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 Species 9 (fig. 37), with claims 1, 4 and 7 indicated by Applicant to read thereon, in the reply filed on 5/11/2026 is acknowledged.
While Examiner acknowledges that Applicant indicated that claims 4 & 7 read on the elected species, claims 4&7 are drawn to non-elected species 5 and are hereby withdrawn from further consideration therefor.
Claims 2-10 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected species, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on 5/11/2026.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claim 1 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Re claim 1, lines 5-6, the phase “the first semiconductor being” lacks antecedent basis.
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.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim 1 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Konishi et al., US Pub. No. 2020/0006066A1.
Re claim 1, Konishi et al. disclose a semiconductor device comprising: a semiconductor substrate 1 (e.g., a bottom portion element 1; fig. 2) or 4 (e.g., fig. 14) of a first conductivity type (e.g., fig. 2 paragraph 59), the semiconductor substrate containing silicon carbide and having a first face and a second face opposite to the first face (e.g., fig. 2); a first semiconductor portion (e.g., the interface/upper portion of 1) or 10 (e.g., fig. 14) of the first conductivity type (e.g., fig. 2), the first semiconductor being provided on the first face and containing silicon carbide (e.g., fig. 2); a second semiconductor portion 2 of the first conductivity type, the second semiconductor portion 2 being provided on the first semiconductor portion and containing silicon carbide (e.g.,fig. 2 and paragraph 59); a third semiconductor portion 3 of the first conductivity type, the third semiconductor portion being provided on the second semiconductor portion 2 and containing silicon carbide (e.g., fig. 2 and paragraph 59); and a fourth semiconductor portion 80/82 of second conductivity type, the fourth semiconductor portion being provided on the third semiconductor portion 3 and containing silicon carbide (e.g.. fig. 2), a carrier concentration of the first conductivity type in the second semiconductor portion 2 (e.g., N+) being the same as or lower than a carrier concentration of the first conductivity type in the first semiconductor portion 1 (e.g., N++ fig. 2 and paragraph 59), the carrier concentration of the first conductivity type in the second semiconductor portion (e.g., N+) being the same as or higher than a carrier concentration of the first conductivity type in the third semiconductor portion 3 (e.g., N--, fig. 2 and paragraph 59), and a point defect density in the second semiconductor portion 2 being the same as or higher than a point defect density in the first semiconductor portion 1 (e.g., improve efficiency of the BPD/less defects the interface/upper portion of 1, paragraph 79, also see paragraph 112 regrading BPD), and being higher than a point defect density in the third semiconductor portion (e.g., paragraph 137, 5 defects/cm2 or less).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JACK CHEN whose telephone number is (571)272-1689. The examiner can normally be reached Monday to Friday, 8am to 4pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Yara J. Green can be reached at (571)270-3035. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/JACK S CHEN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2893
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