DETAILED ACTION
This Office Action is in response to the Election and Amendment filed on October 17, 2025.
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 Group I, claims 1-12 in the reply filed on October 17, 2025 is acknowledged.
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 1-12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Cronin et al. (US 9,318,693 B2) in view of the cited case law.
In re claim 1, Cronin et al. shows (figs. 25, 26) an apparatus, comprising: have coplanar surfaces (the same height), and wherein at least a subset of electrode segments of the row have sidewalls that oppose sidewalls of adjacent electrode segments of the row; In re Harza, 274 F.2d 669, 124 USPQ 378 (CCPA 1960). See also MPEP 2144.04 VI. (B). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of filing to modify the device of Cronin by forming a plurality of rows of electrodes and dielectrics to provide a complete array of memory devices.
In re claim 2, Cronin et al. shows (figs. 25, 26) a plurality of transistors (110, 104, 114) arranged in one or more rows of transistors (left side) extending in the first direction and one or more columns of transistors (right side) extending in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction, each transistor comprising a respective first terminal (at 112); a plurality of digit lines (114) extending in the first direction, wherein each digit line of the plurality of digit lines is coupled with respective second terminals of a respective row of transistors (right side); and a plurality of word lines (104) extending in the second direction, wherein each word line of the plurality of word lines is coupled with respective gates of a respective column of transistors.
In re claim 3, Cronin, when combined with the cited case law, shows (figs. 25, 26) a plurality of dielectric walls (202), wherein each dielectric wall of the plurality of dielectric walls extends in the first direction, the plurality of dielectric walls comprising a first dielectric wall positioned between a first row of electrode segments and a second row of electrode segments adjacent to the first row and a second dielectric wall positioned between a third row of electrode segments adjacent to the second row and a fourth row of electrode segments adjacent to the third row.
In re claim 4, Cronin, when combined with the cited case law, shows (figs. 25, 26) the plurality of plates comprises a first plate positioned between the second row of electrode segments and the third row of electrode segments.
In re claim 5, Cronin, when combined with the cited case law, shows (figs. 25, 26) the first row of electrode segments are formed on a first sidewall of the first dielectric wall (202) and the second row of electrode segments are formed on a second sidewall of the first dielectric wall.
In re claim 6, Cronin et al. shows (figs. 25, 26) each dielectric wall of the plurality of dielectric walls comprises a first dielectric material (TiALN 602) and each dielectric segment of the plurality of dielectric segments (oxide 902) comprises a second dielectric material different from the first dielectric material.
In re claim 7, Cronin et al. shows (figs. 25, 26) a permittivity of the ferroelectric material (PZT 1602) is greater than a permittivity of a dielectric material (oxide 902) forming the plurality of dielectric segments (PZT has a higher permittivity than oxide).
In re claim 8, Cronin et al. shows (figs. 25, 26) (Original) An apparatus, comprising: a layer of dielectric material (fig. 3, 202) comprising the art. In re Harza, 274 F.2d 669, 124 USPQ 378 (CCPA 1960). See also MPEP 2144.04 VI. (B). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of filing to modify the device of Cronin by forming a plurality of cavities and other components to provide a complete array of memory devices.
In re claim 9, Cronin, when combined with the cited case law, shows (figs. 25, 26) a plurality of transistors arranged in one or more rows of transistors extending in the first direction and one or more columns of transistors extending in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction, each transistor comprising a respective first terminal; a plurality of digit lines extending in the first direction, wherein each digit line of the plurality of digit lines is coupled with respective second terminals of a respective row of transistors; and a plurality of word lines extending in the second direction, wherein each word line of the plurality of word lines is coupled with respective gates of a respective column of transistors.
In re claim 10, Cronin, when combined with the cited case law, shows (figs. 25, 26) each of the respective sets of electrode segments comprises: a first electrode segment coupled with a first terminal (110 left) of a first transistor; a second electrode segment coupled with a first terminal of a second transistor (110 right), the second electrode segment adjacent to the first electrode segment in the first direction; and a third electrode segment coupled with a first terminal of a third transistor, the third electrode segment adjacent to the first electrode segment in the second direction, wherein the opposing pair of sidewalls of adjacent electrode segments comprises a first sidewall of the first electrode segment and a sidewall of the second electrode segment or a second sidewall of the first electrode segment and a sidewall of the third electrode segment.
In re claim 11, Cronin, when combined with the cited case law, shows (figs. 25, 26) a plurality of plate lines (2506, 2508) of the conductive material, wherein each plate line of the plurality extends in the first direction and is in contact with each post of a respective row of cavities of the plurality of cavities.
In re claim 12, Cronin et al. shows (figs. 25, 26) the layer of dielectric material comprises a first dielectric material (TiAlN; 202,602) and each barrier segment (oxide, 902) of the respective sets of barrier segments comprises a second dielectric material (oxide) different from the first dielectric material (TiAlN).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Joo (US Pub. 2005/0170599 A1), Nakamura (US 6,756,262 B1), Lajoie (US Pub. 2020/0411520 A1), Avci (US Pub. 2020/0006346 A1), Manabe (US Pub. 2015/0340367 A1), Lee (US 11,903,184 B2), Tung (WO-2021056984 A1), and Nagano (JP-2006210386 A) disclose various elements of the claims.
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/MATTHEW E WARREN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2815