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 with traverse of Group I, claims 1-14 in the reply filed on 1/12/2026 is acknowledged. The traversal is on the ground(s) that the Office has failed to demonstrate that a serious search or examination burden would be placed upon the Office if the election was not required, also claim 21 is amended herein and comprises the subject matter of claim 1. This is not found persuasive because in the Office Action mailed on 11/10/2025, Examiner showed that Group I and Group II have different classifications.
Furthermore, regarding the amendment to claim 21.
I. Claims 1-14, drawn to a semiconductor device, classified in G01C19/00.
III. Amended claims 21-26, drawn to a semiconductor device, classified in G01C19/5769.
The inventions are independent or distinct, each from the other because:
Inventions I and III are directed to related products. The related inventions are distinct if: (1) the inventions as claimed are either not capable of use together or can have a materially different design, mode of operation, function, or effect; (2) the inventions do not overlap in scope, i.e., are mutually exclusive; and (3) the inventions as claimed are not obvious variants. See MPEP § 806.05(j). In the instant case, the inventions as claimed in Group I requires a bump stop structure overlying the metal layer while Group III dose not, also Group III requires an accelerometer, comprising: a second portion of the titanium layer; and a second portion of the nitride layer over the second portion of the titanium layer while Group I does not. Furthermore, the inventions as claimed do not encompass overlapping subject matter and there is nothing of record to show them to be obvious variants.
The requirement is still deemed proper and is therefore made FINAL.
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 1-3 and 8-11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Lee et al. (U.S. Publication No. 20180312396).
Regarding claim 1, Lee teaches a semiconductor device, comprising: a metal layer (Figs.1-8, 150); and a gyroscope (Fig.6, 320) comprising a getter structure (Figs.1-8, 215) overlying the metal layer (Figs.1-8, 150 and paragraph 57), wherein the getter structure comprises titanium (Paragraph 57 and Claim 6).
Regarding claim 2, Lee teaches the getter structure is exposed to a vacuum sealed space (Paragraph 50).
Regarding claim 3, Lee teaches the gyroscope comprises a bump stop structure overlying the metal layer (Paragraphs 64-66).
Regarding claim 8, Lee teaches a semiconductor device, comprising: a metal layer (Figs.1-8, 150); a gyroscope (Fig.6, 320) comprising a getter structure (Figs.1-8, 215) overlying the metal layer (Figs.1-8, 150 and paragraph 57), wherein the getter structure comprises titanium (Paragraph 57 and Claim 6); and an accelerometer (Fig.6, 310) comprising an outgassing structure (Figs.1-8, 200) overlying the metal layer (Figs.1-8, 150).
Regarding claim 9, Lee teaches the outgassing structure comprises silicon oxide (Paragraph 70).
Regarding claim 10, Lee teaches the getter structure is exposed to a vacuum sealed space (Paragraph 50).
Regarding claim 11, Lee teaches the gyroscope comprises a bump stop structure overlying the metal layer (Paragraphs 64-66).
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 4-7 and 12-14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lee et al. (U.S. Publication No. 20180312396) in view of Cuthbertson et al. (U.S. Publication No. 20200270123).
Regarding claims 4 and 12, Lee teaches all the features of claims 3 and 11 as outlined above, Lee is silent about wherein the bump stop structure comprises: a first dielectric structure; a second dielectric structure, wherein a sidewall of the first dielectric structure faces and is spaced apart from a sidewall of the second dielectric structure; and a metal nitride layer comprising: a first portion aligned with the sidewall of the first dielectric structure; and a second portion aligned with the sidewall of the second dielectric structure.
Cuthbertson teaches wherein the bump stop structure (As shown in the reproduced Fig.10, 1016) comprises: a first dielectric structure (As shown in the reproduced Fig.10, first dielectric structure); a second dielectric structure (As shown in the reproduced Fig.10, second dielectric structure), wherein a sidewall of the first dielectric structure faces and is spaced apart from a sidewall of the second dielectric structure (As shown in the reproduced Fig.10, there is a gap between the first dielectric structure and the second dielectric structure); and a metal nitride layer (Fig.10, 1012 and paragraph 76) comprising: a first portion aligned with the sidewall of the first dielectric structure; and a second portion aligned with the sidewall of the second dielectric structure (As shown in the reproduced Fig.10, left portion of 1012 is on top of the first dielectric structure and right portion of 1012 is on top of the second dielectric structure).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to replace Lee’s bump stop with Cuthbertson’s bump stop because Wang’s bump stop provides better protection.
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Regarding claims 5 and 13, the combination of Lee and Cuthbertson teaches all the features of claims 4 and 12 as outlined above, Cuthbertson further teaches wherein: the first portion of the metal nitride layer is spaced apart from the second portion of the metal nitride layer (Fig.10, there is a gap between left portion of 1012 and right portion of 1012).
Regarding claims 6 and 14, the combination of Lee and Cuthbertson teaches all the features of claims 4 and 12 as outlined above, Cuthbertson further teaches the metal nitride layer comprises titanium nitride (Paragraph 76).
Regarding claim 7, the combination of Lee and Cuthbertson teaches all the features of claim 4 as outlined above, Cuthbertson further the first dielectric structure (As shown in the reproduced Fig.10, first dielectric structure) comprises: a first oxide structure (As shown in the reproduced Fig.10, 1006); and a first nitride structure (As shown in the reproduced Fig.10, 1008) overlying the first oxide structure; the second dielectric structure (As shown in the reproduced Fig.10, second dielectric structure) comprises: a second oxide structure (As shown in the reproduced Fig.10, 1006); and a second nitride structure (As shown in the reproduced Fig.10, 1008) overlying the second oxide structure; a third portion of the metal nitride layer overlies a top surface of the first nitride structure (Fig.10, left side of 1012 overlies a top surface of left side 1008); and a fourth portion of the metal nitride layer overlies a top surface of the second nitride structure (Fig.10, right side of 1012 overlies a top surface of right side 1008).
Conclusion
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/XIN Y ZHONG/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2855