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 .
Claim Status
Previous action: claims 1 through 15 rejected.
Present action: claims 1 through 15 rejected
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.
Rejection Note: Italicized and struck through claim limitations indicate limitations that are not explicitly disclosed in the primary reference, but disclosed in the secondary reference(s).
Claim(s) 1 through 7 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yang (US 2020/0098654) in view of Milor (US 6054721).
Regarding claim 1.
Yang teaches:
A test element group for a metal routing layer, comprising: a line region (fig 5a:285,280; [para 0066]) comprising: a connection portion; and
a plurality of comb teeth portions (fig 5a:2851; [para 0066]) arranged in a direction, connected to and perpendicular to the connection portion,
;
and a bulk region (fig 5a:2831; [para 0066]) surrounding the extending segments of the comb teeth portions (fig 5a:2851; [para 0066]), wherein the comb teeth portions (fig 5a:2851; [para 0066]) are separated from the bulk region (fig 5a:2831; [para 0066]) by a plurality of first gaps that respectively extend along outlines of the comb teeth portions (fig 5a:2851; [para 0066]),
wherein the line region (fig 5a:285; [para 0066]) and the bulk region (fig 5a:2831; [para 0066])are at a same layer (fig 5b; [para 0071]),
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Yang does not teach that each of the comb teeth comprises extending portions
Milor teaches:
A test element group for a metal routing layer, comprising:
a line region comprising:
a connection portion (fig 11:202; [column 8 lines 45-55]);
and a plurality of comb teeth portions arranged in a direction, connected to and perpendicular to the connection portion,
wherein each of the comb teeth portions has a plurality of extending segments that are separated from each other;
and a bulk region (fig 11:204; [column 8 lines 45-55]) surrounding the extending segments of the comb teeth portions,
wherein the comb teeth portions are separated from the bulk region (fig 11:204; [column 8 lines 45-55]) by a plurality of first gaps that respectively extend along outlines of the comb teeth portions,
a width of the bulk region between the comb teeth portions is greater than a width of one of the comb teeth portions,
and wherein the width of the one of the comb teeth portions is greater than a width of one of the first gaps (see annotated figure 11).
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It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide extending portions on the comb teeth in order to increase the boundary, with such a configuration of the first conductive structure and the second conductive structure misalignment may be detected for a plurality of directions (column 3 lines 23-28).
Regarding claim 2.
Yang in view of Milor the test element group of claim 1, further:
Yang teaches:
a second gap is between the bulk region (fig 5a:2831; [para 0066])and the connection portion of the line region (fig 5a).
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Regarding claim 3.
Yang in view of Milor teaches the test element group of claim 1, further
Yang teaches:
wherein the comb teeth portions (fig 5a:2851; [para 0066]) of the line region (fig 5a:285,280; [para 0066]) extend along a lengthwise direction of the bulk region (fig 5a:2831; [para 0066]) (annotated fig 5a above).
Regarding claim 4.
Yang in view of Milor teaches the test element group of claim 1, further
Yang teaches:
the comb teeth portions (fig 5a:2851; [para 0066]) of the line region (fig 5a:285,280; [para 0066]) extend along a widthwise direction of the bulk region (fig 5a:2831; [para 0066]).
Regarding claim 5.
Yang in view of Milor teaches the test element group of claim 1, further
Milor teaches:
any two adjacent extending segments of each of the comb teeth portions have a same distance (fig 11).
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Regarding claim 6.
Yang in view of Milor teaches the test element group of claim 1, further
Milor teaches:
the extending segments of each of the comb teeth portions are line-shaped and parallel to a lengthwise direction of the connection portion (fig 11).
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Regarding claim 7.
Yang in view of Milor teaches the test element group of claim 1, further
Milor teaches:
each of the comb teeth portions presents a cross-shaped profile when viewed from above (fig 11).
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Claim(s) 8 and 9 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yang (US 2020/0098654) in view of Milor (US 6054721) as applied to claim 1 and further in view of Weiner (US 6861666).
Regarding claim 8.
Yang in view of Milor teaches the test element group of claim 1 above.
Yang in view of Milor does not teach forked extensions.
Weiner teaches:
the extending segments of each of the comb teeth portions are fork-shaped (fig 2; [column 4 lines 50-65]).
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It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to make the extension segment with a forked shape in order to control the conduction properties of the stub segments and thereby enable location of defects (column 2 lines 1-15).
Regarding claim 9.
Yang in view of Milor in view of Weiner teaches the test element group of claim 8, further.
Weiner teaches:
each of the extending segments comprises three vertical portions and one horizontal portion adjoining the three vertical portions, and one of the vertical portions is longer than the other two vertical portions (fig 2).
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Claim(s) 10 and 11 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yang (US 2020/0098654) in view of Milor (US 6054721) as applied to claim 1 and further in view of Weiner (US 6861666).
Regarding claim 10.
Yang in view of Milor teaches the test element group of claim 1 above.
Yang in view of Milor does not teach hook shaped extensions.
Weiner teaches:
the extending segments of each of the comb teeth portions are hook-shaped (fig 2; [column 4 lines 50-65]).
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Regarding claim 11.
Yang in view of Milor in view of Weiner teaches the test element group of claim 10, further.
Weiner teaches:
each of the extending segments comprises a vertical portion and a horizontal portion, an end of the vertical portion adjoins an end of the horizontal portion, and the vertical portion extends in a lengthwise direction of the connection portion (fig 2).
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Claim(s) 12 and 13 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yang (US 2020/0098654) in view of Milor (US 6054721) as applied to claim 1 and further in view of He (US 6998868)
Regarding claim 12.
Yang in view of Milor teaches the test element group of claim 1 above.
Yang in view of Milor does not teach comb teeth extending portions are T shaped
He teaches:
the extending segments (fig 2:18; [column 2 lines 45-55]) of each of the comb teeth portions (fig 2:20; [column 2 lines 45-55]) are T-shaped.
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It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention for the extension portions to be T shaped in order to enable the testing structure to test more complex geometries (column 1 lines 15-20)
Regarding claim 13.
Yang in view of Milor in view of He teaches the test element group of claim 12, further
He teaches:
each of the extending segments (fig 2:18; [column 2 lines 45-55]) comprises a vertical portion and a horizontal portion adjoining an end of the vertical portion, and the vertical portion extends in a lengthwise direction of the connection portion (fig 2:10; [column 2 lines 45-55]).
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Claim(s) 14 and 15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yang (US 2020/0098654) in view of Milor (US 6054721) as applied to claim 1 and further in view of Nagasaki (US 2010/0045304).
Regarding claim 14.
Yang in view of Milor teaches the test element group of claim 1 above.
Yang in view of Milor does not teach comb teeth extending portions are 9 shaped
Nagasaki teaches:
the extending segments of each of the comb teeth (fig 4:112; [para 0031,0032]) portions are 9-shaped.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide the test element with a 9 shape in order to effectively monitor spiral shaped wiring such as inductors.
Regarding claim 15.
Yang in view of Milor in view of Nagasaki teaches the test element group of claim 14 above.
Nagasaki teaches:
each of the extending segments (fig 4:112; [para 0031,0032]) comprises two vertical portions and two horizontal portions that surround a portion of the bulk region, one of the vertical portions is longer than the other vertical portion, and the two vertical portions extend in a lengthwise direction of the connection portion (fig 4; [para 0031,0032]).
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Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 2/24/2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
The applicant argues that the Yang (US 2020/0098654) does not teach “wherein along the direction, a width of the bulk region between the comb teeth portions is greater than a width of one of the comb teeth portions, and wherein the width of the one of the comb teeth portions is greater than a width of one of the first gaps”.
However, Milor (US 6054721) teaches this element (see rejection above).
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Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to DAVID J GOODWIN whose telephone number is (571)272-8451. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday, 11:00 - 19:00.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Kretelia Graham can be reached at (571)272-5055. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/D.J.G/ Examiner, Art Unit 2817
/Kretelia Graham/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2817 March 18, 2026