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 .
This Office Action is in response to the application filed September 14, 2023.
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Drawings
The drawings are objected to as failing to comply with 37 CFR 1.84(p)(5) because they do not include the following reference sign(s) mentioned in the description: WL1_P and WL2_P. Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
The drawings are objected to as failing to comply with 37 CFR 1.84(p)(5) because they include the following reference character(s) not mentioned in the description: 300, 310 and 320. Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d), or amendment to the specification to add the reference character(s) in the description in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(b) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
The drawings are objected to because 100 is listed as a substrate but 300 seems to also be a substrate. Which is being referred to in the claimed invention? Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. The figure or figure number of an amended drawing should not be labeled as “amended.” If a drawing figure is to be canceled, the appropriate figure must be removed from the replacement sheet, and where necessary, the remaining figures must be renumbered and appropriate changes made to the brief description of the several views of the drawings for consistency. Additional replacement sheets may be necessary to show the renumbering of the remaining figures. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
Specification
The title of the invention is not descriptive. A new title is required that is clearly indicative of the invention to which the claims are directed.
The following title is suggested: SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE INCLUDING ACTIVE PATTERN ON BITLINE.
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.
Claim 12 recites the limitations:
"the first active pattern" in lines 7, 9-10, 13 and 14 (also See dependent claims 13, 15, 17, 18 and 19) (interpreted as the plurality of first active patterns);
"the second active pattern" in lines 7-8, 11-12, 13 and 14 (also See dependent claims 13, 15, 17, 18 and 19) (interpreted as the plurality of second active patterns); and
"the bitline" in line 15 (interpreted as the plurality of bitlines).
Claims 14 and 16 are rejected as being dependent upon rejected claim 12.
Claim 20 recites the limitations:
"the first active pattern" in lines 10-11, page 44 and lines 3, 5, 9 and 15-16, page 45 (interpreted as the plurality of first active patterns);
"the second active pattern" in lines 1-2, 3, 7, 12 and 17-18, page 45 (interpreted as the plurality of second active patterns).
There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1-11 are allowed.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
In regard to claim 1, the prior art of record (Woo et al. (US 2021/0384194 A1)) does not disclose, make obvious, or otherwise suggest the structure of the applicant's claimed invention together with the other limitations of the dependent claims 2-11, such as the configuration of the substrate, bitline, active pattern, back gate electrode, wordline and the lengths of the active pattern and bitline;
As best understood, claims 12-20 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.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
The following patents are cited to further show the state of the art with respect to semiconductor devices:
Choi et al. (US 2022/0028860 A1) Fujimoto (US 8,409,955 B2)
Nei et al. (US 2021/0167174 A1) Onuki et al. (US 2018/0090498 A1)
Onuki et al. (US 2020/0373302 A1) Onuki et al. (US 2022/0328486 A1)
Takaishi (US 2008/0283816 A1) Woo et al. (US 2021/0384194 A1)
Yamazaki et al. (US 2018/0166392 A1) Yamazaki et al. (US 2020/0243685 A1)
Yamazaki et al. (US 2021/0027828 A1) Yamazaki et al. (US 2021/0273109 A1) Zhu (CN 110634870 B).
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to IDA M SOWARD whose telephone number is (571)272-1845. The examiner can normally be reached Monday through Thursday, 7am to 5:30pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Leonard Chang can be reached at 571-270-3691. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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IMS
January 20, 2026
/IDA M SOWARD/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2898