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 arguments and amendments filed 1/6/26 have been entered and considered. Claims 2 and 8 have been cancelled. Newly admitted claims 30-42 have been entered.
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) 28 and 29 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hashizume (US 2022/0406948 A1) in view of Potera et al (11,749,758 B1).
Regarding claim 28, Hashizume discloses a method of forming a schottky diode (Figure 4), comprising: forming a drift layer (Figure 4, reference 12) on a substrate (Figure 4, reference 11), wherein the drift layer (Figure 4, reference 12) and the substrate (Figure 4, reference 11) comprise silicon carbide and have a first conductivity type (paragraph 0023); forming a junction shielding region (Figure 4, reference 13) at a surface of the drift layer (Figure 4, reference 12), wherein the junction shielding region has a second conductivity type (Figure 4, reference 13; p-type) opposite the first conductivity type (Figure 4, reference 12; n-type); and forming an anode contact (Figure 4, reference 31) on the drift layer (Figure 4, reference 12), and wherein the anode contact (Figure 4, reference 31) forms a Schottky junction (paragraph 0023) with the drift layer (Figure 4, reference 12).
However, Hashizume does not disclose wherein the anode contact comprises a refractory metal nitride.
Potera et al discloses wherein the anode contact comprises a refractory metal nitride (Figure 3, reference 31; column 5, lines 44-47).
It would have been obvious, prior to the effective filing date of the instant application, for one having ordinary skill in the art, to modify Hashizume with the teachings of Potera et al for the purpose of using a refractory metal nitride as an anode contact because molybdenum nitride is a suitable Schottky metal used for JBS diodes.
Regarding claim 29, Hashizume in view of Potera et al disclose the above independently claimed subject matter of claim 28.
Further, Potera et al disclose wherein the refractory metal nitride comprises MoNx (Figure 3, reference 31; column 5, lines 44-47).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1, 3-7, 9-27 and 30-42 are allowed over the prior art of record.
The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance: After consideration of applicant’s arguments, amendments and a further search of the prior art of record, examiner has concluded that the prior art does not disclose nor fairly suggest schottky diodes, comprising: wherein the anode contact comprises a refractory metal nitride, wherein the anode contact forms a Schottky junction with the drift layer, and wherein the anode contact forms an ohmic contact to the junction shielding region; wherein the anode contact has a Schottky barrier height relative to the drift layer of less than about 1.2 eV (claim 1), wherein the anode contact comprises a refractory metal nitride, wherein the anode contact forms a Schottky junction with the drift layer, and wherein the anode contact forms an ohmic contact to the junction shielding region; wherein the anode contact has a molecular ratio x of nitrogen of greater than about 0.5 (claim 5), wherein the anode contact comprises a refractory metal nitride, wherein the anode contact forms a Schottky junction with the drift layer, and wherein the anode contact forms an ohmic contact to the junction shielding region; wherein the anode contact has a level of residual stress as deposited on the drift layer that has a magnitude of less than about 500 MPa (claim 9), wherein the anode contact comprises a refractory metal nitride, wherein the anode contact forms a Schottky junction with the drift layer, and wherein the anode contact forms an ohmic contact to the junction shielding region; wherein the anode contact comprises alternating first and second regions along a surface of the drift layer, wherein the first regions have a first Schottky barrier height relative to the drift layer that is higher than a second Schottky barrier height of the second regions relative to the drift layer (claim 14), wherein the anode contact comprises a refractory metal nitride, wherein the anode contact forms a Schottky junction with the drift layer, and wherein the anode contact forms an ohmic contact to the junction shielding region; and a plurality of trenches in an upper surface of the drift layer, wherein the anode contact comprises a plurality of refractory metal nitride portions in the trenches and a metal layer on the upper surface of the drift layer, wherein the metal layer contacts the refractory metal nitride portions (claim 19) and wherein the anode contact comprises a refractory metal nitride, wherein the anode contact forms a Schottky junction with the drift layer, and wherein the anode contact forms an ohmic contact to the junction shielding region; and a plurality of silicide regions on the drift layer between the drift layer and the anode contact (claim 23) as described in the independent claims and in the context of their recited apparatuses, along with their depending claims.
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, see pp.10-11, filed 1/6/26, with respect to claims 1, 3-7 and 9-27 have been fully considered and are persuasive after the indicated allowable subject matter had been added into depending claims or made into independent form. However, applicant didn’t address the rejection of claims 28 and 29. Currently, the rejection still stands for claims 28 and 29.
Conclusion
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MONICA D HARRISON whose telephone number is (571)272-1959. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 7-4:30pm.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Joshua Benitez can be reached at 571-270-1435. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/MONICA D HARRISON/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2815
mdh
March 23, 2026