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 .
Election/Restrictions
Applicant's election with traverse of Group I, directed to claims 1-14 in the reply filed on March 05, 2026 is acknowledged. The traversal is on the ground(s) that there is no serious search burden. This is not found persuasive because Group II is a separate invention, a distinct method of forming a semiconductor structure, that would require search in different CPC classifications and search terms.
The requirement is still deemed proper and is therefore made FINAL.
Drawings
The drawings are objected to under 37 CFR 1.83(a). The drawings must show every feature of the invention specified in the claims. Therefore, the limitation, “a nitride material adjacent the barrier material”; and additional, “a liner material around the barrier material..” must be shown or the feature(s) canceled from the claim(s). No new matter should be entered.
Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. The figure or figure number of an amended drawing should not be labeled as “amended.” If a drawing figure is to be canceled, the appropriate figure must be removed from the replacement sheet, and where necessary, the remaining figures must be renumbered and appropriate changes made to the brief description of the several views of the drawings for consistency. Additional replacement sheets may be necessary to show the renumbering of the remaining figures. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
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 1-14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as failing to set forth 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 1, the claim initially recites a structure of a sense line pillar and then recites “cell contacts between a plurality of sense line pillars” which is indefinite as the initial limitation restricts the scope and the subsequent limitation creates ambiguity by being broader. Cell contacts lack antecedent basis.
Claims 2-6 depend upon claim 1 and do not rectify the problem therefore, they are also rejected.
Regarding claim 7, the claim recites, “a digit line metal material over the first metal material” and “a cap material over the second metal material” where the first metal material and the second metal material” are indefinite and lack antecedent basis.
The claim initially recites a structure of a sense line pillar and then recites “cell contacts between a plurality of sense line pillars” which is indefinite as the initial limitation restricts the scope and the subsequent limitation creates ambiguity by being broader. Cell contacts lack antecedent basis.
Claims 8-14 depend upon claim 7 and do not rectify the problem therefore, they are also rejected.
Regarding claim 8, the claim recites “a liner material around the barrier..” which is indefinite. There is a lack of structural relationship between the nitride material adjacent to the barrier material recited in claim 7 and the liner material.
Claim 9 depends upon claim 8 and does not rectify the problem therefore it is also rejected.
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, 6-8, 10 and 12-14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Song et al. (US 2014/0231892 A1; hereafter Song).
Regarding claim 1, Song teaches an apparatus (see e.g., Figures 1-16), comprising:
a sense line pillar (see e.g., bit line BL, Para [0055], Figures 5A and 16A), comprising:
a barrier material over a semiconductor substrate (see e.g., a first semiconductor layer 141, formed on a substrate 100. The barrier layer 151 includes a metal silicide sub-layer formed on the first semiconductor layer 141. These layers are patterned to form the first conductive pattern 147 and barrier pattern 152 of the bit line BL, Paras [0051], [0053], Figures 4B, 5A and 16A);
a liner material adjacent the barrier material (see e.g., a first spacer 10, formed by etching the first spacer layer 9, adjacent to the metal silicide sub-layer of the barrier layer 151, Paras [0058], [0059], Figures 5A, 6A and 16A);
a first metal material as a sense line contact over the barrier material (see e.g., the barrier layer 151 includes a metal nitride sub-layer formed on the metal silicide sub-layer. The barrier layer 151 is patterned to form the barrier pattern 152 of the bit line BL, Para [0053], Figures 4B and 16A);
a second metal material over the first metal material; and (see e.g., the metal layer 161 formed on the metal nitride sub-layer of the barrier layer 151. The metal layer 161 is patterned to form the second conductive pattern 162 of the bit line BL, Para [0054], Figures 4B, 5A and 16A)
a cap material over the second metal material; and (see e.g., capping layer 170 formed on the metal layer 161. The capping layer 170 is patterned to form the capping pattern 171 of the bit line BL, Para [0054], Figures 4B, 5A and 16A)
cell contacts between a plurality of sense line pillars (see e.g., upper contact patterns 149 between the bit line BL, Para [0071], Figure 16A).
Regarding claim 2, Song, as referred in claim 1, further teaches
wherein the second metal material and the first metal material reduce resistivity of the sense line pillar to less than 6 ohms (Q).
Song teaches a stacked metal pillar structure for bit lines including a metal nitride sub-layer of the barrier pattern 152 is stacked with a second conductive pattern 162 comprised of metal such as titanium and tungsten. The instant application (see e.g. Para [0030]) utilizes similar materials for the first and second metal materials stacked in a sense line pillar. Song’s structure having the same material composition would necessarily yield a similar outcome specifically a bit line resistivity of less than 6 ohms.
Regarding claim 3, Song, as referred in claim 1, further teaches
wherein the second metal material is a digit line (see e.g. the second conductive pattern 162 is part of the bit line BL, Figure 16A).
Regarding claim 4, Song, as referred in claim 1, further teaches
wherein the first metal material is a titanium nitride (TiN) material (see e.g., the metal nitride sub-layer of the barrier pattern 152 may include titanium nitride, Para [0053], Figures 4A, 5A and 16A).
Regarding claim 6, Song, as referred in claim 1, further teaches
wherein the liner material is a nitride material (see e.g., the first spacer 10 includes silicon nitride, Paras [0058], [0059], Figures 5A, 6A and 16A).
Regarding claim 7, Song teaches an apparatus (see e.g., Figures 1-16), comprising:
a sense line pillar (see e.g., bit line BL, Para [0055], Figures 5A and 16A), comprising:
a barrier material over a semiconductor substrate (see e.g., a first semiconductor layer 141, formed on a substrate 100. The barrier layer 151 includes a metal silicide sub-layer formed on the first semiconductor layer 141. These layers are patterned to form the first conductive pattern 147 and barrier pattern 152 of the bit line BL, Paras [0051], [0053], Figures 4B, 5A and 16A);
a nitride material adjacent the barrier material (see e.g., a first spacer 10, formed by etching the first spacer 9, adjacent to the metal silicide sub-layer of the barrier layer 151. The first spacer includes silicon nitride, Paras [0058], [0059], Figures 5A, 6A and 16A);
a titanium nitride (TiN) material over the barrier material (see e.g., the barrier layer 151 includes a metal nitride sub-layer, including titanium nitride, formed on the metal silicide sub-layer. The barrier layer 151 is patterned to form the barrier pattern 152 of the bit line BL, Para [0053], Figures 4B and 16A);
a digit line metal material over the first metal material; and (see e.g., the metal layer 161 formed on the metal nitride sub-layer of the barrier layer 151. The metal layer 161 is patterned to form the second conductive pattern 162 of the bit line BL, Para [0054], Figures 4B, 5A and 16A)
a cap material over the second metal material; and (see e.g., capping layer 170 formed on the metal layer 161. The capping layer 170 is patterned to form the capping pattern 171 of the bit line BL, Para [0054], Figures 4B, 5A and 16A)
cell contacts between a plurality of sense line pillars (see e.g., upper contact patterns 149 between the bit line BL, Para [0071], Figure 16A).
Regarding claim 8, Song, as referred in claim 7, further teaches
further comprising a liner material around the barrier material and adjacent the cell contacts (see e.g., spacer 10 is adjacent to the metal silicide sub-layer of the barrier pattern 152 and the upper contact patterns 149 as shown in Figure 16A).
Regarding claim 10, Song, as referred in claim 7, further teaches
wherein the cap material is a nitride material (see e.g., the capping pattern 171 formed by patterning the capping layer 170 may include at least a silicon nitride layer and a silicon oxynitride layer, Para [0054], Figures 5A and 16A).
Regarding claim 12, Song, as referred in claim 7, further teaches
wherein the barrier material is a titanium silicide (TiSix) material (see e.g., the metal silicide sub-layer of the barrier pattern 152 includes titanium silicide, Para [0053], Figures 5A and 16A).
Regarding claim 13, Song, as referred in claim 7, further teaches
wherein the digit line metal material is a tungsten material (see e.g., the metal layer 161 patterned into second conductive pattern 162 includes tungsten, Para [0054], Figures 5A, 16A).
Regarding claim 14, Song, as referred in claim 7, further teaches
wherein the semiconductor substrate is a silicon material (see e.g., the first semiconductor layer 141 patterned into the first conductive pattern 142 may include undoped poly-silicon, Para [0051], Figures 5A and 16A).
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.
Claim 5 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Song et al. (US 2014/0231892 A1; hereafter Song) in view of Kim et al. (US 2021/0125998 A1; hereafter Kim).
Regarding claim 5, Song, as referred in claim 1, does not explicitly teach
“wherein the cell contacts are a polysilicon material”.
In a similar field of endeavor Kim teaches
wherein the cell contacts are a polysilicon material (see e.g., the storage node contacts BC disposed between the bit lines may include polysilicon, Para [0035], Figure 1B).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one skilled in the art at the time the invention was effectively filed to implement Kim’s teachings of wherein the cell contacts are a polysilicon material in the device of Song as substituting the material of the contacts is a routine optimization. Implementing Kim’s polysilicon contacts into Song device is a predictable variation to achieve enhanced conductivity or standard fabrication material usage.
Claim 9 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Song et al. (US 2014/0231892 A1; hereafter Song) in view of Cherng (5,837,577).
Regarding claim 9, Song, as referred in claim 8, does not explicitly teach
“wherein the liner material is a polysilicon material”.
In a similar field of endeavor Cherng teaches
wherein the liner material is a polysilicon material (see e.g., bit lines 24 have insulating sidewall spacers 28 including silicon nitride and polysilicon material 30’, Figure 10)
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one skilled in the art at the time the invention was effectively filed to implement Cherng’s teachings of wherein the liner material is a polysilicon material in the device of Song in order to form crown capacitors for DRAM.
Claim 11 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Song et al. (US 2014/0231892 A1; hereafter Song) in view of Cui et al. (US 2023/0371287 A1; hereafter Cui).
Regarding claim 11, Song, as referred in claim 7, does not explicitly teach
“wherein a width for the plurality of sense line pillars is in a range between 5-9 nanometers (nm)”.
"[W]here the general conditions of a claim are disclosed in the prior art, it is not inventive to discover the optimum or workable ranges by routine experimentation." In re Aller, 220 F.2d 454, 456, 105 USPQ 233, 235 (CCPA 1955). Furthermore, "[i]t is a settled principle of law that a mere carrying forward of an original patented conception involving only change of form, proportions, or degree, or the substitution of equivalents doing the same thing as the original invention, by substantially the same means, is not such an invention as will sustain a patent, even though the changes of the kind may produce better results than prior inventions." In re Williams, 36 F.2d 436, 438 (CCPA 1929).
In a similar field of endeavor Cui teaches
wherein a width for the plurality of sense line pillars is in a range between 5-9 nanometers (nm) (see e.g., the width of the bit line 20 is 5nm to 10nm, Para [0082], Figure 12E).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one skilled in the art at the time the invention was effectively filed to implement Cui’s teachings of wherein a width for the plurality of sense line pillars is in a range between 5-9 nanometers (nm) in the device of Song to achieve the predictable result of increased device miniaturization without compromising the fundamental operational integrity of the memory architecture.
Conclusion
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/FAKEHA SEHAR/ Examiner, Art Unit 2893
/YARA B GREEN/ Supervisor Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2893
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