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 .
Applicant’s election without traverse of Group 1 in the reply filed on 01/07/2026 is acknowledged.
Claims 12-20 withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected Group 2, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on 01/07/2026.
Claim Objections
Claim 1 objected to because of the following informalities: first surfaces and a second surfaces should be changed to first surface and second surface. Appropriate correction is required.
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 1, 2, 3, 5, 6 and 11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zhang (US20100289032A1) and Okamoto(1) (US 20120218796A1).
With respect to Claim 1, Zhang teaches in Fig 2A anf Fig 6, a semiconductor structure, comprising: a first semiconductor layer (14; Fig 2A; ¶ [0051]), comprising a first surfaces and a second surfaces opposite to the first surface;
a second semiconductor layer (12; Fig2A; ¶ [0051]), disposed on the first semiconductor layer, wherein a conductive type of the second semiconductor layer is the same as that of the first semiconductor layer (¶ [0051]), and a doping concentration of the second semiconductor layer (¶ [0051]) is less than that of the first semiconductor layer (¶ [0051]);
grooves, formed in the second semiconductor layer (Fig 2A; 16, 2); and
a third semiconductor layer (Fig 2A; 52; ¶ [0051]), wherein a conductive type of the third semiconductor layer is different from that of the second semiconductor layer (Fig 6; 16; ¶ [0078]), and at least a portion of the third semiconductor layer is disposed in the grooves (Fig 2A; 54A-E; ¶ [0054]).
Zhang does not teach a material of the third semiconductor layer is different from that of the second semiconductor layer.
Okamoto(1) teaches, in Fig 1a, a material of the third semiconductor layer (Fig 1a; 3; ¶ [0050]) is different from that of the second semiconductor layer (Fig 1a; 2; ¶ [0049]).
It would be obvious to one with ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the invention of Zhang, a silicon carbide base PiN diode with a junction terminal extension, and the invention of Okamoto(1), a Schottky diode with a junction terminal extension with the first and second layers comprising GaN and the third layer comprising. The bandgap has the ability be tuned and charge transport can be optimized at an heterointerface compared to a homogenous interface with the band being continuous across the interface and electrons/holes moving via diffusion and drift.
With respect to Claim 2, Zhang and Okamoto(1) teach the semiconductor structure of claim 1.
Zhang teaches, in Fig 2A, wherein a width of the third semiconductor layer periodically varies, gradually increases, gradually decreases, first increases and then decreases (Fig 2A; Fig 8; Ld; ¶ [0023]; lateral width) or first decreases and then increases along an epitaxial direction.
With respect to Claim 3, Zhang and Okamoto(1) teach the semiconductor structure of claim 1.
Zhang teaches, in Fig 2A and Fig 6, the conductive type of the first semiconductor layer is an N-type (Fig 2A; 14; ¶ [0051]), and the conductive type of the third semiconductor layer is a P-type (Fig 6; 16; ¶ [0078]);
With respect to Claim 5, Zhang and Okamoto(1) teach the semiconductor structure of claim 1.
Zhang does not teach wherein a material of the first semiconductor layer and the material of the second semiconductor layer comprise at least one of Si, SiC or GaN, and the material of the third semiconductor layer comprises AlGaN; or
a material of the first semiconductor layer and the material of the second semiconductor layer comprise at least one of Si, SiC or GaN, and the material of the third semiconductor layer comprises SiC.
Okamoto(1) teaches, in Fig 1A, a material of the first semiconductor layer (Fig 1A; 1; ¶ [0049]) and the material of the second semiconductor layer comprise at least one of Si, SiC or GaN (Fig 1A; 2; ¶ [0049]), and the material of the third semiconductor layer comprises AlGaN (Fig 1A; 3; ¶ [0049]);
It would be obvious to one with ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the invention of Zhang, a silicon carbide base PiN diode with a junction terminal extension, and the invention of Okamoto, a Schottky diode with a junction terminal extension with the first and second layers comprising GaN and the third layer comprising AlGaN. When AlGaN is deposited on top of a GaN layer, a two-dimensional electron gas (2DEG) or a two-dimensional hole gas (2DHG) channel layer is form at the interface (Okamoto(1) (¶ [0078])) allowing for a high charge mobility switching speed and power efficiency.
With respect to Claim 6, Zhang and Okamoto(1) teach the semiconductor structure of claim 5.
Zhang does not teach wherein when the material of the second semiconductor layer is GaN and the material of the third semiconductor layer is AlGaN, a change curve of an Al component transitions continuously at a contact interface between the third semiconductor layer and the second semiconductor layer;
when the material of the second semiconductor layer is SiC and the material of the third semiconductor layer is AlGaN, the change curve of the Al component has a jump at the contact interface between the third semiconductor layer and the second semiconductor layer.
Okamoto teach, in Fig. 1A, wherein when the material of the second semiconductor layer is GaN (Fig 1A; 2; ¶ [0049]) and the material of the third semiconductor layer is AlGaN (Fig. 1A; 3; ¶ [0049), a change curve of an Al component transitions continuously at a contact interface between the third semiconductor layer and the second semiconductor layer (Fig. 1A; 3 and 2 interface; ¶ [0050] [0051]]).
It would be obvious to one with ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the invention of Zhang, a silicon carbide base PiN diode with a junction terminal extension, and the invention of Okamoto, a Schottky diode with a junction terminal extension with the first and second layers comprising GaN and the third layer comprising AlGaN. In the metal deposition procedure (Okamoto(1) ¶ [0051]), as aluminum is introduced into the source gas, the transition from GaN to AlGaN will go from 0% Al component to the desired % Al component amount continuously across the interface.
With respect Claim 11, Zhang and Okamoto(1) teach in the semiconductor structure of claim 1.
Zhang teaches, in Fig 6, further comprising: a first electrode, disposed on a top surface of the third semiconductor layer (Fig 6; 20; ¶ [0078]); and
a second electrode, disposed on the second surface of the first semiconductor layer (Fig 6; 21; ¶ [0078]).
Claim 4 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zhang (US20100289032A1) and Okamoto(1) (US20120218796A1) as applied to claim 1, 2, 3, 5, and 6 above, and further in view of Okamoto(2) (US8791465B2).
With respect to Claim 4, Zhang and Okamoto(1) teach the semiconductor structure of claim 1.
Zhang and Okamoto(1) do not teach further comprising a buffer layer, which is provided between the first semiconductor layer and the second semiconductor layer.
Okamoto(2) teaches, in Fig. 1A, further comprising a buffer layer, which is provided between the first semiconductor layer and the second semiconductor layer (Fig. 1A; 2a; Column 4 Line 4-7).
It would be obvious to one with ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the combined the inventions of Zhang, a silicon carbide base PiN diode with a junction terminal extension, and the invention of Okamoto(1), a Schottky diode with a junction terminal extension, with the invention of Okamoto(2), a compound semiconductor structure with a buffer layer between the first and second layer. Having a buffer layer between the first and second layer mediates current leakage form the active layers and creates a smooth top surface for metal deposition.
Claim 7 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zhang (US20100289032A1) and Okamoto(1) (US20120218796A1) as applied to claim 1, 2, 3, 5, and 6 above, and further in view of Sato (US8159004B2).
With respect to Claim 7, Zhang and Okamoto teach the semiconductor structure of Claim 5.
Zhang and Okamoto(1) do not teach wherein in an epitaxial direction, a change curve of an Al component of the third semiconductor layer comprises one or more combinations of a periodic change, an incremental change and a decremental change.
Sato teaches, in Fig. 6, wherein in an epitaxial direction, a change curve of an Al component of the third semiconductor layer comprises one or more combinations of a periodic change, an incremental change and a decremental change (Fig. 6; Al; column 4 Line 51-54 and column 14 Lines 25-46).
It would be obvious to one with ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the combined the inventions of Zhang, a silicon carbide base PiN diode with a junction terminal extension, and the invention of Okamoto(1), a Schottky diode with a junction terminal extension, with the invention of Sato, a compound semiconductor structure with the aluminum component varying along the length of the upper AlGaN layer. The aluminum component of the third layer changes stepwise, allowing for the charge carrier density to be modulated while traveling along the charge direction (Sato (Column 1; Line 57-54)).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant’s
disclosure:
Fan (US20230386842A1); This reference teaches a semiconductor device with a micropatterned surface.
Kia Cheng et al (US20220285585A1); This reference teaches a semiconductor with three electrode contacts on the three-layer surface
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/B.Q.R./Examiner, Art Unit 2817
/RATISHA MEHTA/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2817