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 with traverse of Species 2 in the reply filed on 4/29/26 is acknowledged. The traversal is on the ground(s) that the newly added claims should be included in the elected species. This is not found persuasive because an exhaustive search has been conducted to include the particular combination of elements found in the elected claims 9-15. The newly added claims are of different scope not requiring a HPDCVD method and all the particulars of claim 9 and would require further search and consideration which constitutes a burdensome search. An exhaustive search has been conducted on the claims below and allowable subject matter identified. The Examiner recommends that the Applicant amend the withdrawn claims to include all the limitations of claim 9 and 11 so that rejoinder will be possible.
The requirement is still deemed proper and is therefore made FINAL.
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) 9-10, 13-15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102a1 as being anticipated by Huang et al (US 6680248).
9. (Original) A method of fabricating a semiconductor device structure, comprising: forming at least one ramp VIA (Fig.5B-5D (508) and (Col.5, lines: 15-25) in a VIA isolator layer (Fig.5B (504A) and (Col.5, lines: 15-25);
forming at least one anti-reflection component (Fig.5D (505) and Col.5, lines: 15-20) on the at least one ramp VIA (Fig.5D (508a) and (Col.5, lines: 15-25);
forming a trench isolator layer (Fig. 5D (504b) and (Col.5, lines: 15-20) on the at least one anti-reflection component (Fig.5D (505) and Col.5, lines: 15-20);
selectively patterning a photoresist (Fig.5D (512) and Col.5, lines: 25-35) on the trench isolator layer (Fig. 5D (504b) and (Col.5, lines: 15-20);
etching through the trench isolator layer (Fig. 5D (504b) and (Col.5, lines: 15-20) and a portion of the at least one anti-reflection component (Fig.5D (505) and Col.5, lines: 15-20) to form a trench metal component hole (Fig.5D (514/518) and (Col.5, lines: 25-35) above the at least one ramp VIA (Fig.5B-5D (508) and (Col.5, lines: 15-25); and
forming a trench metal component (Fig.5E (520) and (Col.5, lines: 50-60) in the trench metal component hole (Fig.5D (514/518) and (Col.5, lines: 25-35).
10. (Original) The method of claim 9, wherein selectively patterning the photoresist further comprises: depositing a layer of photoresist (Fig.5D (512) and Col.5, lines: 25-35) on the trench isolator layer (Fig. 5D (504b) and (Col.5, lines: 15-20); and exposing the layer of photoresist to a light source (inherent- how a photoresist is patterned-Col.5, lines: 15-35), wherein the at least one anti-reflection component prevents inadvertent exposure of the photoresist from the ramp VIA (Col.5, lines: 35-50).
13. (Original) The method of claim 9, wherein forming the at least one ramp VIA further comprises:
patterning a photoresist (Fig.5D (512) and Col.5, lines: 25-35) on the VIA isolator layer (Fig.5B (504A) and (Col.5, lines: 15-25);
etching the VIA isolator layer (Fig.5B (504A) and (Col.5, lines: 15-25) in accordance with the patterned photoresist (Fig.5D (512) and Col.5, lines: 25-35) to form at least one VIA hole (Fig.5B-5D (508) and (Col.5, lines: 15-25);
forming a VIA glue layer (Fig.5E (519) and Col.5, lines: 60-65) in the at least one VIA hole (Fig.5B-5D (508) and (Col.5, lines: 15-25);
depositing a VIA material (Fig.5E (520) and Col.5, lines: 50-65) in the at least one VIA hole (Fig.5B-5D (508) and (Col.5, lines: 15-25); and
performing chemical-mechanical polishing to form the at least one ramp VIA (Col.5, lines: 65-68).
14. (Original) The method of claim 9, wherein a depth of the trench isolator layer (Fig. 5D (504b) and (Col.5, lines: 15-20) is greater than or equal to 1.5 times a depth of the VIA isolator layer (Fig.5B (504A) and (Col.5, lines: 15-25).
15. (Original) The method of claim 9, wherein forming the at least one trench metal component further comprises:
forming a trench glue layer (Fig.5E (519) and Col.5, lines: 60-65) in the trench metal component hole (Fig.5D (514/518) and (Col.5, lines: 25-35);
depositing a trench metal material (Fig.5E (520) and Col.5, lines: 50-65) in the trench metal component hole (Fig.5D (514/518) and (Col.5, lines: 25-35); and
performing chemical-mechanical polishing on the deposited trench metal material to form the trench metal component (Col.5, lines: 65-68).
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) 12 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Huang et al (US 6680248) in further view of Huang et al (US 10553733).
Huang ‘248 teaches the limitations of claim 9 as cited above, however fails to teach the limitations of claim 12 below:
12. (Original) The method of claim 9, wherein the at least one anti-reflection component is conical, pyramidal or needle in shape.
Huang ‘733 teaches wherein the at least one anti-reflection component is conical, pyramidal or needle in shape (Col.4, line 20-45).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to modify Huang ‘248 to include an anti-reflection component is conical or pyramidal as taught by Huang ‘733 because doing so allows light at different frequencies to be more effectively controlled. Moreover this is known in the art to provide for pixel/sub-pixel applications which a conductive trench would also be utilizable.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 11 is 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.
Prior art fails to teach nor suggest the limitations of claim 9 in combination with the remaining limitations of claim 11 as cited below:
11. (Original) The method of claim 9, wherein forming the at least one anti- reflection component further comprises:
depositing a first reflection layer on the VIA isolator layer;
patterning the first reflection layer into a plurality of columns; and
depositing a second reflection layer on the plurality of columns of the first reflection layer by high-density plasma chemical vapor deposition (HDPCVD).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Ho et al (US 2023/0317758); Chung (2004/0018697) and Tsai et al (US 2019/0067179) teach anti-reflective layers in conjunction with angled or ramped vias.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to LAURA M MENZ whose telephone number is (571)272-1697. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 7:00-3:30.
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/LAURA M MENZ/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2813
6/4/26
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