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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 12/23/2025 is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of the first paragraph of 35 U.S.C. 112(a):
(a) IN GENERAL.—The specification shall contain a written description of the invention, and of the manner and process of making and using it, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and use the same, and shall set forth the best mode contemplated by the inventor or joint inventor of carrying out the invention.
The following is a quotation of the first paragraph of pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112:
The specification shall contain a written description of the invention, and of the manner and process of making and using it, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and use the same, and shall set forth the best mode contemplated by the inventor of carrying out his invention.
Claims 21-29 and 31-41 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(a) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), first paragraph, as failing to comply with the written description requirement. The claim(s) contains subject matter which was not described in the specification in such a way as to reasonably convey to one skilled in the relevant art that the inventor or a joint inventor, or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the inventor(s), at the time the application was filed, had possession of the claimed invention.
Claim 21 recites the limitation "a plurality of outer word lines (WLs)" in the second line of the claim, which lacks the full support of the original disclosure. The original disclosure does not disclose the structure related to the limitation of "a plurality of outer word lines (WLs)".
Claim 21 recites the limitation "an outer WL contact set" in the 8th line of the claim, which lacks the full support of the original disclosure. The original disclosure does not disclose the structure related to the limitation of "an outer WL contact set".
Claim 21 recites the limitation "the outer WL contact set having an outer cross sectional dimension" in the 12th line of the claim, which lacks the full support of the original disclosure. The original disclosure does not disclose the structure related to the limitation of "the outer WL contact set having an outer cross sectional dimension".
Claim 21 recites the limitation "a plurality of inner WLs" in the 19th line of the claim, which lacks the full support of the original disclosure. The original disclosure does not disclose the structure related to the limitation of "a plurality of inner WLs".
Claim 21 recites the limitation "an inner WL contact set" in the 23rd and 24th lines of the claim, which lacks the full support of the original disclosure. The original disclosure does not disclose the structure related to the limitation of "an inner WL contact set".
Claim 21 recites the limitation "an inner WL cross sectional dimension" in the 24th line of the claim, which lacks the full support of the original disclosure. The original disclosure does not disclose the structure related to the limitation of "an inner WL cross sectional dimension".
Claim 21 recites the limitation "the outer cross sectional dimension of the inner WL contact set" in the last two lines of the claim, which lacks the full support of the original disclosure. The original disclosure does not disclose the structure related to the limitation of "the outer cross sectional dimension of the inner WL contact set".
Claim 27 recites the limitation "a plurality of outer word lines (WLs)" in the 4th line of the claim, which lacks the full support of the original disclosure. The original disclosure does not disclose the structure related to the limitation of "a plurality of outer word lines (WLs)".
Claim 27 recites the limitation "an outer WL contact set" in the 10th line of the claim, which lacks the full support of the original disclosure. The original disclosure does not disclose the structure related to the limitation of "an outer WL contact set".
Claim 27 recites the limitation "the outer WL contact set having an outer cross sectional dimension" in the 14th line of the claim, which lacks the full support of the original disclosure. The original disclosure does not disclose the structure related to the limitation of "the outer WL contact set having an outer cross sectional dimension".
Claim 27 recites the limitation "a plurality of inner WLs" in the 21st line of the claim, which lacks the full support of the original disclosure. The original disclosure does not disclose the structure related to the limitation of "a plurality of inner WLs".
Claim 27 recites the limitation "an inner WL contact set" in the 25th and 26th lines of the claim, which lacks the full support of the original disclosure. The original disclosure does not disclose the structure related to the limitation of "an inner WL contact set".
Claim 27 recites the limitation "an inner WL cross sectional dimension" in the 26th line of the claim, which lacks the full support of the original disclosure. The original disclosure does not disclose the structure related to the limitation of "an inner WL cross sectional dimension".
Claim 27 recites the limitation "the outer cross sectional dimension of the inner WL contact set" in the last two lines of the claim, which lacks the full support of the original disclosure. The original disclosure does not disclose the structure related to the limitation of "the outer cross sectional dimension of the inner WL contact set".
Claim 41 recites the limitation "an outer WL group" in the 2nd and 3rd lines of the claim, which lacks the full support of the original disclosure. The original disclosure does not disclose the structure related to the limitation of "an outer WL group".
Claim 41 recites the limitation "an inner WL group" in the 3rd line of the claim, which lacks the full support of the original disclosure. The original disclosure does not disclose the structure related to the limitation of "an outer WL group".
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments with respect to claims 21 and 27 have been considered but are moot in view of the new ground(s) of rejection.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Beak et al. (US 20200194373 A1) teach a three-dimensional semiconductor memory device including word lines and their contact structures.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to HSIN YI HSIEH whose telephone number is (571)270-3043. The examiner can normally be reached 8:30 - 5:00 pm.
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/HSIN YI HSIEH/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2899 3/31/2026
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