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 .
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) 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.
The following is a quotation of the appropriate paragraphs of 35 U.S.C. 102 that form the basis for the rejections under this section made in this Office action:
A person shall be entitled to a patent unless –
(a)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale, or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1-4, 6, and 10-17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Naylor et al. (Naylor”), US 2022/0102499.
Regarding Claim 1, Naylor discloses a transistor device (100; Fig. 9; ¶ 0047 “transistor 100”) comprising:
a transition metal dichalcogenide (TMD) (120; Fig. 9; ¶ 0034 “channel 102 and the 2DM S/Ds 104 may include one or more metal chalcogenides (MCs)” and “an MC may be a transition metal dichalcogenide (TMD)”) over (Fig. 10; ¶ 0048 “forming a 2DM 120 on the support 106 of FIG. 3”) a support structure (106; Fig. 9; ¶ 0046 “support 106”), the TMD having a central region (102; Fig. 9; ¶ 0047 “channel 102”), a first side region (left side 104; Fig. 9; ¶ 0047 “S/Ds 104”), and a second side region (right side 104; Fig. 9; ¶ 0047 “S/Ds 104”) opposite the central region from the first side region (Fig. 9; ¶ 0033 “channel 102 between two 2DM sources/drains (S/Ds)”), the first side region having a thickness in a direction perpendicular to the support structure at least twice a thickness of the central region (¶ 0035 “thickness 138 of the 2DM channel 102 may be equal to the thickness of one…layers of a 2DM therein, and the thickness 140 of the 2DM S/Ds 104 may be equal to the thickness of more than two layers of a 2DM therein (e.g., between 3 and 10 layers)”); and
a dielectric material (110; Fig. 9; ¶ 0033 “dielectric 110”) over the central region of the TMD (Fig. 9; ¶ 0033 “dielectric 110 is between the gate metal 112 and the 2DM channel 102”), the dielectric material between the first side region of the TMD and the second side region of the TMD (Fig. 9).
Regarding Claim 2, Naylor discloses further comprising a metal (112; Fig. 9; ¶ 0033 “metal 112”) over the dielectric material (Fig. 9; ¶ 0033 “dielectric 110 is between the gate metal 112 and the 2DM channel 102”).
Regarding Claim 3, Naylor discloses wherein the TMD has a lattice structure (¶ 0038 “a material at the top surface of the support 106 may be closely lattice-matched to the 2DM of the 2DM channel 102 and/or lattice-matched to the 2DM of the 2DM S/Ds 104” therefore central region 102, the first side region 104, and the second side region 104 have a lattice structure), and an upper portion (126; Fig. 9; ¶ 0050 “126 may have a same material composition as the 2DM 128”) of the TMD in the first side region has vacancies in the lattice structure (¶ 0049 “128 may include a plasma or ozone treatment (e.g., to create vacancies)” therefore 126 also has vacancies in the lattice structure).
Regarding Claim 4, Naylor discloses wherein the TMD comprises a first transition metal (¶ 0047 “120 may include molybdenum”), and an upper portion of the TMD in the first side region further comprises a second transition metal (¶ 0047 “126 may include niobium”) different from the first transition metal.
Regarding Claim 6, Naylor discloses further comprising a metal (136; Fig. 9; ¶ 0038 “conductive material 136”) over the first side region of the TMD and the second side region of the TMD (Fig. 9 ¶ 0038 “conductive material 136 may be disposed on the 2DM S/Ds 104 to serve as S/D contacts”), the metal not over the central region (Fig. 9; ¶ 0038 “conductive material 136…spaced away from the gate 114”).
Regarding Claim 10, Naylor discloses wherein the central region of the TMD is a monolayer (¶ 0035 “channel 102 may be a monolayer 2DM").
Regarding Claim 11, Naylor discloses wherein the second side region has a thickness in the direction perpendicular to the support structure at least twice the thickness of the central region (Fig. 9; ¶ 0035 “channel 102 may be equal to the thickness of one…layers of a 2DM therein, and the thickness 140 of the 2DM S/Ds 104 may be equal to the thickness of more than two layers of a 2DM therein (e.g., between 3 and 10 layers)”).
Regarding Claim 12, Naylor discloses a transistor device (100; Fig. 9; ¶ 0047 “transistor 100”) comprising:
a source region (left side 104; Fig. 9; ¶ 0033 “sources/drains (S/Ds)” and “S/Ds 104”) comprising a transition metal dichalcogenide (TMD) (¶ 0034 “S/Ds 104 may include one or more metal chalcogenides (MCs)” and “an MC may be a transition metal dichalcogenide (TMD)”), wherein an uppermost portion of the TMD in the source region (126; Fig. 9; ¶ 0047 “126 (above the 2DM 128”) is doped (¶ 0050 “126 may have a same material composition as the 2DM 128”; ¶ 0047 “128 may include one or more additives (e.g., one or more dopant atoms” therefore 126 is doped);
a drain region (right side 104; Fig. 9; ¶ 0033 “sources/drains (S/Ds)” and “S/Ds 104”) comprising the TMD (¶ 0034 “S/Ds 104 may include one or more metal chalcogenides (MCs)” and “an MC may be a transition metal dichalcogenide (TMD);
a channel region (102; Fig. 9; ¶ 0033 “channel 102”) between the source region and the drain region (¶ 0033 “channel 102 between two 2DM sources/drains (S/Ds)”), the channel region comprising the TMD (¶ 0034 “channel 102…may include one or more metal chalcogenides (MCs)” and “an MC may be a transition metal dichalcogenide (TMD)”).
Regarding Claim 13, Naylor discloses wherein the source region comprises multiple layers of the TMD (¶ 0035 “S/Ds 104 may be equal to the thickness of more than two layers of a 2DM therein (e.g., between 3 and 10 layers)”), and the channel region comprises a single layer of the TMD (¶ 0035 “channel 102 may be equal to the thickness of one…layers of a 2DM” and “channel 102 may be a monolayer”).
Regarding Claim 14, Naylor discloses wherein the source region and the drain region comprise a same number of layers of the TMD (¶ 0042 “a substantially uniform thickness equal to the desired thickness 140 of the 2DM S/Ds 104 in the 2DM transistor 100”; ¶ 0048 “thickness 140 of the 2DM S/Ds 104 in the 2DM transistor 100”).
Regarding Claim 15, Naylor discloses further comprising a dielectric (110; Fig. 9; ¶ 0033 “dielectric 110”) over the channel region (Fig. 9; ¶ 0033 “dielectric 110 is between the gate metal 112 and the 2DM channel 102”), the dielectric between the source region and the drain region (Fig. 9).
Regarding Claim 16, Naylor discloses wherein the uppermost portion of the TMD in the source region (126; Fig. 9; ¶ 0050 “126 may have a same material composition as the 2DM 128”) is doped by vacancies (¶ 0049 “128 may include a plasma or ozone treatment (e.g., to create vacancies)” therefore 126 is also doped by vacancies) in a lattice structure of the TMD (¶ 0038 “a material at the top surface of the support 106 may be closely lattice-matched to the 2DM of the 2DM channel 102 and/or lattice-matched to the 2DM of the 2DM S/Ds 104” therefore the TMD has a lattice structure).
Regarding Claim 17, Naylor discloses wherein the TMD comprises a first transition metal (¶ 0047 “120 may include molybdenum”), and the uppermost portion of the TMD in the source region is doped by a second transition metal (¶ 0047 “126 may include niobium”) different from the first transition metal.
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 7-9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Naylor et al. (Naylor”), US 2022/0102499, in view of Li et al. (“Li”), US 2020/0098564.
Regarding Claim 7, Naylor does not disclose further comprising a second dielectric material between the support structure and the TMD.
Li discloses further comprising a second dielectric material (not shown; Fig. 4B; ¶ 0032 “a layer of hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN)…is formed over a substrate 10”) between the support structure (10; Fig. 4B; ¶ 0032 “substrate 10”) and the TMD (20; Fig. 4B; ¶ 0030 “TMD single crystalline layer 20”).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention for Naylor to have further comprising a second dielectric material between the support structure and the TMD, as taught by Li, because hexagonal boron nitride is an exceptional electrical insulator, thereby improving the performance and reliability of the transistor device in high-power and high-frequency applications.
Regarding Claim 8, Naylor discloses wherein the thickness of the central region of the TMD (102; Fig. 9; ¶ 0035 “thickness 138 of the 2DM channel 102 may be equal to the thickness of one…layers of a 2DM”).
Naylor does not disclose wherein the thickness of the central region of the TMD is less than 10 angstroms.
Li discloses wherein the thickness of the central region of the TMD is less than 10 angstroms (¶ 0030 “thickness of the TMD single crystalline layer 20 is in a range from about 0.5 nm to about 2 nm” noting that 10 angstroms equals 1 nanometer).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention for Naylor to have wherein the thickness of the central region of the TMD is less than 10 angstroms, as taught by Li, in order to have more compact first side, second side, and central regions so that the total size of the transistor device is more compact.
Regarding Claim 9, Naylor discloses wherein the thickness of the first side region of the TMD is at least three times the thickness of the central region of the TMD (¶ 0035 “channel 102 may be equal to the thickness of one…layers of a 2DM therein, and the thickness 140 of the 2DM S/Ds 104 may be equal to the thickness of…between 3 and 10 layers)”).
Claim 5 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Naylor et al. (Naylor”), US 2022/0102499, in view of Lin et al. (“Lin”), US 2023/0023186 (listed in the IDS).
Regarding Claim 5, Naylor discloses wherein the TMD comprises atoms of a transition metal and atoms of a chalcogen (Fig. 9; ¶ 0034 “channel 102 and the 2DM S/Ds 104 may include one or more metal chalcogenides (MCs)”, “an MC may be a transition metal dichalcogenide (TMD)”, and “TMD may include a transition metal…and a chalcogen”) arranged in a lattice structure (¶ 0038 “a material at the top surface of the support 106 may be closely lattice-matched to the 2DM of the 2DM channel 102 and/or lattice-matched to the 2DM of the 2DM S/Ds 104” therefore central region 102, the first side region 104, and the second side region 104 have a lattice structure).
Naylor does not disclose an upper portion of the TMD in the first side region comprises additional atoms of the transition metal or the chalcogen outside of the lattice structure.
Lin discloses an upper portion (upper portion of ML, 110, 110SD_2; Figs. 7A-7B, 23A) of the TMD (110; Figs. 7A-7B, 23A; ¶ 0047 “2-D material layer 110 is made of TMD”) in the first side region (Figs. 7A-7B, 23A; ¶ 0050 “layer 110 at the source/drain regions 110SD of the 2-D material layer 110” and “second portion 110SD_2 of the source/drain regions 110SD”) comprises additional atoms of the transition metal (¶ 0033 “transition metal atoms MA may be W atoms…or Pt atoms”; ¶ 0040 “source/drain contacts 130 may include Pt…W” therefore the first side region comprises additional atoms, Pt or W, of the transition metal) or the chalcogen outside of the lattice structure (Figs. 7A-7B, 23A: ¶ 0048 “source/drain contacts 130 may be in contact with portions of the 2-D material layer 110 that are not etched by the etching process E2 described in FIG. 6”; ¶ 0049 “because the source/drain contact 130 is wider than the etched portion 110E of the 2-D material layer 110, some of the contact metal atoms CMA of the source/drain contact 130 may vertically overlaps the chalcogen atoms CA”; ¶ 0050 “2-D material layer 110 at the source/drain regions 110SD of the 2-D material layer 110 are bonded with the contact metal atoms CMA of the source/drain contacts 130”; ¶ 0077 “contact CT is disposed on a top side of a TMD monolayer ML, in which the chalcogen atoms CA of the TMD monolayer ML are not removed, and thus the contact metal atoms CMA are connected to the chalcogen atoms CA through van der Waals force”).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention for Naylor to have an upper portion of the TMD in the first side region comprises additional atoms of the transition metal or the chalcogen outside of the lattice structure, as taught by Lin, because the binding energy of the transition metal atoms MA of the 2-D material layer 110 at the second portion 110SD_2 of the source/drain regions 110SD is improved, thereby improving the performance and reliability of the transistor device.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Lu et al. US 11,239,354 discloses a transistor device having a source region, a drain region, and a channel region comprising transition metal dichalcogenide (TMD). Chen et al. US 10,269,981 discloses a transistor device having a channel region comprising transition metal dichalcogenide (TMD). Rakshit et al. 10,026,751 discloses a transistor device having a channel region comprising transition metal dichalcogenide (TMD).
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/R.K./Examiner, Art Unit 2818
/JEFF W NATALINI/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2818
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