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 .
Response to Arguments
Applicant's amendment and arguments filed 8/14/2026 have been fully considered and are persuasive; the office action has been updated to address the newly amended limitations.
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.
Claims 1-3, and 5-8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zhu et al (U.S. Pub #2013/0020651), in view of Hao et al (U.S. Pub #2017/0222012), in view of Kim et al (U.S. Pub #2014/0167177).
With respect to claim 1, Zhu teaches a method of forming an integrated chip, comprising:
forming an isolation structure (Fig. 3A, 206 and Paragraph 14-15) within a trench in a substrate (Fig. 3A, 202), wherein the isolation structure defines a source region, a drain region, and a channel region (Paragraph 21) arranged between the source region and the drain region along a first direction (Fig. 2, vertical direction in figure)
and extending past the source region and the drain region along a second direction (Fig. 2, horizontal direction of figure, line a-a) perpendicular to the first direction (Fig. 2, the isolation structure 206 extends past active regions 204p/204n);
depositing a sacrificial gate material (Fig. 3A, 308 and Paragraph 18) in the channel region; and
replacing the sacrificial gate material with a gate structure, wherein the gate structure comprises a first gate electrode region having a first composition of one or more materials (Fig. 3F, 210s and Paragraph 13) and a second gate electrode region having a second composition of one or more materials (Fig. 3F, 210f and Paragraph 12) different than the first composition of one or more materials, wherein the first gate electrode region and the second gate electrode region are arranged one next to another along the second direction (Fig. 2, line a-a).
Zhu does not teach
wherein outer edges of the channel region disposed along the first direction are offset along the second direction from outer edges of the source region disposed along the first direction by a distance.
Hao teaches
that outer edges of a channel region (Fig. 6, 406/407) disposed along the first direction are offset along the second direction from outer edges of the source region (Fig. 6, 404) disposed along the first direction by a distance (Fig. 6, D1).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to form the channel region of Zhu such that outer edges are offset from outer edges of the source region as taught by Hao in order to improve the edge effects in the device (Paragraph 54).
Zhu does not teach
forming one or more divots within upper surfaces of the isolation structure, the one or more divots offset along the second direction from the outer edges of the source region by at least the distance;
depositing a sacrificial gate material over the channel region and the one or more divots.
Kim teaches an isolation structure (Fig. 1, 112 and Paragraph 29) that is formed with one or more divots (Fig. 1, 160 and Paragraph 40) with upper surfaces of the isolation structure, wherein the divots are formed along the boundaries of the active regions (Fig. 1, 102 and 104) and isolation structures, and gate materials deposited over the channel region and one or more divots.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide divot in the upper surface of the isolation of Zhu, such that the offset from source region of the divot is at least the same distance as the offset of the channel region of Zhu and Hao and such that the sacrificial gate material of Zhu is deposited over the divot, as taught by Kim in order to decrease the leakage current of the device (Paragraph 41).
With respect to claim 2, Zhu teaches that the replacing the sacrificial gate material with the gate structure comprises:
removing a first part of the sacrificial gate material to form an opening extending through the sacrificial gate material (Fig. 3C);
depositing the first composition of one or more materials in the opening (Fig. 3D, 210s);
removing a second part of the sacrificial gate material between sidewalls of the first composition of the one or more materials (Fig. 3E); and
depositing the second composition of one or more materials between the sidewalls of the first composition of one or more materials (Fig. 3F, 210s).
With respect to claim 3, Zhu teaches that the replacing the sacrificial gate material with the gate structure comprises:
removing the sacrificial gate material (Fig. 3C) to form a replacement gate cavity between sidewall spacers (Fig. 3C, 304);
depositing the second composition of one or more materials (Fig. 3F, 210s) in the replacement gate cavity;
patterning the second composition of one or more materials (Fig. 3E); and
depositing the first composition of one or more materials (Fig. 3F, 210f) over the patterned second composition of one or more materials.
With respect to claim 5, Zhu does not teach that the divots are filled with first composition of one or more materials.
Kim teaches that the divots (Fig. 1, 160) are filled with the material of the gate (Fig. 1, 280a).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to fill the divots with the first composition of one or more materials of Zhu as taught by Kim in order to decrease the leakage current of the device (Paragraph 41).
With respect to claim 6, Zhu teaches that the first gate electrode region and the second gate electrode region have top surfaces coplanar from one another (Fig. 3F, 210f and 210s).
With respect to claim 7, Zhu teaches that the second gate electrode region is formed with discrete portions (Fig. 3F, 210f; Fig. 4, 410e_2) that are separated by a center portion of the first gate electrode region (Fig. 3F, 210s; Fig. 4, 210b).
With respect to claim 8, Zhu teaches that the second gate electrode region is formed with discrete portions (Fig. 3F, 210f; Fig. 4, 410e_2) arranged along the second direction (Fig. 2, line a-a).
Claim 16 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zhu et al (U.S. Pub #2013/0020651), in view of Hao et al (U.S. Pub #2017/0222012),
With respect to claim 16, Zhu teaches a method of forming an integrated chip, comprising:
forming an isolation structure (Fig. 3A, 206 and Paragraph 14-15) in a substrate (Fig. 3A, 202), wherein the isolation structure has sidewalls defining an active region (Fig. 3A, 204p and Paragraph 21);
forming a sacrificial gate structure (Fig. 3A, 308 and Paragraph 18) on the active region;
forming a pair of doped regions in the active region on the opposite sides of the sacrificial gate structure along a first direction (Paragraph 21, source/drain regions); and
replacing the sacrificial gate structure with a gate structure, wherein the gate structure comprises a first gate electrode region (Fig. 3F, 210s and Paragraph 13) having a first composition of one or more materials and a second gate electrode region (Fig. 3F, 210f and Paragraph 12) having a second composition of one or more materials different than the first composition of one or more materials,
wherein the second gate electrode region is formed with discrete portions (Fig. 3F, 210f; Fig. 4, 410e_2) arranged along a second direction (Fig. 2, line a-a) perpendicular to the first direction.
Zhu does not teach
wherein middle sidewalls of the isolation structure disposed along the first direction are offset along the second direction from outer sidewalls of the isolation structure disposed along the first direction by a distance.
Hao teaches
wherein middle sidewalls of an isolation structure (Fig. 4F, 205; Fig. 6, region outside of active region 401) disposed along the first direction are offset along the second direction from outer sidewalls of the isolation structure disposed along the first direction by a distance (Fig. 6, D1);
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to form the isolation structure and active region of Zhu such that middle sidewalls are offset from outer sidewalls as taught by Hao in order to improve the edge effects in the device (Paragraph 54).
Regarding the limitation:
“wherein a line perpendicular to the first and second directions along a boundary of the first gate electrode region and the second gate electrode region intersects an upper surface of the active region and is offset along the second direction from the middle sidewalls of the isolation structure by at least the distance.” the combination of Zhu and Hao will teach the claimed structure because the boundary of the first and second gate electrode regions (Fig. 3D, 210b and 380a)is aligned with the isolation structure (Fig. 3D, 206).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 11-15 are allowed.
Claim 9 and 17-22 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.
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to BENJAMIN P SANDVIK whose telephone number is (571)272-8446. The examiner can normally be reached M-F: 10-6.
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/BENJAMIN P SANDVIK/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2812
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