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 .
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of Claims 1-13 and 18-20 in the reply filed on October 26, 2025 is acknowledged.
Applicant canceled claims 14-17 and added claims 21-24. Claims 1-13 and 18-24 are examined.
Specification
The disclosure is objected to because of the following informalities:
In paragraphs 0014 and 0019, replace “ppm/C” with --ppm/°C--.
In paragraph 0027 “a first dielectric cap structure 122a, and a second dielectric cap 122b” is repeated twice.
Appropriate correction is required.
The use of the term “nichrome” in paragraph 0015, which is a trade name or a mark used in commerce, has been noted in this application. The term should be capitalized wherever it appears or, where appropriate, include a proper symbol indicating use in commerce such as ™, SM, or ® following the term.
Although the use of trade names and marks used in commerce (i.e., trademarks, service marks, certification marks, and collective marks) are permissible in patent applications, the proprietary nature of the marks should be respected and every effort made to prevent their use in any manner which might adversely affect their validity as commercial marks.
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.
Claims 1, 12, 13, 18-19 and 21 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a0(1) as being anticipated by Takizawa (US Pub. 2017/0256505).
Regarding claim 1, Takizawa teaches a thin film resistor (TFR; see at least paragraphs 0033-0036 and fig. 1), comprising:
a first insulator layer (first insulating film 50);
a silicon chromium thin film (SiCr thin-film resistor 62) disposed on the first insulator layer;
an oxidation prevention layer (oxidation preventing layer 61 or 63) disposed on the SiCr thin film; and
a first contact structure (via connection 92b) and a second contact structure disposed on the oxidation prevention layer (oxidation preventing layer 63); and
wherein the oxidation prevention layer is operable to prevent the SiCr thin film from being oxidized during a wet etching process (prevents moisture/oxidation; see paragraphs 0036 and 0051).
Regarding claim 12, the oxidation prevention layer (63) is formed after the resistive layer (62). See figs. 5A and 5B.
Regarding claim 13, Takizawa teaches the thin film, further comprising:
a first dielectric cap structure (TEOS insulating film 64) disposed on the first contact (92b); and a second dielectric (the insulating film 64) disposed on the second contact structure.
Regarding claims 18 and 19, Takizawa teaches an integrated circuit (IC with multiple thin-film resistors; paragraph 0070) comprising:
a substrate (substrate 10);
a multilayer interconnect (MLI; multi-layer wirings; paragraphs 0033 and 0083) structure disposed on the substrate; and
a thin film resistor (62) disposed in the MLI structure, the thin film resistor
comprising:
a first insulator layer (50);
a silicon chromium (SiCr; thin-film resistor 62) thin film disposed on the first insulator layer;
an oxidation prevention layer (layer 61 or 63) disposed on the SiCr thin film, wherein the
oxidation prevention layer is operable to prevent the SiCr thin film from being oxidized during a
wet etching process (prevents moisture/oxidation; see paragraphs 0036 and 0051);
a first contact structure (92b) and a second contact structure (92b) disposed on the oxidation prevention layer (layer 63); and
a second insulator layer (composed of layers 70 and 100), wherein the first insulator layer (50) and the second insulator layer (70, 100) encapsulate the silicon chromium (SiCr) thin film (62), the oxidation prevention layer (63), the first contact structure (92b), and the second contact structure (92b).
Regarding claim 21, Takiazawa teaches a thin film resistor (TFR; see at least paragraphs 0033-0036 and fig. 1), comprising:
a first insulator layer (50);
a silicon chromium thin film (SiCr thin film resistor 62) on the first insulator layer;
an oxidation prevention layer (layer 61 or 63) on the SiCr thin film;
a first contact structure (92b) and a second contact structure (92b) on the oxidation prevention layer;
a first dielectric cap structure (TEOS insulating film 64) on the first contact structure (92b) and a second dielectric cap (the insulating film 64) structure on the second contact structure; and
a second insulator layer (comprising of layers 70 and 100) encapsulating the SiCr thin film (62), the oxidation prevention layer (61 or 63), the first contact structure (92b), the second contact structure (92b), the first dielectric cap structure (64), and the second dielectric cap structure (64).
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.
Claims 2-3, 5 and 22 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Takizawa in view of Arao et al. (US Pub. 2007/0032034).
Regarding claims 2-3, 5 and 22, Takizawa teaches the claimed invention except for the oxidation preventing layer being composed of silicon nitride.
Arao teaches the use of oxidation-preventing silicon nitride film (paragraph 0040) as the oxidation preventing layer due to its fracture toughness and its high temperature stability.
It would have been obvious to one skilled in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the teachings of Arao with Takizawa, since the oxidation preventing layer taught by Arao will prevent oxidation as well as allowing for manufacturing the thin-film resistor of Takizawa at a higher temperature.
Claim 4 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Takizawa in view of Yeom et al. (US Pub. 2015/0123118).
Regarding claim 4, Takizawa teaches the claimed invention except for the oxidation prevention layer being composed of silicide.
Yeom teaches that silicide layer functions as a barrier layer to the electrode, and also teaches that the silicide layer is used as an oxidation prevention layer (see paragraphs 0067-0069).
It would have been obvious to one skilled in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the teachings of Yeom with Takizawa, since the silicide layer taught by Yeom will prevent oxidation and prevent diffusion between the resistive layer and the electrodes for the TFR of Takizawa.
Claims 9 and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Takizawa in view of Ueki et al. (US Pub. 2018/0069051).
Regarding claims 9, 20 and 24, Takizawa teaches the claimed invention except for the oxidation preventing layer being composed of metal nitride.
Ueki teaches an oxide preventing layer (see paragraph 0124) being composed of tantalum nitride due to its oxygen extracting ability, thus reducing a parasitic resistance from forming.
It would have been obvious to one skilled in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the teachings of Ueki with Takizawa, since the oxidation preventing layer taught by Ueki will reduce the oxidation from being formed on the thin-film resistor device of Takizawa and prevent a parasitic resistance forming on the thin film resistor.
Claims 10 and 11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Takizawa in view of Hadizad et al. (US Pat. 5,804,869).
Regarding claims 10 and 11, Takizawa teaches the claimed invention except for the oxidation prevention layer having a thickness of 10 angstroms.
Hadizad teaches that having an oxidation prevention layer with a thickness of about 10 angstroms prevents chemical, moisture or water intrusion, thus preventing degradation between layers (col. 4, lines 55-65).
It would have been obvious to one skilled in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the teachings of Hadizad with Takizawa, since the oxide prevention layer taught by Hadizad prevents oxidation as well as minimizes the height of the TFR of Takizawa.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 6-8 and 23 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.
Regarding claim 6, the prior art does not teach or suggest the thin-film resistor, wherein the oxidation prevention layer is a silicon-rich SiCr layer. Claims 7 and 8 depend on claim 6.
Regarding claim 23, the prior art does not teach or suggest the thin-film resistor, wherein the silicon-containing layer is a silicon-rich SiCr layer characterized by an atomic percentage of silicon of at least 60%.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to KYUNG S LEE whose telephone number is (571)272-1994. The examiner can normally be reached 7AM-3PM M-F.
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/KYUNG S LEE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2833