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 .
Status of Claims
Claims 1-20 are pending in this application.
Information Disclosure Statement
Acknowledgment is made that the information disclosure statement has been received and considered by the examiner. If the applicant is aware of any prior art or any other co-pending applications not already of record, he/she is reminded of his/her duty under 37 CFR 1.56 to disclose the same.
Drawings
There are no objections or rejections to the drawings.
Specification
The lengthy specification has not been checked to the extent necessary to determine the presence of all possible minor errors. Applicant's cooperation is requested in correcting any errors of which applicant may become aware in the specification.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 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 the appropriate paragraphs of pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 that form the basis for the rejections under this section made in this Office action:
A person shall be entitled to a patent unless –
(a)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim 1 are rejected under pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Sonobe et al. (US Patent Application Publication No 2020/0144482) hereinafter referred to as Sonobe.
Per Claim 1 Sonobe discloses a memory device, comprising
a magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) structure (including 13, 14, and 15) comprising perpendicular shape anisotropy (see figure 1 and [0044]), and the MTJ structure further comprising:
a first reference layer (13) comprising a first (bottom) side and a second (top) side that is opposite to the first side of the first reference layer;
a non-magnetic spacer (14) comprising a first (bottom) side and a second (top) side, the first side of the non-magnetic spacer being on the second side of the first reference layer; (as shown in figure 1) and
free layer (15) comprising a first (bottom) side and a second (top) side, the first side of the free layer being on the second side of the non-magnetic spacer, (as shown in figure 2A) the free layer further comprising an exchange energy Aex having a range of 0.5 to 1.0 merg/cm inclusive (as described in [0062] exchange energy is 1 merg /cm)
Claims 1-3, 5-8, 10-12, 14, 16-18 and 20 are rejected under pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Eparkov et al. (Chinese Publication No CN 106876581 A, published June 20, 2017, English translation provided) hereinafter referred to as Eparkov.
Per Claim 1 Eparkov discloses a memory device, comprising
a magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) structure (including 120/170, 140/160, and 130/164) comprising perpendicular shape anisotropy (see figures 1 and 7 and [0044]), and the MTJ structure further comprising:
a first reference layer (140/160) comprising a first (bottom) side and a second (top) side that is opposite to the first side of the first reference layer;
a non-magnetic spacer (130/164) comprising a first (bottom) side and a second (top) side, the first side of the non-magnetic spacer being on the second side of the first reference layer; (as shown in figure 1; The examiner notes that the term "on" includes "directly on" (no intermediate materials, elements or space disposed therebetween) and "indirectly on" (intermediate materials, elements or space disposed therebetween)) and
free layer (120/170) comprising a first (bottom) side and a second (top) side, the first side of the free layer being on the second side of the non-magnetic spacer, (as shown in figure 1) the free layer further comprising an exchange energy Aex having a range of 0.5 to 1.0 merg/cm inclusive (as described in page 3, 4th paragraph, exchange energy (stiffness) is 2 merg /cm)
Per Claim 2 Eparkov discloses the device of claim 1 including where a ratio of a thickness of the MTJ structure to a critical dimension of the MTJ structure is between 0.5 and 5.0 inclusive. (described in page 7 paragraphs 5-6 which states that the ratio of the critical dimension is greater than one)
Per Claim 3 Eparkov discloses the device of claim 2 including where the critical dimension of the MTJ structure ranges from 3-20 nm inclusive. (described in page 7 paragraphs 5-6 which states that the critical dimension is between 2nm and 20nm)
Per Claim 5 Eparkov discloses the device of claim 1 including where the free layer further comprises Fe-X, Co-X, CoFe-X and CoFeB-X in which X comprises at least one diluent element. (see page 5 last paragraph which teaches Co/Pt layers and CoPt alloy)
Per Claim 6 Eparkov discloses the device of claim 5 including where at least one diluent element comprises fluorine (F), strontium (Sr), nickel (Ni), rubidium (Rb), potassium (K), helium (He), platinum (Pt), iridium (Ir), manganese (Mn), ruthenium (Ru), beryllium (Be), niobium (Nb), tungsten (W), and molybdenum (Mo), or a combination thereof. (see page 5 last paragraph which teaches Co/Pt layers and CoPt alloy)
Per Claim 7 Eparkov discloses the device of claim 5 including where the free layer further comprises alternating layers comprising non-dilution elements and dilution elements in which layers comprising non- dilution layers are formed from Fe, Co, CoFe and/or CoFeB, and layers comprising dilution layers are formed from Fe-X, Co-X, CoFe-X and CoFeB-X in which X comprises at least one diluent element selected from a group comprising fluorine (F), strontium (Sr), nickel (Ni), rubidium (Rb), potassium (K), helium (He), platinum (Pt), iridium (Ir), manganese (Mn), ruthenium (Ru), beryllium (Be), niobium (Nb), tungsten (W), and molybdenum (Mo), and a combination thereof. (see page 5 last paragraph which teaches Co/Pt layers and CoPt alloy).
Per Claim 8 Eparkov discloses the device of claim 1 including a second reference layer (180) comprising a first (bottom) side and a second (top) side that is opposite to the first side of the second reference layer, the first side of the second reference layer being on the second side of the free layer. (see figure 7)
Per Claim 10 Eparkov discloses a memory device, comprising
a magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) structure (including 120/170, 140/160, and 130/164) comprising perpendicular shape anisotropy (see figures 1 and 7 and [0044]), and the MTJ structure further comprising:
a reference layer (140/160) comprising a first (bottom) side and a second (top) side that is opposite to the first side of the reference layer;
a non-magnetic spacer (130/164) comprising a first (bottom) side and a second (top) side, the first side of the non-magnetic spacer being on the second side of the reference layer; (as shown in figure 1; The examiner notes that the term "on" includes "directly on" (no intermediate materials, elements or space disposed therebetween) and "indirectly on" (intermediate materials, elements or space disposed therebetween)) and
a free layer (120/170) comprising a first (bottom) side and a second (top) side, the first side of the free layer being on the second side of the non-magnetic spacer, (as shown in figure 1) the free layer further comprising alternating layers comprising non-dilution elements and dilution elements, (see page 5 last paragraph which teaches Co/Pt layers and CoPt alloy) and
an exchange energy Aex having a range of 0.5 to 1.0 merg/cm inclusive (as described in page 3, 4th paragraph, exchange energy (stiffness) is 2 merg /cm)
Per Claim 11 Eparkov discloses the device of claim 10 including where layers comprising non-dilution layers are formed from Fe, Co, CoFe and/or CoFeB, and layers comprising dilution layers are formed from Fe-X, Co-X, CoFe-X and CoFeB-X in which X comprises at least one diluent element selected from a group comprising fluorine (F), strontium (Sr), nickel (Ni), rubidium (Rb), potassium (K), helium (He), platinum (Pt), iridium (Ir), manganese (Mn), ruthenium (Ru), beryllium (Be), niobium (Nb), tungsten (W), and molybdenum (Mo), and a combination thereof. (see page 5 last paragraph which teaches Co/Pt layers and CoPt alloy)
Per Claim 12 Eparkov discloses the device of claim 10 including where a ratio of a thickness of the MTJ structure to a critical dimension of the MTJ structure is between 0.5 and 5.0 inclusive. (described in page 7 paragraphs 5-6 which states that the ratio of the critical dimension is greater than one and that the critical dimension is between 2nm and 20nm)
Per Claim 14 Eparkov discloses a memory device, comprising
a magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) structure (including 120/170, 140/160, and 130/164) comprising perpendicular shape anisotropy (see figures 1 and 7 and [0044]), and the MTJ structure further comprising:
a first reference layer (140/160) comprising a first (bottom) side and a second (top) side that is opposite to the first side of the first reference layer;
a non-magnetic spacer (130/164) comprising a first (bottom) side and a second (top) side, the first side of the non-magnetic spacer being on the second side of the first reference layer; (as shown in figure 1; The examiner notes that the term "on" includes "directly on" (no intermediate materials, elements or space disposed therebetween) and "indirectly on" (intermediate materials, elements or space disposed therebetween)) and
a free layer (120/170) comprising a first (bottom) side and a second (top) side, the first side of the free layer being on the second side of the non-magnetic spacer, (as shown in figure 1) the free layer further comprising an exchange energy Aex having a range of 0.5 to 1.0 merg/cm inclusive (as described in page 3, 4th paragraph, exchange energy (stiffness) is 2 merg /cm) and
a second reference layer (180) comprising a first (bottom) side and a second (top) side that is opposite the first side of the second reference layer, the first side of the second reference layer being on the second side of the free layer. (see figure 7)
Per Claim 16 Eparkov discloses the device of claim 14 including where the free layer further comprises Fe-X, Co-X, CoFe-X and CoFeB-X in which X comprises at least one diluent element. (see page 5 last paragraph which teaches Co/Pt layers and CoPt alloy)
Per Claim 17 Eparkov discloses the device of claim 16 including where at least one diluent element comprises fluorine (F), strontium (Sr), nickel (Ni), rubidium (Rb), potassium (K), helium (He), platinum (Pt), iridium (Ir), manganese (Mn), ruthenium (Ru), beryllium (Be), niobium (Nb), tungsten (W), and molybdenum (Mo), or a combination thereof. (see page 5 last paragraph which teaches Co/Pt layers and CoPt alloy)
Per Claim 18 Eparkov discloses a memory device, comprising
a magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) structure (including 120/170, 140/160, and 130/164) comprising perpendicular shape anisotropy (see figures 1 and 7 and [0044]), and the MTJ structure further comprising:
a reference layer (140/160) comprising a first (bottom) side and a second (top) side that is opposite to the first side of the reference layer;
a non-magnetic spacer (130/164) comprising a first (bottom) side and a second (top) side, the first side of the non-magnetic spacer being on the second side of the reference layer; (as shown in figure 1; The examiner notes that the term "on" includes "directly on" (no intermediate materials, elements or space disposed therebetween) and "indirectly on" (intermediate materials, elements or space disposed therebetween)) and
a free layer (120/170) comprising a first (bottom) side and a second (top) side, the first side of the free layer being on the second side of the non-magnetic spacer, (as shown in figure 1) the free layer further comprising an exchange energy Aex having a range of 0.5 to 1.0 merg/cm inclusive (as described in page 3, 4th paragraph, exchange energy (stiffness) is 2 merg /cm) and
a spin-orbit torque (SOT) line (PEL) on the second side of the free layer. (see 5 paragraph 1)
Per Claim 20 Eparkov discloses the device of claim 18 including where the free layer further comprises Fe-X, Co-X, CoFe-X and CoFeB-X in which X comprises at least one diluent element comprising fluorine (F), strontium (Sr), nickel (Ni), rubidium (Rb), potassium (K), helium (He), platinum (Pt), iridium (Ir), manganese (Mn), ruthenium (Ru), beryllium (Be), niobium (Nb), tungsten (W), and molybdenum (Mo), or a combination thereof, and wherein the SOT line comprises alloys of two or more of tungsten (W), platinum (Pt), terbium (Tb), bismuth (Bi), selenium (Se), hafnium (Hf), zirconium (Zr), silver (Ag), gold (Au), and silicon (Si) materials. (see page 5 last paragraph which teaches Co/Pt layers and CoPt alloy)
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 4, 9, 13, 15 and 19 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.
Cited Prior Art
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Applicants are directed to consider additional pertinent prior art included on the Notice of References Cited (PTOL 892) attached herewith.
The Examiner has pointed out particular references contained in the prior art of record within the body of this action for the convenience of the Applicant.
Although the specified citations are representative of the teachings in the art and are applied to the specific limitations within the individual claim, other passages and figures may apply.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JAMI VALENTINE MILLER whose telephone number is (571)272-9786. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday-Thursday 7am-5pm.
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/Jami Valentine Miller/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2818