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 without traverse of claims 14-33 in the reply filed on 7/6/2026 is acknowledged.
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 14, 16-29, 31, and 33 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Linardy (US 12,266,671) in view of Hirayu (US 2014/0239437).
With regard to claim 14, fig. 3 of Linardy discloses a method of forming a deep trench isolation (DTI) structure 22, comprising: forming a first opening 14 within a substrate (12, 10); forming a first conformal film (outer 18) within the first opening 14; forming a second conformal film (outer 20) within the first opening 14 and lining inner sidewalls 15 of the first conformal film (outer 18); forming a third conformal film (inner 18) within the first opening 14 and lining inner sidewalls 15 of the second conformal film (outer 20); forming a conformal fill layer (“conductive core 64”, col. 8 ll. 26) within the first opening 14, the conformal fill layer 64 filling the first opening 14; and removing portions of the first conformal film (outer 18), the second conformal film (outer 20), the third conformal film (inner 18), and the conformal fill layer 64 that extend out of the substrate (12, 10), leaving a first film (outer 18), a second film (outer 20), and a third film (inner 18) surrounding a DTI core.
Linardy does not disclose a first opening with a rounded end.
However, fig. 2C of Hirayu discloses a first opening with a rounded end (rounded bottom of trench 4T).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to form the trench of the DTI of Linardy to have a rounded bottom as taught in Hirayu in order to use a reactive ion etching process to form trenches having very anisotropic etch profiles. See par [0040] of Hirayu.
With regard to claim 16, fig. 3 of Linardy discloses that the second conformal film (outer 20) comprises a first material (“hafnium oxide”, col. 4 ll. 64) and the first conformal film (outer 18) and the third conformal film (inner 18) comprise materials of a second set of materials (“layers 18 may be comprised of silicon dioxide”, col. 4 ll. 62-63), wherein the second set of materials (“silicon dioxide”, col. 4 ll. 62-63) comprises materials with conduction bands having a band energy at least 1 eV greater (conduction band of SiO2 has band energy of greater than 1eV than that of hafnium oxide) than a band energy of the first material (“hafnium oxide”, col. 4 ll. 64).
With regard to claim 17, fig. 3 of Linardy discloses that the conformal fill layer 64 comprises a semiconductor material (“conductive core 64 comprised of a highly-doped polysilicon”, col. 8 ll. 26-27).
With regard to claim 18, fig. 3 of Linardy discloses forming a fourth conformal film (inner 20) after forming the third conformal film (inner 18), the fourth conformal film (inner 20) extending into the first opening 14 and surrounding inner sidewalls of the third conformal film (inner 18).
With regard to claim 19, fig. 3 of Linardy discloses forming a fourth conformal film (inner 20) comprises silicon dioxide (“materials for the layers 18, 20 may be selected from silicon dioxide”, col. 4 ll. 59-60).
With regard to claim 20, fig. 3 of Linardy discloses the first conformal film comprises a deposition process.
Linardy does not discloses that the first conformal film has a rounded end that conforms with the rounded end of the first opening.
However, fig. 2D of Hirayu discloses that the first conformal film 4 has a rounded end 4T that conforms with the rounded end of the first opening 4T.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to form the trench of the DTI of Linardy to have a rounded bottom as taught in Hirayu in order to use a reactive ion etching process to form trenches having very anisotropic etch profiles. See par [0040] of Hirayu.
With regard to claim 21, fig. 3 of Linardy discloses a method of forming an integrated device, comprising: forming a first opening 14 within a substrate (12, 10); forming a first conformal film (outer 18) within the first opening 4, the first conformal film (outer 18) comprising a first material (“layers 18 may be comprised of silicon dioxide”, col. 4 ll. 62-63) with a first conduction band at a first band energy (silicon dioxide); forming a second conformal film (outer 20) within the first opening 14 and lining inner sidewalls of the first conformal film (outer 18), the second conformal film (outer 20) comprising a second material (“hafnium oxide”, col. 4 ll. 64) with a second conduction band at a second band energy (hafnium oxide) that is less (conduction band of HfO2 has band energy that is less than that of SiO2) than the first band energy; forming a third conformal film (inner 18) within the first opening 14 and lining inner sidewalls of the second conformal film (outer 20), the third conformal film (inner 18) comprising a third material (“layers 18 may be comprised of silicon dioxide”, col. 4 ll. 62-63) with a third conduction band at a third band energy (silicon dioxide) that is greater (conduction band of aluminum oxide has band energy that is greater than that of hafnium oxide) than the second band energy (hafnium oxide); and forming a conformal fill layer 64 within the first opening 14, the conformal fill layer 64 filling the first opening 14 and comprising a semiconductor material (“ conductive core 64 comprised of a highly-doped polysilicon”, col. 8 ll. 26-27).
With regard to claim 22, fig. 3 of Linardy discloses a fourth conformal film (inner 20) after forming the third conformal film (inner 18) and before forming the conformal fill layer 64, wherein the fourth conformal film (inner 20) covers inner sidewalls of the third conformal film (inner 18) and comprises a fourth material (“aluminum oxide”, col. 4 ll. 63-64) with a fourth conduction band (conduction band of aluminum oxide higher than hafnium oxide) at a fourth band energy (aluminum oxide) that is greater than the second band energy (hafnium oxide).
With regard to claim 23, fig. 3 of Linardy discloses that the second band energy (band energy for hafnium oxide) is at least 1 eV less than the first band energy (band energy for silicon oxide), the third band energy (band energy for silicon oxide), and the fourth band energy (band energy for aluminum oxide).
With regard to claim 24, fig. 3 of Linardy discloses that the second band energy (band energy for hafnium oxide) is at least 1 eV less than the first band energy (band energy for silicon oxide) and the third band energy (band energy for silicon oxide),
With regard to claim 25, fig. 3 of Linardy discloses that the first (outer 18), second (outer 20), and third (inner 18) conformal films comprise insulative materials (“layers 18 and the layers 20 may be comprised of different dielectric materials”, col. 4 ll. 54-55).
With regard to claim 26, fig. 3 of Linardy discloses that comprising removing portions of the first conformal film (outer 18), the second conformal film (outer 20), the third conformal film (inner 18), and the conformal fill layer 64 that extend out of the substrate (10, 12), leaving a first film (outer 18), a second film (outer 20), and a third film (inner 18) surrounding a deep trench isolation (DTI) core 64, wherein the first film (outer 18), the second film (outer 20), the third film (inner 18), and the DTI core 64 comprise upper surfaces (upper surface of 64, 18, 20 in fig. 3 ) exposed by the removal of the portions.
With regard to claim 27, fig. 3 of Linardy discloses a method of forming an integrated device, comprising: forming a first opening 14 within a substrate (12, 10); forming a first conformal film 64 within the first opening 14, the first conformal film (outer 18) comprising a first material (silicon dioxide); forming a second conformal film (outer 20) within the first opening 14 and lining inner sidewalls of the first conformal film (outer 18), the second conformal film (outer 20) comprising a second material (hafnium oxide); forming a third conformal film (silicon dioxide) within the first opening 14 and lining inner sidewalls of the second conformal film (outer 20), the third conformal film (inner 18) comprising a third material (silicon dioxide), wherein the first (silicon dioxide) and third materials (silicon dioxide) have conduction bands with band energies at least 1 eV greater than a band energy of the second material (hafnium oxide); and forming a conformal fill layer 64 within the first opening 14, the conformal fill layer 64 filling the first opening 14.
With regard to claim 28, fig. 3 of Linardy discloses that the first conformal film (outer 18), the second conformal film (outer 20) and the third conformal film (inner 18) have uniform thicknesses, and wherein the second conformal film (outer 20) is separated from the substrate (12, 10) by the first conformal film (outer 18).
With regard to claim 29, Lindardy does not disclose that the first opening has a rounded bottom surface, and wherein the first conformal film has rounded surfaces from a cross- sectional view.
However, fig. 2C of Hirayu discloses that the first opening has a rounded bottom surface (rounded bottom of trench 4T), and wherein the first conformal film 4 has rounded surfaces (rounded bottom of trench 4T) from a cross- sectional view.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to form the trench of the DTI of Linardy to have a rounded bottom as taught in Hirayu in order to use a reactive ion etching process to form trenches having very anisotropic etch profiles. See par [0040] of Hirayu.
With regard to claim 31, fig. 3 of Linardy discloses a fourth conformal film (inner 20) comprising a fourth material (aluminum oxide) over the third conformal film (inner 18), wherein the fourth material (aluminum oxide) has a conduction band with a band energy at least 1 eV greater than the band energy of the second material (hafnium oxide) and less than the band energy of the third material (silicon dioxide).
With regard to claim 33, fig. 3 of Linardy discloses that the first material (silicon dioxide), the second material (hafnium oxide), and the third material (silicon dioxide) are insulators.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 15, 30, and 32 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.
Regarding claim 15, Linardy (US 12,266,671) and Hirayu (US 2014/0239437) do not disclose performing a process treatment configured to draw electrons into the second film, wherein the process treatment is a thermal or biasing treatment.
Regarding claim 30, Linardy (US 12,266,671) and Hirayu (US 2014/0239437) do not disclose the first material and the third material are different materials and comprise different conduction band energies.
Regarding claim 32, fig. 3 of Linardy (US 12,266,671) discloses a fourth conformal film (outer 20) comprising a fourth material (aluminum oxide) over the third conformal film (outer 18), wherein the fourth material (aluminum oxide) has a conduction band with a band energy at least 1 eV greater than the band energy of the second material (hafnium oxide). However, Linardy and Hirayu (US 2014/0239437) do not disclose that the fourth material has a conduction band with a band energy greater than the band energy of the third material.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to BENJAMIN T LIU whose telephone number is (571)272-6009. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 11:00am-7:30pm.
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/BENJAMIN TZU-HUNG LIU/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2893
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