DETAILED ACTION
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and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114.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 7/2/26 has been entered.
Election/Restrictions – NO TRAVERSE - PREVIOUS ACTION
Applicant’s election without traverse to the restriction requirement mailed on 8/6/25, of species II, in the reply filed on 9/25/25 was acknowledged in a previous office action.
Foreign Priority
Acknowledgment is made of applicant’s claim for foreign priority under 35 U.S.C. 119 (a)-(d). Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
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.
Claim(s) 9 is/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 9 recites the limitation “… a distance between the line isolation structure”.
The metes and bounds of the claimed limitation can not be determined for the following reasons: a distance needs two reference points for its clear definition (e.g. a distance between A and B), whereas the claim has only set forth one point of reference (“the line isolation structure”) for the claimed distance. Thus, it is unclear what other end point referred to in the limitation.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim(s) 1-8 and 21-26 is/are allowed. The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance: the prior art does not explicitly teach, or reasonably suggest as obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, an invention having all of the limitations of claim 1 or claim 21 including:
(claim 1)
a first vertical structure having a sidewall in contact with the first stack structure, the first vertical structure including a first memory layer and a first channel pattern;
a first bit line contact structure on the first vertical structure;
a first bit line overlapping with the first bit line contact structure, and
an isolation structure between the first channel pattern and the second channel pattern,
wherein the first bit line contact structure has a shape which is widened toward the first bit line,
wherein the first bit line contact structure comprises a same material as the first channel pattern,
wherein a sidewall of the first channel pattern is in contact with the isolation structure, and
wherein a sidewall of the first bit line contact structure (230a) is connected to the sidewall of the first channel pattern.
(claim 21)
a first vertical structure having a sidewall in contact with the first stack structure,
the first vertical structure including a first memory layer and a first channel pattern;
a first bit line contact structure on the first vertical structure;
a first bit line on the upper contact; and
an isolation structure between the first channel pattern and the second channel pattern,
wherein the first bit line contact structure and the first channel pattern include a first material,
wherein the upper contact includes a second material different from the first material,
wherein a sidewall of the first channel pattern is in contact with the isolation structure, and
wherein a sidewall of the first bit line contact structure is connected to the sidewall of the first channel pattern.
The other allowed claims each depend from one of these claims, and each is allowable for the same reasons as the claim from which it depends.
Any comments considered necessary by applicant must be submitted no later than the payment of the issue fee and, to avoid processing delays, should preferably accompany the issue fee. Such submissions should be clearly labeled “Comments on Statement of Reasons for Allowance.”
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments with respect to the pending claims have been considered but are moot in view of the new ground(s) of rejection.
Conclusion
Conclusion / Contact Information
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Kevin Parendo who can be contacted by phone at (571) 270-5030 or by direct fax at (571) 270-6030. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday from 9 am to 4 pm ET.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Billy Kraig, can be reached at (571) 272-8660. The fax number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/Kevin Parendo/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2896
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