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 .
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.
Claim(s) 1, 2, 4-9, 19, and 20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by US 20210366846 (Hung et al).
Concerning claim 1, Hung discloses a semiconductor integrated circuit (IC) device comprising (Figs.2A-5B): a handler semiconductor IC device comprising (Figs. 3A and 3B): a diode doped region (302/304); and an active semiconductor IC device comprising (Figs. 2A and 2B): a backside source/drain (S/D) contact (504) connected to a S/D region (205); a backside diode contact (504) electrically connected to the diode doped region (Figs. 5A-5B and [0040], note that the contacts 504 are provided on the left and right side of the device and that they are electrically connected to each of these features).
Continuing to claim 2, Hung discloses wherein the active semiconductor IC device further comprises a frontside back end of line (BEOL) network with a charge collector wire (210) connected to the diode doped region ([0021]).
Considering claim 4, Hung discloses wherein the active semiconductor IC device further comprises a frontside S/D contact (208) connected to the diode doped region through the charge collector wire (Fig. 2B).
Referring to claim 5, Hung discloses wherein the active semiconductor IC device further comprises a first contact pad (216/222) connected to the charge collector wire (Figs. 2A-2B and [0022]-[0023]).
Regarding claim 6, Hung discloses wherein the handler semiconductor IC device further comprises a second contact pad (316/322) connected to the diode doped region (Figs. 3A-3B and [0031]).
Pertaining to claim 7, Hung discloses wherein electrical charge within the charge collector flows in a direction towards and dissipates through the diode doped region ([0027]-[0029]).
As to claim 8, Hung discloses wherein the active semiconductor IC device further comprises
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an electrical pathway (annotated Fig. 5B above illustrates an arrow representing the metal connections that form an electrical pathway from the charge collector wire (210) to the first contact pad (222)) connected to the charge collector wire and connected to the first contact pad, the electric pathway comprising a plurality of conductive wires and a plurality of conductive vias ([0022]-[0023]).
Concerning claim 9, Hung discloses wherein the handler semiconductor IC device further comprises a diode contact between the second contact pad and the diode doped region (Fig. 5B and [0032], note that the feature 322 has a vertical and horizontal components and the examiner is interpreting the horizontal component as the second pad and the vertical portion is the diode contact between the second contact pad and the diode doped region).
Continuing to claim 19, Hung discloses a semiconductor integrated circuit (IC) device fabrication method comprising: bonding a handler semiconductor IC device (Figs. 3A-3B) to an active semiconductor device (Figs. 2A-2B and Fig. 4B); forming a backside back end of line (BEOL) network over a backside of the active semiconductor device (Fig. 5A-5B and [0039]-[0040]); and dissipating electrical charge through a frontside BEOL network of the active semiconductor device and further through the handler semiconductor IC device ([0040]-[0041]).
Referring to claim 20, Hung discloses wherein the electrical charge is dissipated through a diode doped region (302/304) within the handler semiconductor IC device ([0027]-[0029]).
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(s) 10, 11, and 13-18 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over US 20210366846 (Hung et al) in view of US 20220293597 (Hu et al).
Regarding claim 10, Hung discloses a semiconductor integrated circuit (IC) device comprising (Figs. 2A-5B): an . . . diode within a handler semiconductor IC device(Figs. 3A and 3B:, the . . .diode comprising a diode doped region (302/304); and an active semiconductor IC device comprising (Figs. 2A and 2B): a backside source/drain (S/D) contact (504) connected to a S/D region (205); a backside diode contact (504) electrically connected to the diode doped region (Figs. 5A-5B and [0040], note that the contacts 504 are provided on the left and right side of the device and that they are electrically connected to each of these features).
Hung does not disclose that the diode is an antenna diode. However, Hu discloses some IC manufacturing processes, may cause electric charges to accumulate in areas having been subject to these processes. The die-to-die interconnect, being conductive, may therefore accumulate electric charges during manufacturing. It is not uncommon that the die-to-die interconnect, which may accumulate a large amount of charges, is directly connected to the gate dielectric; therefore, the gate dielectric may run the risk of breaking down by these charges. Hence, it is advantageous to protect the gate dielectric that is directly connected to the die-to-die interconnect from these charges, or PID. One way to provide such PID protection is to introduce an antenna diode to the circuit ([0035]-[0037]). Therefore it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify the diode within the handler substrate of Hung to be an antenna diode in order to provide PID protection to the device as disclosed by Hu.
Pertaining to claim 11, Hung in view of Hu discloses wherein the active semiconductor IC device further comprises a frontside back end of line (BEOL) network with a charge collector wire (Hung 210) connected to the diode doped region (Hung [0021]).
As to claim 13, Hung in view of Hu discloses wherein the active semiconductor IC device further comprises a frontside S/D contact (Hung 208) connected to the diode doped region through the charge collector wire (Hung Fig. 2B).
Concerning claim 14, Hung in view of Hu discloses wherein the active semiconductor IC device further comprises a first contact pad (Hung 216/222) connected to the charge collector wire (Hung Figs. 2A-2B and [0022]-[0023]).
Continuing to claim 15, Hung in view of Hu discloses wherein the handler semiconductor IC device further comprises a second contact pad (Hung 316/322) connected to the diode doped region (Hung Figs. 3A-3B and [0031]).
Considering claim 16, Hung in view of Hu discloses wherein electrical charge within the charge collector flows in a direction towards and dissipates through the antenna diode (Hung [0027]-[0029]).
Referring to claim 17, Hung in view of Hu discloses wherein the active semiconductor IC device further comprises
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an electrical pathway (Hung annotated Fig. 5B above illustrates an arrow representing the metal connections that form an electrical pathway from the charge collector wire (210) to the first contact pad (222)) connected to the charge collector wire and connected to the first contact pad, the electric pathway comprising a plurality of conductive wires and a plurality of conductive vias (Hung [0022]-[0023]).
Regarding claim 18, Hung in view of Hu discloses wherein the handler semiconductor IC device further comprises a diode contact between the second contact pad and the diode doped region (Fig. 5B and [0032], note that the feature 322 has a vertical and horizontal components and the examiner is interpreting the horizontal component as the second pad and the vertical portion is the diode contact between the second contact pad and the diode doped region).
Claim(s) 3 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over US 20210366846 (Hung et al) as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of US 7816231 (Dyer et al).
Pertaining to claim 3, Hung discloses forming frontside contacts (208).
Hung does not disclose wherein the active semiconductor IC device further comprises a frontside gate contact connected to the diode doped region through the charge collector wire. However, Dyer discloses a configuration (Fig. 16) of a semiconductor integrated circuit device (200) with backside contacts (83) wherein there are both frontside S/D contacts (51) and frontside gate contacts (53) formed in the device. Dyer discloses that this configuration is a conventional configuration known in the art in these devices (col. 7 lines 45-53). In re Dailey, 357 F.2d 669, 149 USPQ 47 (CCPA 1966) (The court held that the configuration of the claimed disposable plastic nursing container was a matter of choice which a person of ordinary skill in the art would have found obvious absent persuasive evidence that the particular configuration of the claimed container was significant.). Therefore absent evidence that the claimed configuration is significant, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify the configuration of Hung to include a frontside gate contact as it is a known feature in the described conventional devices.
Claim(s) 12 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over US 20210366846 (Hung et al) in view of US 20220293597 (Hu et al) as applied to claim 10 above, and further in view of US 7816231 (Dyer et al).
As to claim 12, Hung discloses forming frontside contacts (208).
Hung does not disclose wherein the active semiconductor IC device further comprises a frontside gate contact connected to the diode doped region through the charge collector wire. However, Dyer discloses a configuration (Fig. 16) of a semiconductor integrated circuit device (200) with backside contacts (83) wherein there are both frontside S/D contacts (51) and frontside gate contacts (53) formed in the device. Dyer discloses that this configuration is a conventional configuration known in the art in these devices (col. 7 lines 45-53). In re Dailey, 357 F.2d 669, 149 USPQ 47 (CCPA 1966) (The court held that the configuration of the claimed disposable plastic nursing container was a matter of choice which a person of ordinary skill in the art would have found obvious absent persuasive evidence that the particular configuration of the claimed container was significant.). Therefore absent evidence that the claimed configuration is significant, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify the configuration of Hung to include a frontside gate contact as it is a known feature in the described conventional devices.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. US 20230069107 discloses an integrated circuit device that includes backside contacts connected to doped diode regions (Fig. 1).
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to VALERIE N NEWTON whose telephone number is (571)270-5015. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8-5.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, CHAD DICKE can be reached at (571) 270-7996. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/VALERIE N NEWTON/Examiner, Art Unit 2897 02/24/26
/CHAD M DICKE/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2897