DETAILED ACTION
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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statements (IDS) submitted on 10/24/2023 and 10/21/2024 were filed. The submission is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statements are being considered by the examiner.
Specification
The abstract and title are consistent with the requirements set forth in the MPEP 608.01(b) and 606, respectively.
Claim Objections
Claim 9 is objected to because of the following informalities: line 1 recites “wherein the a bottommost one of…”. Appropriate correction is required. The phrase should be corrected to “wherein a bottommost one of…”
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.
Claim 1 is 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.
Claim 1 recites the limitation "memory openings vertically extending through the alternating stack" in line 6. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim because there is no previous mention of an alternating stack, only a first alternating stack and a second alternating stack. For examination purposes and for proper antecedence, the limitation "memory openings vertically extending through the alternating stack" is being interpreted as "memory openings vertically extending through the second alternating stack". Appropriate correction is required. Claims 2-14 are also rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) as being indefinite for further limiting and dependent on indefinite claim 1.
Allowable Subject Matter
Regarding claim 1, Hosoda et al. US PGPub. 2019/0198515 teaches a three-dimensional memory device (Fig. 13A-13B)[0139], comprising: first (right) and second (left) alternating stacks of insulating layers (32, fig. 13A) [0057] and electrically conductive layers (46, fig. 13A) [0113]; a lateral isolation trench (79, fig. 11A and 13a) [0102], [0124] separating the first (right) alternating stack from the second (left) alternating stack; memory openings (49, fig. 5A and 13A) [0072] vertically extending through the alternating stack; memory opening fill structures (58, fig. 5H and 13A) [0098] located in the memory openings (49) and comprising a vertical semiconductor channel (60, fig. 13A) [0096] and a respective vertical stack of memory elements (50, fig. 13A) [0091] located at levels of the electrically conductive layers (46); a first dielectric support pillar structure (20, fig. 13A) [0099] extending through the first alternating stack and having a first width (Hosoda et al., fig. 13A). But Hosoda fails to teach a second dielectric support pillar structure extending through the first alternating stack and having a second width narrower than the first width, wherein the second dielectric pillar structure is located further from the lateral isolation trench than the first dielectric support pillar structure. Claim 1 would be allowable if rewritten or amended to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, set forth in this Office action.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: the prior arts of record taken alone or in combination neither anticipates nor renders obvious a three-dimensional memory device comprising “a first dielectric support pillar structure extending through the first alternating stack and having a first width; and a second dielectric support pillar structure extending through the first alternating stack and having a second width narrower than the first width, wherein the second dielectric pillar structure is located further from the lateral isolation trench than the first dielectric support pillar structure” as recited in claim 1 Claims 2-14 would be allowable if rewritten to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, set forth in this Office action and to include all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Claims 15-20 are allowed.
The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance: the prior arts of record taken alone or in combination neither anticipates nor renders obvious a method of forming a three-dimensional memory device comprising “forming a first support opening and a second support opening through the alternating stack; laterally expanding the first support opening without expanding the second support opening; forming a first dielectric support pillar structure and a second dielectric support pillar structure in the laterally-expanded first support opening and in the second support opening, respectively” as recited in claim 15. Claims 16-20 are also allowed for further limiting and depending upon allowed claim 15. Any comments considered necessary by applicant must be submitted no later than the payment of the issue fee and, to avoid processing delays, should preferably accompany the issue fee. Such submissions should be clearly labeled “Comments on Statement of Reasons for Allowance.”
Conclusion
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/NDUKA E OJEH/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2892