DETAILED ACTION
Election/Restrictions
Applicant's election with traverse of claims 1-19 and 25 in the reply filed on July 24, 2026 is acknowledged. The traversal is on the ground(s) that “ each of method claims 20-24 as amended be reconsidered. This is not found persuasive because contact resistance can be reduced by gate electrode size.
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.
Claims 1-19 and 25 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Jiang et al. (Jiang, US 2009/0283753 A1).
Regarding claim 1, Jiang shows an apparatus comprising: a stretchable semiconductor (TFT 10 in FIG. 3 and [0029]) having a channel (channel 156 in FIG. 3 and [0029]) including a surface portion having semiconducting CNTs (carbon nanotubes) ( 140 in FIG. 3 and [0023]), source and drain electrodes including a first electrode (electrode 151) and a second electrode (electrode 152) separated from each other by a distance that spans at least a portion of the channel (channel 156) and that is in a range from 100 nm to 50,000 nm ([0025]), and an interface material (element 130), sandwiched between a first surface region of the channel (channel 156) and the first electrode (electrode 151) and between a second surface region of the channel and the second electrode (electrode 152), to reduce contact resistance (by element 130) and, with the channel, facilitate mobility of charge carriers during operation of the semiconductor (the underlined limitation considered as function of the TFT 10).
Regarding claim 2, Jiang shows an apparatus comprising: a stretchable semiconductor (TFT 10 in FIG. 3 and [0029]), wherein the semiconductor is at least partially intrinsically-stretchable due ([0024]) to material of the semiconducting CNTs forming a network, and the apparatus further includes at least one other intrinsically-stretchable layer arranged adjacent to a portion of material including the channel (channel 156), the distance is in the range from 100 nm to 10 micron ([0025]), and at least one of the source and drain electrodes includes one or more of metallic CNTs and material having metal and polymer ([0027]), and wherein the channel is composed of a material that is susceptible to damage from a plasma etching process (the underlined limitation considered as function of the TFT 10).
Regarding claim 3, Jiang shows an apparatus comprising: a stretchable semiconductor (TFT 10 in FIG. 3 and [0029]), wherein the semiconductor, at an interim stage of manufacture of the semiconductor, includes a patterning structure ( FIG. 3), including at least a portion of one of the source and drain electrodes (electrode 151/152), composed of a material having metal-CNTs ([0007]).
Regarding claim 4, Jiang shows an apparatus comprising: a stretchable semiconductor (TFT 10 in FIG. 3 and [0029]), wherein the semiconductor includes a stretchable layer portion in which the channel (channel 156) resides and further including multiple layers, each of the multiple layers composed of a stretchable polymer-based material, wherein the channel has a length of < 10 pm and a thickness of not greater than 10 nm ([0025]), and, the transistor is to operate with a contact resistance < 1 MS2pm and high carrier mobility characterized as being greater than 10 cm2/Vs (the underlined limitation considered as function of the TFT 10).
Regarding claim 5, Jiang shows an apparatus comprising: a stretchable semiconductor (TFT 10 in FIG. 3 and [0029]), wherein the channel includes a non-etched (see FIG. 3), surface of the surface portion along a majority of a length between the first electrode ( electrode 151) and the second electrode (electrode 152).
Regarding claim 6, Jiang shows an apparatus comprising: a stretchable semiconductor (TFT 10 in FIG. 3 and [0029]), wherein including contacts respectively connected to the source and drain electrodes (electrode 151/152) and along a first plane, wherein the surface portion of the channel ( channel 156) is along a second plane that intersects with at least one of the source and drain electrodes (electrode 151/152), and the surface portion includes a surface, on a side of the channel facing the first plane, that is without etch-based damage or etch-based residual material.
Regarding claim 7, Jiang shows an apparatus comprising: a stretchable semiconductor (TFT 10 in FIG. 3 and [0029]), wherein the semiconductor further includes at least one dielectric material ( dielectric 130) that is non-ionic and sandwiched by the channel (channel 156) and a gate electrode (gate electrode).
Regarding claim 8, Jiang shows an apparatus comprising: a stretchable semiconductor (TFT 10 in FIG. 3 and [0029]), wherein the distance is in a range from 100 nm to 400 nm ([0027]).
Regarding claim 9, Jiang shows an apparatus comprising: a stretchable semiconductor (TFT 10 in FIG. 3 and [0029]), wherein the channel has a shape that is circular or elliptical (see FIG. 3).
Regarding claim 10, Jiang shows an apparatus comprising: a stretchable semiconductor (TFT 10 in FIG. 3 and [0029]), wherein the channel (channel 156) has a shape that is to facilitate cancellation of on-current variations and that corresponds to a shape with a plurality of far- perimeter boundaries that are curved or rounded (the underlined limitation considered as function of the TFT 10).
Regarding claim 11, Jiang shows an apparatus comprising: a stretchable semiconductor (TFT 10 in FIG. 3 and [0029]), wherein the interface material includes one or a combination of two or more of the following: palladium (Pd), gold (Au), platinum (Pt), titanium (Ti), and an organic dopant ([0027]).
Regarding claim 12, Jiang shows an apparatus comprising: a stretchable semiconductor (TFT 10 in FIG. 3 and [0029]), wherein at least portions of the first electrode and the second electrode (electrode 151/152) are arranged along a plane that is parallel to a different plane along which a surface of the channel (channel 156) is arranged.
Regarding claim 13, Jiang shows an apparatus comprising: a stretchable semiconductor (TFT 10 in FIG. 3 and [0029]), wherein the first electrode and the second electrode (electrode 151/152) are arranged along a plane that is parallel to, and displaced relative to, a plane along which a surface of the channel (channel 156) is arranged.
Regarding claim 14, Jiang shows an apparatus comprising: a stretchable semiconductor (TFT 10 in FIG. 3 and [0029]), wherein the channel extends along a plane and is characterized by a configuration that is to maintain physical resilience under strain in response to being stretched in at least one of a direction parallel to the plane and a direction perpendicular to a direction in which charge is transported; and facilitate cancellation of on-current variations across different segments of the channel ( function of the TFT 10).
Regarding claim 15, Jiang shows an apparatus comprising: a stretchable semiconductor (TFT 10 in FIG. 3 and [0029]), wherein the CNTs are characterized at least in part by a field-effect mobility in a range from 1 cm2/Vs to 100 cm2/Vs ([0029]), and the channel has a profile characterized by a dense semiconducting CNT path along a majority of a length between the first electrode and the second electrode (electrode 151/152).
Regarding claim 16, Jiang shows an apparatus comprising: a stretchable semiconductor (TFT 10 in FIG. 3 and [0029]), wherein the channel has a short channel length that is characterized by a transconductance normalized by channel width of at least 0.8 nS (see FIG. 3).
Regarding claim 17, Jiang shows an apparatus comprising: a stretchable semiconductor (TFT 10 in FIG. 3 and [0029]), wherein patterned metallic contact electrodes, connected to the source and drain electrodes (electrode 151/152), including at least one of M-CNTs, a metal layer, and an organic dopant (see FIG. 3).
Regarding claim 18, Jiang shows an apparatus comprising: a stretchable semiconductor (TFT 10 in FIG. 3 and [0029]), wherein the channel and the source and drain electrodes ( electrode 151/152) are part of a transistor (TFT 10), and the surface portion of the channel (channel 156) includes a non-etched material surface having semiconducting CNTs ( [005-0030]).
Regarding claim 19, Jiang shows an apparatus comprising: a semiconductor including a channel (channel 156) characterized by including material having sorted semiconducting carbon nanotubes (S-CNTs) ([0024-0026]), and by a shape that is to facilitate cancellation of on-current variations source and drain electrodes including a first electrode and a second electrode (electrode 151/152) separated from each other by a distance that spans at least a portion of the channel and that is in a range from 100 nm to 50,000 nm ([0025]); an interface material (element 130), sandwiched between a first surface region of the channel and the first electrode and between a second surface region of the channel and the second electrode (electrode 151/152), to reduce contact resistance and, with the channel, facilitate mobility of charged carriers during operation of a transistor including the channel; and metallic contact electrodes secured to the source and drain electrodes (electrode 151/152) and including at least one of S-CNTs and palladium, wherein the channel is part of a thin-film transistor (TFT 10) that is to operate in steady state at one or more switching frequencies of at least 10 kHz,and the channel is further characterized by a portion having a plurality of rounded corners (see Fig. 3).
Regarding claim 25, Jiang shows an apparatus comprising a stretchable semiconductor (TFT 10) having a channel (channel 156) including a surface portion having semiconducting CNTs (carbon nanotubes), a first electrode and a second electrode (electrode 151/152) separated from each other by a distance that spans at least a portion of the channel and that is in a range from 100 nm to 50,000 nm ([0025]), and an interface region ( element 130) to reduce contact resistance and facilitate mobility of charge carriers during operation of the semiconductor, the interface region including respective interface portions between the channel (channel 156) and the first electrode (electrode 151/152) and between the channel and the second electrode and including a surface region of the channel that is without etch-based damage or etch-based residual material and that is between the first and second electrodes (electrode 151/152) and on the contacts side of the channel (channel 156).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ELIAS M ULLAH whose telephone number is (571)272-1415. The examiner can normally be reached M-F at 8AM-5PM EST.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Yara Green can be reached at 571-270-3035. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/ELIAS ULLAH/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2893
Prosecution Insights