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 .
Status of Claims
The status of the claims is as follows:
Claims 1-20 are pending in the application.
An action on the merits for claims 1-20 follows.
Claim Objections
Claim 4 is objected to because of the following formalities:
The period “.” following “cobalt” in claim 4 should be replaced with a semicolon “;” for clarity.
Appropriate correction is required.
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 1-3, 5, 7-8, 11 rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Li et al. (US 20100135061 A1), hereinafter Li in view of Kohlstedt et al. (US 20060145225 A1), hereinafter Kohlstedt.
Regarding Claim 1, Li teaches an apparatus (“memory cell,” (25); Fig. 2 (section-view), Paragraph [0032]), comprising: (Note: Figs. 1 and 3, along with their relevant paragraphs teach materials consistent with Fig. 2, Paragraphs [0032, 0033])
a first region (“first side layer,” (26); Fig. 2, Paragraph [0032]) comprising a first perovskite material (“complex metal oxides […] BaSrTiO3;” Paragraph [0030]);
a second region (“ferroelectric material,” (20); Paragraph [0032]) comprising a second perovskite material (“comprise a perovskite-structured material;” Paragraph [0028]);
a first electrode (“electrode,” (28); Paragraph [0032]) positioned adjacent to the first region (26), the first electrode (28) comprising a third perovskite material (“materials may be used for the first electrode and the second electrode, including, […] SrRuO3;” Paragraph [0035]), the first region (26) positioned between the first electrode (28) and the second region (20); and
a second electrode (“electrode,” (27); Paragraph [0032]) positioned adjacent to the second region (20), the second electrode (27) comprising a fourth perovskite material (“materials may be used for the first electrode and the second electrode, including, […] SrRuO3;” Paragraph [0035]), the second region (20) positioned between the first region (26) and the second electrode (27).
Li does not explicitly teach a dopant that is an n-type dopant for the second perovskite material.
Kohlstedt teaches at least an apparatus (“memory element;” Figs. 1a, 1b, Paragraph [0077]), comprising:
a dopant (“doping substance;” Paragraph [0078]) that is an n-type dopant (“donor-doped;” Paragraph [0078]) for the second perovskite material (“conductive non-ferroelectric layer;” Paragraph [0078]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill I the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the device of Li with the teachings of Kohlstedt such that the second semiconductor region comprises a dopant that is an n-type dopant for the second perovskite material. Doping adjusts the conductivity and increases the long-term stability of the device (Kohlstedt, Paragraph [0072]). In particular, doping with donors such as La and Nb are beneficial because of their valence stability (Kohlstedt, Paragraph [0079]) and reduces the density of weakly-mobile lattice vacancies, improving long-term stability (Kohlstedt, Paragraph [0077]).
Regarding Claim 2, Li as modified by Kohlstedt teaches the apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first perovskite material comprises barium, titanium, and oxygen (Li, “complex metal oxides […] BaSrTiO3;” Fig. 2, Paragraph [0030]).
Regarding Claim 3, Li as modified by Kohlstedt teaches the apparatus of claim 2, wherein the first perovskite material further comprises:
zirconium;
calcium;
strontium; (Li, “complex metal oxides […] BaSrTiO3;” Fig. 2, Paragraph [0030])
hafnium; or
calcium and zirconium.
Regarding Claim 5, Li as modified by Kohlstedt teaches the apparatus of claim 1, wherein the second perovskite material (Li, “perovskite-structured material”) comprises barium, strontium, and oxygen (Li, “perovskite-structured material such as […] BaSrTiO3;” Paragraph [0028]) and the n-type dopant (Kohlstedt, “doping substance”) comprises lanthanum, antimony, or strontium (Kohlstedt, “La […] particularly favorable donor;” Paragraph [0079]).
Regarding Claim 7, Li as modified by Kohlstedt teaches the apparatus of claim 1, wherein the second perovskite material (Li, “perovskite-structured material”) comprises strontium, titanium, and oxygen, (Li, “perovskite-structured material such as […] BaSrTiO3;” Paragraph [0028]) and wherein the n-type dopant (Kohlstedt, “doping substance”) comprises lanthanum or vanadium (Kohlstedt, “La […] particularly favorable donor;” Paragraph [0079]).
Regarding Claim 8, Li as modified by Kohlstedt teaches the apparatus of claim 1, wherein the third perovskite material and/or the fourth perovskite material comprises:
strontium, vanadium, and oxygen;
strontium, chromium, and oxygen;
strontium, iron, and oxygen;
sodium, tungsten, and oxygen;
potassium, molybdenum, and oxygen;
strontium, niobium, and oxygen;
lanthanum, titanium, and oxygen;
lanthanum, tungsten, and oxygen;
strontium, ruthenium, and oxygen; (Li, “materials may be used for the first electrode and the second electrode, including, […] SrRuO3;” Fig. 2, Paragraph [0035])
niobium, strontium, titanium, and oxygen; or
comprises lanthanum, strontium, manganese, and oxygen.
Regarding Claim 11, Li as modified by Kohlstedt teaches the apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus is an integrated circuit component (Li, “integration of the non-volatile memory cell […] within a memory storage device (e.g., integrated circuit);” Figs. 1, 2, Paragraph [0022]).
Claim 4 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Li in view of Kohlstedt, and further in view of Dubourdieu et al. (US 20150357429 A1), hereinafter Dubourdieu.
Regarding Claim 4, Li as modified by Kohlstedt teaches the apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first perovskite material comprises:
bismuth and oxygen; (Li, “group consisting of […] BaBiO3;” Paragraph [0030])
Li as modified by Kohlstedt does not explicitly teach wherein the perovskite material comprises:
bismuth, iron, and oxygen;
bismuth, iron, oxygen, and lanthanum;
bismuth, iron, oxygen, and cobalt.
lithium, niobium, and oxygen;
potassium, niobium, and oxygen;
gadolinium, iron, and oxygen; or
gadolinium, iron, oxygen, and lanthanum.
Dubourdieu teaches at least an apparatus (“semiconductor structure;” Fig. 3, Paragraph [0044]), wherein the first perovskite material (“ferroelectric perovskite material layer,” (16); Fig. 3, Paragraph [0045]) comprises:
bismuth, iron, and oxygen; (“bismuth iron oxide;” Paragraph [0045])
bismuth, iron, oxygen, and lanthanum;
bismuth, iron, oxygen, and cobalt.
lithium, niobium, and oxygen;
potassium, niobium, and oxygen;
gadolinium, iron, and oxygen; or
gadolinium, iron, oxygen, and lanthanum.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill I the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the device of Li modified by Kohlstedt with the teachings of Dubourdieu such that the first perovskite material comprises bismuth, iron, and oxygen. Li teaches that a bismuth perovskite material is suitable for the first perovskite material (Li, Paragraph [0030]). Dubourdieu teaches that bismuth iron oxide is a clear alternative to barium strontium titanate as found in Li, and would therefore be obvious to substitute as a ferroelectric perovskite material because of its ability to be deposited to form the needed region (Dubourdieu, Paragraphs [0045, 0046])
Claim 6 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Li in view of Kohlstedt, and further in view of Liu et al. (US 20240337888 A1), hereinafter Liu.
Regarding Claim 6, Li as modified by Kohlstedt teaches the apparatus of claim 1, wherein the second perovskite material (Li, “perovskite-structured material”) comprises strontium and oxygen (Li, “perovskite-structured material such as […] BaSrTiO3;” Paragraph [0028]), and wherein the n-type dopant (Kohlstedt, “doping substance”) comprises lanthanum, tantalum, neodymium, samarium, niobium, antimony, or lead (Kohlstedt, “La […] particularly favorable donor;” Paragraph [0079]).
Li as modified by Kohlstedt does not explicitly teach wherein the second perovskite material comprises tin.
Liu teaches at least an apparatus (“device;” (30); Figs. 2C, 3, Paragraph [0054]), wherein the second perovskite material (“support layer,” (24); Paragraph [0051]) comprises tin (“support material is selected from materials comprising […] SrSnO3;” Paragraph [0087]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the apparatus of Li as modified by Kohlstedt with the teachings of Liu such that the second perovskite material comprises tin. This is because using perovskite material such as SrSnO3 has the benefit of being easily doped and has desirable conductive properties with other attached materials. (Liu, Paragraphs [0086, 0091]).
Claim 9 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Li in view of Kohlstedt, and further in view of Landi et al. “Correlation between Electronic Defect States Distribution and Device Performance of Perovskite Solar Cells,” Advanced Science, hereinafter Landi.
Regarding Claim 9, Li as modified by Kohlstedt teaches the apparatus of claim 1.
Li as modified by Kohlstedt does not explicitly teach wherein the first perovskite material comprises one or more trap energy levels within, at 300 K, about 518 meV of a conduction band or a valence band of the first perovskite material.
Landi teaches at least an apparatus (“devices based on polycrystalline perovskite thin films;” section 2.4, pg. 7, col. 1) wherein the first perovskite material (“perovskite thin film;” section 2.4, pg. 7, col. 1) comprises one or more trap energy levels (“energy depth of the traps;” section 2.4, pg. 7, col. 1) within, at 300 K (“at 300 K;” section 2.4, pg. 7, col. 1), about 518 meV of a conduction band or a valence band (“below the conduction band can be estimated as […] 230 +/- 6) meV;” section 2.4, pg. 7, col. 1) of the first perovskite material (“perovskite thin film”).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the apparatus of Li as modified by Kohlstedt with the teachings of Landi such that the first perovskite material comprises one or more trap energy levels within, at 300 K, about 518 meV of a conduction band or a valence band of the first perovskite material. This property improves conductivity and allows for energy levels to act as electron-attractive traps (section 2.4, pg. 7, col. 1)
Claims 10 and 12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Li in view of Kohlstedt, and further in view of Manipatruni et al. (US 20200303344 A1), hereinafter Manipatruni.
Regarding Claim 10, Li as modified by Kohlstedt teaches the apparatus of claim 1.
Li as modified by Kohlstedt does not explicitly teach wherein the apparatus is a wafer.
Manipatruni teaches at least an analogous apparatus (“memory die,” (303); Fig. 3, Paragraph [0067]) wherein the apparatus (304) is a wafer (“may be a wafer;” Paragraph [0067]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the apparatus of Li as modified by Kohlstedt with the teachings of Manipatruni such that the apparatus is a wafer. This has the added benefit of allowing dies to be formed on the wafer in multiple configurations and orientations, providing flexibility for packaging (Paragraph [0067]).
Regarding Claim 12, Li as modified by Kohlstedt teaches the apparatus of claim 11.
Li as modified by Kohlstedt does not explicitly teach a printed circuit board, the integrated circuit component attached to the printed circuit board.
Manipatruni teaches at least an apparatus (“package comprising a computation block,” (300); Fig. 3A, Paragraph [0057]) comprising a printed circuit board (“printed circuit board,” (301); Paragraph [0058]), the integrated circuit component (“memory die,” (303); Fig. 3A, Paragraph [0059]) attached to the printed circuit board (301).
It would have been obvious to one of the ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the apparatus of Li as modified by Kohlstedt with the teachings of Manipatruni such that the device includes a printed circuit board and the integrated circuit component is attached to the printed circuit board. Incorporating a PCB allows other components to be mounted to it with the integrated circuit component and allows the apparatus to perform more complex functions by communicating with other components (Paragraphs [0058, 0078]).
Claims 13-17, and 19-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Li in view of Kohlstedt, and further in view of Dubourdieu.
Regarding Claim 13, Li teaches a method (“method used to make memory cells;” Paragraph [0036] including “memory cell,” (25); Fig. 2 (section-view), Paragraph [0032]), comprising: (Note: Figs. 1 and 3, along with their relevant paragraphs teach materials consistent with Fig. 2, Paragraphs [0032, 0033])
Forming of a first electrode (“electrode,” (28); Paragraph [0032]) comprising a first perovskite material (“materials may be used for the first electrode and the second electrode, including, […] SrRuO3;” Paragraph [0035]);
forming of a first region (“first side layer,” (26); Fig. 2, Paragraph [0032]) comprising a second perovskite material (“complex metal oxides […] BaSrTiO3;” Paragraph [0030]), the first region (26) positioned adjacent to the first electrode (28);
forming of a second region (“ferroelectric material,” (20); Paragraph [0032]) comprising a third perovskite material (“comprise a perovskite-structured material;” Paragraph [0028]), the second region (20) positioned adjacent to the first region (26), the first region (26) positioned between the first electrode (28) and the second region (20); and
forming of a second electrode (“electrode,” (27); Paragraph [0032]) comprising a fourth perovskite material (“materials may be used for the first electrode and the second electrode, including, […] SrRuO3;” Paragraph [0035]), the second electrode (27) positioned adjacent to the second region (20), the second region (20) positioned between the first region (26) and the second electrode (27);
wherein the first electrode (28) is formed on or above a surface of a substrate (“electrodes may further be formed adjacent a substrate;” Paragraph [0022]).
Li does not explicitly teach an n-type dopant for the third perovskite material.
Kohlstedt teaches at least a device (“memory element;” Figs. 1a, 1b, Paragraph [0077]) analogous to the produced device of Li, comprising:
an n-type dopant (“doping substance” used to make a “donor-doped” material; Paragraph [0078]) for the third perovskite material (“conductive non-ferroelectric layer;” Paragraph [0078]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill I the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the method of Li with the teachings of Kohlstedt such that the second semiconductor region comprises a dopant that is an n-type dopant for the second perovskite material. Doping adjusts the conductivity and increases the long-term stability of the device (Kohlstedt, Paragraph [0072]). In particular, doping with donors such as La and Nb are beneficial because of their valence stability (Kohlstedt, Paragraph [0079]) and reduces the density of weakly-mobile lattice vacancies, improving long-term stability (Kohlstedt, Paragraph [0077]).
Li as modified by Kohlstedt additionally does not explicitly teach a substrate comprising silicon.
Dubourdieu teaches a method (“method of forming a semiconductor device;” Fig. 1, Paragraph [0007]) wherein a substrate (“substrate,” (10); Fig. 1, Paragraph [0027]) comprises silicon (“can be comprised of […] silicon;” Paragraph [0027]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill I the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the method of Li modified by Kohlstedt with the teachings of Dubourdieu such that the substrate comprises silicon. The use of a silicon substrate is widely known in the art and can provide the benefit of providing support for additional layers (Dubourdieu, Paragraph [0028]).
Regarding Claim 14, Li as modified by Kohlstedt and Dubourdieu teaches the method of claim 13, wherein the second perovskite material comprises barium, titanium, and oxygen (Li, “complex metal oxides […] BaSrTiO3;” Fig. 2, Paragraph [0030]).
Regarding Claim 15, Li as modified by Kohlstedt and Dubourdieu teaches the method of claim 14, wherein the second perovskite material further comprises:
zirconium;
calcium;
strontium; (Li, “complex metal oxides […] BaSrTiO3;” Fig. 2, Paragraph [0030])
hafnium; or
calcium and zirconium.
Regarding Claim 16, Li as modified by Kohlstedt and Dubourdieu teaches the method of claim 13, wherein the second perovskite material comprises:
bismuth and oxygen; (Li, “group consisting of […] BaBiO3;” Paragraph [0030])
Li as modified by Kohlstedt does not explicitly teach wherein the second perovskite material comprises:
bismuth, iron, and oxygen;
bismuth, iron, oxygen, and lanthanum;
bismuth, iron, oxygen, and cobalt.
lithium, niobium, and oxygen;
potassium, niobium, and oxygen;
gadolinium, iron, and oxygen; or
gadolinium, iron, oxygen, and lanthanum.
Dubourdieu teaches at least a method (“method of forming a semiconductor device;” Fig. 1, Paragraph [0007]), wherein the second perovskite material (“ferroelectric perovskite material layer,” (16); Fig. 3, Paragraph [0045]) comprises:
bismuth, iron, and oxygen; (“bismuth iron oxide;” Paragraph [0045])
bismuth, iron, oxygen, and lanthanum;
bismuth, iron, oxygen, and cobalt;
lithium, niobium, and oxygen;
potassium, niobium, and oxygen;
gadolinium, iron, and oxygen; or
gadolinium, iron, oxygen, and lanthanum.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill I the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the method of Li modified by Kohlstedt with the teachings of Dubourdieu such that the second perovskite material comprises bismuth, iron, and oxygen. Li teaches that a bismuth perovskite material is suitable for the first perovskite material (Li, Paragraph [0030]). Dubourdieu teaches that bismuth iron oxide is a clear alternative to barium strontium titanate as found in Li, and would therefore be obvious to substitute as a ferroelectric perovskite material because of its ability to be deposited to form the needed region (Dubourdieu, Paragraphs [0045, 0046])
Regarding Claim 17, Li as modified by Kohlstedt and Dubourdieu teaches the method of claim 13, wherein the third perovskite material (Li, “perovskite-structured material”) comprises barium, strontium, and oxygen (Li, “perovskite-structured material such as […] BaSrTiO3;” Paragraph [0028]) and the n-type dopant (Kohlstedt, “doping substance”) comprises lanthanum, antimony, or strontium (Kohlstedt, “La […] particularly favorable donor;” Paragraph [0079]).
Regarding Claim 19, Li as modified by Kohlstedt and Dubourdieu teaches the method of claim 13, wherein the third perovskite material (Li, “perovskite-structured material”) comprises strontium, titanium, and oxygen, (Li, “perovskite-structured material such as […] BaSrTiO3;” Paragraph [0028]) and wherein the n-type dopant (Kohlstedt, “doping substance”) comprises lanthanum or vanadium (Kohlstedt, “La […] particularly favorable donor;” Paragraph [0079]).
Regarding Claim 20, Li as modified by Kohlstedt and Dubourdieu teaches the method of claim 13, wherein the first perovskite material and/or the fourth perovskite material comprises:
strontium, vanadium, and oxygen;
strontium, chromium, and oxygen;
strontium, iron, and oxygen;
sodium, tungsten, and oxygen;
potassium, molybdenum, and oxygen;
strontium, niobium, and oxygen;
lanthanum, titanium, and oxygen;
lanthanum, tungsten, and oxygen;
strontium, ruthenium, and oxygen; (Li, “materials may be used for the first electrode and the second electrode, including, […] SrRuO3;” Fig. 2, Paragraph [0035])
niobium, strontium, titanium, and oxygen; or
comprises lanthanum, strontium, manganese, and oxygen.
Claim 18 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Li in view of Kohlstedt and Dubourdieu, and further in view of Liu et al. (US 20240337888 A1), hereinafter Liu.
Regarding Claim 18, Li as modified by Kohlstedt and Dubourdieu teaches the method of claim 13, wherein the third perovskite material (Li, “perovskite-structured material”) comprises strontium and oxygen (Li, “perovskite-structured material such as […] BaSrTiO3;” Paragraph [0028]), and wherein the n-type dopant (Kohlstedt, “doping substance”) comprises lanthanum, tantalum, neodymium, samarium, niobium, antimony, or lead (Kohlstedt, “La […] particularly favorable donor;” Paragraph [0079]).
Li s modified by Kohlstedt and Dubourdieu does not explicitly teach wherein the third perovskite material comprises tin.
Liu teaches at least an apparatus (“device;” (30); Figs. 2C, 3, Paragraph [0054]) analogous to that produced by the method of Li, wherein the second perovskite material (“support layer,” (24); Paragraph [0051]) comprises tin (“support material is selected from materials comprising […] SrSnO3;” Paragraph [0087]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the apparatus of Li as modified by Kohlstedt and Dubourdieu with the teachings of Liu such that the third perovskite material comprises tin. This is because using perovskite material such as SrSnO3 has the benefit of being easily doped and has desirable conductive properties with other attached materials. (Liu, Paragraphs [0086, 0091]).
Conclusion
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/NOLAN GABRIEL STUESSY/
Examiner, Art Unit 2812
/HERVE-LOUIS Y ASSOUMAN/Examiner, Art Unit 2812
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