DETAILED ACTION
General Remarks
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR
1.17(e), was filed in this application after final rejection. Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on 07/13/2026 has been entered.
Response to Amendment
The Amendment filed on 07/07/2026 has been entered. Applicant's amendment have overcome
the objections to the Drawings and the 112b rejections to the Claims previously set forth in the Final Office Action dated on 06/01/2026. Claims 2-4 and 8-11 are canceled. Claim 21 is new.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments "Applicant Arguments/Remarks Made in an Amendment" with the
"Amendment/Req. Reconsideration-After Final Reject" filed on 07/07/2026, have been fully considered, the Applicant’s amendments related to claims 1 and 7 are moot because the Whitney’s device (US 5726621 A) describes an electrical fuse having substantially all limitations of claims 1 and 7, (Fig. 2a), but it does not disclose “the fuse element has a second vertical height that is ten (10) to fifteen (15) times less in height than the first vertical height”, then, the Li’s device (US 20150097266 A1) describe a fuse element 72 that is ten (10) to fifteen (15) times less in height than the first vertical height in [0049], Fig. 2B, see rejection below.
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.
Claims 7 and 12-13 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 applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Regarding claim 7, it recites the limitations “…such that no portion of the fuse element is exposed… …wherein the second fuse element extends horizontally only between a bottom portion of each of the first and second conductive structures… …such that no portion of the fuse element is exposed…” is not explained and it does not show in the drawings. Therefore, it is indefinite. For the examination purpose and according to Fig. 7, the limitations “…such that no portion of the fuse element is exposed… …wherein the second fuse element extends horizontally only between a bottom portion of each of the first and second conductive structures… …such that no portion of the fuse element is exposed…” is interpreted as “…such that no portion of the first fuse element is exposed… …wherein the second fuse element extends horizontally only between a bottom portion of each of the third and fourth conductive structures… … such that no portion of the second fuse element is exposed…”.
Regarding claims 12-13, those are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112 (b), because of their dependency status from claim 7.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
The following is a quotation of AIA 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 of this title, 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.
Claims 1, 5-7, and 12-13, 21 are rejected under AIA 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Whitney et al. (US 5726621 A, hereinafter Whitney, of the record) in view of Li (US 20150097266 A1, hereinafter Li, of the record).
Re: Independent Claim 1, Whitney discloses an electrical fuse for an integrated circuit, the electrical fuse (Fig. 2a) comprising:
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Whitney’s Figure 2a-Annotated.
a dielectric material substrate (26a a ceramic substrate such as dielectric material in Col. 1, lines 40-45, Col. 3, lines 51-52, Fig. 2a);
a layer of dielectric material (24a a ceramic substrate such as dielectric material in Col. 1, lines 40-45, Col. 3, lines 51-52, Fig. 2a, Whitney);
at least one line of conducting material (44a fusible element in Col. 3, lines 51-52, Fig. 2a) located between the layer of dielectric material (24a) and the dielectric material substrate (26a),
wherein each of the at least one line of conducting material (44a) includes:
a first conductive structure (44a-left a portion of 44a at left side in Col. 4, lines 11-12, Fig. 2a-Annotated) having a first vertical height (Fig. 2a);
a second conductive structure (44a-right a portion of 44a at right side in Col. 4, lines 11-12, Fig. 2a-Annotated) having the first vertical height (Fig. 2a); and
a fuse element (48a-1 fuse element, a middle portion of 44a in Col. 4, lines 17-18, Fig. 2a-Annotated) extending horizontally between (Fig. 2a-Annotated) the first (44a-left) and second conductive (44a-right) structures, wherein the fuse element (48a-1) is connected to each of the first conductive structure (44a-left) and the second conductive structure (44a-right) at a bottom portion (Fig. 2a-Annotated) of the first conductive structure (44a-left) and the second conductive structure (44a-right), wherein the fuse element (48a-1) extends horizontally only between a bottom portion (Fig. 2a-Annotated) of each of the first (44a-left) and second (44a-right) conductive structures, and wherein the fuse element (48a-1) is fully embedded (Fig. 2a-Annotated) between the layer of dielectric material (24a) and the dielectric material substrate (26a) substrate, such that no portion of the fuse element (48a-1) is exposed at an outer surface (the fuse element is between first and second conductive structures, Fig. 2A) of the electrical fuse (Fig. 2a); and
a first conductive connection (46a-left-1 pad 46a at left side in Col. 4, lines 11-12, Fig. 2a-Annotated, Whitney) and a second conductive connection (46a-right-1 pad 46a at right side in Col. 4, lines 11-12, Fig. 2a-Annotated, Whitney), wherein the first conductive connection (46a-left-1) is located above and in direct contact with the first conductive structure (44a-left, Whitney) and the second conductive connection (46a-right-1) is located above and in direct contact with the second conductive structure (44a-right).
Whitney does not expressly disclose wherein the fuse element is defined by a residual lower portion of the at least one line of conducting material that remains after selective removal of an upper portion of a middle region of the at least one line of conducting material, wherein the fuse element (48a-1) has a second vertical height that is ten (10) to fifteen (15) times less in height than the first vertical height.
However, in the same semiconductor device field of endeavor, Li discloses wherein the fuse element (72 fuse link in [0049], Fig. 2B-Annotated) has a second vertical height (HL the fuse link height HL is about 10% of the fuse contact height Hc in [0049], Fig. 2B) that is ten (10) to fifteen (15) times less in height than the first vertical height (Hc in [0049], Fig. 2B).
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Li’s Figure 2B-Annotated.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to include the Li’s feature of wherein the fuse element has a second vertical height that is ten (10) to fifteen (15) times less in height than the first vertical height to Whitney’s device to increase the current density to facilitate blowing of the fuse ([0049], Li).
Whitney modified by Li does not expressly disclose wherein the fuse element is defined by a residual lower portion of the at least one line of conducting material that remains after selective removal of an upper portion of a middle region of the at least one line of conducting material.
However, the limitation of “…the fuse element is defined by a residual lower portion of the at least one line of conducting material that remains after selective removal of an upper portion of a middle region of the at least one line of conducting material...” is merely a product-by-process limitation that does not structurally distinguish the claimed invention over the prior art. The patentability of a product does not depend on its method of production. If the product in the product-by-process claim is the same as or obvious from a product of the prior art, the claim is unpatentable even though the prior product was made by a different process. In re Thorpe, 227 USPQ 964, 966. MPEP 2113 I.
Re: Claim 5, Whitney modified by Li discloses the electrical fuse of claim 1, further comprising: the layer of dielectric material (24a a ceramic substrate such as dielectric material in Col. 1, lines 40-45, Col. 3, lines 51-52, Fig. 2a, Whitney) surrounding the first conductive connection (46a-left-1, Whitney) and the second conductive connection (46a-right-1, Whitney).
Re: Claim 6, Whitney modified by Li discloses the electrical fuse of claim 1,
Whitney modified by Li does not expressly disclose wherein the conducting material is a metal.
However, in the same semiconductor device field of endeavor, Li discloses the conducting material is a metal (70 a fuse structure made of tungsten in [0058], Fig. 2B).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to include the Li’s feature of wherein the conducting material is a metal to Whitney’s device to increase the current density to facilitate blowing of the fuse ([0049], Li).
Re: Independent Claim 7, Whitney teaches an electrical fuse for an integrated circuit, the electrical fuse (Fig. 2a) comprising:
a first dielectric material substrate (26a a ceramic substrate such as dielectric material in Col. 1, lines 40-45, Col. 3, lines 51-52, Fig. 2a);
a first layer of dielectric material (24a a ceramic substrate such as dielectric material in Col. 1, lines 40-45, Col. 3, lines 51-52, Fig. 2a) and a second layer of dielectric material (22a a ceramic substrate such as dielectric material in Col. 1, lines 40-45, Col. 3, lines 51-52, Fig. 2a);
a first line of conducting material (44a fusible element in Col. 3, lines 51-52, Fig. 2a) located between the first layer of dielectric material (24a) and the first dielectric material substrate (26a), wherein the first line of conducting material (44a) includes:
a first conductive structure (44a-left a portion of 44a at left side in Col. 4, lines 11-12, Fig. 2a-Annotated) having a first vertical height (Fig. 2a);
a second conductive structure (44a-right a portion of 44a at right side in Col. 4, lines 11-12, Fig. 2a-Annotated) having the first vertical height (Fig. 2a); and
a first fuse element (48a-1 fuse element, a middle portion of 44a in Col. 4, lines 17-18, Fig. 2a-Annotated) extending horizontally between (Fig. 2a-Annotated) the first (44a-left) and second conductive (44a-right) structures, wherein the first fuse element (48a-1) is connected to each of the first conductive structure (44a-left) and the second conductive structure (44a-right) at a bottom portion of the first conductive structure (44a-left) and the second conductive structure (44a-right), wherein the first fuse element (48a-1) extends horizontally only between a bottom portion of each of the first (44a-left) and second (44a-right) conductive structures and
and wherein the first fuse element (48a-1) is fully embedded (Fig. 2a-Annotated) between the layer of dielectric material (24a) and the dielectric material substrate (26a), such that no portion of the fuse element (48a-1) is exposed at an outer surface (the fuse element is between first and second conductive structures, Fig. 2A) of the electrical fuse (Fig. 2a);
a first conductive connection (46a-left-1 pad 46a at left side in Col. 4, lines 11-12, Fig. 2a-Annotated) and a second conductive connection (46a-right-1 pad 46a at right side in Col. 4, lines 11-12, Fig. 2a-Annotated), wherein the first conductive connection (46a-left-1) is located above and in direct contact with the first conductive structure (44a-left) and the second conductive connection (46a-right-1) is located above and in direct contact with the second conductive structure (44a-right);
a second line of conducting material (42a fusible element in Col. 3, lines 51-52, Fig. 2a) located between the second layer of dielectric material (22a) and the first layer of dielectric material (26a) and located above the first line of conducting material (44a), wherein the second line of conducting material (42a) includes:
a third conductive structure (42a-left a portion of 42a at left side in Col. 4, lines 11-12, Fig. 2a-Annotated) having a third vertical height;
a fourth conductive structure (42a-right a portion of 42a at right side in Col. 4, lines 11-12, Fig. 2a-Annotated) having the third vertical height; and
a second fuse element (48a-2 fuse element, a middle portion of 42a in Col. 4, lines 17-18, Fig. 2a-Annotated) extending horizontally between the third (42a-left) and fourth conductive (42a-right) structures, wherein the second fuse element (48a-2) is connected to each of the third conductive structure (42a-left) and the fourth conductive structure (42a-right) at a bottom portion of the third conductive structure (42a-left) and the fourth conductive structure (42a-right), wherein the second fuse element (48a-2) extends horizontally only between a bottom portion of each of the third (42a-left) and fourth (42a-right) conductive structures and wherein the second fuse element (48a-2) is fully embedded between the second layer of dielectric material (22a) and the first layer of dielectric material (26a), such that no portion of the second fuse element (48a-2) is exposed at an outer surface (Fig. 2a) of the electrical fuse; and
a third conductive connection (46a-left-2 pad 46a at left side in Col. 4, lines 11-12, Fig. 2a-Annotated) and a fourth conductive connection (46a-right-2 pad 46a at right side in Col. 4, lines 11-12, Fig. 2a-Annotated), wherein the third conductive connection (46a-left-2) is located above and in direct contact with the third conductive structure (42a-left), and the fourth conductive connection (46a-right-2) is located above and in direct contact with the fourth conductive structure (42a-right), wherein the first conductive connection (46a-left-1) is located below and in contact with the third conductive structure (42a-left), and the second conductive connection (46a-right-1) is located below and in contact with the fourth conductive structure (42a-right).
Whitney does not expressly disclose wherein the first fuse element is defined by a first residual lower portion of the first line of conducting material that remains after selective removal of an upper portion of a middle region of the first line of conducting material, the first fuse element has a second vertical height that is ten (10) to fifteen (15) times less in height than the first vertical height and wherein the second fuse element is defined by a second residual lower portion of the second line of conducting material that remains after selective removal of an upper portion of a middle region of the second line of conducting material, the second fuse element has a fourth vertical height that is ten (10) to fifteen (15) times less in height than the third vertical height.
However, in the same semiconductor device field of endeavor, Li discloses wherein the fuse element (72 fuse link in [0049], Fig. 2B-Annotated) has a second vertical height (HL the fuse link height HL is about 10% of the fuse contact height Hc in [0049], Fig. 2B) that is ten (10) to fifteen (15) times less in height than the first vertical height (Hc in [0049], Fig. 2B).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to include the Li’s feature of wherein the fuse element has a second vertical height that ten (10) to fifteen (15) times is less in height than the first vertical height to Whitney’s device to obtain the first fuse element has a second vertical height that is ten (10) to fifteen (15) times less in height than the first vertical height and the second fuse element has a fourth vertical height that is ten (10) to fifteen (15) times less in height than the third vertical height to increase the current density to facilitate blowing of the fuse ([0049], Li).
Whitney modified by Li does not expressly disclose wherein the first fuse element is defined by a first residual lower portion of the first line of conducting material that remains after selective removal of an upper portion of a middle region of the first line of conducting material and wherein the second fuse element is defined by a second residual lower portion of the second line of conducting material that remains after selective removal of an upper portion of a middle region of the second line of conducting material.
However, the limitation of “…wherein the first fuse element is defined by a first residual lower portion of the first line of conducting material that remains after selective removal of an upper portion of a middle region of the first line of conducting material and wherein the second fuse element is defined by a second residual lower portion of the second line of conducting material that remains after selective removal of an upper portion of a middle region of the second line of conducting material...” is merely a product-by-process limitation that does not structurally distinguish the claimed invention over the prior art. The patentability of a product does not depend on its method of production. If the product in the product-by-process claim is the same as or obvious from a product of the prior art, the claim is unpatentable even though the prior product was made by a different process. In re Thorpe, 227 USPQ 964, 966. MPEP 2113 I.
Re: Claim 12, Whitney modified by Li discloses the electrical fuse of claim 7, further comprising: the first layer of dielectric material (24a a ceramic material such as dielectric material in Col. 1, lines 40-45, Col. 3, lines 51-52, Fig. 2a, Whitney) surrounding the first conductive connection (46a-left-1, Whitney) and the second conductive connection (46a-right-1, Whitney); and the second layer of dielectric material (22a a ceramic material such as dielectric material in Col. 1, lines 40-45, Col. 3, lines 51-52, Fig. 2a, Whitney) surrounding the third conductive connection (46a-left-2, Fig. 2a-Annotated, Whitney) and the fourth consecutive connection (46a-right-2, Fig. 2a-Annotated, Whitney).
Re: Claim 13, Whitney modified by Li discloses the electrical fuse of claim 7,
Whitney modified by Li does not expressly disclose wherein the conducting material is a metal.
However, in the same semiconductor device field of endeavor, Li discloses the conducting material is a metal (70 a fuse structure made of tungsten in [0058], Fig. 2B).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to include the Li’s feature of wherein the conducting material is a metal to Whitney’s device to increase the current density to facilitate blowing of the fuse ([0049], Li).
Re: Claim 21, Whitney modified by Li discloses the electrical fuse of claim 1, wherein the first conductive structure (44a-left), the second conductive structure (44a-right), and the fuse element (48a-1) are formed from a single originally continuous line of conductive material (Fig. 2a-Annotated).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to SANDRA M RODRIGUEZ VILLANUEVA whose telephone number is (571)272-1936. The examiner can normally be reached Monday to Friday 8:00am-5:00pm (EST).
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/SANDRA MILENA RODRIGUEZ VILLANUEVA/Examiner, Art Unit 2898
/JESSICA S MANNO/SPE, Art Unit 2898
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