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 .
DETAILED ACTION
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 1-4 and 9-12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Nitta (US 20110210448).
Regarding claim 1. Nitta discloses A method for fabricating a semiconductor device, comprising:
forming a dielectric layer 120, wherein at least a portion of the dielectric layer comprises a nonstoichiometric compound (Fig 2, [0041]: Nitta discloses 120 is made of porous silica or organosilicate which is inherently nonstoichiometric compound;
forming one or more openings in the dielectric layer (Fig 2);
filling the one or more openings with a metal 140/150 (Fig 5, [0041]), wherein the metal is disposed on a surface of each of the one or more openings (Fig 5); and
exposing the dielectric layer and metal disposed in the openings to an oxidizing atmosphere (Fig 6: refer to the air-gap 130, they are exposed to air-gap), wherein exposing the dielectric layer and metal causes oxidation of the nonstoichiometric compound (Fig 5, both the dielectric layer and metal are exposed to air-gap. Therefore, exposing porous silica and organosilicate to air inherently causes oxidation by nature. Furthermore, Nitta’s metal is made of copper [0041]. And thus, exposing copper metal to air inherently causes oxidation.
Regarding claim 2. Nitta discloses The method of claim 1, wherein the nonstoichiometric compound of the dielectric layer comprises a silicon-rich silicon oxide (Nitta discloses 120 is made of silica a fundamental compound of silicon and oxygen, making it a silicon-rich silicon oxide).
Regarding claim 3. Nitta discloses The method of claim 1, wherein exposing the dielectric layer and metal disposed in the openings to an oxidizing atmosphere comprises annealing the nonstoichiometric compound in a low-temperature oxidizing ambient ([0012]: Nitta’s air-gap is formed at low temperature ambient. Thus, Nitta’s process teaches the claimed process).
Regarding claim 4. Nitta discloses The method of claim 1, wherein forming the dielectric layer comprises depositing a film comprising a nonstoichiometric silicon containing compound [0041].
Regarding claim 9. Nitta discloses A method for fabricating a semiconductor device, comprising
exposing a patterned dielectric layer 120 disposed on a substrate 100 to an oxidizing atmosphere [0044], wherein
the patterned dielectric layer comprises a first dielectric layer 120 that comprises a plurality of openings (Fig 2) that each comprise a metal layer 140/150 that is disposed on a surface of the opening (Fig 5), and
the first dielectric layer comprises a nonstoichiometric compound ([0041]: Nitta discloses 120 is made of porous silica or organosilicate which is inherently nonstoichiometric compound, and
exposing the patterned dielectric layer to an oxidizing atmosphere causes oxidation of the nonstoichiometric compound at the surfaces of the openings (the Nitta’s dielectric layer is exposed to air-gap. Therefore, exposing porous silica and organosilicate to air inherently causes oxidation by nature.
Regarding claim 10. Nitta discloses The method of claim 9, wherein the nonstoichiometric compound of the first dielectric layer comprises a silicon-rich silicon oxide (Nitta discloses 120 is made of silica a fundamental compound of silicon and oxygen, making it a silicon-rich silicon oxide).
Regarding claim 11. Nitta discloses The method of claim 9, wherein exposing the patterned dielectric layer to an oxidizing atmosphere comprises annealing the nonstoichiometric compound in a low-temperature oxidizing ambient ([0012]: Nitta’s air-gap is formed at low temperature ambient, Thus, Nitta’s process teaches the claimed process.
Regarding claim 12. Nitta discloses The method of claim 9, wherein the first dielectric layer comprises a film comprising the nonstoichiometric silicon containing compound [0041].
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 5-8 and 13-15 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.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
Regarding claim 5. the cited prior art of record does not teach or fairly suggest, along with the other claimed features, “depositing a stoichiometric film in which the one or more openings are formed; and depositing a liner in the openings, the liner comprising the nonstoichiometric compound”.
Regarding claim 6. “the exposing the dielectric layer and metal disposed in the openings to an oxidizing atmosphere causes the dielectric layer at the surface of each of the one or more openings to grow”.
Regarding claim 7. the cited prior art of record does not teach or fairly suggest, along with the other claimed features, “the exposing the dielectric layer and metal disposed in the openings to an oxidizing atmosphere causes the dielectric layer at the surface of each of the one or more openings to expand”.
Regarding claim 8. the cited prior art of record does not teach or fairly suggest, along with the other claimed features, “the one or more openings in the dielectric layer are formed in a surface of the dielectric layer, the filling the one or more openings with the metal further comprises forming a layer of the metal on the surface of the dielectric layer, and the method further comprises: removing the layer of the metal from the surface of the dielectric layer before exposing the dielectric layer and metal disposed in the openings to an oxidizing atmosphere”.
Regarding claim 13. the cited prior art of record does not teach or fairly suggest, along with the other claimed features, “a stoichiometric film in which the openings are formed; and a liner in one or more of the openings, the liner comprising the nonstoichiometric compound”.
Regarding claim 14. the cited prior art of record does not teach or fairly suggest, along with the other claimed features, “the exposing the patterned dielectric layer to an oxidizing atmosphere causes the dielectric layer at the surface of one or more of the openings to grow”.
Regarding claim 15. the cited prior art of record does not teach or fairly suggest, along with the other claimed features, “the exposing the patterned dielectric layer to an oxidizing atmosphere causes the dielectric layer at the surface of one or more of the plurality of openings to expand”.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Changhyun Yi whose telephone number is (571)270-7799. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday: 8A-4P.
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/Changhyun Yi/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2812