DETAILED ACTION
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of subspecies A2 (claims 1, 2, 4-6, 8-13, 16, 17, 19, and 20 in the reply filed on 01/25/2026 is acknowledged.
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 04/24/2023 and 06/10/2024 has been considered by the examiner.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
The following is a quotation of the appropriate paragraphs of 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.
Claim(s) 1, 2, 4, and 6 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Kang et al. (US Pub. 2020/0395438; on IDS).
Regarding independent claim 1, Kang teaches an integrated circuit device (Figs. 4, 5; para. 0061+) comprising:
a capacitor structure (Fig. 4: CS1A), wherein the capacitor structure comprises:
a lower electrode (172A) arranged on a substrate (110), wherein the lower electrode comprises an electrode layer extending in a direction substantially perpendicular to an upper surface of the substrate, wherein the electrode layer comprises niobium nitride (Fig. 4; para. 0063);
a supporter (192 or 194) arranged on a sidewall of the lower electrode (para. 0066);
a dielectric layer (180) arranged on the lower electrode and the supporter (para. 0064);
a first interface layer (174A) arranged between a sidewall of the lower electrode and the dielectric layer and between a top surface of the lower electrode and the dielectric layer, wherein the first interface layer comprises a conductive metal nitride (Fig. 4; para. 0064-0065); and
an upper electrode (185) arranged on the dielectric layer, wherein the upper electrode covers the lower electrode and comprises niobium nitride (Fig. 4; para. 0057).
Re claim 2, Kang teaches wherein the electrode layer comprises a single layer, wherein the single layer comprises niobium nitride (para. 0063).
Re claim 4, Kang teaches a second interface layer arranged between the dielectric layer and the upper electrode, and the second interface layer comprises a conductive metal oxide (para. 0058).
Re claim 6, Kang teaches wherein the upper electrode comprises any one of a single layer or a double layer, wherein the single layer comprises niobium nitride, wherein the double layer comprises a fourth sub-electrode layer arranged on the dielectric layer and a fifth sub-electrode layer arranged on the fourth sub-electrode layer, wherein the fourth sub-electrode layer comprises titanium nitride, and wherein the fifth sub-electrode layer comprises niobium nitride (para. 0057).
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) 8-13 and 17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kang et al. (US Pub. 2020/0395438).
Regarding independent claim 8, Kang teaches an integrated circuit device (Figs. 8, 9; para. 0073+) comprising:
a capacitor structure (Fig. 8: CS1C), wherein the capacitor structure comprises:
a lower electrode (172C) arranged on a substrate, wherein the lower electrode comprises an electrode layer extending in a direction substantially perpendicular to a top surface of the substrate, and the electrode layer comprises niobium nitride (Fig. 8; para. 0076);
a supporter (192 or 194) arranged on a sidewall of the lower electrode (Fig. 8; para. 0075;
a dielectric layer (180) arranged on the lower electrode and the supporter (Fig. 8; para. 0077); and
an upper electrode (185) arranged on the dielectric layer, wherein the upper electrode overlaps the lower electrode and comprises niobium nitride (Fig. 8; para. 0057), and
wherein the lower electrode further comprises a first seed layer (176C2) at least partially surrounded by the supporter and contacting at least a portion of the electrode layer (Fig. 8; para. 0074).
Kang does not teach a first interface layer within the embodiment of Figs. 8 and 9.
Kang teaches a separate embodiment (Figs. 4, 5) including a first interface layer (174A) arranged between a sidewall of the electrode layer and the dielectric layer and between a top surface of the electrode layer and the dielectric layer, wherein the first interface layer comprises a conductive metal nitride (para. 0065).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of filing to include the first interface layer described in the embodiment of Fig. 4 within the embodiment of Fig. 8 for the purpose of providing a capacitor with large capacitance (para. 0067).
Re claim 9, Kang teaches wherein the lower electrode further comprises a second seed layer (176C1) arranged on a bottom portion of the electrode layer, and each of the first seed layer and the second seed layer comprises titanium nitride (Fig. 8; para. 0076).
Re claim 10, the combination of Kang teaches wherein the electrode layer comprises a first sidewall portion and a second sidewall portion (Figs. 4, 8), wherein the first sidewall portion is at least partially surrounded by the first seed layer (Fig. 8), and wherein the second sidewall portion is at least partially surrounded by the first interface layer (Fig. 4).
Re claim 11, the combination of Kang teaches wherein the first sidewall portion and the second sidewall portion are coplanar with each other (Figs. 4, 8).
Re claim 12, the combination of Kang teaches wherein the second sidewall portion does not contact the supporter, and wherein the first seed layer is between the first sidewall portion and a sidewall of the supporter (Fig. 8).
Re claim 13, Kang teaches further comprising a second interface layer between the dielectric layer and the upper electrode, and the second interface layer comprises a conductive metal oxide (para. 0058).
Re claim 17, Kang teaches wherein the upper electrode comprises any one of a single layer or a double layer, wherein the single layer is arranged on the dielectric layer, wherein the double layer comprises a fourth sub-electrode layer arranged on the dielectric layer and a fifth sub-electrode layer arranged on the fourth sub-electrode layer, wherein the fourth sub-electrode layer comprises titanium nitride, and wherein the fifth sub-electrode layer comprises niobium nitride (para. 0057).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 19 and 20 are allowed.
Claims 5 and 16 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 following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: there is no teaching, suggestion, or motivation from the prior art of record, nor does the prior art of record otherwise make obvious the limitations of…
Re claim 5, “…wherein the lower electrode further comprises a capping layer arranged on the electrode layer and arranged lower than a surface of the second supporter…”
Re claim 16, “…wherein the lower electrode further comprises a capping layer arranged on the electrode layer and the first seed layer and arranged lower than a surface of the second supporter…”
Regarding independent claim 19, “…wherein the lower electrode further comprises a capping layer arranged on the electrode layer, and wherein a surface of the capping layer is arranged lower than a surface of the second supporter…”
…in combination with the other limitations.
Conclusion
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/MOLLY K REIDA/Examiner, Art Unit 2899