore obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to modify Lin with Li to have the first contact pattern and the second contact pattern comprising a carbide of a transition metal, wherein the transition metal comprises vanadium (V) as an alternative method for reducing contact resistance (Li, Abstract).
Claim(s) 5, 14 and 20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lin in view of Li as applied to claims 4, 13 and 19 above, and further in view of Choi (Choi et al., “Scalable Two-Dimensional Lateral Metal/Semiconductor Junction Fabricated with Selective Synthetic Integration of Transition-Metal-Carbide (Mo2C)/-Dichalcogenide (MoS2), “ ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces, Vol 11/Issue 50 , 2019 , pp. 47190-4719; cited in IDS).
Regarding claims 5, 14, and 20, Lin in view of Li does not disclose wherein the channel, the first contact pattern, and the second contact pattern comprise substantially the same transition metal.
Lin however discloses that the channel (222) comprises Mo ([0036]). And Cho discloses that the contact patterns comprise Mo2C (Fig.1F).
It would have been therefore obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to modify Lin with Choi to have the channel, the first contact pattern, and the second contact pattern comprise substantially the same transition metal for the purpose of achieving low contact resistance (Choi, Abstract).
Claim(s) 3 and 12 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lin in view of Li as applied to claims 1 and 10 above, and further in view of Siriwardane (Siriwardane et al., “Electronic and mechanical properties of stiff rhenium carbide monolayers: A first-principles investigation,” Applied Surface Science
Volume 458, 15 November 2018, Pages 762-768).
Regarding claims 3 and 12, Lin in view of Li does not disclose wherein the carbide of the transition metal comprises rhenium carbide.
Li however discloses that carbide of the various transitional metals used for reducing contact resistance (Li, Abstract). And because rhenium is a transitional metal, the selection of a known material based on its suitability for its intended use supported a prima facie obviousness determination in Sinclair & Carroll Co. v. Interchemical Corp., 325 U.S. 327, 65 USPQ 297 (1945) (see MPEP 2144.07). Moreover, Siriwardane discloses that rhenium carbide exhibits metallic properties, i.e. it suitable in forming contacts (page 767, Section 3.3).
It would have been therefore obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to use rhenium as a transition metal in forming carbide of a transitional metal for the purpose of forming ohmic contacts.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 11/25/2025 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
Applicant’s arguments that Li does not disclose the transition metal comprises at least one from among molybdenum (Mo), tungsten (W), rhenium (Re), technetium (Tc), niobium (Nb), tantalum (Ta), and vanadium (V) are not persuasive because Li discloses reducing contact resistance by forming a carbide of a transition metal, wherein the transition metal comprises vanadium (V) (Abstract). It would have been therefore obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to modify Lin with Li to have the first contact pattern and the second contact pattern comprising a carbide of a transition metal, wherein the transition metal comprises vanadium (V) as an alternative method for reducing contact resistance (Li, Abstract).
Conclusion
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/JULIA SLUTSKER/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2891