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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on July 6, 2023 is being considered by the examiner.
Specification
The title of the invention is not descriptive. A new title is required that is clearly indicative of the invention to which the claims are directed.
The following title is suggested: Methods of Forming Microelectronic Devices With Etch Stop Material
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of Group I (Claims 1-8 and 26-37) in the reply filed on November 10, 2025 is acknowledged.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claim 34 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Claim 34 recites the limitation "dielectric liner material" and “the dielectric liner material” in lines: 1 and 3-4. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim. For purposes of examination his will be interpreted as “dielectric liner structures” and “the dielectric liner structures.”
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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.
Claim(s) 1-8 and 26-37 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Luo (US 2022/0108947). Claim 1, Luo discloses (Figs. 1A-1G) a method of forming a microelectronic device, comprising: forming a microelectronic device structure (100, microelectronic device structure, Para [0031]), the microelectronic device structure comprising: a stack structure (102, stack structure, Para [0032]) comprising insulative structures (112, insulative structures, Para [0033]) and electrically conductive structures (114, electrically conductive structures, Para [0033]) vertically alternating with the insulative structures (114 vertically alternated with 112); pillar structures (111, pillar structures, Para [0032]) extending vertically through the stack structure (111 vertically extends through 102); an etch stop material (108, etch stop material, Para [0032]) vertically overlaying the stack structure (108 overlies 102); and a first dielectric material (110, dielectric material, Para [0032]) vertically overlying the etch stop material (110 vertically overlies 108); removing (Fig. 1B) portions of the first dielectric material (110), the etch stop material (108), and an upper region of the stack structure to form (110/108 and region of 102 removed to form 122) a trench (122, trenches, Para [0051]) interposed between horizontally neighboring groups of the pillar structures (122 are interpose between horizontally neighboring groups of 11); forming (Fig. 1C) a liner material (125, liner material, Para [0052]) within the trench (125 is formed within 122); and substantially filling (Fig. 1E) a remaining portion of the trench (122) with a second dielectric material (129, dielectric material, Para [0062]) to form a dielectric barrier structure (remaining portion of 122 filled with 129 to form dielectric barrier structure, Para [0062]). Claim 2, Luo discloses (Figs. 1A-1G) the method of claim 1, wherein forming a liner material (125) within the trench (122) comprises forming a dielectric nitride material within the trench (125 is a dielectric nitride material, Para [0057]).
Claim 3, Luo discloses (Figs. 1A-1G) the method of claim 2, wherein forming a dielectric nitride material within the trench comprises forming silicon nitride within the trench (125 may be silicon nitride in 122, Para [0057]). Claim 4, Luo discloses (Figs. 1A-1G) the method of claim 2, wherein substantially filling a remaining portion of the trench (122) with a second dielectric material (125) comprises substantially filling the remaining portion of trench with a dielectric oxide material (125may be dielectric oxide, Para [0061]). Claim 5, Luo discloses (Figs. 1A-1G) the method of claim 1, wherein forming a trench (122) comprises forming multiple trenches (multiple 122s are formed in fig 1B), each trench being formed between two of the horizontally neighboring groups of the pillar structures (each 122 is formed between two neighboring 111s). Claim 6, Luo discloses (Figs. 1A-1G) the method of claim 1, further comprising removing a portion of the liner material (125) directly adjacent a lower vertical boundary of the trench (Fig. 1D portion of 125 was removed adjacent lower vertical boundary of 122). Claim 7, Luo discloses (Figs. 1A-1G) the method of claim 1, further comprising forming (Fig. 1G) a third dielectric material (131, additional dielectric material, Para [0064]) vertically overlying the first dielectric material, the liner material, and the second dielectric material (131 overlies 110, 125, and 129).
Claim 8, Luo discloses (Figs. 1A-1G) the method of claim 7, further comprising: forming (Fig. 1G) recesses (133, recesses, Para [0065]) vertically extending completely through the third dielectric material (133 extends through 131), the first dielectric material (110), and the etch stop material (133 extends through 110 and 108); and forming contact structures (135, contact structures, Para [0065]) within the recesses (135 is formed within 133, Para [0065]).
Claim 26, Luo discloses (Figs. 1A-1G) a method of forming a microelectronic device, comprising: forming a microelectronic device structure (100, microelectronic device structure, Para [0031]), the microelectronic device structure comprising: a stack structure (102, stack structure, Para [0032]) comprising tiers (118, tiers, Para [0042]) respectively including insulative material (112, insulative structures, Para [0033]) and conductive material (114, electrically conductive structures, Para [0033]) vertically neighboring the insulative material (114 vertically neighbors 112); strings of memory cells (intersection of 111 and 120 form memory strings, Para [0041], hereinafter “strings”) vertically extending through stack structure (strings vertically extend 102); a conductive source structure (120, source structure, Para [0037]) vertically underlying the stack structure (120 vertically underlies 102) and in electrical communication with the strings of memory cells (120 is in electrical communication with strings, Para [0041]); and a carbon-containing material (108, etch stop layer may include carbon-containing material, Para [0038]) vertically overlying the stack structure (108 vertically overlies 102); forming (Fig. 1BG) openings (122, trenches, Para [0051]) vertically extending through the carbon-containing material (108) and an upper group of the tiers of the stack structure (122 vertically extends through an upper group of 118s), the openings respectively horizontally interposed between two of the strings of memory cells horizontally neighboring one another (122 are horizontally interposed between two of strings that neighbor each other); forming (Fig. 1C) dielectric liner material (125, liner material which may comprise dielectric material, Para [0057]) within the openings and substantially covering sidewalls of the carbon-containing material and the stack structure defining the openings (125 is within 122 and covers sidewalls of 108 and 102); and forming (Fig. 1E) additional dielectric material (129, dielectric material, Para [0062]) on the dielectric liner material to substantially fill remaining portions of the openings (129 is formed on 125 to substantially fill 122).
Claim 27, Luo discloses (Figs. 1A-1G) the method of claim 26, further comprising: forming the microelectronic device structure (100) to further comprise: dielectric structures (106, dielectric structure, Para [0032]) vertically extending through the carbon-containing material and the stack structure and to the conductive source structure (106 vertically extends through 108 and the 102 to 120); and dielectric material (110, dielectric material, Para [0032]) on upper surfaces of the dielectric structures and the carbon-containing material (110 is on upper surfaces of 106 and 108); and forming (Fig. 1B) the openings to also vertically extend through the dielectric material (122 also vertically extends through 110). Claim 28, Luo discloses (Figs. 1A-1G) the method of claim 27, further comprising: selecting the carbon-containing material (108) to comprise one of carbon nitride and silicon carbon nitride (108 can be carbon nitride or silicon carbon nitride, Para [0038]); and selecting the dielectric material to comprise dielectric oxide material (110 can be dielectric oxide material, Para [0040]). Claim 29, Luo discloses (Figs. 1A-1G) the method of claim 27, further comprising, after forming the additional dielectric material (129): forming (Fig. 1G) a further dielectric material (131, additional dielectric material, Para [0063]) on exposed surfaces of the dielectric material (131 is formed on exposed surfaces of 110), the dielectric liner material (125), and the additional dielectric material (129); and forming conductive contact structures (135, contact structures, Para [0065]) vertically extending through the further dielectric material, the dielectric material, and the carbon-containing material (135 vertically extends through 131, 110, and 108), the conductive contact structures respectively in electrical communication with one of the of the strings of memory cells (135 is coupled to 111 so would be in electrical communication with strings, Para [0066]). Claim 30, Luo discloses (Figs. 1A-1G) the method of claim 26, further comprising removing (Fig. 1D) portions of the dielectric liner material at floors of the openings prior to forming the additional dielectric material (portions of 125 are removed from the bottom of 122 prior to the formation of 129).
Claim 31, Luo discloses (Figs. 1A-1G) the method of claim 26, further comprising substantially maintaining portions of the dielectric liner material (125) at floors of the openings prior to forming the additional dielectric material (in Fig. 1C portions of 125 are maintained before forming 129 in Fig. 1E). Claim 32, Luo discloses (Figs. 1A-1G) the method of claim 26, further comprising: selecting the dielectric liner material (125) to comprise one or more of silicon nitride, carbon nitride,silicon oxynitride, silicon oxycarbide, silicon carboxynitride, and aluminum oxide (125 can be SiN, silicon oxynitride, silicon oxycarbide, etc, Para [0057]); and selecting the additional dielectric material (129) to comprise dielectric oxide material (129 can be dielectric oxide material, Para [0061]). Claim 33, Luo discloses (Figs. 1A-1G) a method of forming a microelectronic device, comprising: forming a microelectronic device structure (100, microelectronic device structure, Para [0031]), the microelectronic device structure comprising: a stack structure (102, stack structure, Para [0032]) comprising conductive material (114, electrically conductive structures, Para [0033]) and insulative material (112, insulative structures, Para [0033]) vertically alternating with the conductive material (114 alternated with 112); cell pillars (111, pillar structures, Para [0032]) vertically extending completely through stack structure (111 vertically extend completely through 102); a source structure (120, source structure, Para [0037]) vertically underlying the stack structure and coupled to the cell pillars (120 vertically underlies 102 and is coupled to 111, Para [0041]); a first dielectric material (108, etch stop material maybe silicon carbon nitride, Para [0038]) vertically overlying the stack structure (108 vertically overlies 102); dielectric slot structures (106, dielectric structure, Para [0038]) vertically extending through the first dielectric material and the stack structure and to the source structure (106 vertically extends through 108 and 102 to 120); and a second dielectric material (110, dielectric material, Para [0032]) on upper surfaces of the first dielectric material and the dielectric slot structures (110 is on upper surfaces of 108 and 106) and having a different material composition that the first dielectric material (110 may be a different material than 108, Para [0040]); forming (Fig. 1B) trenches (122, trenches, Para [0051]) vertically extending completely through the first dielectric material and the second dielectric material and partially into the stack structure (122 vertical extends completely through 108, 110, and partially into 102), the trenches horizontally interposed between pairs of the cell pillars horizontally neighboring one another (122s are horizontally interposed between pairs of 111 neighboring one another); forming (Fig. 1C) dielectric liner structures (125, liner material which may comprise dielectric material, Para [0057]) within the trenches (122), the dielectric liner structures substantially covering side surfaces of the first dielectric material, the second dielectric material (125 covers side surface of 108, 110), and the stack structure defining horizontal boundaries of the trenches (125 covers side surfaces of 102 defining boundaries of 122); and forming (Fig. 1E) a third dielectric material (129, dielectric material, Para [0062]) on the dielectric liner structures (129 is on 125), the third dielectric material substantially filling remaining portions of the trenches (129 is formed on 125 to substantially fill 122). Claim 34, Luo discloses (Figs. 1A-1G) the method of claim 33, wherein forming dielectric liner structures (125) within the trenches (122) comprises: forming (Fig. 1C) the dielectric liner structures on exposed surfaces inside and outside of the trenches (125 is formed on exposed surfaces inside and outside of 122s); and removing (Fig. 1D) portions of the dielectric liner structures outside of the trenches before forming the third dielectric material (portions of 125 are removed outside of 122 before forming 129 in Fig. 1E). Claim 35, Luo discloses (Figs. 1A-1G) the method of claim 33, wherein forming dielectric liner structures (125) comprises forming the dielectric liner structures to respectively comprise a stack of at least two different dielectric liner materials (125 can comprise at least two materials such as silicon nitride and carbon nitride, Para [0058]). Claim 36, Luo discloses (Figs. 1A-1G) the method of claim 35, further comprising selecting the at least two different dielectric liner materials to comprise silicon nitride material and carbon nitride material (125 can be silicon nitride and carbon nitride, Para [0058]). Claim 37, Luo discloses (Figs. 1A-1G) the method of claim 33, further comprising forming (Fig. 1E) the third dielectric material (129) to be substantially confined within horizontal areas of the trenches (129 is confined within horizontal areas of 122), upper boundaries of the third dielectric material vertically overlying upper boundaries of the dielectric slot structures (upper boundaries of 129 vertically overlying upper boundaries of 106).
Conclusion
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/G.G.R/Examiner, Art Unit 2812