CTNF 18/465,815 CTNF 91518 Attorney’s Docket Number: T1516.10926US01 Filing Date: 09/12/2023 Claimed Foreign Priority Date: none Applicant: Chang Examiner: Younes Boulghassoul DETAILED ACTION This Office action responds to the Election filed on 04/09/2026. Remarks 07-03-aia AIA 15-10-aia 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 elections without traverse of Group Invention I and Species 1, in the reply filed on 04/09/2026, is acknowledged. Applicant cancelled claims 17-20, added new claims 21-24, and indicated that claims 1-16 and 21-24 read on the elected Species. The examiner agrees. Accordingly, pending in this application are claims 1-16 and 21-24. Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112 07-30-01 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. 07-31-01 Claim 12 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(a) as failing to comply with the written description requirement. The claim contains subject matter which was not described in the specification in such a way as to reasonably convey to one skilled in the relevant art that the inventor or a joint inventor, at the time the application was filed, had possession of the claimed invention. Claim 12 recites “wherein the first gate strip is electrically connected to a read word line through the first gate contact, and the second gate strip is electrically connected to a program word line through the second gate contact.”. However, claim 11, from which claim 12 depends, already requires “forming a first gate contact over the first gate strip , wherein from a top view, the first gate contact is positioned within a region bordered by…” and “forming a second gate contact over the second gate strip , wherein from the top view, the second gate contact is positioned outside of the region bordered by…”, and the written description in the original application does not support such arrangements as those recited in claim 11 AND claim 12. Instead, Fig. 9A and associated disclosure support the reverse arrangement, wherein a gate string G11 having a contact VG11 over the active region is connected to WLP (program word line), while another gate string G11 having a contact VG11 outside of the active region is connected to WLR (read word line). The applicant may cancel the claim, amend the claim, or demonstrate explicit support for the claimed subject matter in the original disclosure (e.g., by citing specific excerpts from Specification or features in Drawings related to the claimed embodiment, as originally filed). A broad statement alleging support for the claimed subject matter will be considered non-persuasive. Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102 07-06 AIA 15-10-15 In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status. 07-07-aia AIA 07-07 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 – 07-08-aia AIA (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. 07-15 AIA Claim s 11 and 13-16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102( a)(1 ) as being anticipated by Ou et al. (US2021/0245421) . Regarding Claim 11 , Ou (see, e.g., Figs. 1A-B, 10, and 13A-B) shows all aspects of the instant invention, including a method, comprising: - forming a plurality of fin structures ( e.g. , semiconductor fins 112a-b ) upwardly extending from a semiconductor substrate (e.g., Si substrate 110 ) within a memory bit-cell ( e.g. , memory cell C ) - forming a first gate strip ( e.g. , leftmost metal gate structure 190a ) extending across the fin structures, and a second gate strip ( e.g. , rightmost metal gate structure 190b ) extending across the fin structures - growing a plurality of source/drain structures on the fin structures (see, e.g. , Par. [0036]: source/drain regions 160 are grown epitaxially) - forming a first gate contact ( e.g. , gate via 232a ) over the first gate strip, wherein from a top view, the first gate contact is positioned within a region bordered by a first outer edge of a first outermost one of the fin structures and a second outer edge of a second outermost one of the fin structures opposite to the first outer edge (see, e.g. , Fig. 13A) - forming a second gate contact ( e.g. , gate via 232b ) over the second gate strip, wherein from the top view, the second gate contact is positioned outside of the region bordered by the first and second outer edges of the first and second outermost ones of the fin structures (see, e.g. , Fig. 13A) Regarding Claim 13 , Ou (see, e.g. , Fig. 1B and Par. [0035]) discloses that anti-fuse element AF and the control transistor T can have source/drain regions of a same conductivity type, e.g. , n-type. Therefore, Ou shows that the first gate strip is of a first n-type metal-oxide-semiconductor (NMOS) device, and the second gate strip is of a second NMOS device. Regarding Claim 14 , Ou (see, e.g. , Fig. 13A) shows that, from the top view, the second gate contact ( e.g. , 232b ) is spaced apart from the region by a non-zero distance ( e.g. , LD2 ). Regarding Claim 15 , Ou (see, e.g. , Fig. 13A) shows: - forming a third gate strip ( e.g. , leftmost metal gate structure 190b ) extending across the fin structures and between the first and second gate strips - forming a third gate contact ( e.g. , 232b ) over the third gate strip, wherein from the top view, the third gate contact is positioned outside of the region bordered by the first and second outer edges of the first and second outermost ones of the fin structures Regarding Claim 16 , Ou (see, e.g. , Fig. 13A) shows: - forming a third gate strip e.g. , rightmost metal gate structure 190a ) extending across the fin structures, wherein the second gate strip is between the first and third gate strips - forming a third gate contact ( e.g. , 232a ) over the third gate strip, wherein from the top view, the third gate contact is positioned within the region bordered by the first and second outer edges of the first and second outermost ones of the fin structures . Allowable Subject Matter Claims 1-10 and 21-24 are allowable. Conclusion 07-96 AIA The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. The additional references cited disclose cell layouts wherein gate contacts for transistor devices are formed over an active region, and having some steps similar to the instant invention . Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Younes Boulghassoul at (571) 270-5514. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday-Friday 9am-6pm EST (Eastern Standard Time), or by e-mail via younes.boulghassoul@uspto.gov . 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, Wael Fahmy can be reached at (571) 272-1705. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300. Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000. /YOUNES BOULGHASSOUL/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2814 Application/Control Number: 18/465,815 (Non-Final Rejection) Page 2 Art Unit: 2814 Application/Control Number: 18/465,815 (Non-Final Rejection) Page 4 Art Unit: 2814 Application/Control Number: 18/465,815 (Non-Final Rejection) Page 5 Art Unit: 2814 Application/Control Number: 18/465,815 (Non-Final Rejection) Page 6 Art Unit: 2814 Application/Control Number: 18/465,815 (Non-Final Rejection) Page 7 Art Unit: 2814
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