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 .
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.
Claim(s) 1 and 4 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Yamaguchi (PG Pub 2007/0194466 A1).
Regarding claim 1, Yamaguchi teaches an apparatus comprising an alignment pattern which comprises: a first line portion (a horizontal 3-1, fig. 3) of a first material extending in a first direction; a second line portion (another horizontal 3-1) of the first material extending in the first direction in parallel to the first line portion; a third line portion (a vertical 3-1) of the first material extending in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction such that the third line portion connects an edge of the first line portion and an edge of the second line portion; and a fourth line portion (3-2) of a second material arranged between the first line portion and the second line portion and extending in the first direction.
Regarding claim 4, Yamaguchi teaches the apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first line portion and the second line portion have different widths than the fourth line portion (fig. 3).
Claim(s) 1,3,5-7,16 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Shmidt (PG Pub 20230114601 A1).
Regarding claim 1, Shmidt teaches an apparatus comprising an alignment pattern which comprises: a first line portion of a first material extending in a first direction; a second line portion of the first material extending in the first direction in parallel to the first line portion; a third line portion of the first material extending in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction such that the third line portion connects an edge of the first line portion and an edge of the second line portion; and a fourth line portion of a second material arranged between the first line portion and the second line portion and extending in the first direction (see figs. 3,4,6; and fig. 7 attached below).
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Regarding claim 3, Shmidt teaches the apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first, second, third and fourth line portions are configured to form an E shape (fig. 7).
Regarding claim 5, Shmidt teaches the apparatus of claim 1, wherein each of the first line portion and the second line portion comprises a metal (paragraph [0038]).
Regarding claim 6, Shmidt teaches the apparatus of claim 1, wherein each of the first line portion and the second line portion includes at least one of W and TiN (paragraphs [0028][0038][0064]).
Regarding claim 7, Shmidt teaches the apparatus of claim 1, wherein the fourth line portion comprises a material other than a metal (semiconductor, paragraph [0038]).
Regarding claim 16, Shmidt teaches the apparatus comprising an alignment pattern which comprises: a first line portion extending in a first direction; a second line portion extending in the first direction in parallel to the first line portion; a third line portion extending in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction such that the third line portion connects an edge of the first line portion and an edge of the second line portion; and a fourth line portion arranged between the first line portion and the second line portion and extending in the first direction (fig. 7).
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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
Claim(s) 2 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Shmidt (PG Pub 20230114601 A1) as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Chang (PG Pub 2023/0307412 A1).
Regarding claim 2, Shmidt remains as applied in claim 1.
Shmidt further teaches the apparatus is a semiconductor chip (dies from a semiconductor wafer, paragraphs [0001][0035]).
Shmidt does not teach the alignment pattern is arranged at a corner region of the semiconductor chip.
In the same field of endeavor, Chang teaches an alignment pattern is arranged at a corner region of the semiconductor chip (paragraph [0074]), for the benefit of improving alignment accuracy (paragraph [0074]).
Thus, it would have been obvious to the skilled in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to arrange the alignment pattern at a corner region of the semiconductor chip, for the benefit of improving alignment accuracy.
Claim(s) 9,10,12,14,15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Shmidt (PG Pub 20230114601 A1) and Chang (PG Pub 2023/0307412 A1).
Regarding claim 9, Shmidt teaches an apparatus (dies from a semiconductor wafer, paragraphs [0001][0035]) comprising an E-shaped alignment pattern (see figs. 3,4,6; and fig. 7 attached above).
Shmidt does not teach the alignment pattern is arranged at a corner region of the semiconductor chip.
In the same field of endeavor, Chang teaches an alignment pattern is arranged at a corner region of the semiconductor chip (paragraph [0074]), for the benefit of improving alignment accuracy (paragraph [0074]).
Thus, it would have been obvious to the skilled in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to arrange the alignment pattern at a corner region of the semiconductor chip, for the benefit of improving alignment accuracy.
Regarding claim 10, Shmidt teaches the apparatus of claim 9, wherein the E-shaped alignment pattern comprises: a first line portion extending in a first direction; a second line portion extending in the first direction in parallel to the first line portion; a third line portion extending in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction such that the third line portion connects an edge of the first line portion and an edge of the second line portion; and a fourth line portion arranged between the first line portion and the second line portion and extending in the first direction (see fig. 7 attached above).
Regarding claim 12, Shmidt teaches apparatus of claim 10, wherein the first line portion, the second line portion, the third line portion and the fourth line portion have a rectangular shape (fig. 7).
Regarding claim 14, Shmidt teaches apparatus of claim 10, wherein the first line portion and the second line portion comprise a metal (paragraphs [0038]).
Regarding claim 15, Shmidt teaches apparatus of claim 10, wherein the fourth line portion comprises a material other than a metal (semiconductor, paragraph [0038]).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 8,11,13,17,18 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: Prior art does not teach
“the fourth line portion comprises at least one of silicon dioxide or silicon nitride” (claim 8);
“the first, second and third line portions comprise a first material and the fourth line portion comprises a second material different from the first material” (claim 11);
“the first line portion and the second line portion have different widths than the fourth line portion” (claim 13);
“the first, second, and third line portions comprise a different material than the fourth line portion” (claim 17);
“the first line portion and the second line portion comprise a metal; and wherein the fourth line portion comprises a material other than a metal” (claim 18).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to FEIFEI YEUNG LOPEZ whose telephone number is (571)270-1882. The examiner can normally be reached M-F: 8am to 4pm EST.
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/FEIFEI YEUNG LOPEZ/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2899
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