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
Claims 13-20 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected group, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on 12/04/25.
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)(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) 1-4, 8, 9, and 12 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by US 20240196616 (Kubo et al).
Concerning claim 1, Kubo discloses a memory device (Figs. 55A-70C), comprising: layer stacks that laterally extend along a first horizontal direction and laterally spaced apart from each other by access trenches (Fig. 53A), wherein each of the layer stacks comprises a respective alternating stack of respective insulating layers (32) ([0437]) and respective electrically conductive layers (46) ([0438]), and further comprises a respective contact-level dielectric layer (80) that overlies the respective alternating stack (Figs. 70A and [0443]); memory openings (49) vertically extending through a respective one of the alternating stacks ([0419]); memory opening fill structures (58) located in a respective one of the memory openings and comprising a respective vertical stack of memory elements and a respective vertical semiconductor channel ([0432]); dielectric bridges structures (276) located within a respective one of the access trenches (79) (Fig. 65A and [0435]), wherein each of the dielectric bridge structures comprises a respective pair of contoured sidewalls ([0427]), wherein each contoured sidewall of the dielectric bridge structures comprises at least two vertically-straight and horizontally-convex surface segments that are adjoined by a vertically-extending edge ([0427] and [0431]); and access trench fill structures (76 +74) located in the access trenches and embedding a respective subset of the dielectric bridge structures (Fig. 67A and [0442]).
Continuing to claim 2, Kubo discloses wherein each of the dielectric bridge structures comprises a respective pair of planar vertical sidewalls that are adjoined to the respective pair of contoured sidewalls and are parallel to the second horizontal direction ([0427]).
Considering claim 3, Kubo discloses vertical sidewalls of the dielectric bridge structures are in contact with a respective one of the access trench fill structures (Figs. 67A and 67B).
Regarding claim 4, Kubo discloses wherein each of the dielectric bridge structures comprises a respective horizontal bottom surface located at or above a horizontal plane including top surfaces of the alternating stacks (Fig. 67A).
Referring to claim 8, Kubo discloses wherein each of the dielectric bridge structures is in direct contact with a pair of sidewalls of a respective one of the access trench fill structures (Fig. 67B, note that the dielectric bridge structure contacts a top and bottom horizontal sidewall of the access trench fill structure).
Pertaining to claim 9, Kubo discloses wherein each of the access trench fill structures comprises: a respective insulating spacer (74) in contact with a respective pair of the layer stacks (Fig. 67A and [0299], note that the feature 74 of the embodiment referred to in [0299] is the same feature denoted in the embodiment of Figs. 55A-70C), and in contact with a respective row of the dielectric bridge structures (Fig. 67B); and a respective access-trench contact via structure (76) that is laterally surrounded by the respective insulating spacer (Fig. 67B).
As to claim 12, Kubo discloses wherein each of the alternating stacks comprises a respective pair of lengthwise sidewalls in which a plurality of vertically-straight and laterally- concave surface segments are adjoined to each other along the first horizontal direction (Fig. 67B).
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.
Claim(s) 5 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over US 20240196616 (Kubo et al) .
Concerning claim 5, Kubo discloses (in the embodiment as disclosed in Figs. 55A-70C) forming dielectric bridges and a contact-level dielectric layer (80),
Kubo does not disclose (in the embodiment as disclosed in Figs. 55A-70C) wherein each of the dielectric bridge structures comprises a respective top surface located within a horizontal plane including top surfaces of the contact-level dielectric layers. However Kubo discloses multiple embodiments (Fig. 36A) one of which has a configuration in which a dielectric bridge structure (176) is formed such that the dielectric bridge structures comprises a respective top surface located within a horizontal plane including top surfaces of the contact-level dielectric layers. In re Dailey, 357 F.2d 669, 149 USPQ 47 (CCPA 1966) (The court held that the configuration of the claimed disposable plastic nursing container was a matter of choice which a person of ordinary skill in the art would have found obvious absent persuasive evidence that the particular configuration of the claimed container was significant.). See MPEP 2144.04 IV B. Therefore absent evidence that the claimed configuration is significant, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify the dielectric bridge structure of the embodiment shown in Fig. 67A in view of the embodiment shown in Fig. 36A to arrive at the claimed configuration.
Claim(s) 6, 7, 10, and 11 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over 20240196616 (Kubo et al) as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of US 2024005733 (Matsuno).
Continuing to claims 6 and 11, Kubo discloses forming the access trench.
Kubo does not disclose wherein each of the access trench fill structures comprises a respective pair of contoured lengthwise sidewalls that generally extend along the first horizontal direction and have lateral undulations along the second horizontal direction in a plan view that is perpendicular to top surfaces of the contact-level dielectric layers or wherein each of the access trenches laterally extends along the first horizontal direction with a width modulation along the second horizontal direction. However, Matsuno discloses a three dimensional memory device configuration in which an access trench fill structure (76 +74) (Figs. 37C, 37E and [0259]) extends along the first horizontal direction with a width modulation along the second horizontal direction and has a pair of contoured lengthwise sidewalls that generally extend along the first horizontal direction and have lateral undulations along the second horizontal direction in a plan view that is perpendicular to top surfaces of the contact-level dielectric layers (Figs 37C and 37E and [0259]). In re Dailey, 357 F.2d 669, 149 USPQ 47 (CCPA 1966) (The court held that the configuration of the claimed disposable plastic nursing container was a matter of choice which a person of ordinary skill in the art would have found obvious absent persuasive evidence that the particular configuration of the claimed container was significant.). See MPEP 2144.04 IV B. Therefore absent evidence that the claimed configuration is significant, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify the configuration of the access trench fill structures in view of Matsuno (Fig. 37E) to arrive at the configuration in which the access trenches laterally extends along the first horizontal direction with a width modulation along the second horizontal direction and a pair of contoured lengthwise sidewalls that generally extend along the first horizontal direction and have lateral undulations along the second horizontal direction in a plan view that is perpendicular to top surfaces of the contact-level dielectric layers.
Considering claim 7, Kubo in view of Matsuno discloses wherein each of the contoured lengthwise sidewalls of the access trench fill structures comprises a respective plurality of vertically-straight and horizontally-convex dielectric surface segments that are adjoined to each other at vertically- extending edges and contacting each layer within a respective alternating stack (Matsuno Figs. 37C and 37E).
Regarding claim 10, Kubo discloses forming a contact via structure (76) as a part of the access trench fill structures.
Kubo does not disclose wherein the respective contact via structure comprises a respective pair of contoured lengthwise sidewalls that generally extend along the first horizontal direction and have lateral undulations along the second horizontal direction in a plan view that is perpendicular to top surfaces of the contact-level dielectric layers. However, Matsuno discloses a three dimensional memory device configuration in which an access trench fill structure (76 +74) (Figs. 37C, 37E and [0259]) has respective contact via structure (76) comprises a respective pair of contoured lengthwise sidewalls that generally extend along the first horizontal direction and have lateral undulations along the second horizontal direction in a plan view that is perpendicular to top surfaces of the contact-level dielectric layers (Figs. 37C, 37E and [0259]). In re Dailey, 357 F.2d 669, 149 USPQ 47 (CCPA 1966) (The court held that the configuration of the claimed disposable plastic nursing container was a matter of choice which a person of ordinary skill in the art would have found obvious absent persuasive evidence that the particular configuration of the claimed container was significant.). See MPEP 2144.04 IV B. Therefore absent evidence that the claimed configuration is significant, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify the configuration of the access trench fill structures in view of Matsuno (Fig. 37E) to arrive at the configuration in which respective contact via structure comprises a respective pair of contoured lengthwise sidewalls that generally extend along the first horizontal direction and have lateral undulations along the second horizontal direction in a plan view that is perpendicular to top surfaces of the contact-level dielectric layers.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. US 20210358937 discloses a three dimensional memory configuration (Abstract).
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to VALERIE N NEWTON whose telephone number is (571)270-5015. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8-5.
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/VALERIE N NEWTON/Examiner, Art Unit 2897 03/19/26
/CHAD M DICKE/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2897