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 .
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.
Election/Restrictions
Applicant's election Invention I, claims 1-16, with traverse in the reply filed on 4/20/2026 is acknowledged and the applicant’s arguments regarding traversal (in view of amendments of claim(s) 17-19) is found persuasive. Therefore, the restriction requirement mailed on 2/20/2026 is withdrawn. Claims 1-20 are examined.
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)(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 and 8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Heo et al. (US publication 2023/0068904 A1), hereinafter referred to as Heo904.
Regarding claim 1, Heo904 teaches an apparatus (fig. 1 and related text), comprising: a field effect transistor comprising: a ferroelectric material (FE1/FE2, [0062]); a channel material (CH, [0054]) on the ferroelectric material, the channel material comprising a transition metal and a chalcogen ([0022 and 0097]); and a source (SR, fig. 1) and a drain (DR) coupled to the channel material (fig. 1), the source and drain comprising a conductive material ([0057]).
Regarding claim 8, Heo904 teaches further comprising an oxide (BL, [0071]) between the ferroelectric material and the source and drain (fig. 1).
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 of this title, 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 1-5, 9-12, and 17-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zhu et al. (US publication 2020/0194557 A1), hereinafter referred to as Zhu557, in view of Rakshit et al. (US publication 2017/0098661 A1), hereinafter referred to as Rakshit661.
Regarding claim 1, Zhu557 teaches an apparatus (fig. 1b and related text), comprising: a field effect transistor comprising: a ferroelectric material (217, [0025]); a channel material (220, [0025]) on the ferroelectric material; and a source (222, [0025]) and a drain (224) coupled to the channel material (fig. 1b), the source and drain comprising a conductive material ([0037]).
Zhu557 does not explicitly teach the channel material comprising a transition metal and a chalcogen.
Rakshit661 teaches the channel material (302, fig. 3) comprising a transition metal and a chalcogen ([0041-0043]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of claimed invention to combine the teachings of Zhu557 with that of Rakshit661 so that the channel material comprising a transition metal and a chalcogen for excellent properties of high bandgap (for low leakage) and reasonable mobility (for currently flow) ([0042]).
Regarding claim 1, Zhu557 teaches an apparatus (fig. 1c and related text), comprising: a field effect transistor comprising: a ferroelectric material (317, [0026]); a channel material (320, [0026]) on the ferroelectric material; and a source (322, [0026]) and a drain (324) coupled to the channel material (fig. 1c), the source and drain comprising a conductive material ([0037]).
Zhu557 does not explicitly teach the channel material comprising a transition metal and a chalcogen.
Rakshit661 teaches the channel material (302, fig. 3) comprising a transition metal and a chalcogen ([0041-0043]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of claimed invention to combine the teachings of Zhu557 with that of Rakshit661 so that the channel material comprising a transition metal and a chalcogen for excellent properties of high bandgap (for low leakage) and reasonable mobility (for currently flow) ([0042]).
Regarding claim 2, Rakshit661 teaches wherein the channel material comprises a 2D transition metal dichalcogenide ([0041-0043]).
Regarding claim 3, Zhu557 teaches wherein the ferroelectric material comprises Barium, Titanium, and Oxygen ([0025]).
Regarding claim 4, Rakshit661 teaches wherein the channel material comprises WSe.sub.2 ([0041-0043]).
Regarding claim 5, Rakshit661 teaches wherein the channel material comprises a P-type channel ([0044]).
Regarding claim 9, Zhu557 teaches wherein the ferroelectric material is on a conductive material (316, [0026], fig. 1c).
Regarding claim 10, Rakshit661 teaches further comprising an integrated circuit die comprising the field effect transistor (fig. 3).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of claimed invention to combine the teachings of Zhu557 with that of Rakshit661 so that further comprising an integrated circuit die comprising the field effect transistor for a desired application ([0077-0078]).
Regarding claim 11, Rakshit661 teaches further comprising a circuit board coupled to the integrated circuit die ([0077-0078], fig. 6).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of claimed invention to combine the teachings of Zhu557 with that of Rakshit661 so that further comprising a circuit board coupled to the integrated circuit die for a desired application ([0077-0078]).
Regarding claim 12, Rakshit661 teaches further comprising at least one of a network interface, battery, or memory coupled to the integrated circuit die ([0077-0078], fig. 6).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of claimed invention to combine the teachings of Zhu557 with that of Rakshit661 so that further comprising at least one of a network interface, battery, or memory coupled to the integrated circuit die for a desired application ([0077-0078]).
Regarding claim 17, Zhu557 teaches a method comprising (a method of making fig. 1b and related text): forming a channel material (220, [0025]) on a ferroelectric material (217, [0025]); and forming a source (222, [0025]) and a drain (224) coupled to the channel material (fig. 1b), the source and drain comprising a conductive material ([0037]).
Zhu557 does not explicitly teach the channel material comprising a transition metal and a chalcogen.
Rakshit661 teaches the channel material (302, fig. 3) comprising a transition metal and a chalcogen ([0041-0043]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of claimed invention to combine the teachings of Zhu557 with that of Rakshit661 so that the channel material comprising a transition metal and a chalcogen for excellent properties of high bandgap (for low leakage) and reasonable mobility (for currently flow) ([0042]).
Regarding claim 18, Rakshit661 teaches wherein the channel material comprises a 2D transition metal dichalcogenide ([0041-0043]).
Regarding claim 19, Rakshit661 teaches wherein the channel material comprises WSe.sub.2 ([0041-0043]).
Regarding claim 20, Zhu557 teaches wherein the ferroelectric material comprises Barium, Titanium, and Oxygen ([0025]).
Claim 6 and 7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Heo904, as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Rakshit et al. (US publication 2017/0098661 A1), hereinafter referred to as Rakshit661.
Regarding claim 6, Heo904 discloses all the limitations of claim 1 as discussed above on which this claim depends.
Heo904 also discloses further comprising an oxide (BL, [0071]) on the channel material (fig. 1).
Heo904 does not explicitly teach and wherein the channel material comprises an N-type channel.
Rakshit661 teaches wherein the channel material comprises an N-type channel ([0045]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the teachings of Heo904 with that of Rakshit661 so that wherein the channel material comprises an N-type channel for a NMOS transistor.
Regarding claim 7, Heo904 teaches wherein the oxide on the channel material comprises Aluminum and Oxygen ([0071]).
Claim 13-16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Rakshit et al. (US publication 2017/0098661 A1), hereinafter referred to as Rakshit661, in view of Zhu et al. (US publication 2020/0194557 A1), hereinafter referred to as Zhu557.
Regarding claim 13, Rakshit661 teaches an apparatus comprising (fig. 3-4 and related text): a complementary metal oxide semiconductor circuit comprising: a P-type field effect transistor (FET) ([0044-0050]) comprising: a channel comprising a transition metal and a chalcogen ([0041-0043], fig. 3-4); and an N-type FET ([0044-0050]) comprising: a channel comprising the transition metal and the chalcogen ([0041-0043], fig. 3-4).
Rakshit661 does not explicitly teach a P-type field effect transistor (FET) comprising: a ferroelectric material; and an N-type FET comprising: the ferroelectric material.
Zhu557 teaches a field effect transistor (FET) comprising: a ferroelectric material (217, [0025], fig. 1b).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of claimed invention to combine the teachings of Rakshit661 with that of Zhu557 so that a P-type field effect transistor (FET) comprising: a ferroelectric material; and an N-type FET comprising: the ferroelectric material to provide simple, fast, scalable and power-efficient hardware for a wide variety of storage and comparison applications ([0018]).
Regarding claim 14, Rakshit661 teaches wherein the P-type FET and N-type FET comprise respective drains coupled together and respective gates coupled together (fig. 4).
Regarding claim 15, Rakshit661 teaches wherein the circuit is operable to function as either a memory element or a logic element dependent on one or more bias voltages applied to the circuit ([0077-0078], fig. 6).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of claimed invention to combine the teachings of Zhu557 with that of Rakshit661 so that wherein the circuit is operable to function as either a memory element or a logic element dependent on one or more bias voltages applied to the circuit for a desired application ([0077-0078]).
Regarding claim 16, Zhu557 teaches wherein the ferroelectric material comprises Barium, Titanium, and Oxygen ([0025]).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Mohammed R Alam whose telephone number is 469-295-9205 and can normally be reached between 8:00am-6:00pm (M-F) or by e-mail via Mohammed.Alam1@uspto.gov.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Jacob Choi can be reached on 469-295-9060. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/MOHAMMED R ALAM/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2897
Prosecution Insights