Last updated: July 17, 2026

Application No. 18/232,181

Profile Control Of Gate Structures In Semiconductor Devices

Non-Final OA

Filed

Aug 09, 2023

Priority

Jan 13, 2021 — provisional 63/136,972 +1 more

Examiner

HOANG, TUAN A

Art Unit

2898

Tech Center

2800 — Semiconductors & Electrical Systems

Assignee

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.

OA Round

1 (Non-Final)

Interview Optional

— +11.5% interview lift. Interview already conducted in this application's prosecution history. This examiner has a 74% grant rate with +11.5% interview lift. Since an interview has already been tried, recommend written response with narrowed claims based on precedent claim evolution patterns.

Based on 510 resolved cases, 2023–2026

Examiner Intelligence

HOANG, TUAN A View full profile →

Grants 74% — above average

Career Allowance Rate

377 granted / 510 resolved

+5.9% vs TC avg

Moderate +12% lift

Without

With

+11.5%

Interview Lift

resolved cases with interview

Typical timeline

2y 8m

Avg Prosecution

27 currently pending

Career history

536

Total Applications

across all art units

Statute-Specific Performance

§103

86.7%

+46.7% vs TC avg

§102

5.4%

-34.6% vs TC avg

§112

5.2%

-34.8% vs TC avg

Black line = Tech Center average estimate • Based on career data from 510 resolved cases

Prosecution Timeline

Aug 09, 2023

Application Filed

Apr 14, 2026

Non-Final Rejection mailed

May 14, 2026

Examiner Interview (Telephonic)

May 14, 2026

Examiner Interview Summary

Precedent Cases

Applications granted by this same examiner with similar technology

18/171,362

Patent 12666640

LOW-FREQUENCY NOSIE TRANSISTORS WITH CURVED CHANNELS

3y 4m to grant Granted Jun 23, 2026

18/366,410

Patent 12666685

TRIPLE LAYER HIGH-K GATE DIELECTRIC STACK FOR WORKFUNCTION ENGINEERING

2y 10m to grant Granted Jun 23, 2026

18/175,821

Patent 12652816

METHOD FOR FABRICATING SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE

3y 3m to grant Granted Jun 09, 2026

17/855,586

Patent 12635504

INTEGRATED CIRCUIT STRUCTURES HAVING VERTICAL KEEPER OR POWER GATE FOR BACKSIDE POWER DELIVERY

3y 10m to grant Granted May 19, 2026

18/085,886

Patent 12635194

SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE

3y 5m to grant Granted May 19, 2026

Study what changed to get past this examiner. Based on 5 most recent grants.

Strategy Recommendation AI-generated — please review before filing

Get a prosecution strategy drawn from examiner precedents, rejection analysis, and claim mapping.

Typically takes 5-10 seconds — AI-generated, attorney review required before filing

Prosecution Projections

1-2

Expected OA Rounds

74%

Grant Probability

85%

With Interview (+11.5%)

2y 8m (~0m remaining)

Median Time to Grant

Low

PTA Risk

Based on 510 resolved cases by this examiner. Grant probability derived from career allowance rate.