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 Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 1 and 8 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 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 1-2, 4-6, 8-14 and 27 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Wang et al. (U.S. Publication No. 20210087055).
Regarding claim 1, Wang teaches a semiconductor device, comprising: a metal layer (Fig.1, 114a); and a gyroscope (Fig.1, 137 and paragraph 21) comprising: a getter structure (Fig.1, 116a) overlying the metal layer, wherein the getter structure comprises a first portion of a titanium layer (Paragraph 20); and a bump stop structure (Fig.1, 132) overlyinq the metal layer, wherein the bump stop structure comprises a second portion of the titanium layer (Paragraph 30, “the first stopper layer 132a may, for example, be or comprise titanium”, also as shown in Fig.1, 132a is directly on top of the getter 116).
Regarding claim 2, Wang teaches the getter structure is exposed to a vacuum sealed space (Paragraph 20).
Regarding claim 4, Wang teaches wherein the bump stop structure comprises: a first dielectric structure (Fig.2, the dielectric capping layer 210 has a first portion on the left side of a gap); a second dielectric structure (Fig.2, the dielectric capping layer 210 has a first portion on the right side of a gap), wherein a sidewall of the first dielectric structure faces and is spaced apart from a sidewall of the second dielectric structure (As shown in Fig.2, there is a gap between left portion of the dielectric capping layer 210 and right portion of the dielectric capping layer 210); and a metal nitride layer (Fig.2, 132b and paragraph 53) 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 Fig.2, 132b has a left portion aligned with the sidewall of the left portion of the dielectric capping layer 210, also 132b has a right portion aligned with the sidewall of the right portion of the dielectric capping layer 210).
Regarding claim 5, Wang teaches the first portion of the metal nitride layer is spaced apart from the second portion of the metal nitride layer (As shown in Fig.2, there is a gap between a left portion of 132b and a right portion of 132b).
Regarding claim 6, Wang teaches the metal nitride layer comprises titanium nitride (Paragraph 53).
Regarding claim 8, Wang teaches a semiconductor device, comprising: a metal layer (Fig.1, 114a); a gyroscope (Fig.1, 137 and paragraph 21) comprising a getter structure (Fig.1, 116a) overlying the metal layer, wherein the getter structure comprises titanium (Paragraph 20); and an accelerometer (Fig.1, 135 and paragraph 21) comprising an outgassing structure (Fig.1, 130 and paragraph 20) overlying the metal layer and spaced apart from the metal layer (As shown in Fig.1, the outgas layer 130 is spaced apart from the metal layer 114a).
Regarding claim 9, Wang teaches the outgassing structure comprises silicon oxide (Paragraph 13).
Regarding claim 10, Wang teaches the getter structure is exposed to a vacuum sealed space (Paragraph 20).
Regarding claim 11, Wang teaches the gyroscope comprises a bump stop structure (Fig.1, 132) overlying the metal layer (Fig.1, 114a).
Regarding claim 12, Wang teaches wherein the bump stop structure comprises: a first dielectric structure (Fig.2, the dielectric capping layer 210 has a first portion on the left side of a gap); a second dielectric structure (Fig.2, the dielectric capping layer 210 has a first portion on the right side of a gap), wherein a sidewall of the first dielectric structure faces and is spaced apart from a sidewall of the second dielectric structure (As shown in Fig.2, there is a gap between left portion of the dielectric capping layer 210 and right portion of the dielectric capping layer 210); and a metal nitride layer (Fig.2, 132b and paragraph 53) 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 Fig.2, 132b has a left portion aligned with the sidewall of the left portion of the dielectric capping layer 210, also 132b has a right portion aligned with the sidewall of the right portion of the dielectric capping layer 210).
Regarding claim 13, Wang teaches the first portion of the metal nitride layer is spaced apart from the second portion of the metal nitride layer (As shown in Fig.2, there is a gap between a left portion of 132b and a right portion of 132b).
Regarding claim 14, Wang teaches the metal nitride layer comprises titanium nitride (Paragraph 53).
Regarding claim 27, Wang teaches wherein the second portion of the titanium layer is contiguous with the first portion of the titanium layer (As shown in Fig.1, getter layer 116a is contiguous with the first stopper layer 132a).
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.
Claim 7 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Wang et al. (U.S. Publication No. 20210087055) in view of Cuthbertson et al. (U.S. Publication No. 20200270123).
Regarding claim 7, Wang teaches all the features of claim 4 as outlined above, Wang is silent about the first dielectric structure comprises: a first oxide structure; and a first nitride structure overlying the first oxide structure; the second dielectric structure comprises: a second oxide structure; and a second nitride structure overlying the second oxide structure; a third portion of the metal nitride layer overlies a top surface of the first nitride structure; and a fourth portion of the metal nitride layer overlies a top surface of the second nitride structure.
Cuthbertson teaches 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).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to replace Wang’s bump stop with Cuthbertson’s bump stop because Wang’s bump stop provides better protection.
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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 XIN Y ZHONG whose telephone number is (571)272-3798. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9 a.m. - 6 p.m..
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/XIN Y ZHONG/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2855
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