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 .
Election/Restrictions
Claims 1 – 16 are rejoined and are being reviewed by the examiner. Claims 17 – 20 stand withdrawn as being directed to a nonelected species. The election was made without traverse in the reply filed 03/19/2025.
Drawings
The drawings are objected to under 37 CFR 1.83(a). The drawings must show every feature of the invention specified in the claims. Therefore, the topside metal layer and the backside metal layer must be shown or the feature(s) canceled from the claim(s). No new matter should be entered.
Claim 1 and 12 state that the first trench capacitor connects a topside metal layer and a back side metal layer. However, the drawings do not appear to show the topside or backside metal layers. The specification does not make clear which numerals in the drawings refers to the backside metal layer or the topside metal layer. The dependent claims also state that the power rails are on the backside metal layer and the frontside via bars are on the topside metal layer, but the drawings do not show which layers are the backside metal layer and the top side metal layer that the power rails and the frontside via bars are located on.
Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. The figure or figure number of an amended drawing should not be labeled as “amended.” If a drawing figure is to be canceled, the appropriate figure must be removed from the replacement sheet, and where necessary, the remaining figures must be renumbered and appropriate changes made to the brief description of the several views of the drawings for consistency. Additional replacement sheets may be necessary to show the renumbering of the remaining figures. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
Claim Objections
Claim 1 is objected to because of the following informalities:
Claim 1 states “…connected to a second power rail on backside metal layer…”. It appears an article is missing between “on” and “backside” in the claim (for example, a second power rail on the backside metal layer).
Appropriate correction is required.
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 – 2, and 8 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over US 20220293513 A1 hereinafter Li.
For claim 1, Li teaches a logic cell (fig. 1A) comprising: a first trench capacitor (fig. 1B – 1C) disposed between and connecting a topside metal layer (fig. 1C numeral 195) to a backside metal layer (fig. 1C numeral 143), wherein the first trench capacitor comprises: an outer plate (fig. 1C numeral 191) connected to a power rail on the backside metal layer (fig. 1A numeral 171; Par. [0034]); an inner plate (fig. 1C numeral 193) connected to a power rail on backside metal layer (fig. 1A numeral 172; Par. [0034]); and an insulating layer separating the inner plate from the outer plate (fig. 1C numeral 182). Li does not explicitly state that the power rail comprises a first power rail and a second power rail. However, Li does teach embodiments wherein the power rails can comprise a first source and a second source forming two separate power rails (Par. [0037]). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the immediate invention that the trench capacitor in Li includes embodiments wherein the power rails in Li can comprise at least two separate power rails connected to the outer plate and the inner plate.
For claim 2, Li does not explicitly state that the trench capacitor is a parallel plate capacitor. However, Li does teach the capacitor includes two conductive plates (fig. 1C numeral 191 and 193) connected to a power source (fig. 1C numeral 171 and 172) and are spaced apart from each other by a dielectric material (fig. 1C numeral 182). One of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the immediate invention would recognize the capacitor in Li as a parallel plate capacitor as it contains all the components and the structure of a parallel plate capacitor. See definition provided by Adams, Steve. (2023). Foundations of Physics (2nd Edition) - 19.2 The Parallel Plate Capacitor. Mercury Learning and Information.
For claim 8, Li teaches the first power rail being a VSS line and the second power rail being a VDD line (Par. [0037]).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 12 – 16 are allowable primarily because the references of record, alone or in combination, do not anticipate or render obvious the limitations noted therein. For example, independent claim 12’s “…an outer plate connected to a first power rail on the backside metal layer; an inner plate connected to a second power rail on the backside metal layer… a metal conductor electrically connecting a second frontside via bar with the second power rail on the backside metal layer”.
Claims 13 – 16 are allowable primarily as being dependent on an allowable base claim.
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”
Claims 3 – 7 and 9 – 11 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
For claim 3, Li does not appear to teach a metal conductor that connects a first frontside via bar with the second power rail.
For claim 7, Li does not appear to teach the dielectric layer comprises alternating layers of ferroelectric material and a dielectric material stacked on top each other.
For claim 9, Li does not appear to teach a second trench capacitor disposed between and connecting the topside metal layer to the backside metal layer, wherein the second trench capacitor comprises: a second outer plate connected to a second power rail on the backside metal layer; a second inner plate connected to the first power rail on backside metal layer; and a second insulating layer separating the second inner plate from the second outer plate.
Claims 4 – 6, and 10 – 11 would be allowable as depending on an allowable claim but are objected to for depending on a rejected base claim.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 1 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.
Applicant’s arguments, see applicant’s remarks, filed 02/16/2026, with respect to claims 12 - 16 have been fully considered and are persuasive. The rejection of 11/18/2025 has been withdrawn.
Applicant’s arguments regarding the withdrawing of claims 6, 9 – 11, and 15 – 16 is persuasive as the claims were previously considered in a prior office action. Claims 1 – 16 are rejoined and are being considered. Claims 17 – 20 are withdrawn as being directed to a non-elected species.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
US 20040099898 A1 teaches a parallel plate trench capacitor. It does not appear to teach multiple power sources connected to specific plates or the inclusion of power vias.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JACOB T NELSON whose telephone number is (571)272-1031. The examiner can normally be reached Monday through Friday 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM.
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/J.T.N./Examiner, Art Unit 2815
/MONICA D HARRISON/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2815
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