DETAILED ACTION
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
Response to Arguments
Applicants’ arguments filed 06/ have been fully considered but they are not persuasive. The amended portion of claim1 has been addressed accordingly using current reference and has been explained.
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 1-6 and 12-14 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Shun-Ichiro OHMI et al. (In-Situ N2-Plasma Nitridation for High-k HfN Gate Insulator Formed by Electron Cyclotron Resonance " IEICE TRANS” 20.06.06.) hereinafter OHMI, in view of OHMI (and people skilled in the art).
Regarding claim 1, OHMI teaches a semiconductor apparatus (left column of page 299, Figs, 2, 3, etc.) comprising: a Si substrate; and a ferroelectric thin film formed on the Si substrate (100) and including HfNX (1 < x) having a rhombohedral crystal structure.
OHMI does not explicitly teach that HfN1.1 or HfNx (1<x) is a ferroelectric thin film having a rhombohedral crystal structure.
However, Figure 4 of OHMI, Fig. 4 shows the change of hysteresis width as a function of nitridation pressure. Since the hysteresis width is related to the strength of ferroelectricity, the HfN1.1 or HfNx(1<x) of OHMI is ferroelectric, and a person skilled in the art would be able to determine that the HfNx(1<x) of OHMI is ferroelectric. Having the same or similar material composition as HfNx(1<x). 1.1 or HfNx(1<x) having the same or similar material composition as HfNx(1<x) of claim 1, it is easy to derive the crystal structure of the rhombohedral crystal system. The crystal structure of the rhombohedral crystal system can be easily derived from HfN1.1 or HfNx (1<x) of OHMI, which has the same or similar material composition.
For limitations:
“wherein the ferroelectric thin film exhibits a hysteresis in polarization-voltage (P-V) characteristics.”
In ferroelectric materials, the P–V hysteresis loop (polarization–voltage) is a signature of their nonlinear dielectric response. When an electric field is applied, the spontaneous polarization of the material changes, but due to domain wall pinning and energy barriers, the polarization does not follow the field linearly. This results in a loop where the polarization at a given field is different depending on whether the field is increasing or decreasing.
Hence, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to use OHMI’s semiconductor apparatus with other teaching from OHMI as known to people skilled in the art in order to meet device functionality by improving the electrical characteristics.
Regarding claim 2, OHMI teach the semiconductor apparatus according to claim 1, wherein 1.1 ≤ x ≤1.3 holds true (TheHfN1.1 initial layer improves the interface property, and HfN1.3 layer increases the dielectric constant). Also, this can be easily derived by a person skilled in the art in order to meet device to operate efficiently.
Regarding claim 3, OHMI teaches the semiconductor apparatus according to claim 1, wherein 1.15 ≤ x ≤ 1.2 holds true (TheHfN1.1 initial layer improves the interface property, and HfN1.3 layer increases the dielectric constant). Also, this can be easily derived by a person skilled in the art in order to meet device to operate efficiently.
Regarding claim 4, OHMI teaches the semiconductor apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an SiO2 layer formed outside an active region in which the semiconductor device is formed (Fig. 3, etc.).
Regarding claim 5, OHMI teaches the semiconductor apparatus according to claim 1, comprising: a contact layer including HfNy (y < 1) formed on the ferroelectric thin film; and a metal electrode (Al) formed on the contact layer (Fig. 3, etc. HfN0.5 and Al disclosed can be easily derived. The addition and limitation of HfN0.5 and Al).
Regarding claim 6, OHMI teaches the semiconductor apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the ferroelectric thin film has a thickness of 3 nm to 20 nm (HfN1.1 with a thickness of 3.4 nm in Fig. 1, etc.).
Regarding claim 12, OHMI teaches the semiconductor apparatus claim 1, wherein the semiconductor apparatus is provided with a ferroelectric gate transistor (said transistor being : a Si substrate and : p-Si(100) in MISFET structure : Substantially identical) and the ferroelectric thin film is formed in a gate region of the ferroelectric gate transistor (A ferroelectric thin film including HfNx (1<x) having a rhombohedral crystal structure formed in a gate region on said Si substrate and : ferroelectric HfN1.1 or HfNx (1<x) on p- Si(100) (Page 299, Figures 1, 4, etc.) and further comprises n+ layers formed in a drain region and a source region each adjacent to the gate region on the Si substrate (an n+ layer formed in a drain region and a source region adjacent to said gate region and said source region of said Si substrate. n+ layer of p-Si(100) (Figure 3, etc.) is substantially the same).
Regarding claim 13, OHMI teaches the semiconductor apparatus according to claim 12, further comprising a SiO2 layer formed on the Si substrate such that it is formed outside an active region including the gate region, the source region, and the drain region (The structure of the addition and limitation of the claim can be easily derived from the SiO2 layer on p-Si (100) disclosed in the cited invention 1 (Fig. 3). The structure can be easily derived from the SiO2 layer on p-Si (100) disclosed in OHMI Figure 3, etc.).
Regarding claim 14, OHMI teaches the semiconductor apparatus according to claim 1, comprising: forming the HfNX (1 < x) layer by depositing Hf on the Si substrate using an Electron Cyclotron Resonance (ECR) sputtering method in a gas atmosphere including N2 and Ar (Page 299, Figures 1, 4, etc.); crystallizing the HfNX layer into the rhombohedral crystal structure by subjecting it to heat treatment after it is formed (The step of crystallizing the HfNx layer into a rhombohedral crystalline system by heat treatment after the step of forming the HfNx layer. : Post-metallization annealing (PMA1) ((Page 299 right column, Fig. 1, etc. : some differences perhaps).
As shown in the comparative table, component 1 is substantially identical to the cited invention 1. However, while component 2 crystallizes the HfNx layer into a rhombohedral crystalline system via heat treatment On the other hand, the quoted invention 1 is based on the post-metallization annealing (PEM) process performed at 500°C, which corresponds to the heat treatment of claim 7. (Fig. 1, etc.), which corresponds to the heat treatment of claim. but there is no reference to "rhombohedral crystalline system". However, there is a difference (difference) in that there is no reference to "rhombohedral crystal system. However, there is a difference (difference) in that there is no reference to "rhombohedral crystal system. HfN1.1 or HfNx(1<x) of the recited invention 1 having the same or similar material composition as the HfNx(1<x) layer of claim 7. HfN1.1 or HfNx (1<x) of OHMI having the same or similar material composition as the HfN1.1 or HfNx (1<x) layer of OHMI is heat treated at the same or similar temperature range (referring to paragraph [59] of the claimed invention, heat treatment is performed at 400-500°C). -to 500°C), the same crystal structure (i.e., rhombohedral crystal system) as in claim 7 can be obtained. Since a person skilled in the art can easily predict that the same crystal structure (i.e., rhombohedral crystal system) as claimed can be obtained.
Conclusion
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. 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 SHEIKH MARUF whose telephone number is (571)270-1903. The examiner can normally be reached M-F, 8am-6pm EDT.
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/SHEIKH MARUF/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2897
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