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 .
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, 6-9, 11, 14, 16 and 18-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Leobandung (2020/0335336).
Regarding claim 1, Leobandung (Fig. 12) discloses a device comprising: a gate stack 505 over a substrate 102 ([0039]); a first dielectric layer 707 over the gate stack 505 ([0043]), the first dielectric layer comprising a first material (e.g. boron nitride, amorphous carbon, [0043]); a second dielectric layer 911 over the first dielectric layer 707, the second dielectric layer 911 comprising a second material (e.g. hafnium oxide, [0045]) different from the first material 707 (e.g. boron nitride, amorphous carbon, [0043]); a first conductive feature 1010 adjacent the gate stack 505 ([0046]); and a second conductive feature 1202 over and in physical contact with a topmost surface of the first conductive feature 1010 ([0048]), a bottommost surface of the second conductive feature 1202 being in physical contact with a topmost surface of the second dielectric layer 911 (Fig. 12, [0048]).
Regarding claims 2 and 9, Leobandung (Fig. 12) discloses wherein the topmost surface of the first conductive feature 1010 is level with the topmost surface of the second dielectric layer 911.
Regarding claim 3, Leobandung (Fig. 12) discloses further comprising a third dielectric layer 1103 over the second dielectric layer 911, the third dielectric layer 1103 comprising a third material (e.g. silicon oxide, spin-on-glass, a flowable oxide, a high density plasma oxide, borophosphosilicate glass (BPSG), [0048]), different from the second dielectric layer 911 (e.g. hafnium oxide, [0045]).
Regarding claim 4, Leobandung (Fig. 12) discloses wherein the second conductive feature 1202 extends through the third dielectric layer 1103.
Regarding claim 6, Leobandung (Fig. 12) discloses wherein the first dielectric layer 707 comprises a nitride material, a carbide material, or a carbonitride material (e.g. boron nitride, amorphous carbon, [0043]).
Regarding claim 7, Leobandung (Fig. 12) discloses wherein the second material 911 comprises an oxide material (e.g. hafnium oxide, [0045]).
Regarding claim 8, Leobandung (Fig. 12) discloses a device comprising: a gate stack 505 over a substrate 102 ([0039]); an epitaxial source/drain region 106 in the substrate 102 adjacent the gate stack 505 ([0031]); a first dielectric layer 707 over the gate stack 505 ([0043]), the first dielectric layer comprising a first material (e.g. boron nitride, amorphous carbon, [0043]), the first material not comprising oxygen; a second dielectric layer 911 over the first dielectric layer 707, the second dielectric layer 911 comprising a second material (e.g. hafnium oxide, [0045]), the second material being an oxygen-containing material; a third dielectric layer 1103 over the second dielectric layer 911, the third dielectric layer 1103 comprising a third material (e.g. borophosphosilicate glass (BPSG), [0048]), the third material not comprising oxygen; a first conductive feature 1010 over and in electrical contact with the epitaxial source/drain region 106 ([0046]); and a second conductive feature 1202 over the first conductive feature 1010 ([0048]), the second conductive feature 1202 extending through the third dielectric layer 1103, the second conductive feature 1202 being in physical contact with a topmost surface of the second dielectric layer 911 and a topmost surface of the first conductive feature 1010 in a cross-sectional view (see Fig. 12).
Regarding claim 11, Leobandung (Fig. 12) discloses wherein the second conductive feature 1202 is laterally shifted with respect to the first conductive feature 1010.
Regarding claim 14, Leobandung (Fig. 12) discloses a device comprising: a gate stack 505 over a substrate 102 ([0039]); a first dielectric layer 707 over the gate stack 505 ([0043]), the first dielectric layer comprising a first material (e.g. boron nitride, amorphous carbon, [0043]); a second dielectric layer 911 over the first dielectric layer 707, the second dielectric layer 911 comprising a second material (e.g. hafnium oxide, [0045]) different from the first material 707 (e.g. boron nitride, amorphous carbon, [0043]); gate spacers 114 along sidewalls of the gate stack 505, the first dielectric layer 707, and the second dielectric layer 911 (Fig. 1, [0034]); a third dielectric layer 1103 over the second dielectric layer 911 ([0047]); forming a first conductive feature 1010 adjacent the gate spacers 114 ([0046]); and forming a second conductive feature 1202 contacting an upper surface of the first conductive feature 1010, a bottom surface of the second conductive feature 1202 contacting an upper surface of the second dielectric layer 911 (Fig. 12, [0048]).
Regarding claim 16, Leobandung (Fig. 12) discloses wherein the third dielectric layer 1103 extends over the gate spacers 114.
Regarding claim 18, Leobandung (Fig. 12) discloses wherein the third dielectric layer 1103 is a non-oxygen-containing material (e.g. borophosphosilicate glass (BPSG), [0048]).
Regarding claim 19, Leobandung (Fig. 12) discloses wherein the second dielectric layer 911 is an oxygen-containing material (e.g. hafnium oxide, [0045]).
Regarding claim 20, Leobandung (Fig. 12) discloses wherein the first dielectric layer 707 is a non-oxygen-containing material (e.g. boron nitride, amorphous carbon, [0043]).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 5, 10, 12-13, 15 and 17 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.
The prior art of record fails to disclose all the limitations recited in the above claims. Specifically, the prior art of record fails to disclose wherein the topmost surface of the first conductive feature is level with a topmost surface of the third dielectric layer (claims 5, 10 and 15); or further comprising a third conductive feature over the gate stack, wherein the third conductive feature extends through the first dielectric layer and the second dielectric layer, and wherein the third conductive feature is in physical contact with a topmost surface of the gate stack (claim 12); or wherein the second conductive feature contacts a sidewall of the first conductive feature (claim 17).
The dependent claims being further limiting and definite are also allowable.
Conclusion
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/THERESA T DOAN/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2814