DETAILED ACTION
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of invention Group I (claims 1-10 and 18-20) in the reply filed on 1/20/2026 is acknowledged.
Claims 11-17 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected invention, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on 1/20/2026.
Claim Objections
Applicant is advised that should claim 3 be found allowable, claim 9 will be objected to under 37 CFR 1.75 as being a substantial duplicate thereof. When two claims in an application are duplicates or else are so close in content that they both cover the same thing, despite a slight difference in wording, it is proper after allowing one claim to object to the other as being a substantial duplicate of the allowed claim. See MPEP § 608.01(m).
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 1-10 and 18-20 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 pre-AIA the applicant regards as the invention.
Claim 1 reciting “the second S/D laps the first S/D laterally and is offset from the first S/D longitudinally” renders the claim indefinite. It is unclear what constitutes “laps … laterally”.
Claim 2 reciting “the third S/D laps the first S/D longitudinally and is offset from the first S/D laterally” renders the claim indefinite. It is unclear what constitutes “laps … longitudinally”.
Claim 2 reciting “the local interconnect laps the first S/D laterally and is offset from the first S/D longitudinally” renders the claim indefinite. It is unclear what constitutes “laps … laterally”.
Claims 3 and 9 reciting “a second via electrically connected to the second S/D and to the second interconnect”, as best understood, refer to via 122B which couples S/D 116C as shown in FIG. 1A. However, it is unclear how does S/D 116C “overlaps” with the first S/D 116A which is coupled to the first via 112A. Therefore, it is unclear what is meant by “laps” or “overlap” between the second S/D and the first S/D.
Claim 10 reciting “the third S/D laps the second S/D longitudinally and is offset from the second S/D laterally” renders the claim indefinite. It is unclear what constitutes “laps … longitudinally”.
Claim 18 reciting “the second S/D laps the first S/D longitudinally and is offset from the first S/D laterally” renders the claim indefinite. It is unclear what constitutes “laps … longitudinally”.
Claim 18 reciting “the local interconnect laps the first S/D laterally and is offset from the first S/D longitudinally” renders the claim indefinite. It is unclear what constitutes “laps … laterally”.
Claim 20 reciting “the third S/D laps the first S/D laterally and is offset from the first S/D longitudinally” renders the claim indefinite. It is unclear what constitutes “laps … laterally”.
Other claims are rejected for depending on a rejected claim.
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.
Claims 1-10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Liebmann et al. US 2022/0181258 A1 (Liebmann).
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In re claim 1, as best understood, Liebmann discloses (e.g. FIG. 1) a semiconductor structure 120 that extends laterally with a first interconnect BSPDN on one side and a second interconnect M0 on an opposing side separated from the first interconnect BSPDN by a thickness of the semiconductor structure 120 that extends longitudinally, the semiconductor structure comprising:
an insulating member extending laterally (although insulating material not shown, the structure as shown in FIG. 1 is necessarily embedded in insulating structure);
a first source/drain (S/D) 123 positioned in the insulating member between the first interconnect BSPDN and the second interconnect M0;
a second S/D 121 positioned in the insulating member between the first S/D 123 and the second interconnect M0, “wherein the second S/D 121 laps the first S/D 123 laterally and is offset from the first S/D 123 longitudinally”; and
a first via 115 electrically connected to the first S/D 123 and to the second interconnect M0.
In re claim 2, Liebmann discloses (e.g. FIG. 1) further comprising:
a third S/D 123 (in Cell B) positioned in the insulating member between the first interconnect BSPDN and the second interconnect M0, “wherein the third S/D laps 123 (in Cell B) the first S/D 123 (in Cell A) longitudinally and is offset from the first S/D 123 (in Cell A) laterally”; and
a local interconnect 112 (in Cell A) that is electrically connected to the third S/D 123 (in Cell B) (112 and 123 are electrically connected through back-side power distribution network BSPDN) and to the first interconnect BSPDN and is electrically insulated from the first S/D 123 (112 and 123 in Cell A are electrically insulated by being spaced apart);
“wherein the local interconnect 112 (in Cell A) laps the first S/D 123 (in Cell A) laterally and is offset from the first S/D 123 (in Cell A) longitudinally”.
In re claim 3, Liebmann discloses (e.g. FIG. 1) further comprising “a second via 111,113 electrically connected to the second S/D 121 and to the second interconnect M0”.
In re claim 4, Liebmann discloses (e.g. FIG. 1) further comprising a contact 117 connected to the first S/D 123 on a side nearest to the second S/D 121.
In re claim 5, Liebmann (e.g. FIG. 1) wherein the insulating member comprises a bonding dielectric layer longitudinally positioned between the first S/D 123 and the second S/D 121 (isolation between 121 and 123 necessarily exists).
In re claim 6, Liebmann discloses (e.g. FIG. 1) wherein the contact 117 is positioned in the bonding layer (isolation between 121 and 123).
In re claim 7, Liebmann discloses (e.g. FIG. 1) wherein the first via 115 is electrically connected to the first S/D 123 through the contact 117.
In re claim 8, Liebmann discloses (e.g. FIGs. 1-2) wherein:
the contact 117 is a same width as the first S/D (only part of 123 overlapping 117 is considered the first S/D) in a first lateral direction (123 extends in/out of the page of the drawn shown in FIG. 1, the width of the part of 123 that overlaps 117 in/out of page is the same as the width of 117); and
the contact 117 is a larger width than the first S/D (part of 123 overlapping 117) in a second, different lateral direction (see FIG. 1).
In re claim 9, Liebmann discloses (e.g. FIG. 1) further comprising “a second via 111,113 electrically connected to the second S/D 121 and to the second interconnect M0”.
In re claim 10, Liebman discloses (e.g. FIG. 1) further comprising a third S/D 121 (in Cell B) positioned in the insulating member between the first interconnect BSPDN and the second interconnect M0, “wherein the third S/D 121 (in Cell B) laps the second S/D 121 (in Cell A) longitudinally and is offset from the second S/D 121 (in Cell A) laterally, wherein the third S/D 121 (in Cell B) is electrically connected to the first interconnect BSPDN.
Claims 18-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Lilak et al. US 2021/0305098 A1 (Lilak).
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In re claim 18, as best understood, Lilak discloses (e.g. FIG. 2E & 6) a semiconductor structure 202 that extends laterally with a first interconnect M7-M8 on one side and a second interconnect M1-M3 on an opposing side separated from the first interconnect by a thickness of the semiconductor structure 202 that extends longitudinally, the semiconductor structure comprising:
an insulating member 626 extending laterally;
a first source/drain (S/D) (e.g. a left 270) positioned in the insulating member between the first interconnect M7-M8 and the second interconnect M1-M3;
a second S/D (right 270) positioned in the insulating member between the first interconnect M7-M8 and the second interconnect M1-M3, “wherein the second S/D (right 270) laps the first S/D (left 270) longitudinally and is offset from the first S/D laterally” (laterally adjacent ones of 270); and
a local interconnect (625 in M6) that is electrically connected to the second S/D (right 270) and to the first interconnect M7-M8 and is electrically insulated from the first S/D (left 270);
“wherein the local interconnect (625 in M6) laps the first S/D (left 270) laterally and is offset from the first S/D (left 270) longitudinally” (M6 is vertically above left S/D 270).
In re claim 19, Lilak discloses (e.g. FIG. 6) further comprising a first via 624 electrically connected to the first S/D (left 270) and to the second interconnect M1-M3 (all components of device are considered to be electrically connected either directly or indirectly through other conductive elements or components).
In re claim 20, Lilak discloses (e.g. FIG. 2E & 6) further comprising a third S/D 220 positioned in the insulating member between the first S/D (left 270) and the second interconnect M1-M3, “wherein the third S/D (left 220) laps the first S/D (left 270) laterally and is offset from the first S/D (left 270) longitudinally” (see FIG. 2E).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to YU CHEN whose telephone number is (571)270-7881. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday: 9AM-5PM ET.
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/YU CHEN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2896
YU CHEN
Examiner
Art Unit 2896
Prosecution Insights