DETAILED ACTION
This office action is in response to amendment filed 6/23/2026.
Claims 1-14 are pending. Claims 12-13 are new. Claims 2, 4, and 7-8 have been withdrawn. Claims 1, 3, and 5 have been amended.
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, 3, 5-6, and 9-13 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 “a level corresponding to the conductive patterns” renders the claim indefinite. The conductive patterns are disposed different levels and do not share a common level. It is unclear what would constitutes “a level” corresponding to “the conductive patterns”. Is “a level” referring to one of the conductive patterns? Or is “a level” referring to levels corresponding to each one of the conductive patterns?
Claim 12 reciting “the oxidation patterns protrude into the trench more than into the buffer patterns” renders the claim indefinite. It is unclear how do the oxidation patterns protrude into the buffer patterns. As shown in FIG. 2J of Applicant’s drawing, the oxidation patterns OP1 do not protrude into the buffer patterns BP1.
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, 3, 5-6, 9, and 11-13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Kim US 2019/0198510 A1.
PNG
media_image1.png
841
1044
media_image1.png
Greyscale
In re claim 1, Kim discloses (e.g. FIGs. 5-23) a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device, the method comprising:
forming a stack structure 12 including alternately stacked insulating layers 20 and sacrificial layers 18 (FIG. 5);
forming a trench 24 penetrating the stack structure 12 (FIG. 6);
forming first recesses 26 (FIG. 7) by partially removing each of the insulating layers 20 through the trench 24 (¶ 29);
forming oxidation patterns 32+44 filling the first recesses 26 and protruding into the trench 24 (FIGs. 8-10);
replacing the sacrificial layers 18 with conductive patterns 82 (FIGs. 18-19);
forming buffer patterns 42 contacting sidewalls of the conductive patterns 82 (FIG. 19, can be indirect thermal contact) and interposed between consecutive oxidation patterns 32,44,56;
forming air gaps 88 between the conductive patterns 82 by removing the oxidation patterns 32,44,56 and remaining sections of the insulating layers 20 (FIGs. 12 & 20-21);
forming a slit insulating layer (FIG. 22, including 44,90) sealing the air gaps 88 by oxidizing the buffer patterns 42 (FIG. 10, 44 is formed on 42 by oxidation, ¶ 41);
forming a slit filling layer 48,60,62,64,66,68 filling the trench 24 and contacting the slit insulating layer 44,90 (FIG. 22);
wherein an interface between the slit filling layer 48,60,62,64,66,68 and the slit insulating layer 44,90 (see interface annotated in FIG. 22 above) is at least partially convex in a direction toward the slit filing layer at “a level corresponding to the conductive patterns” 82.
In re claim 3, Kim discloses (FIG. 10) wherein forming the oxidation patterns 32+44 includes forming the oxidation patterns 32+44 on sidewalls of the insulating layers 20.
In re claim 5, Kim discloses (e.g. FIGs. 5-10) wherein forming the oxidation patterns 32+44 includes:
forming seed patterns (FIG. 8, e.g. portions of material 32 deposited earlier in the deposition process and are closer to 20, ¶ 36) in the first recesses 26;
forming preliminary oxidation patterns (e.g. portions of material 32 deposited later in the deposition process and are further away from 20) on sidewalls of the seed patterns (earlier deposited portion of 32); and
oxidizing the seed patterns and the preliminary oxidation patterns (FIG. 10, 32 being oxidized, ¶ 39-41).
In re claim 6, Kim discloses (FIG. 8) wherein the preliminary oxidation patterns (portions of material 32 deposited later in the deposition process and are further away from 20) are selectively formed on the sidewalls of the seed patterns (portions of material 32 deposited earlier in the deposition process and are closer to 20).
In re claim 9, Kim discloses (e.g. FIG. 10) wherein forming the buffer patterns 42 includes forming the buffer patterns 42 between the insulating layers 20. Buffer patterns 42 are considered vertically disposed between layers of 20. No specific vertical overlap or alignment is claimed.
In re claim 11, Kim discloses (e.g. FIG. 10) wherein the buffer patterns 42 include nitride (¶ 41).
In re claim 12, as best understood, Kim discloses (e.g. FIG. 10) wherein the oxidation patterns 32+44 protrude into the trench 24 “more than into the buffer patterns 42”.
In re claim 13, Kim discloses wherein forming the air gaps 88 (FIG. 22) includes removing, through the trench 24 (see FIGs. 10-12), the oxidation patterns 32,44 exposed between consecutive buffer patterns 42 (44 is removed through trench 24 in FIG. 12, which is a part of the process of forming the air gaps 88 in the structure shown in FIG. 22).
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 1, 3, 5-6, and 9-13 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
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 YU CHEN whose telephone number is (571)270-7881. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday: 9AM-5PM ET.
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, WILLIAM KRAIG can be reached at 5712728660. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/YU CHEN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2896
YU CHEN
Examiner
Art Unit 2896
Prosecution Insights