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 Species A, Subspecies 1 in the reply filed on 23 December 2025 is acknowledged. Claims 1-5 and 11 read on the elected species. Claims 6-10 and 12-20 are withdrawn as reading on unelected species.
Information Disclosure Statement
The Information Disclosure Statements (IDS) submitted on 30 July 2023 and 27 February 2024 have been considered by the examiner and made of record in the application file.
Claim Objections
Claims 1, 2, and 4 are objected to because of the following informalities: The term --conductive type-- appears to imply --conductivity type--, since the context is N-type versus P-type materials. For the purpose of examination, the terminology has been corrected.
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 1-2, 5, and 11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yang et al (KR 102147138 B1, hereinafter “Yang”), in view of Ma et al (CN 102244076 A, hereinafter “Ma”).
Regarding Claim 1 – Yang discloses an electro-static discharge (ESD) protection device ([0001]), comprising: a substrate ([0008]) that includes a first well that has a first conductivity type (220 [0068]) and a second well that has a second conductivity type (230 [0068]); a first diffusion region that has the first conductivity type (243 [0069] and Fig. 7) and a second diffusion region that has the second conductivity type (242 [0069] and Fig. 7), wherein the first diffusion region and the second diffusion region are formed on the first well and connected to a first electrode (Anode [0069] and Fig. 7); a third diffusion region that has the first conductivity type (232 [0069] and Fig. 7) and a fourth diffusion region that has the second conductivity type (231 [0069] and Fig. 7), wherein the third diffusion region and the fourth diffusion region are formed on the second well and connected to a second electrode (Cathode [0069] and Fig. 7); a fifth diffusion region that has the first conductivity type (241 [0069] and Fig. 7) and that is formed on the first well and is adjacent to the second diffusion region (Fig. 7); a sixth diffusion region that has the second conductivity type and that is formed on the second well (234 [0069] and Fig. 7) and is adjacent to the third diffusion region (Fig. 7); a seventh diffusion region that has the second conductivity type and that is formed on the first well (250 [0068] and Fig. 7) and is adjacent to the first diffusion region (Fig. 7); and an eighth diffusion region that has the first conductivity type (251 [0069] and Fig. 7), wherein the seventh diffusion region and the eighth diffusion region are electrically connected to each other (forming a P-N junction as shown in Fig. 7).
Yang fails to disclose the eighth diffusion region is formed on the second well and is adjacent to the sixth diffusion region.
However, Ma discloses the eighth diffusion region (interpreted as diffusion 38, Ma [0025] and Fig. 3) formed on a well and is electrically connected to the sixth diffusion region (interpreted as diffusion 44, Ma [0025] and Fig. 3). Ma’s diffusion 38 serves the same purpose as the eighth diffusion in the claimed invention, forming part of a P-N diode between the bases of the PNP and NPN structures of the device.
Ma discloses an ESD protection device analogous to Yang. Ma teaches adding diodes in series between bipolar (PNP and NPN) bases for the benefit of adjusting the trigger voltage (Ma [0030]). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the claimed invention to consider combining the teachings of Yang and Ma to add diodes in series between bipolar bases for the benefit of adjusting the trigger voltage. Furthermore, the diode connections between NPN and PNP bases can be formed by any reasonable combination of series P-N junctions to adjust the trigger voltage. Such substitution of known equivalents with inherently similar properties presents a prima facie case of obviousness. See MPEP 2144.06(II).
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Regarding Claim 2 – Yang modified by Ma discloses all the limitations of claim 1.
The combination of Yang and Ma further discloses the first conductivity type is an N conductivity type ([0008]), and the second conductivity type is a P conductivity type ([0008]).
Regarding Claim 5 – Yang modified by Ma discloses all the limitations of claim 1.
The combination of Yang and Ma further discloses the first diffusion region is adjacent to the seventh diffusion region (243 adjacent to 250, Yang Fig. 7), the second diffusion region is adjacent to the first diffusion region (242 adjacent to 243, Yang Fig. 7), and the fifth diffusion region is adjacent to the second diffusion region (241 adjacent to 242, Yang Fig. 7); wherein the sixth diffusion region is adjacent to the eighth diffusion region (electrically, by way of interconnect, 234 adjacent to 251, Yang Fig. 7), the third diffusion region is adjacent to the sixth diffusion region (232 adjacent to 234, Yang Fig. 7), and the fourth diffusion region is adjacent to the third diffusion region (231 adjacent to 232, Fig. 7); and wherein the fifth diffusion region and the eighth diffusion region are formed adjacent to a boundary between the first well and the second well (241 adjacent to boundary, and 233 adjacent to boundary, and directly connected to 251, Yang Fig. 7).
Regarding Claim 11 – Yang further discloses the ESD protection device of claim 1, wherein the first electrode is an anode electrode (Anode [0069] and Fig. 7), and the second electrode is a cathode electrode (Cathode [0069] and Fig. 7).
Claims 3 and 4 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yang et al (KR 102147138 B1, hereinafter “Yang”), in view of Ma et al (CN 102244076 A, hereinafter “Ma”), and further in view of Salcedo et al (US 20060151836 A1, hereinafter “Salcedo”).
Regarding Claim 3 – Yang modified by Ma discloses all the limitations of claim 1.
The combination of Yang and Ma fails to disclose at least one metal interconnection and at least one via that electrically connect the seventh diffusion region and the eighth diffusion region.
However, Salcedo discloses at least one metal interconnection and at least one via that electrically connect diffusion regions (Salcedo [0097] and Fig. 14).
Salcedo discloses a similar ESD protection device to Yang. Salcedo teaches using metal interconnections with vias to connect diffusion regions for the benefit of ensuring incoming current is very well distributed along the multi-finger structure (Salcedo [0097]). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the teachings of Yang and Salcedo to use metal interconnections with vias to connect diffusion regions for the benefit of ensuring incoming current is very well distributed along the multi-finger structure.
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Regarding Claim 4 – Yang modified by Ma discloses all the limitations of claim 1.
The combination of Yang and Ma fails to disclose the substrate includes an epitaxial layer that has the first conductivity type.
However, Salcedo discloses the substrate includes an epitaxial layer that has the first conductivity type (Salcedo [0018] and Fig. 13)(The label of first or second conductivity type is arbitrary, and Salcedo refers to the N-type epitaxial layer as having the second type).
Salcedo discloses a similar ESD protection device to Yang. Salcedo teaches the use of an epitaxial layer on the substrate into which to diffuse the components of the ESD device. Epitaxial layers are known equivalents to deep wells for the purpose of preparing a substrate for additional diffusions, presenting a prima facie case of obviousness. See MPEP 2144.06(II). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the claimed invention to consider using an epitaxial layer on the substrate.
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Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JASON MCDONALD whose telephone number is (571) 272-5944. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8a-6p Eastern, alternating Fridays out of office.
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/JASON MCDONALD/Examiner, Art Unit 2898 /JULIO J MALDONADO/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2898
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