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 .
This Office Action is in response to the Applicant’s remarks filed March 25, 2026.
Drawings
The objection to the drawings has been withdrawn due to the remarks filed.
Specification
The objection to the title of the invention has been withdrawn due to the remarks filed.
The objection to the specification has been withdrawn due to the remarks filed.
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.
Claims 1 and 8 are 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.
In regard to claims 1 and 8, it is not understood how the second fuse conductor can be in the same metallization level as itself (the second fuse conductor) in line 3 of both claims.
Claims 2-7 are rejected as being dependent upon rejected claim 1. Claims 9-14 are rejected as being dependent upon rejected claim 8.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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.
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.
As best understood, claim(s) 1, 3-4 and 16-18 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Min et al. (US 2010/0213570 A1).
In regard to claim 1, Min et al. teach an antifuse structure 40 comprising: a first fuse conductor 23’; a second fuse conductor 25’ in the same metallization level as the second fuse conductor 25’; and a tapered (Tapered describes an object becoming gradually thinner, narrower, or smaller toward one end.) fuse dielectric 42 (See page 2, paragraph [0020]) between and separating the first fuse conductor 23’ from the second fuse conductor 25’ (Figure 3, pages 2-3, paragraphs [0017]-[0021]).
In regard to claim 3, Min et al. teach a lateral width of the tapered fuse dielectric 42 measured at a topmost surface of the first and second fuse conductors 23’/25’ is larger than a lateral width of the tapered fuse dielectric 42 measured at a bottommost of the first and second fuse conductors 23’/25’ (Figure 3, pages 2-3, paragraphs [0017]-[0021]).
In regard to claim 4, Min et al. teach the tapered fuse dielectric 42 extending beneath both the first fuse conductor 23’ and the second fuse conductor 25’ (Figure 3, pages 2-3, paragraphs [0017]-[0021]).
In regard to claim 16, Min et al. teach a first dielectric layer 35’/37’ (outer portions), wherein both the first and second fuse conductors 23’/25’ are directly on the first dielectric layer 35’/37’ (outer portions); and a second dielectric layer 35’/37’ (inner portions) surrounding the tapered fuse dielectric 42 (Figure 3, pages 2-3, paragraphs [0017]-[0021]).
In regard to claim 17, Min et al. teach a lateral width of the tapered fuse dielectric 42 measured at a topmost surface of the first and second fuse conductors 23’/25’ is larger than a lateral width of the tapered fuse dielectric 42 measured at a bottommost of the first and second fuse conductors 23’/25’ (Figure 3, pages 2-3, paragraphs [0017]-[0021]).
In regard to claim 18, Min et al. teach the tapered fuse dielectric 42 (See page 2, paragraph [0020]) extending beneath both the first fuse conductor 23’ and the second fuse conductor 25’ (Figure 3, pages 2-3, paragraphs [0017]-[0021]).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 2, 5, 7 and 19 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Claim 6 is objected to as being dependent upon objected claim 5.
Claim 20 is objected to as being dependent upon objected claim 19.
As best understood, claims 8-14 would be allowable if rewritten or amended to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, set forth in this Office action.
Claim 15 is allowed.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
The prior art of record does not disclose, make obvious, or otherwise suggest the structure of the applicant's claimed invention, such as the configuration of flushed upper surfaces of the first fuse conductor, second fuse conductor and tapered fuse dielectric.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 03/25/2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive. Min et al. does indeed disclose the upper side surfaces of tapered fuse dielectric 42 (See page 2, paragraph [0020]) between and separating the first fuse conductor 23’ from the second fuse conductor 25’.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
The following patents are cited to further show the state of the art with respect to antifuse structures:
Adusumilli et al. (US 10,056,329B1) Cestero et al. (US 2009/0108400 A1)
Cheng et al. (US 2017/0148734 A1) Hafez et al. (US 8,101,471 B2)
Hafez e al. (US 2013/0270559 A1) Huang (US 2021/0257297 A1)
Yang et al. (US 2021/0233843 A1) Yen et al. (5,550,404)
Zhou et al. (US 2021/0391256 A1).
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. 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 IDA M SOWARD whose telephone number is (571)272-1845. The examiner can normally be reached Monday through Thursday, 7am to 5:30pm.
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, Leonard Chang can be reached on 571-570-3691. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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IMS
April 23, 2026
/IDA M SOWARD/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2898
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