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 .
Response to Amendment
The amendment filed on 05/18/2026 has been accepted and entered. Claims 1-3, 5-12, 14-15, 17-20, and 23-25 remain pending in this application. Applicant’s amendments to the Claims have overcome the objections and the 112(b) rejection previously set forth in the Non-Final Office Action mailed on 02/20/2026.
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.
(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(s) 1 and 2 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102 (a)(1) as being anticipated by Choi et al. (Bottom-up plasma-enhanced atomic layer deposition of SiO2 by utilizing growth inhibition using NH3 plasma pre-treatment for seamless gap-fill process. Sci Rep. 2022 Sep 21;12(1):15756-NPLChoi22).
Regarding claim 1, NPLChoi22 discloses a method for filling a trench, the method comprising:
(a) depositing a first conformal material to form a conformal liner in the trench (depositing first conformal material SiO2 to form a conformal liner/first layer in the trench-Fig 8 (a)-(d), Abstract);
(b) performing a treatment to incorporate at least one additional element into the first conformal material to form a modified sublayer at an exterior surface of the conformal liner (PE-ALD treatment using NH3 plasma to form a modified sublayer at an exterior surface of the conformal liner-Fig 8 (d)-(e), Abstract),
wherein an upper portion of the conformal liner is modified more than a lower portion of the conformal liner (upper portion of conformal modified more than lower portion-Fig 9 (a)-(d), pp15756 Lines L 4-11)
such that a thickness of the modified sublayer decreases from a maximum thickness at an opening of the trench to a minimum thickness toward a bottom of the trench (The modified layer, modified by inhibitor NH3 treatment being preponderant on the larger surface, so on top of the trench, and minimal to none on the bottom of the trench, so having a thickness of the modified sublayer decreases from a maximum thickness at an opening of the trench to a minimum thickness toward a bottom of the trench -Fig 9 (a)-(d), Fig 10 (a)-(e), Abstract, pp15756 Lines L 4-11 );
(c) repeating steps (a) and (b) (Fig 9 (a)-(d)),
wherein in each repetition of step (a) the first conformal material is deposited directly onto a modified surface of the conformal liner formed by the modified sublayer at the opening and onto a non-modified surface of the conformal liner formed by the first conformal material at the bottom (Fig 8 (a)-(j)).
Regarding claim 2, NPLChoi22 discloses all the elements of claim1, as noted above.
NPLChoi22 further discloses a method for filling a trench, the method
wherein an initial step of (a) depositing the first conformal material to form the conformal liner in the trench comprises depositing the first conformal material along sidewalls and a bottom of the trench (first conformal liner SiO2 deposed along all surface of the trenches-Fig 8 (a)-(d), Fig 9 (a)-(d), abstract, pp15756 Lines L 1-2).
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) 3 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Choi et al. (Bottom-up plasma-enhanced atomic layer deposition of SiO2 by utilizing growth inhibition using NH3 plasma pre-treatment for seamless gap-fill process. Sci Rep. 2022 Sep 21;12(1):15756-NPLChoi22) in view Govindaraju et al (US20150179567-Govindaraju67).
Regarding claim 3, NPLChoi22 teaches all the elements of claim 1, as noted above.
NPLChoi22 does not teach a method for filling a trench
wherein steps (a), (b), and (c) form a liner structure, wherein the liner structure has a minimum thickness over a bottom of the trench of at least 20 nanometers (nm).
Govindaraju67 teaches a method for filling a trench
wherein steps (a), (b), and (c) form a liner structure, wherein the liner structure has a minimum thickness over a bottom of the trench of at least 20 nanometers (nm) (the multilayer ALD achieve gap filling at 22nm so above the 20 nm-[0024] L6-7).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the method for filling a trench of NPLChoi22, as taught by Govindaraju67 for the purpose of. decreasing resistances due to voids or seams (Govindaraju67: [0023] L3-5).
Claim(s) 5 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Choi et al. (Bottom-up plasma-enhanced atomic layer deposition of SiO2 by utilizing growth inhibition using NH3 plasma pre-treatment for seamless gap-fill process. Sci Rep. 2022 Sep 21;12(1):15756-NPLChoi22) in view of Lin et al. (US 20140273470-Lin70).
Regarding claim 5, NPLChoi22 discloses all the elements of claim1, as noted above.
NPLChoi22 further discloses a method for filling a trench, the method
wherein (b) performing a treatment to modify the conformal liner comprises performing a N2/H2 plasma treatment (Abstract).
NPLChoi22 does not disclose a method for filling a trench, the method wherein
to incorporate at least one additional element selected from N and H into the conformal liner.
Lin70 teaches a method for filling a trench
wherein (b) performing a treatment to modify the conformal liner comprises performing a N2/H2 plasma treatment to incorporate at least one additional element selected from N and H into the conformal liner (N2/H2 plasma treatment-Abstract L L8; Nitrogen is added to the TiN layer-[0018] L23-24).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the method for filling a trench of NPLChoi22, as taught by Lin70 for the purpose of depositing films or layers conformally and yielding some of the fastest deposition rates while maintaining film quality (Lin70: [0028] L 17-19).
Claim(s) 6 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Choi et al. (Bottom-up plasma-enhanced atomic layer deposition of SiO2 by utilizing growth inhibition using NH3 plasma pre-treatment for seamless gap-fill process. Sci Rep. 2022 Sep 21;12(1):15756-NPLChoi22) in view of Anthis et al. (US 20180033689-Anthis89), and further in view of Govindaraju et al (US20150179567-Govindaraju67).
Regarding claim 6, NPLChoi22 teaches all the elements of claim 1, as noted above.
NPLChoi22 does not disclose a method for filling a trench wherein
a) depositing the first conformal material to form the conformal liner in the trench comprises depositing silicon nitride by an atomic layer deposition (ALD) process; and
the method further comprises (d) depositing a second conformal material in a remaining unfilled gap defined inside the conformal liner,
wherein depositing the second conformal material comprises depositing silicon oxide or silicon nitride by an atomic layer deposition (ALD) process.
Anthis89 teaches a method for filling a trench wherein
depositing conformal material to form a conformal liner in the trench comprises depositing silicon nitride by an atomic layer deposition (ALD) process ([0015] L 1-3).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the method for filling a trench of NPLChoi22, as taught by Anthis89 for the purpose of filling the trench without leaving a seam (Anthis89: [0019] L 17-18).
Anthis89 does not teach a method for filling a trench wherein
the method further comprises (d) depositing a second conformal material in a remaining unfilled gap defined inside the conformal liner,
wherein depositing the second conformal material comprises depositing silicon oxide or silicon nitride by an atomic layer deposition (ALD) process.
Govindaraju67 teaches a method for filling a trench wherein
the method further comprises (d) depositing a second conformal material in the remaining unfilled gap (conformal material 212 is deposited in the V-shaped trench or remining gap-[0023] L1-2)
wherein depositing the second conformal material comprises depositing silicon oxide or silicon nitride by an atomic layer deposition (ALD) process (conformal material 212 is deposited in the V-shaped trench or remining gap using ALD-[0023] L1-2, [0055] L1-5).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the method for filling a trench of NPLChoi22 in view of Anthis89, as taught by Govindaraju67 for the purpose of. decreasing resistances due to voids or seams (Govindaraju67: [0023] L3-5).
Claim(s) 7 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Choi et al. (Bottom-up plasma-enhanced atomic layer deposition of SiO2 by utilizing growth inhibition using NH3 plasma pre-treatment for seamless gap-fill process. Sci Rep. 2022 Sep 21;12(1):15756-NPLChoi22) in view of Lim et al. (US US11195928-Lim28).
Regarding claim 7, NPLChoi22 teaches all the elements of claim 1, as noted above.
NPLChoi22 does not teach a method for filling a trench
further comprising forming the trench by etching through a gate layer and into a semiconductor substrate disposed under the gate layer.
Lim28 teaches a method for filling a trench
further comprising forming the trench by etching through a gate layer and into a semiconductor substrate disposed under the gate layer (The gate structures intercept the active layer. Together the active layer 105 and the gate structures 140 are part of the gate layer 105+140+160-Abstact L 3-5, L12-13, Fig 5B; the trench is formed by etching the gate layer 105+140+160 into the substrate 101- Fig 5B, Fig 11, fig13, Fig 24).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the method for filling a trench of NPLChoi22, as taught by Lim21 for the purpose of increasing the electrical characteristics of semiconductor devices (Lim21: C17 L37-39).
Claim(s) 8, 11, and 24 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Shin et al. (US20090004818A1-Shin18) in view of Anthis et al. (US 20180033689-Anthis89), in view of Wang et al. (US 7888273 B1-Wang73), and further in view of Yu et al. (US 20180315853 A1-Yu53).
Regarding claim 8, Shin18 discloses a method for filling a trench (Fig 1A-Fig 1E, Title), the method comprising:
depositing a flowable material (depositing a flowable material 112 to fill a bottom trench 109 with a bottom plug 110-Fig 1D, [0020] L12-16)
wherein the flowable material fills a lower portion of the trench to form a bottom plug (depositing a flowable material 112 to fill a bottom trench 109 with a bottom plug 110-Fig 1D, [0020] L12-16) and
wherein the sidewall member of the flowable material adjacent to a sidewall of the trench and disposed above the bottom plug (Layer 112 on top of plug 110, and on the sidewalls of trench 109-Fig 1D),
wherein the sidewall member has an initial thickness (the layer 112 has a thickness-Fig 1D); and
wherein a remaining unfilled gap (remaining gap 109 above plug 110 and layer 112-Fig 1D) is defined above the bottom plug and inside the sidewall member; and
depositing a conformal material in the remaining unfilled gap (HDP layer so conformal layer 114 is formed in the remaining gap 109-Fig 1E, [0022] L3).
Shin18 does not disclose a method for filling a trench, the method comprising:
wherein the flowable material lines the trench to form a sidewall member
performing a treatment to shrink the sidewall member from the initial thickness to a reduced thickness that is from 3 to 20 % less than the initial thickness.
Anthis89 teaches a method for filling a trench, the method comprising:
performing a treatment to shrink the sidewall member from the initial thickness to a reduced thickness (the conformal liner 130 is exposed to an oxygen plasma to convert a portion of the nitride film 130 to an oxide film 140, so the thickness of layer130 is reduced-[0028] L4-6, Fig 2B).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the method for filling a trench of Shin18, as taught by Anthis89 for the purpose of filling the trench without leaving a seam (Anthis89: [0019] L 17-18).
Anthis89 do not teach a method for filling a trench, the method comprising:
wherein the flowable material lines the trench to form a sidewall member
a reduced thickness that is from 3 to 20 % less than the initial thickness.
Wang73 teaches a method for filling a trench, the method comprising:
a reduced thickness that is from 3 to 20 % less than the initial thickness (high temperature anneal resulting in a 5-40% shrinkage so the thickness is reduced from 3 to 30%-C9 L41-42).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the method for filling a trench of Shin18 in view of Anthis89, as taught by Wang73 for the purpose of improving film quality (Wang73: C9 L 1).
Wang 73 do not teach a method for filling a trench, the method comprising:
wherein the flowable material lines the trench to form a sidewall member.
Yu53 teaches a method for filling a trench, the method comprising:
wherein the flowable material lines the trench to form a sidewall member (flowable material silicon nitride 260 lines the trench then-Fig 17, [0032]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the method for filling a trench of Shin18 in view of Anthis89, and further in view of Wang73, as taught by Yu53 for the purpose of improving the contraction of the CPO features (Yu53: [0032]).
Regarding claim 11, Shin18, Anthis89, Wang73, and Yu53 combination teaches all the elements of claim 8, as noted above.
Shin18 further discloses a method for filling a trench
wherein an upper portion of the trench has a first width, and wherein the lower portion of the trench has a second width different from the first width (Trench 109 is conic and the first width in the upper portion is different from the second width in the lower portion -Fig 1C).
Regarding claim 24, Shin18, Anthis89, Wang73, and Yu53 combination teaches all the elements of claim 8, as noted above.
Yu53 further teaches a method for filling a trench
wherein the bottom plug remains filling the lower portion of the trench after performing the treatment to shrink the sidewall member (Flowable material 270 in one deposition step-[0030]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the method for filling a trench of Shin18 in view of Anthis89, and further in view of Wang73, as taught by Yu53 for the purpose of improving the contraction of the CPO features (Yu53: [0032]).
Claim(s) 14 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Shin et al. (US20090004818A1-Shin18) in view of Anthis et al. (US 20180033689-Anthis89), in view of Wang et al. (US 7888273 B1-Wang73), in view of Yu et al. (US 20180315853 A1-Yu53), and further in view of Tsai et al. (US 20200105589-Tsai89).
Regarding claim 14, Shin18, Anthis89, Wang73, and Yu53 combination teaches all the elements of claim 8, as noted above.
Shin18, Anthis89, Wang73, and Yu53 combination does not teach a method for filling a trench
wherein the flowable material is silicon oxide, and
wherein depositing a conformal material in the remaining unfilled gap comprises
depositing silicon nitride by an atomic layer deposition (ALD) process.
Tsai89 teaches a method for filling a trench
wherein the flowable material is silicon oxide (Layer 140 is formed using in-situ steam generation, so it is a flowable material-[0020] L 65-67; Layer 140 is a silicon oxide layer-[0020] L 16-17) and
wherein depositing a conformal material in the remaining unfilled gap (Layer 150 is formed over layer 140 so deposed in the remaining unfilled gap-[0021] L1-2) comprises
depositing silicon nitride by an atomic layer deposition (ALD) process (Layer 150 is a silicon nitride layer-[0021] L 22-24; Layer 150 is an ALD layer-[0021] L 13-14).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the method for filling a trench of Shin18 in view of Anthis89, in view of Wang73 and further in view of Yu53, as taught by Tsai89 for the purpose of improving fin width uniformity (Tai89 [0035] L36-37).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 9-10, 12, 23 and 25 would be allowable if rewritten or amended to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, set forth in this Office action.
As allowable subject matter has been indicated, applicant's reply must either comply with all formal requirements or specifically traverse each requirement not complied with. See 37 CFR 1.111(b) and MPEP § 707.07(a).
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
Regarding claim 9, the prior art of record does not teach or suggest a method for filling a trench, namely “wherein no interface is formed between the sidewall member and the bottom plug”.
References such as Shin et al. (US20090004818A1-Shin18) in view of Anthis et al. (US 20180033689-Anthis89), in view of Wang et al. (US 7888273 B1-Wang73), and further in view of Yu et al. (US 20180315853 A1-Yu53) combination, teaches a method for filling a trench, but does not teach or suggest a method for filling a trench, namely “wherein no interface is formed between the sidewall member and the bottom plug”, in combination with other claimed elements.
Regarding claim 12, the prior art of record does not teach or suggest a method for filling a trench, namely “the sidewall member and the bottom plug form a unitary structure of the flowable material”.
References such as Shin et al. (US20090004818A1-Shin18) in view of Anthis et al. (US 20180033689-Anthis89), in view of Wang et al. (US 7888273 B1-Wang73), and further in view of Yu et al. (US 20180315853 A1-Yu53) combination, teaches a method for filling a trench, but does not teach or suggest a method for filling a trench, namely “the sidewall member and the bottom plug form a unitary structure of the flowable material”, in combination with other claimed elements.
Regarding claim 23, the prior art of record does not teach or suggest a method for filling a trench, namely “wherein the trench has a maximum depth of from 150 to 200 nanometers (nm), a maximum width of from 10 to 30 nanometers (nm), and an aspect ratio of from 5/1 to 20/1”.
References such as Yu et al. (US 20180315853 A1-Yu53), teaches a method for filling a trench, but does not teach or suggest a method for filling a trench, namely “wherein the trench has a maximum depth of from 150 to 200 nanometers (nm), a maximum width of from 10 to 30 nanometers (nm), and an aspect ratio of from 5/1 to 20/1”, in combination with other claimed elements.
Regarding claim 25, the prior art of record does not teach or suggest a method for filling a trench, namely “wherein the bottom plug remains filling the lower portion of the trench after performing the treatment to shrink the sidewall member”.
References such as Shin et al. (US20090004818A1-Shin18) in view of Anthis et al. (US 20180033689-Anthis89), in view of Wang et al. (US 7888273 B1-Wang73), and further in view of Yu et al. (US 20180315853 A1-Yu53) combination, teaches a method for filling a trench, but does not teach or suggest a method for filling a trench, namely “wherein the bottom plug remains filling the lower portion of the trench after performing the treatment to shrink the sidewall member”, in combination with other claimed elements.
The balance of the claims are allowable for at least the above-stated reasons.
Claims 15 and 17-20 are allowed.
The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance:
Regarding claim 15, the prior art of record does not teach or suggest a method for filling a trench, namely “wherein the first conformal material is silicon nitride and is silicon rich, and depositing a second conformal material at a second deposition rate greater than the first deposition rate and at a second temperature lower than the first temperature to form a second conformal liner in the trench, wherein the second conformal material is silicon nitride and is nitrogen rich”.
References such as Govindaraju et al (US20150179567-Govindaraju67) and Lim et al. (US US11195928-Lim28).combination, teaches a method for filling a trench but does not teach or suggest [Preamble], namely “wherein the first conformal material is silicon nitride and is silicon rich, and depositing a second conformal material at a second deposition rate greater than the first deposition rate and at a second temperature lower than the first temperature to form a second conformal liner in the trench, wherein the second conformal material is silicon nitride and is nitrogen rich”, in combination with other claimed elements.
The balance of the claims are allowed for at least the above-stated reasons.
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 pages 7-9, filed on 05/18/2026, with respect to the 35 U.S.C. 112 rejection(s) of claim(s) 1 have been fully considered and are persuasive. Therefore, the 35 U.S.C. 112 rejection has been withdrawn. However, upon further consideration, a new ground(s) of rejection is made in view of 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) rejection of claim 1 based on new amended claim 1, as stated above in this Office Action.
Claim(s) 1 and 2 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102 (a)(1) as being anticipated by Choi et al. (Bottom-up plasma-enhanced atomic layer deposition of SiO2 by utilizing growth inhibition using NH3 plasma pre-treatment for seamless gap-fill process. Sci Rep. 2022 Sep 21;12(1):15756-NPLChoi22).
Therefore, claim(s) 1 and 2 stand rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102 (a)(1) as being anticipated by Choi et al. (Bottom-up plasma-enhanced atomic layer deposition of SiO2 by utilizing growth inhibition using NH3 plasma pre-treatment for seamless gap-fill process. Sci Rep. 2022 Sep 21;12(1):15756-NPLChoi22).
Claim(s) 3 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Choi et al. (Bottom-up plasma-enhanced atomic layer deposition of SiO2 by utilizing growth inhibition using NH3 plasma pre-treatment for seamless gap-fill process. Sci Rep. 2022 Sep 21;12(1):15756-NPLChoi22) in view Govindaraju et al (US20150179567-Govindaraju67).
Therefore, claim(s) 3 stands rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Choi et al. (Bottom-up plasma-enhanced atomic layer deposition of SiO2 by utilizing growth inhibition using NH3 plasma pre-treatment for seamless gap-fill process. Sci Rep. 2022 Sep 21;12(1):15756-NPLChoi22) in view Govindaraju et al (US20150179567-Govindaraju67).
Claim(s) 5 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Choi et al. (Bottom-up plasma-enhanced atomic layer deposition of SiO2 by utilizing growth inhibition using NH3 plasma pre-treatment for seamless gap-fill process. Sci Rep. 2022 Sep 21;12(1):15756-NPLChoi22) in view of Lin et al. (US 20140273470-Lin70).
Therefore, claim(s) 5 stands rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Choi et al. (Bottom-up plasma-enhanced atomic layer deposition of SiO2 by utilizing growth inhibition using NH3 plasma pre-treatment for seamless gap-fill process. Sci Rep. 2022 Sep 21;12(1):15756-NPLChoi22) in view of Lin et al. (US 20140273470-Lin70).
Claim(s) 6 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Choi et al. (Bottom-up plasma-enhanced atomic layer deposition of SiO2 by utilizing growth inhibition using NH3 plasma pre-treatment for seamless gap-fill process. Sci Rep. 2022 Sep 21;12(1):15756-NPLChoi22) in view of Anthis et al. (US 20180033689-Anthis89), and further in view of Govindaraju et al (US20150179567-Govindaraju67).
Therefore, claim(s) 6 stands rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Choi et al. (Bottom-up plasma-enhanced atomic layer deposition of SiO2 by utilizing growth inhibition using NH3 plasma pre-treatment for seamless gap-fill process. Sci Rep. 2022 Sep 21;12(1):15756-NPLChoi22) in view of Anthis et al. (US 20180033689-Anthis89), and further in view of Govindaraju et al (US20150179567-Govindaraju67).
Claim(s) 7 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Choi et al. (Bottom-up plasma-enhanced atomic layer deposition of SiO2 by utilizing growth inhibition using NH3 plasma pre-treatment for seamless gap-fill process. Sci Rep. 2022 Sep 21;12(1):15756-NPLChoi22) in view of Lim et al. (US US11195928-Lim28).
Therefore, claim(s) 7 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Choi et al. (Bottom-up plasma-enhanced atomic layer deposition of SiO2 by utilizing growth inhibition using NH3 plasma pre-treatment for seamless gap-fill process. Sci Rep. 2022 Sep 21;12(1):15756-NPLChoi22) in view of Lim et al. (US US11195928-Lim28).
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 8, see pages 7-9, filed on 05/18/2026, have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
Claim(s) 8, 11, and 24-25 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Shin et al. (US20090004818A1-Shin18) in view of Anthis et al. (US 20180033689-Anthis89), in view of Wang et al. (US 7888273 B1-Wang73), and further in view of Yu et al. (US 20180315853 A1-Yu53).
Therefore, claim(s) 8, 11, and 24-25 stand rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Shin et al. (US20090004818A1-Shin18) in view of Anthis et al. (US 20180033689-Anthis89), in view of Wang et al. (US 7888273 B1-Wang73), and further in view of Yu et al. (US 20180315853 A1-Yu53).
Claim(s) 14 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Shin et al. (US20090004818A1-Shin18) in view of Anthis et al. (US 20180033689-Anthis89), in view of Wang et al. (US 7888273 B1-Wang73), in view of Yu et al. (US 20180315853 A1-Yu53), and further in view of Tsai et al. (US 20200105589-Tsai89).
Therefore, claim(s) 14 stands rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Shin et al. (US20090004818A1-Shin18) in view of Anthis et al. (US 20180033689-Anthis89), in view of Wang et al. (US 7888273 B1-Wang73), in view of Yu et al. (US 20180315853 A1-Yu53), and further in view of Tsai et al. (US 20200105589-Tsai89).
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 9-10 , see pages 7-10, filed on 05/18/2026, with respect to 35 U.S.C. 103 rejection(s) of claim(s) 9-10 have been fully considered and are persuasive. The 35 U.S.C. 103 rejection(s) of claim(s) 9-10 has been withdrawn.
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 12 , see pages 7-10, filed on 05/18/2026, with respect to 35 U.S.C. 103 rejection(s) of claim(s) 12 have been fully considered and are persuasive. The 35 U.S.C. 103 rejection(s) of claim(s) 12 has been withdrawn.
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). 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 NATHALIE R FAYETTE whose telephone number is (571)272-1220. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 8:30 am-6pm ET.
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, Christine Kim can be reached at (571) 272-8458. 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.
NATHALIE R. FAYETTE
Examiner
Art Unit 2812
/NATHALIE R FAYETTE/Examiner, Art Unit 2812 06/10/2026
/CHRISTINE S. KIM/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2812
Prosecution Insights