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 without traverse of claims 1-12 and 20 in the reply filed on 12/02/25 is acknowledged. By this election, claims 13-19 are withdrawn; and claims 1-12 and 20 will be exam in the application.
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.
Claim(s) 1-5, 7 and 20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Bae et al. (2006/0121667) in view of Ammo et al. (6,159,784).
Regarding claims 1, 4 and 20, Bae (Fig. 13) discloses a structure/method comprises: a device comprising a collector 7a ([0029]), an emitter 12a ([0037]), and a base 9 ([0027]); an isolation structure 2 extending between the base 9 and the collector 7a ([0020]); a polysilicon film 15 over the isolation structure 2 ([0037]); and a silicide blocking layer 16a partially covering the polysilicon film 15, the isolation structure 2 and the collector 7a (Fig. 13, [0042]).
Bae discloses the polysilicon film but does not teach the polysilicon film has a high resistivity.
However, Ammo (Fig. 5) discloses the polysilicon film 34 has a high resistivity in order to provide devices designed for an intended purpose (see column 6, lines 55-57). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify the device of Bae by forming the polysilicon film has a high resistivity, as taught by Ammo in order to provide devices designed for an intended purpose (see column 6, lines 55-57).
Regarding claim 2, Bae (Fig. 13) discloses wherein the collector and emitter comprise P+ diffusion regions ([0023] and [0033]), but does not disclose the base comprises an N-well. However, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention was made to modify the structure of Bae by forming the base comprises an N-well because such that forming would not affect the function of the semiconductor device.
Regarding claim 3, as discussed, the combination above, Bae (Fig. 15) discloses wherein the high resistivity film 15 and the collector 7a,b are connected by a plate (19a,b,c) ([0045]).
Regarding claim 5, as discussed, the combination above, Ammo (Fig. 8) discloses wherein the base 36 and the emitter 39 are connected with a base resistor 19.
Regarding claim 7, as discussed, the combination above, Ammo (Fig. 1) discloses wherein the isolation structure 10 comprises a local oxidation of silicon (column 9, line 21).
Claim(s) 6 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Bae et al. (2006/0121667) in view of Ammo et al. (6,159,784) and further in view of Zeng et al. (2021/0082905).
Regarding claim 6, Bae (Fig. 13) discloses the base but does not disclose the base is floating. However, Zeng (Fig. 11) discloses the base 214 is floating in order to provide devices designed for an intended purpose (see [0045]). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify the device of Bae by forming the base is floating, as taught by Zeng in order to provide devices designed for an intended purpose (see[0045]).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 8-12 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.
The prior art of record fails to disclose all the limitations recited in the above claims. Specifically, the prior art of record fails to disclose further comprising a P-drift region which surrounds the collector and a first deep trench isolation structure touching the P-drift region (claim 8); or further comprising an N-type drift region and a P+ buried layer under the N-type drift region, the N-type drift region and the P+ buried layer having a gap between sides filled with a semiconductor material, and the emitter spans the gap (claim 12).
The dependent claims being further limiting and definite are also allowable.
Conclusion
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/THERESA T DOAN/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2814