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 Analysis for Independent Claims (Dependent Claim Analysis will follow)
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, 16, 17 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Utsumi et al. (hereinafter Utsumi, US 2018/0301536).
In regards to independent 1, Utsumi teaches a semiconductor device, comprising:
a base (Utsumi, Fig, 10, Item 100, “The n.sup.+-type silicon carbide semiconductor substrate 100 is a silicon carbide single-crystal substrate doped with an n-type impurity such as nitrogen”);
a first silicon carbide region including at least one selected from the group consisting of nitrogen, phosphorus and arsenic (Utsumi, Fig. 10, Item 1, “The n-type silicon carbide layer 1 is a low-concentration n-type drift layer doped with an n-type impurity such as nitrogen”); and
a second silicon carbide region including at least one selected from the group consisting of boron, aluminum and gallium (Utsumi, Fig. 10 Item 3, “The p-type silicon carbide layer 3 is, for example, a p-type layer doped with aluminum (Al)”), the first silicon carbide region being provided between the base and the second silicon carbide region (Utsumi, Fig. 10, Item 1 between Item 3 and 100),
at least a part of the first silicon carbide region including fluorine (Utsumi, Fig. 5, Shows fluorine concentration within SiC film, “As depicted in FIG. 5, in the first and second conventional examples, fluorine from inside the insulating film 9 was detected at a converted concentration of 1×10.sup.17 atoms/cm.sup.3 or higher”).
In regards to independent 16, Utsumi teaches a semiconductor device, comprising:
a base (Utsumi, Fig, 10, Item 100, “The n.sup.+-type silicon carbide semiconductor substrate 100 is a silicon carbide single-crystal substrate doped with an n-type impurity such as nitrogen”);
a first silicon carbide region including a first impurity element, the first impurity element including at least one selected from the group consisting of nitrogen, phosphorus and arsenic (Utsumi, Fig. 10, Item 1, “The n-type silicon carbide layer 1 is a low-concentration n-type drift layer doped with an n-type impurity such as nitrogen”); and
a second silicon carbide region including at least one selected from the group consisting of boron, aluminum and gallium (Utsumi, Fig. 10 Item 3, “The p-type silicon carbide layer 3 is, for example, a p-type layer doped with aluminum (Al)”), the first silicon carbide region being provided between the base and the second silicon carbide region in a first direction from the base to the first silicon carbide region (Utsumi, Fig. 10, Item 1 between Item 3 and 100),
at least a part of the first silicon carbide region including a first element, the first element including at least one selected from the group consisting of fluorine, nitrogen and phosphorus,
the first silicon carbide region includes a first position in the first direction (Utsumi, Fig. 5, Shows fluorine concentration within SiC film, “As depicted in FIG. 5, in the first and second conventional examples, fluorine from inside the insulating film 9 was detected at a converted concentration of 1×10.sup.17 atoms/cm.sup.3 or higher”) and
in a profile of a concentration of the first element along the first direction, a concentration of the first element has a first peak value at the first position (Utsomi, Fig. 5, Multiple peak fluorine is shown at different positions, Examiner note: a peak is a local maximum, a point on a graph or in a sequence where the value is higher than its immediate neighbors, thereby a single measurement that is higher than two adjacent measurements is a peak. Further, clarification of profile beyond the term peak is recommended ).
In regards to independent 17, Utsumi teaches a method for manufacturing a semiconductor device, the method comprising:
preparing a structure body, the structure body including a base,
a first silicon carbide region (Utsumi, Fig. 10, Item 1, “The n-type silicon carbide layer 1 is a low-concentration n-type drift layer doped with an n-type impurity such as nitrogen”); and
a second silicon carbide region (Utsumi, Fig. 10 Item 3, “The p-type silicon carbide layer 3 is, for example, a p-type layer doped with aluminum (Al)”),
the first silicon carbide region including a first impurity element, the first impurity element including at least one selected from the group consisting of nitrogen, phosphorus and arsenic (Utsumi, Fig. 10, Item 1, “The n-type silicon carbide layer 1 is a low-concentration n-type drift layer doped with an n-type impurity such as nitrogen”);
the second silicon carbide region including a second impurity element, the second impurity element including at least one selected from the group consisting of boron, aluminum and gallium (Utsumi, Fig. 10 Item 3, “The p-type silicon carbide layer 3 is, for example, a p-type layer doped with aluminum (Al)”),
the first silicon carbide region being provided between the base and the second silicon carbide region in a first direction from the base to the first silicon carbide region (Utsumi, Fig. 10, Item 1 between Item 3 and 100); and
introducing fluorine into the first silicon carbide region direction (Utsumi, [0038], Fig. 5, Shows fluorine concentration within SiC film, “As depicted in FIG. 5, in the first and second conventional examples, fluorine from inside the insulating film 9 was detected at a converted concentration of 1×10.sup.17 atoms/cm.sup.3 or higher,” Examiner Note: Examiner suggests using the term “implanting” instead of introducing to better describe the claimed invention ).
Claim Analysis for Dependent Claims
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) 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 9, 10, 11, 12, 18 20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Utsumi
In regards to dependent claim 2, Utsumi teaches wherein the first silicon carbide region includes a first position in a first direction from the base to the first silicon carbide region, and in a fluorine concentration profile along the first direction, a fluorine concentration has a first peak value at the first position (Utsumi, Fig. 5, Shows fluorine concentration within SiC film, “As depicted in FIG. 5, in the first and second conventional examples, fluorine from inside the insulating film 9 was detected at a converted concentration of 1×10.sup.17 atoms/cm.sup.3 or higher”).
In regards to dependent claim 3, Utsumi teaches the device according to claim 2, wherein the first peak value is not less than 1×1016 cm−3 and not more than 1×1020 cm−3 (Utsumi, Fig. 5, Shows fluorine concentration within SiC film, “As depicted in FIG. 5, in the first and second conventional examples, fluorine from inside the insulating film 9 was detected at a converted concentration of 1×10.sup.17 atoms/cm.sup.3 or higher”).
In regards to dependent claim 4, Utsumi teaches the device according to claim 2, wherein the first silicon carbide region includes a first local region,
the first local region includes the first position, and the first local region extends parallel to a plane crossing the first direction (Utsumi, Fig. 5, Shows fluorine concentration within SiC film, “As depicted in FIG. 5, in the first and second conventional examples, fluorine from inside the insulating film 9 was detected at a converted concentration of 1×10.sup.17 atoms/cm.sup.3 or higher”).
In regards to dependent claim 5, Utsumi teaches the device according to claim 4, wherein the fluorine concentration in the first local region is not less than 1/10 times the first peak value, and a width of the first local region in the first direction is 0.5 μm or less (Utsumi, Fig. 5, Shows fluorine concentration within SiC film, “As depicted in FIG. 5, in the first and second conventional examples, fluorine from inside the insulating film 9 was detected at a converted concentration of 1×10.sup.17 atoms/cm.sup.3 or higher”).
In regards to dependent claim 6, Utsumi teaches the device according to claim 2, wherein the first silicon carbide region includes a plurality of first local regions, at least one of the plurality of first local regions includes the first position, and the plurality of first local regions are provided along a plane crossing the first direction (Utsumi, Fig. 5, Shows fluorine concentration within SiC film, “As depicted in FIG. 5, in the first and second conventional examples, fluorine from inside the insulating film 9 was detected at a converted concentration of 1×10.sup.17 atoms/cm.sup.3 or higher”).
In regards to dependent claim 9, Utsumi teaches the device according to claim 1, wherein
at least a part of the second silicon carbide region includes fluorine (Utsumi, Fig. 5, Shows fluorine concentration within SiC film, “As depicted in FIG. 5, in the first and second conventional examples, fluorine from inside the insulating film 9 was detected at a converted concentration of 1×10.sup.17 atoms/cm.sup.3 or higher”).
In regards to dependent claim 10, Utsumi teaches the device according to claim 9, wherein
the second silicon carbide region includes a second position in a first direction from the base to the first silicon carbide region, and in a fluorine concentration profile along the first direction, a fluorine concentration has a second peak value at the second position (Utsumi, Fig. 5, Shows fluorine concentration within SiC film, “As depicted in FIG. 5, in the first and second conventional examples, fluorine from inside the insulating film 9 was detected at a converted concentration of 1×10.sup.17 atoms/cm.sup.3 or higher”)..
In regards to dependent claim 11, Utsumi teaches the device according to claim 10, wherein the second peak value is not less than 1×1016 cm−3 and not more than 1×1020cm−3 (Utsumi, Fig. 5, Shows fluorine concentration within SiC film, “As depicted in FIG. 5, in the first and second conventional examples, fluorine from inside the insulating film 9 was detected at a converted concentration of 1×10.sup.17 atoms/cm.sup.3 or higher”).
In regards to dependent claim 12, Utsumi teaches the device according to claim 10, wherein the second silicon carbide region includes a second local region, the second local region includes the second position, and the second local region extends parallel to a plane crossing the first direction (Utsumi, Fig. 5, Shows fluorine concentration within SiC film, “As depicted in FIG. 5, in the first and second conventional examples, fluorine from inside the insulating film 9 was detected at a converted concentration of 1×10.sup.17 atoms/cm.sup.3 or higher”).
In regards to dependent claim 18, Utsumi teaches wherein
the preparing the structure body includes introducing the second impurity element into a part of the silicon carbide layer serving as the first silicon carbide region (Utsumi, [0038]), and
performing a heat treatment after the introducing the second impurity element (Utsumi, [0039]).
In regards to dependent claim 20, Utsumi teaches the method according to claim 17, further comprising:
introducing fluorine into the second silicon carbide region (Utsumi, [0038], Fig. 5, Shows fluorine concentration within SiC film, “As depicted in FIG. 5, in the first and second conventional examples, fluorine from inside the insulating film 9 was detected at a converted concentration of 1×10.sup.17 atoms/cm.sup.3 or higher”).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 7, 8, 13-15, 19 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to WILLIAM C TRAPANESE whose telephone number is (571)270-3304. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday 7am-12pm & 8pm-10pm EST.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Davienne Monbleau can be reached at (571)272-1945. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/WILLIAM C TRAPANESE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2812