DETAILED ACTION
IDS
All references provided in the IDS have been considered.
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of Group I (claims 1-14) in the reply filed on 07/15/2026 is acknowledged. Claims 15-20 have been withdrawn.
Specification
The disclosure is objected to because of the following informalities: unclear term usage for “a third thickness”.
The specification, for example ¶ [0120], uses a third thickness to be “the third elongated structure having a third oxide layer having a third thickness” and later ¶[0124] states: “another portion of the first oxide layer under the first elongated structure has a third thickness”. It is unclear whether these defined “third thickness” are the same thickness or could be different.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
The following is a quotation of AIA 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 of this title, 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(s) 1-8 are rejected under AIA 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lee (US 20230061018 A1).
Re: Independent Claim 1, Lee discloses:
An integrated circuit (IC) device (Lee, semiconductor device (i.e. IC); Fig. 1B, element 10, ¶ [0013]) comprising:
a support structure (Lee, substrate; Fig. 1B, element 27);
a first elongated structure (Lee. channel member; Fig. 1B, element 26, ¶ [0014], the first and closest instance to the substrate can be considered a first elongated structure) over the support structure, the first elongated structure extending in a first direction parallel to the support structure (Lee, Fig. 1B, the labeled x-direction can be considered a first direction parallel to the top surface of the substrate);
a second elongated structure (Lee, channel member, Fig. 1B, element 26, the second instance of 26, separated by a distance D1 over the first elongated structure, can be considered a second elongated structure) over the support structure and over the first elongated structure (Lee, Fig. 1B shows the second instance of 26 over both element 27 and the first instance of 26), the second elongated structure extending in the first direction (Lee, Fig. 1B, all element 26 portions extend in the x-direction);
a first oxide layer (Lee, gate oxide layer; Fig. 1B, element 30a, ¶ [0014], the one surrounding the first instance of element 26, can be considered a first oxide layer) over the first elongated structure, the first oxide layer having a first thickness (Lee, the thickness of 30a surrounding the first instance of element 26 can be considered a first thickness, ¶ 0015]) that is substantially uniform across the first elongated structure (Lee, Fig. 1B); and
a second oxide layer (Lee, gate oxide layer; Fig. 1B, element 30a, ¶ [0014], the one surrounding the second instance of element 26, can be considered a second oxide layer) over the second elongated structure, the second oxide layer having a second thickness (Lee, the thickness of 30a surrounding the second instance of element 26 can be considered a second thickness, ¶ 0015]). that is substantially uniform across the second elongated structure (Lee, Fig. 1B),
Although it appears in Lee, Fig. 1B that the instances of 30a are the same, and therefore the first thickness is within 1% of the second thickness.
Lee does not explicitly disclose:
wherein the first thickness is within 1% of the second thickness
However, it would be obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art (POSITA) before the effective filing date to make all instances of 30a substantially uniform in thickness in its application around the channel member (within approximately 1% tolerance) for consistency in layering and ease of manufacturing.
Re: Dependent Claim 2, Lee discloses all the limitations of claim 1 on which this claim depends. Lee further discloses:
wherein a base of the first elongated structure (Lee. channel member; Fig. 1B, element 26, ¶ [0014], the first and closest instance to the substrate can be considered a first elongated structure, the bottom most surface can be considered a base of the first elongated structure) is a first distance from an upper surface of the support structure (Lee, substrate; Fig. 1B, element 27, the top most surface can be considered an upper surface), and a base of the second elongated structure (Lee, channel member, Fig. 1B, element 26, the second instance of 26, separated by a distance D1 over the first elongated structure, can be considered a second elongated structure, the bottom most surface can be considered a base of the second elongated structure) is a second distance from the upper surface of the support structure, the second distance greater than the first distance (Lee, Fig. 1B, the second instance of element 26 is a greater distance further from the substrate than the first instance of element 26).
Re: Dependent Claim 3, Lee discloses all the limitations of claim 1 on which this claim depends. Lee further discloses:
further comprising a third elongated structure (Lee. channel member; Fig. 1B, element 26, ¶ [0014], the third instance of element 26 can be considered a third elongated structure, see attached annotated figure, labeled third elongated structure) over the second elongated structure (Lee, channel member, Fig. 1B, element 26, the second instance of 26, can be considered a second elongated structure, see attached annotated figure labeled second elongated structure) the third elongated structure extending in the first direction (Lee, Fig. 1B, the labeled x-direction), and the third elongated structure having a third oxide layer (Lee, gate oxide layer; Fig. 1B, element 30a, ¶ [0014], the one surrounding the third instance of element 26, can be considered a third oxide layer) having a third thickness (Lee, the thickness of 30a surrounding the third instance of element 26 can be considered a third thickness, ¶ 0015]), wherein the third thickness is within 1% of the second thickness (Lee, Fig. 1B).
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Re: Dependent Claim 4, Lee discloses all the limitations of claim 1 on which this claim depends. Lee further discloses:
wherein the first elongated structure (Lee. channel member; Fig. 1B, element 26, ¶ [0014], the first and closest instance to the substrate can be considered a first elongated structure, see attached annotated figure labeled first elongated structure) comprises silicon, and the second elongated structure (Lee, channel member, Fig. 1B, element 26, the second instance of 26, can be considered a second elongated structure, see attached annotated figure labeled second elongated structure) comprises silicon (Lee, ¶ [0014]. "each of the channel members includes silicon")
Re: Dependent Claim 5, Lee discloses all the limitations of claim 1 on which this claim depends. Lee further discloses:
wherein the first oxide layer (Lee, gate oxide layer; Fig. 1B, element 30a, ¶ [0014], the one surrounding the first instance of element 26, can be considered a first oxide layer) comprises silicon and oxygen, and the second oxide layer (Lee, gate oxide layer; Fig. 1B, element 30a, ¶ [0014], the one surrounding the second instance of element 26, can be considered a second oxide layer) comprises silicon and oxygen (Lee, ¶ [0029], "the gate oxide layer may include silicon oxide", both instances of 30a are gate oxide layers and silicon oxide includes silicon and oxygen).
Re: Dependent Claim 6, Lee discloses all the limitations of claim 1 on which this claim depends. Lee further discloses:
wherein, in a cross-section (Lee, Fig. 1B, a vertical cut-through can be considered a cross section) through the first elongated structure (Lee. channel member; Fig. 1B, element 26, ¶ [0014], the first and closest instance to the substrate can be considered a first elongated structure, see attached annotated figure labeled first elongated structure) and the second elongated structure (Lee, channel member, Fig. 1B, element 26, the second instance of 26, can be considered a second elongated structure, see attached annotated figure labeled second elongated structure), the cross-section perpendicular to the first direction (Lee, Fig. 1B, the vertical cut-through occurs in the Z-direction, which is perpendicular to the x-direction, which is the first direction), the first oxide layer encloses the first elongated structure (Lee, gate oxide layer; Fig. 1B, element 30a, ¶ [0014], the one surrounding the first instance of element 26, can be considered a first oxide layer) and the second oxide layer (Lee, gate oxide layer; Fig. 1B, element 30a, ¶ [0014], the one surrounding the second instance of element 26, can be considered a second oxide layer) encloses the second elongated structure (Lee, Fig. 1B, 30a surrounds 26, which can be considered enclosing).
Re: Dependent Claim 7, Lee discloses all the limitations of claim 1 on which this claim depends. Lee further discloses:
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wherein the first thickness (Lee, the thickness of 30a surrounding the first instance of element 26 can be considered a first thickness, ¶ 0015]) is a thickness of a portion of the first oxide layer (Lee, gate oxide layer; Fig. 1B, element 30a, ¶ [0014], the one surrounding the first instance of element 26, can be considered a first oxide layer) over a top of the first elongated structure (Lee. channel member; Fig. 1B, element 26, ¶ [0014], the first and closest instance to the substrate can be considered a first elongated structure, see attached annotated figure labeled first elongated structure), and another portion of the first oxide layer under the first elongated structure has a third thickness, the third thickness within 1% of the first thickness (Lee, Fig. 1B, see attached annotated image labels "first thickness" and "third thickness").
Re: Dependent Claim 8, Lee discloses all the limitations of claim 1 on which this claim depends. Lee further discloses:
wherein the first thickness (Lee, the thickness of 30a surrounding the first instance of element 26 can be considered a first thickness, ¶ 0015]) is a thickness of a portion of the first oxide layer (Lee, gate oxide layer; Fig. 1B, element 30a, ¶ [0014], the one surrounding the first instance of element 26, can be considered a first oxide layer) over a top of the first elongated structure (Lee. channel member; Fig. 1B, element 26, ¶ [0014], the first and closest instance to the substrate can be considered a first elongated structure, see attached annotated figure labeled first elongated structure), and another portion of the first oxide layer at a side (Lee, Fig. 1B, under the first elongated structure can be considered a side) of the first elongated structure has a third thickness, the third thickness within 1% of the first thickness.(Lee, Fig. 1B, see attached annotated image labels "first thickness" and "third thickness").
Claim(s) 9, 11-14 are rejected under AIA 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lee (US 20230061018 A1) in view of Liu et. al (2020).
Re: Independent Claim 9, Lee discloses:
A transistor device comprising (Lee, gate-all-around (GAA) transistor, Fig. 1B, element 20):
a plurality of nanoribbons arranged in a stack (Lee, vertically stacked multiple channel members; Fig. 1B, element 26, ¶ [0014]), each nanoribbon (Lee, channel member; Fig. 1B, element 26) in the stack each extending in a direction parallel to other nanoribbons in the stack (Lee, Fig. 1B, each element 26 extends in the x-direction, which is parallel to other element 26 instances); and
an oxide layer (Lee, interfacial layer/gate oxide layer; Fig. 1B, element 30a) formed around each of the plurality of nanoribbons, wherein the oxide layer around a nanoribbon has a thickness of less than 30 angstroms (Lee, ¶ [0015] "the gate oxide layer thickness has a thickness ranging from about 5 angstroms to about 20 angstroms, which is less than 30 angstroms);
Lee does not explicitly disclose:
wherein the transistor device has a breakdown voltage of at least 4 volts.
Liu et. al (2020) discloses:
a relationship between breakdown voltage and gate oxide thickness.
Lee discloses a transistor device with a plurality of nanoribbons and an oxide layer around eat of the nanoribbons with a thickness of less than 30 angstroms. Lee does not explicitly disclose that the transistor device has a breakdown voltage of at least 4 volts. Liu et. al (2020) discloses a known relationship between breakdown voltage and gate oxide thickness for gate driver IC's. Both disclose gate oxide layers and are therefore analogous art. It would be obvious to a POSITA before the effective filing date, to select an appropriate gate oxide thickness, arriving at the invention as claimed, for the known reasoning of adjusting the breakdown voltage, as disclosed by Liu et. al (2020).
Re: Dependent Claim 11, Lee and Liu et. al (2020) disclose all the limitations of claim 9 on which this claim depends. Lee further discloses:
wherein the oxide layer (Lee, interfacial layer/gate oxide layer; Fig. 1B, element 30a) around a first of the plurality of nanoribbons (Lee, vertically stacked multiple channel members; Fig. 1B, element 26, ¶ [0014], see attached figure labeled first nanoribbon) and the oxide layer around a second of the plurality of nanoribbons have substantially the same uniformity (Lee, Fig
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1B, element 26, see attached figure labeled second nanoribbon).
Re: Dependent Claim 12, Lee and Liu et. al (2020) disclose all the limitations of claim 11 on which this claim depends. Lee further discloses:
wherein the first of the plurality of nanoribbons is a lowermost nanoribbon in the stack (Lee, vertically stacked multiple channel members; Fig. 1B, element 26, ¶ [0014], see attached figure labeled first nanoribbon), and the second of the plurality of nanoribbons is an uppermost nanoribbon in the stack (Lee, Fig 1B, element 26, see attached figure labeled second nanoribbon).
Re: Dependent Claim 13, Lee and Liu et. al (2020) disclose all the limitations of claim 9 on which this claim depends. Lee further discloses:
wherein each of the plurality of nanoribbons in the stack (Lee, vertically stacked multiple channel members; Fig. 1B, element 26, ¶ [0014]), comprises silicon (Lee, ¶ [0014]. "each of the channel members includes silicon")
Re: Dependent Claim 14, Lee and Liu et. al (2020) disclose all the limitations of claim 9 on which this claim depends. Lee further discloses:
wherein the oxide layer (Lee, interfacial layer/gate oxide layer; Fig. 1B, element 30a) around each of the plurality of nanoribbons (Lee, vertically stacked multiple channel members; Fig. 1B, element 26, ¶ [0014]) comprises silicon and oxygen (Lee, ¶ [0029], "the gate oxide layer may include silicon oxide", 30a surrounding each of the nanoribbons are gate oxide layers, and silicon oxide includes silicon and oxygen).
Claim(s) 10 is rejected under AIA 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lee (US 20230061018 A1) in view of Liu et. al (2020) further in view of Cho et. al (2005).
Re: Dependent Claim 10, Lee and Liu et. al (2020) disclose all the limitations of claim 9 on which this claim depends. Lee further discloses:
wherein the transistor device (Lee, gate-all-around (GAA) transistor, Fig. 1B, element 20)
Lee and Liu et.al (2020) do not explicitly disclose:
wherein the transistor device has a drive current of between 20 and 80 microamps.
Cho et.al discloses:
a relationship between breakdown voltage, layer thickness, and drive current
Lee and Liu et. al (2020), discloses a transistor device with a plurality of nanoribbons and an oxide layer around eat of the nanoribbons with a thickness of less than 30 angstroms and a breakdown voltage of at least 4 volts. Lee and Liu et. al do not explicitly disclose that the transistor device has a drive current of between 20 and 80 microamps. Cho et. al (2005) discloses a relationship between layer thickness, drive current, and breakdown voltage. It would be obvious to a POSITA before the effective filing date to select appropriate parameters for the breakdown voltage and oxide thickness to obtain a drive current between 20 and 80 microamps, arriving at the invention as claimed, with the known relationship between breakdown voltage, layer thickness and drive current, as disclosed by Cho et. al (2005).
Prior art made of record and not relied upon are considered pertinent to current application disclosure.
Colombeau (US 20220238680 A1), Clinton (US 20240222521 A1), Radosavljevic (US 20240222376 A1), and Dorow (US 20240222428 A1) disclose gate stack structure and nanoribbons in a stacked structure.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to NIMARTA KAUR CHOWDHARY whose telephone number is (571)272-7679. The examiner can normally be reached usually Monday - Thursday, 6:45 AM - 4:45 PM (EST).
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/NIMARTA KAUR CHOWDHARY/ Examiner, Art Unit 2898
/Leonard Chang/ Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2898
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