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 § 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.
Claims 1-9 are 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.
In claim 1, line 9, the phrase “…..disposed directly a second region….” is unclear whether it is being referred to “…..disposed directly on a second region…..”.
In claim 3, line 3, the phrase “the first” is unclear whether it is being referred to “the first direction”.
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 10-12 and 15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being clearly anticipated by Liu (US 2020/0111780).
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Regarding claim 10, Liu shows all the elements of the claimed invention in figs. 2 and 3A. It is an apparatus [125] comprising: one or more fins [220B] formed of a semiconductor material and disposed on a substrate [205] having a first doping (n-type) and extending in a first direction (left to right direction), the one or more fins comprising an undoped region (a region below gate [235]), a first doped region (lower portion of [225]), and a second doped region (lower portion of [230]); a gate [235, 260] at least partially disposed on the one or more fins [220B], the gate extending in a second direction (fig. 2, top to bottom direction of [235]) traversing the one or more fins; a dummy gate (first [219] adjacent to and on the left [235]) disposed on the one or more fins, the dummy gate extending in the second direction (fig. 2A, top to bottom direction of [219]), wherein the dummy gate has a first side facing the gate [235], and a second side facing away from the gate; a second dummy gate (second [219] on the left of first [219]) disposed on the one or more fins, the second dummy gate extending in the second direction, wherein the second doped region [230] is disposed between the dummy gate (first [219]) and the second dummy gate (second [219]); a first epitaxial layer (see fig. 3A annotated above; the first epitaxial layer is the protruding layer above source region (lower portion of [225])) disposed on the first doped region; and a second epitaxial layer (see fig. 3A annotated above; the second epitaxial layer is the protruding layer above doped region (lower portion of [230])) disposed on the second doped region, wherein the first and second epitaxial layers are disposed on the one or more fins [220B] and at least part of the substrate [205]; wherein the first doped region (lower portion of [225]) is disposed between the gate [235, 260] and dummy gate (first [219]), wherein the first doped region has a second doping (n-type); wherein the second doped region (lower portion of [230]) is disposed on the second side of the dummy gate (first [219]), wherein the second doped region has a third doping (p-type).
Regarding claim 11, Liu further discloses the first epitaxial layer (protruding layer of [225]) is a source electrode, the apparatus further comprising: a bridge [255] disposed on at least part of the source electrode, the bridge configured to couple the source electrode to the second epitaxial layer (protruding layer of [230]).
Regarding claim 12, Liu further discloses the second doping is a n-type doping [0025], wherein the third doping is a p-type doping [0025].
Regarding claim 15, Liu further discloses a bridge [255] configured to couple the first doped region [225] to the second doped region [230].
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 14 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Liu (US 2020/0111780) in view of Liu (US 2021/0135006).
Liu '780 do not disclose wherein the second doped region is boron doped.
Liu '006 discloses a fin-type LDMOSFET (see Liu '006 [0001] and Liu '006 figure 2), wherein boron is utilized as a p-type dopant material (see Liu '006 [0023]).
The boron p-type dopant of Liu '006 is incorporated as the p-type dopant of the combined device of Liu '780, wherein the second doped region would have a p-type doping (see Liu '780 figure 3A and [0025]; doped region 230 (i.e. second doped region) is p-type) and wherein the p-type doping of the second doped region would be achieved through boron dopant. Therefore, the combination of Liu '780 with the boron dopant teachings of Liu '006 would disclose wherein the second epitaxial layer is boron doped.
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 combined device of Liu '780 with the boron dopant material of Liu '006 because using boron as a dopant for p-type doping is conventional in the art; and the combination is a simple substitution of one known element for another to obtain predictable results - simple substitution of the p-type dopant material of the combined device of Liu '780 (see Liu '780 [0049]; while Liu '780 does not disclose specific dopant materials, Liu '780 does teach dopant impurity implantation which implies that a dopant material is used) with the boron dopant material of Liu '006 (see Liu '006 [0023]) to obtain predictable results (see Liu '006 [0023]).
Claims 10 and 13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yoo (US 2016/0225896) in view of Liu (US 2020/0111780).
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Regarding claim 10, Yoo discloses an apparatus in fig. 2 comprising:
one or more fins (Yoo figure 2, first fin pattern F1) formed of a semiconductor material
(see Yoo [0041]) and disposed on a substrate (Yoo figure 2, 100) having a first doping (see Yoo
[0039]: the first doping of substrate 100 is p-type) and extending in a first direction (see Yoo
figure 2 and Yoo [0041]; fin pattern F1 extends along a first direction X), the one or more fins
comprising a first doped region (Yoo figure 2, 120), and a second doped region (Yoo figure 2,
112);
a gate (Yoo figure 2, 140 and 142; the gate comprising gate electrode 140 and gate
insulating layer 142) at least partially disposed on the one or more fins (see Yoo figure 2), the
gate extending in a second direction traversing the one or more fins (see Yoo figure 2 and
[0054]; the gate extends in a second direction intersecting the fin pattern F1);
a first epitaxial layer (Yoo figure 9, 122; see [0112]-[0113]: source 120 includes a first
epitaxial layer 122 and a doped region of fin F1 (i.e. the square region underlying epitaxial layer
122 in figure 9); the second doping of source 120 (and constituent first epitaxial layer 122) is n-
type as disclosed in figure 2) disposed on the first doped region;
and a second epitaxial layer (see Yoo [0114], figure 2, and figure 9; [0114] discloses that
the first body contact region 112 includes a second epitaxial layer (not shown) formed on the
sidewalls and upper surface of first body contact region 112 within first fin pattern F1; this
epitaxial layer is similar in structure and layout to the first epitaxial layer 122 included in source
120 and shown in figure 9; first body contact region 112 (and constituent second epitaxial layer)
have a third doping which is p-type according to figure 2) disposed on the second doped region,
wherein the first and second epitaxial layers are disposed on the one or more fins and
at least part of the substrate (see Yoo figure 2 and 9; epitaxial layer 122 and the corresponding
epitaxial layer of body contact region 112 are disposed on fin pattern F1 and substrate 100);
wherein the first doped region has a second doping (see Yoo figure 2: the second doping of source region 120 is n-type);
wherein the second doped region has a third doping (see Yoo figure 2: the third doping of body contact region 112 is p-type).
Yoo fails to disclose the one or more fins comprising an undoped region; a dummy gate disposed on the one or more fins, the dummy gate extending in the second direction, wherein the dummy gate has a first side facing the gate, and a second side facing away from the gate; a second dummy gate disposed on the one or more fins, the second dummy gate extending in the second direction, wherein the second doped region is disposed between the dummy gate and the second dummy gate; wherein the first doped region is disposed between the gate and dummy gate; and wherein the second doped region is disposed on the second side of the dummy gate.
Liu '780 discloses a fin-type LDMOSFET (see Liu '780 [0009] and figure 3A) with the one or more fins (Liu '780 figure 3A, 220B) comprising an undoped region (see Liu '780 figure 3A and Liu '780 [0023]: an undoped section of fin 220B is disposed below a portion of gate electrode 235).
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 device of Yoo with the undoped fin teachings of Liu '780 to provide a region wherein charge carriers accumulate between the source (Yoo figure 2, 120) and gate (Yoo figure 2, 140 and 142) in the on-state of the device (see Liu '780 [0036]).
Liu’780 further discloses a dummy gate (first [219] adjacent to and on the left [235]) disposed on the one or more fins, the dummy gate extending in the second direction (fig. 2A, top to bottom direction of [219]), wherein the dummy gate has a first side facing the gate [235], and a second side facing away from the gate; a second dummy gate (second [219] on the left of first [219]) disposed on the one or more fins, the second dummy gate extending in the second direction, wherein the second doped region [230] is disposed between the dummy gate (first [219]) and the second dummy gate (second [219]); the first doped region (lower portion of [225]) is disposed between the gate [235, 260] and dummy gate (first [219]).
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 device of Yoo with the dummy gate and the second dummy gate of Liu ’780 to expose the adjacent fin-embedded doped regions.
Regarding claim 13, Yoo and Liu '780 disclose the apparatus of claim 10, wherein the second doped region (Yoo figure 2, 112; body contact region 112 has a p-type doping) is a substrate tie (see Yoo figure 2, [0007], [0039], and [0070]; [0007] discloses that body region 110 has a conductivity that is opposite the conductivity of both source 120 and drift region 115; since source 120 is shown as having a n-type doping in figure 2, then body region 110 has a p- type doping; therefore, body contact region 112 in the combined device of Yoo and Liu '780, provides a p-type connection between source 120 and the p-type substrate 100 via the p- type body region 110).
Claims 1-9 would be allowable if rewritten or amended to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, set forth in this Office action.
Claims 16-20 are allowed.
Conclusion
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/STEVEN H LOKE/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2818
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