Last updated: July 17, 2026

Application No. 18/431,346

REDUCING OXIDATION BY ETCHING SACRIFICIAL AND PROTECTION LAYER SEPARATELY

Non-Final OA

Filed

Feb 02, 2024

Priority

Jun 17, 2021 — provisional 63/211,772 +1 more

Examiner

AMER, MOUNIR S

Art Unit

2818

Tech Center

2800 — Semiconductors & Electrical Systems

Assignee

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.

OA Round

1 (Non-Final)

Interview Optional

— +8.7% interview lift. Interview lift (+8.7%) is below the 15.0% threshold. A written response is recommended.

Based on 614 resolved cases, 2023–2026

Examiner Intelligence

AMER, MOUNIR S View full profile →

Grants 88% — above average

Career Allowance Rate

542 granted / 614 resolved

+20.3% vs TC avg

Moderate +9% lift

Without

With

+8.7%

Interview Lift

resolved cases with interview

Fast prosecutor

2y 0m

Avg Prosecution

16 currently pending

Career history

638

Total Applications

across all art units

Statute-Specific Performance

§101

0.1%

-39.9% vs TC avg

§103

76.8%

+36.8% vs TC avg

§102

10.3%

-29.7% vs TC avg

§112

1.1%

-38.9% vs TC avg

Black line = Tech Center average estimate • Based on career data from 614 resolved cases

Prosecution Timeline

Feb 02, 2024

Application Filed

Mar 27, 2026

Non-Final Rejection mailed (current)

Precedent Cases

Applications granted by this same examiner with similar technology

18/304,601

Patent 12685036

PHASE CHANGE MATERIAL RADIO-FREQUENCY SWITCH FOR LOW POWER CONSUMPTION AND METHODS FOR FORMING THE SAME

3y 2m to grant Granted Jul 14, 2026

18/304,551

Patent 12677603

PHASE CHANGE MATERIAL RADIO-FREQUENCY DEVICE AND METHODS FOR FORMING THE SAME

3y 2m to grant Granted Jul 07, 2026

18/223,043

Patent 12672294

RESISTIVE MEMORY DEVICE AND MANUFACTURING METHOD THEREOF

2y 11m to grant Granted Jun 30, 2026

17/357,748

Patent 12660241

RELEASED FIN FOR ADVANCED INTEGRATED CIRCUIT STRUCTURE FABRICATION

4y 11m to grant Granted Jun 16, 2026

18/305,569

Patent 12660594

CHIP PACKAGE STRUCTURE WITH SUBSTRATES AND METHOD FOR FORMING THE SAME

3y 1m to grant Granted Jun 16, 2026

Study what changed to get past this examiner. Based on 5 most recent grants.

Strategy Recommendation AI-generated — please review before filing

Get a prosecution strategy drawn from examiner precedents, rejection analysis, and claim mapping.

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Prosecution Projections

1-2

Expected OA Rounds

88%

Grant Probability

97%

With Interview (+8.7%)

2y 0m (~0m remaining)

Median Time to Grant

Low

PTA Risk

Based on 614 resolved cases by this examiner. Grant probability derived from career allowance rate.