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 .
Specification
The title of the invention is not descriptive. A new title is required that is clearly indicative of the invention to which the claims are directed.
Election/Restriction
Pursuant to the election without traverse on February 19, 2026, non-elected claims 10-13 and 20 are withdrawn from consideration.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of the first paragraph of 35 U.S.C. 112(a):
(a) IN GENERAL.—The specification shall contain a written description of the invention, and of the manner and process of making and using it, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and use the same, and shall set forth the best mode contemplated by the inventor or joint inventor of carrying out the invention.
The following is a quotation of the first paragraph of pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112:
The specification shall contain a written description of the invention, and of the manner and process of making and using it, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and use the same, and shall set forth the best mode contemplated by the inventor of carrying out his invention.
Claims 1-9 and 14-19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(a) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), first paragraph, because the specification, while being enabling for a trench gate transistor in which the first conductive portion is drain (or source), the second conductive portion is a source (or drain), and the third conductive portion is a gate, does not reasonably provide enablement for any other semiconductor devices. The specification does not enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to practice the invention commensurate in scope with these claims. See the analysis of the Wands factors below:
Breadth of the Claims: The claims cover any semiconductor device with a few generic elements (substrate, conductive portions, insulating portions, semiconductor portions) recited, thus it is very broad.
Nature of the Invention: The nature of the invention is a certain type of transistor, with certain materials of different work functions on the side and bottom of the source electrode that has particular benefits to the transistor. There is no indication of how this might benefit any other device.
State of the Prior Art: The prior art does not teach those in the art how a transistor invention would be more broadly applied to semiconductor devices.
Level of One of Ordinary Skill: The expertise of the average skilled artisan would not provide for how to apply a transistor invention would be more broadly applied to semiconductor devices.
Level of Predictability in the Art: it is not predicable in the semiconductor arts to apply a transistor invention would be more broadly applied to semiconductor devices.
Presence or Absence of Working Examples: there are no working examples of different semiconductor devices.
Quantity of Experimentation Needed: The amount of testing required to practice the full scope of the invention would be immense, as there is no guidance in the application as to how the invention would be applied to other semiconductor devices.
Potentially Allowable Subject Matter
If the claims are amended to overcome the 112 rejection above, they are potentially allowable. The examiner did not find the source electrode with different materials of different work functions in the respective side and bottom portions as claimed in a trench gate transistor.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure and is listed in the attached Notice of References Cited.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to PETER BRADFORD whose telephone number is (571)270-1596. The examiner can normally be reached 10:30-6:30.
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, Jacob Choi can be reached at 469.295.9060. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/PETER BRADFORD/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2897
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