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.
Election/Restrictions
Claims 7-11 withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b), as being drawn to a nonelected Group-II, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Applicant timely traversed the restriction (election) requirement in the reply filed on 02/17/2026. The reason explained in restriction requirements is how Hf can be deposited with a simpler process other than ECR sputtering process as explained. So, the restriction requirement is proper.
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 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.
1 of the recited invention 1 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 the cited invention 1, which has the same or similar material composition.
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.).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. See form PTO-892.
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