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 .
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of Group I (claims 1-15) in the reply filed on 12/15/2025 is acknowledged.
Claims 16-20 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected Group II, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on 12/15/2025.
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.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 1-3, 5, 7-10, 12, 13, and 15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1)/(a)(2) as being anticipated by Hong (US 2003/0013272).
Regarding claim 1, Hong discloses an isolation structure (Fig.9, numeral 140) for a substrate (100), the isolation structure comprising: a lower portion (171) having a first liner (150); an upper portion (191) having a second liner (181) vertically over the first liner (150); and a first dielectric material (171) ([0057]) surrounded by the second liner (181) from above and by the first liner (150) from below and laterally.
Regarding claim 2, Hong discloses wherein the substrate includes a semiconductor layer (100) (0029]) having end surfaces, and the second liner (181) abuts the end surfaces of the semiconductor layer of the substrate (100) (note: claim language does not require “directly abuts”).
Regarding claim 3, Hong discloses wherein the second liner (181) is U-shaped, and further comprising a second dielectric material (191) within at least a part of the U-shape of the second liner (181).
Regarding claim 5, Hong discloses wherein the first dielectric material (171) is different than the second dielectric material (191) ([0057])
Regarding claim 7, Hong discloses wherein the first liner (150) is U-shaped and the second liner (181) is U-shaped (Fig.9).
Regarding claim 8, Hong discloses wherein the first liner (150) is thinner than the second liner (181) ([0033]; [0055]).
Regarding claim 9, Hong discloses an isolation structure for a substrate, the isolation structure comprising: a lower portion (Fig.9, numeral 171) having a first U-shaped liner (150) and a first dielectric material (171) within the first U-shaped liner (150); and an upper portion (191) over the lower portion (171), the upper portion having a second U-shaped liner (181) and a second dielectric material (191) within at least part of the second U-shaped liner (181), wherein a lower section of the second U-shaped liner (181) contacts an upper surface of the first dielectric material (171).
Regarding claim 10, Hong discloses wherein the substrate includes a semiconductor layer (100) having end surfaces, and the second U-shaped liner (181) abuts the end surfaces of the semiconductor layer (100) (note: claim language does not require “directly abuts”).
Regarding claim 12, Hong discloses wherein the first dielectric material (171) is different than the second dielectric material (191) ([0057]).
Regarding claim 13, Hong discloses wherein the first dielectric material (171) includes a first oxide, and the second dielectric material (191) includes a second, higher density oxide ([0057]).
Regarding claim 15, Hong discloses wherein the first U-shaped liner (150) is thinner than the second U-shaped liner (181) ([0033]; [0055]).
Claim(s) 1-4 and 9-11 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1)/(a)(2) as being anticipated by Wang (US 2019/0386100).
Regarding claim 1, Wang discloses an isolation structure (Fig.5A, numerals 260-280) for a substrate (220), the isolation structure comprising: a lower portion (260) having a first liner ([0023]); an upper portion (280) having a second liner (270) vertically over the first liner ([0023]); and a first dielectric material (260) ([0023]) surrounded by the second liner (270) from above and by the first liner ([0023]) from below and laterally.
Regarding claim 2, Wang discloses wherein the substrate includes a semiconductor layer (402) ([0024]) having end surfaces, and the second liner (270) abuts the end surfaces of the semiconductor layer of the substrate (402).
Regarding claim 3, Wang discloses wherein the second liner (270) is U-shaped, and further comprising a second dielectric material (280) within at least a part of the U-shape of the second liner (270).
Regarding claim 4, Wang discloses wherein the second dielectric material (280) partially fills the U-shape of the second liner (270) and includes an upper surface below an upper surface of the semiconductor layer (402) (Fig.5A).
Regarding claim 9, Wang discloses an isolation structure for a substrate, the isolation structure comprising: a lower portion (Fig.5A, numeral 260) having a first U-shaped liner ([0023]) and a first dielectric material (260) within the first U-shaped liner ([0023]); and an upper portion (280) over the lower portion (260), the upper portion having a second U-shaped liner (270) and a second dielectric material (280) within at least part of the second U-shaped liner (270), wherein a lower section of the second U-shaped liner (270) contacts an upper surface of the first dielectric material (260).
Regarding claim 10, Wang discloses wherein the substrate includes a semiconductor layer (402) having end surfaces, and the second U-shaped liner (270) abuts the end surfaces of the semiconductor layer (402).
Regarding claim 11, Wang discloses wherein the second dielectric material (280) partially fills the second U-shaped liner (270) and includes an upper surface below an upper surface of the semiconductor layer (402) (Fig. 5A).
Claim(s) 1 and 9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1)/(a)(2) as being anticipated by Liou (US 2014/0191358).
Regarding claim 1, Liou discloses an isolation (Fig.10, numerals 107a, 115a) structure for a substrate (100), the isolation structure comprising: a lower portion (107a) having a first liner (113); an upper portion (115a) having a second liner (109b) vertically over the first liner (113); and a first dielectric material (107a) surrounded by the second liner (109b) from above and by the first liner (113) from below and laterally.
Regarding claim 9, Liou discloses an isolation structure for a substrate, the isolation structure comprising: a lower portion (Fig.10, numeral 105) having a first U-shaped liner (113) and a first dielectric material (107a) within the first U-shaped liner (113); and an upper portion (115a) over the lower portion (105), the upper portion having a second U-shaped liner (109b) and a second dielectric material (115a) within at least part of the second U-shaped liner (109b), wherein a lower section of the second U-shaped liner (109b) contacts an upper surface of the first dielectric material (107a).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 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.
Claim(s) 6 and 14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Liou as applied to claims 1 and 9 above, and further in view of Hong.
Regarding claim 6, Liou discloses wherein and the second liner (109) includes at least silicon carbo-nitride ([0032]).
Liou does not disclose the first liner includes at least one of silicon nitride and silicon oxynitride.
Hong however discloses that the first liner (160) includes at least one of silicon nitride ([0034]).
It would have been therefore obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to modify Liou with Hong to have the first liner includes at least one of silicon nitride for the purpose of improving diffusion barrier characteristics (Hong, [0034]).
Regarding claim 14, Liou discloses that the second U-shaped liner includes at least one of silicon carbo-nitride ([0032]).
Liou does not disclose wherein the first U-shaped liner includes at least one of silicon nitride.
Hong however discloses that the first U-shaped liner (160) includes at least one of silicon nitride ([0034]).
It would have been therefore obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to modify Liou with Hong to have the first U-shaped liner includes at least one of silicon nitride for the purpose of improving diffusion barrier characteristics (Hong, [0034]).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JULIA SLUTSKER whose telephone number is (571)270-3849. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday, 9 am-6 pm.
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/JULIA SLUTSKER/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2891