DETAILED ACTION
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of species C/fig. 4-5, reflected in claims 1-8, 10-13 and 16-18 in the reply filed on 05/04/2026 is acknowledged. Claims 9, 14-15 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142 (b), as being drawn to the nonelected group. Claims 19-20 are cancelled.
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.
Claims 13 and 16-18 are 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 pre-AIA the applicant regards as the invention.
Claim 13 recites “a memory array structure bonded to a first side of the control circuitry structure and comprising an array of memory cells; a bond pad overlying a second side of the control circuitry structure opposite the second side;”. However, it is not understood from the claim language how a second side of the control circuitry structure is opposite to the same second side. For examination, the instant limitations will be considered as:
“a memory array structure bonded to a first side of the control circuitry structure and comprising an array of memory cells; a bond pad overlying a second side of the control circuitry structure opposite the first side;”
As claims 16-18 depend on the above rejected claim 13, they are also being rejected on the same reason.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1-8 and 10-12 are allowed.
Claims 13, 16-18 will be allowed after withdrawal of the above 112 rejection of claim 13.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
Regarding independent claim 1, the applicant has sufficiently claimed and defined a microelectronic device, whereby the prior arts of record and to the examiner's knowledge do not teach or render obvious, at least to the skilled artisan, the instant invention regarding the microelectronic device comprising: a control circuitry structure within a semiconductive material, having a bond pad on a backside and a conductive contact vertically extending from the bond pad, through the semiconductive material, and to the control logic circuitry, wherein an insulating slit vertically extending into the semiconductive material and horizontally circumscribing the conductive contact, portions of the semiconductive material horizontally interposed between the conductive contact and the insulating slit. The closest prior art of record, Oh et al. (US 20210383874 A1, fig. 6) teaches, a control circuitry structure (LW2) within a semiconductive material (30), having a bond pad (130) on a backside and a conductive contact (51) vertically extending from the bond pad (130), through the semiconductive material (30), and to the control logic circuitry (37), wherein an insulating slit (50) vertically extending into the semiconductive material (30) and horizontally circumscribing the conductive contact (51), but fails to teach, wherein portions of the semiconductive material (30) horizontally interposed between the conductive contact (51) and the insulating slit (50). None of the prior arts of record, either singularly or in combination, can be used to modify the device of Oh et al. to teach the above missing feature with obvious motivation or without breaking the device of Oh et al.
Regarding independent claim 13, the applicant has sufficiently claimed and defined a memory device, whereby the prior arts of record and to the examiner's knowledge do not teach or render obvious, at least to the skilled artisan, the instant invention regarding the memory device comprising: a control circuitry structure comprising control logic devices, having a bond pad on one side and one or more conductive contacts vertically extending from the bond pad, through a semiconductive material, and to the control logic devices, wherein dielectric structures vertically extending into the semiconductive material and horizontally circumscribing the one or more conductive contacts, portions of the semiconductive material horizontally intervening between the one or more conductive contacts and the dielectric structures. The closest prior art of record, Oh et al. (US 20210383874 A1, fig. 6) teaches, a control circuitry structure (LW2) comprising control logic devices (37), having a bond pad (130) on one side and one or more conductive contacts (51) vertically extending from the bond pad, through a semiconductive material (30), and to the control logic devices (37), wherein dielectric structures (50) vertically extending into the semiconductive material (30), but fails to teach, wherein portions of the semiconductive material (30) horizontally intervening between the one or more conductive contacts (51) and the dielectric structures (50). None of the prior arts of record, either singularly or in combination, can be used to modify the device of Oh et al. to teach the above missing feature with obvious motivation or without breaking the device of Oh et al.
The dependent claims are allowed as they depend on the allowed independent claims.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MOHAMMAD M HOQUE whose telephone number is (571)272-6266 and email address is mohammad.hoque@uspto.gov. The examiner can normally be reached 9AM-7PM EST.
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/MOHAMMAD M HOQUE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2817
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