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 the method claims 11-16 in the reply filed on 5/8/2026 is acknowledged.
Claim 1-15 and 17-20 withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected device, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on 5/8/2026.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of the first paragraph of 35 U.S.C. 112(a):
(a) IN GENERAL.—The specification shall contain a written description of the invention, and of the manner and process of making and using it, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and use the same, and shall set forth the best mode contemplated by the inventor or joint inventor of carrying out the invention.
The following is a quotation of the first paragraph of pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112:
The specification shall contain a written description of the invention, and of the manner and process of making and using it, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and use the same, and shall set forth the best mode contemplated by the inventor of carrying out his invention.
Claim 15 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(a) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), first paragraph, as failing to comply with the written description requirement. The claim(s) contains subject matter which was not described in the specification in such a way as to reasonably convey to one skilled in the relevant art that the inventor or a joint inventor, or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the inventor(s), at the time the application was filed, had possession of the claimed invention. Claim 11 requires forming a contact structure including a metal layer and an adhesive layer on the second capping layer claim 15 requires wherein the forming of the contact structure further comprises forming a second connection layer between the metal layer and the active area, however this corresponds to 142 in figure 9 the second capping 132 is form thereon thus the if the forming of the contact structure further comprises includes forming a second connection layer between the metal layer and the active area it cannot be formed on the second cap. Instead, only a portion of the second contact is formed on the second capping layer.
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 11-16 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.
Claim 11 states wherein the defining of the active area comprises defining that the active area is inclined in a third direction having a certain slope with respect to the first direction, wherein the third direction is inclined by about 30 degrees with respect to the first direction. This is unclear an confusing the active layer is formed before the bit lines are set in the first direction thus the active layer could not be defined the to be at 30 degrees since there is no first direction until the bit lines are formed. It appears applicant mean defining the first direction so that…
As to claim 13 it is unclear what is to be salicided applicant has not set forth any silicon material. It appears applicant means performing a silicide on the active layer.
As to claim 16 it is unclear when the gate formation occurs. It appears the gate structure should be formed before the contact and forming the contact structure to be connected with the gate.
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(s) 11-13, and 15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Choi 20230397405 in view of Zhang 20230200056.
Choi teaches A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device, the method comprising: defining an active area by forming a device isolation layer on a substrate (figure 4 and 5 isolation 6a1 and 9 and active region items 12a and 12b) ; forming a word line extending in a second direction across the active area and the device isolation layer (item 18a and b); forming a first capping layer covering the word line (item 18c); forming a bit line extending in a first direction across the first capping layer, the active area, and the device isolation layer, wherein the first direction is substantially perpendicular to the second direction (items 71 a and 66 the bit line extends in all directions but see figure 1 and 2a); forming a second capping layer covering the bit line item 97 figure 2b); forming a contact structure including a metal layer and an adhesive layer on the second capping layer (item 130 paragraph 69 it recites a variation of metal when a combination one of the metal containing layer maybe considered an adhesive layer since material adhere to it); forming a third capping layer on the contact structure (item 140 paragraph 74); and forming a capacitor structure on the third capping layer ( item 170 paragraphs 93-95), wherein the forming the bit lines in the first direction so that the that the active area is inclined in a third direction having a certain slope with respect to the first direction (figure 1).
Choi does not explicitly teach an angle of about 30 degrees between the first direction and the active region.
Zhang teaches the active layer maybe angled at 30 to 120 degrees relative to the bit lines or word lines figure 1 and paragraph 28.
Thus, it would have been obvious to provide the active region at about 30 degrees with respect to the extension direction of the bit lines.
One would have been so motivated to use known an expected values and layout to arrive at expected out comes of functional memory devices.
b. As to claim 12, Choi teaches wherein the forming of the bit line further comprises forming a first connection layer between the bit line and the active area (item 36a).
c. As to claim 13, Choi teaches forming a silicide with metal and the substrate ( paragraph 109 it is aligned with itself.
d. As to claim 15, Choi teaches wherein the forming of the contact structure further comprises forming a second connection layer between the metal layer and the active area (item 127 paragraph 69).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 14 and 16 would be allowable if rewritten 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 and to include all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
As to claim 14, Choi fails to teach and or suggest wherein the forming of the bit line comprises: forming, in the substrate, a bit line trench extending in the first direction; and depositing the bit line inside the bit line trench and etching back the bit line.
As to claim 16, Choi fails to teach forming a separate gate in a first direction in the substrate and forming the contact structure connected to the gate.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MATTHEW L REAMES whose telephone number is (571)272-2408. The examiner can normally be reached M-Th 6:00 am-4:00 pm EST.
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/MATTHEW L. REAMES/
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2896
/MATTHEW L REAMES/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2896
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