DETAILED ACTION
This action is responsive to application No. 18/174,007 filed on February 24, 2023.
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 .
Acknowledgment
The amendment filed on 08/25/2026 responding to the Office action mailed on 05/26/2026, has been entered. The present Office action is made with all the suggested amendments being fully considered. Claims 18-28 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a non-elected invention, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Accordingly, pending in this Office action are claims 1 and 3-20.
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 (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 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 13-17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Zhang (US 2022/0199796).
Regarding Claim 13, Zhang (see, e.g., Fig. 13 and Annotated Fig. 13), teaches an integrated circuit (IC) structure, comprising:
a nanoribbon 18 comprising one or more semiconductor materials (see, e.g., par. 0037);
a transistor, wherein a channel region of the transistor includes a portion of the nanoribbon 18 (see, e.g., pars. 0037, 0088);
a first layer 241 of a gate dielectric material, wherein the first layer 241 at least partially wraps around the channel region of the transistor (see, e.g., par. 0051);
a gate electrode material 40 at least partially wrapping around the first layer 241 (see, e.g., par. 0087);
a second layer 242 of the gate dielectric material (see, e.g., par. 0051);
an intermediate material 34 (see, e.g., par. 0085); and
an insulator material 22 (see, e.g., par. 0032),
wherein:
the gate electrode material 40 is between the second layer 242 and the first layer 241, the second layer 242 is between the intermediate material 34 and the first layer 241, and the intermediate material 34 is between the insulator material 22 and the second layer 242.
Regarding Claim 14, Zhang teaches all aspects of claim 13. Zhang (see, e.g., Fig. 13 and Annotated Fig. 13), teaches that the intermediate material 34 includes a material that is etch-selective with respect to the one or more semiconductor materials (see, e.g., pars. 0075, 0085).
Regarding Claim 15, Zhang teaches all aspects of claim 13. Zhang (see, e.g., Fig. 13 and Annotated Fig. 13), teaches that the intermediate material 34 includes a material that is etch-selective with respect to the insulator material 22 (see, e.g., pars. 0032, 0075, 0085).
Regarding Claim 16, Zhang teaches all aspects of claim 13. Zhang (see, e.g., Fig. 13 and Annotated Fig. 13), teaches that the intermediate material 34 includes a metal and either oxygen or nitrogen (see, e.g., par. 0074).
Regarding Claim 17, Zhang teaches all aspects of claim 13. Zhang (see, e.g., Fig. 13 and Annotated Fig. 13), teaches that one side of the intermediate material 34 is in physical contact with the second layer 242 and another side of the intermediate material is in physical contact with the insulator material 22.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1 and 3-12 are allowed.
Response to Arguments
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Applicant’s arguments filed on 08/25/2026 with respect to the rejection of claim 13 have been fully considered but are moot in view of the new grounds of rejection.
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 Nelson Garcés whose telephone number is (571)272-8249. The examiner can normally be reached on M-F 9:00 AM - 5:30 PM.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Wael Fahmy can be reached on (571)272-1705. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300. Information regarding the status of an application may be obtained from the Patent Application Information Retrieval (PAIR) system. Status information for published applications may be obtained from either Private PAIR or Public PAIR. Status information for unpublished applications is available through Private PAIR only. For more information about the PAIR system, see http://pair-direct.uspto.gov. Should you have questions on access to the Private PAIR system, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative or access to the automated information system, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/Nelson Garces/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2814
