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 .
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 04/01/2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive. Applicant’s argument that independent claim 15 (Examiner believes applicant meant Independent Claim 11) has been amended to recite the limitation “wherein an intermediate p-doped GaN layer is arranged between two layer sequences of the heteroepitaxial structure arranged one above the other and is configured to deplete layers lying above and below it, or the two-dimensional electron gas formed therein.” , And therefore the Independent Claim is allowable, is found to be unpersuasive.
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 11 and thusly its dependents have been considered but are moot because the following ground of rejection does reject the amended limitation of Independent Claim 11.
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) 11-15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over the admitted prior art of Figure 1 hereinafter referred to as “APA” in view of Luo Xiaorong et al. (CN 109817712 A) hereinafter referred to as “Luo”. Further in view of Koon Hoo Teo et al. (US 9419121 B1) hereinafter referred to as “Teo 2016” and further in view of Koon Hoo Teo et al. (US 20170018638 A1) hereinafter referred to as “Teo 2017”.
Regarding Claim 11, APA teaches:
A semiconductor component configured as a vertical high-electron mobility transistor (HEMT), comprising:
a substrate made of gallium nitride (GaN); (Fig. 1 element 1)
a drift layer arranged on the substrate; and (Fig. 1 element 2)
a heteroepitaxial structure arranged above the drift layer and laterally contacted by source electrodes (Fig. 1 element 14 above element 2 connected dually to element 10) and is configured to provide a conductive channel by forming a two-dimensional electron gas, (Spec. pg. 1 line 24-pg. 2 line 2)
and a p-doped GaN layer configured to deplete the two-dimensional electron gas (element 3)
APA does not explicitly teach
wherein the heteroepitaxial structure includes a plurality of layer sequences lying one above the other and is configured to provide a plurality of channels which are arranged one above the other and include two-dimensional electron gas,
Luo Teaches
wherein the heteroepitaxial structure includes a plurality of layer sequences lying one above the other and is configured to provide a plurality of channels which are arranged one above the other (Fig. 1 elements 3 and 4) and include two-dimensional electron gas (Fig. 1 elements 3 and 4, Para. Technical Field where in Luo describes their invention as a HEMT (high-electron-mobility transistor))
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to modify the APA device such that the heteroepitaxial structure includes a plurality of layer sequences lying one above the other and is configured to provide a plurality of channels which are arranged one above the other and include two-dimensional electron gas, as described in the analogous prior art of Luo because to modify the other analogous device described in APA allows for the reduction of forward conduction resistance due to the increased numbers of channels and the improved current capacity. (Para. Summary of the Invention)
APA in view of Luo does not teach
wherein an intermediate p-doped GaN layer is arranged between two layer sequences of the heteroepitaxial structure arranged one above the other and is configured to deplete layers lying above and below it, or the two-dimensional electron gas formed therein.
Teo 2016 teaches a HEMT structure
wherein an intermediate layer (Fig 3 Back-barrier layers 13, 23, 33, … Col. 5 lines 55-61) is arranged between two layer sequences of the heteroepitaxial structure (Fig 3 elements 11, 21, 31… and 12, 22, 32… Col. 4 lines 5-9) arranged one above the other and is configured to deplete layers lying above and below it, or the two-dimensional electron gas formed therein.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to modify the device of APA in view of Luo such that the an intermediate layer is arranged between two layer sequences of the heteroepitaxial structure arranged one above the other and is configured to deplete layers lying above and below it, or the two-dimensional electron gas formed therein, as described in Teo 2016 because the modification allows for the enhanced 2deg confinement in between a plurality of layers (Teo 2016 Col. 5 lines 55-61)
APA in view of Luo in view of Teo 2016 is not relied upon to teach
the intermediate layers to be p-doped GaN
Teo 2017 teaches a HEMT structure
wherein an p-doped GaN layer configured to deplete the two-dimensional electron. (Fig. 5C p-doped GaN Back-barrier)
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to modify the device of APA in view of Luo further in view of Teo 2016 such that the intermediate layers are p-doped GaN, as described in Teo 2017 because the modification allows for enhanced 2deg confinement and can help deplete the channel layer on the device reverse bias. (Teo 2017 para [0046][0047])
Regarding Claim 12, APA in view of Luo in view of Teo 2016 in view of Teo 2017 teaches
The semiconductor component according to claim 11,
APA further teaches:
wherein in that each respective layer sequence of the heteroepitaxial structure includes a first layer and a second layer lying directly above the first layer, the first and second layers including different semiconductor materials with different band gaps. (Fig. 1 elements 4 and 5 Spec. pg. 1, line 24 to pg. 2, line 2)
Regarding Claim 13, APA in view of Luo in view of Teo 2016 in view of Teo 2017 teaches
The semiconductor component according to claim 11,
APA further teaches:
wherein the heteroepitaxial structure includes an AlGaN/GaN material system. (Fig. 1 elements 4 and 5 Spec. pg.2 lines 9-10)
Regarding Claim 14, APA in view of Luo in view of Teo 2016 in view of Teo 2017 teaches
The semiconductor component according to claim 11,
APA further teaches:
wherein the semiconductor component further comprises, above the drift layer, a structured n-doped region between p- doped regions. (Fig.1 element 7)
Regarding Claim 15, APA in view of Luo in view of Teo 2016 in view of Teo 2017 teaches
The semiconductor component according to claim 14,
APA further teaches:
wherein the semiconductor component further comprises, above the heteroepitaxial structure, a p-doped GaN region (Fig.1 element 8. Spec. pg. 7 line 11 and pg. 2 line 10-12 (page 7 refers to the APA of figure 1) ) which is contacted by a gate electrode (Fig.1 element 9. Spec. pg. 7 line 12) and is configured to deplete the heteroepitaxial structure at least in an area located above the structured n-doped region. (Spec. pg. 7 lines 24-25).
Claim(s) 16, 17, 20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over APA in view of Luo in view of Teo 2016 in view of Teo 2017 as applied to claim 11 above, and further in view of Lee Jung Hee et al. (KR 101480068 B1) Hereinafter referred to as “Jung”.
Regarding claim 16, APA in view of Luo in view of Teo 2016 in view of Teo 2017 teaches
The semiconductor component according to claim 11, but is not relied on to teach some layers of the heteroepitaxial structure in an area below a gate electrode provided with n-doping.
Jung further teaches:
wherein at least some layers of the heteroepitaxial structure in an area below a gate electrode are provided with n-doping. (Para. [0036] elements 141 and 131)
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention modify the device such that at least some layers of the heteroepitaxial structure in an area below a gate electrode are provided with n-doping, as described in the analogous prior art of Jung because to modify the other analogous device described in PA and Luo allows for the for the n/p/n junction to form a depletion layer in the p-type doped GaN layer of element 133 (English translation Para. [0036]).
Regarding claim 17, APA in view of Luo in view of Teo 2016 in view of Teo 2017 teaches
The semiconductor component according to claim 11, but is not relied on to teach a p-doped layer is arranged between the two of the layer sequences of the heteroepitaxial structure arrangement.
Jung further teaches:
wherein a p-doped layer is arranged between two of the layer sequences of the heteroepitaxial structure arranged one above the other. (Fig. 1 and 5 elements 143, 141, 133, 131, and123. Para. [0059], [0060], [0061], and [0036])
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention modify the device such that a p-doped layer is arranged between two of the layer sequences of the heteroepitaxial structure arranged one above the other, as described in the analogous prior art of Jung because to modify the other analogous device described in APA in view of Luo allows for the n/p/n junction to form a depletion layer in the p-type doped GaN layer of element 133 (English translation Para. [0036]).
Regarding claim 20, APA in view of Luo in view of Teo 2016 in view of Teo 2017 teaches
The semiconductor component according to claim 11, but is not relied on to teach the semiconductor as self-locking or self-conducting.
Jung further teaches:
wherein the semiconductor component is self-locking or self-conducting. (Fig. 1 and 5 elements 143, 141, 133, 131, and 123. Para. [0059], [0060], [0061], and [0036], the prior art from Luo can be realized as “normally-off” which page 9 lines 27-29 equates to applicant’s self-locking).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention modify the device such that the semiconductor component is self-locking or self-conducting, as described in the analogous prior art of Jung because to modify the other analogous device described in APA and Luo allows for the n/p/n junction to form a depletion layer, in the p-type doped GaN layer of element 133, that can block the movement of charges supplied from the two-dimensional electron gas and thus it is possible to realize a normally-off state (Para. [0036]).
Claim(s) 18 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over APA in view of Luo in view of Teo 2016 in view of Teo 2017 as applied to claims 11 above, and further in view of Fabio Alessio Marino et al. (US 20120292665 A1) herein after referred to as “Marino” .
Regarding claim 18, APA in view of Luo in view of Teo 2016 in view of Teo 2017 teaches:
The semiconductor component according to claim 11, but is not relied on to teach the heteroepitaxial structure is structured like fins and is completely enclosed laterally by a p-doped region contacted with a gate electrode.
Marino teaches:
wherein the heteroepitaxial structure is structured like fins and is completely enclosed laterally by a p-doped region contacted with a gate electrode. (Fig. 15, Para. [0098])
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to modify the device such that the heteroepitaxial structure is structured like fins and is completely enclosed laterally by a p-doped region contacted with a gate electrode, as described in the analogous prior art of Marino because to modify the other analogous device described in APA in view of Luo allows for the increase of control on the channel. (Para. [0098])
Claim(s) 19 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over APA in view of Luo in view of Teo 2016 in view of Teo 2017 in view of Marino as applied to claim 18 above, and further in view of Jung.
Regarding claim 19, APA in view of Luo in view of Teo 2016 in view of Teo 2017 teaches and in view of Marino teach:
The semiconductor component according to claim 18, wherein the semiconductor component has a plurality of heteroepitaxial structures that are structured like fins but is not relied on to teach the structure extend parallel to one another between two source electrodes.
Jung teaches:
The structure extend parallel to one another between two source electrodes. (Para. [0030], Fig.1 elements 171 and 173)
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to modify the device such that the structures extend parallel to one another between two source electrodes., as described in the analogous prior art of Jung because to modify the other analogous device described in APA in view of Luo and Marino allows for the device to obtain a vertical current flow and a vertical type device is capable of improving the degree of integration of the integrated circuit compared to a horizontal structure. (Para. [0048], [0029])
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JAIME LYNN SPRENGER whose telephone number is (571)272-8444. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Thursday, 7:30a.m. - 5:00p.m. ET..
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/JAIME LYNN SPRENGER/ Examiner, Art Unit 2893
/SUE A PURVIS/ Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2893
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