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 statement (IDS) submitted on 2/21/2025, 5/12/2025, 9/11/2025 was filed. The submission is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
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.
Claim(s) 15-17 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Chen (US 2015/0200299).
Regarding claim 15, Chen discloses, in at least figures 3A-3E and related text, a method, comprising:
performing a first etching process to form a recess (330, [34]) in a semiconductor layer (310, [32]) adjacent a gate structure (320, [33]);
forming a doped layer (340, [35]) in the recess (330, [34]);
performing a second etching process (350, [37]) to laterally expand a portion (342 portion, [36], figure) of the recess (330, [34]); and
forming a source/drain feature (360/370/380, [38]-[40]) in the recess (330, [34]), wherein a bottom surface of the source/drain feature (360/370/380, [38]-[40]) contacts the doped layer (340, [35]).
Regarding claim 16, Chen discloses the method of claim 15 as described above.
Chen discloses, in at least figures 3A-3E and related text, forming the source/drain feature (360/370/380, [38]-[40]) includes forming a plurality of epitaxial layers ([38]-[40]).
Regarding claim 17, Chen discloses the method of claim 15 as described above.
Chen discloses, in at least figures 3A-3E and related text, forming the source/drain feature (360/370/380, [38]-[40]) results in a top portion of the source/drain feature (360/370/380, [38]-[40]) to protrude from a top surface of the semiconductor layer (310, [32]).
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(s) 18-19 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Chen (US 2015/0200299) in view of More (US 2018/0108775).
Regarding claim 18, Chen discloses the method of claim 17 as described above.
Chen does not explicitly disclose forming a silicide layer in the top portion of the source/drain feature.
More teaches, in at least figure 2 and related text, the method comprising forming a silicide layer (128A, [66]) in the top portion of the source/drain feature (120, [85]), for the purpose of decreasing the on-resistance of the device ([65]).
Chen and More are analogous art because they both are directed to method for forming a semiconductor device and one of ordinary skill in the art would have had a reasonable expectation of success to modify Chen with the specified features of More because they are from the same field of endeavor.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the method disclosed in Chen to have the forming a silicide layer in the top portion of the source/drain feature, as taught by More, for the purpose of decreasing the on-resistance of the device ([65], More).
Regarding claim 19, Chen in view of More discloses the method of claim 18 as described above.
More further teaches, in at least figure 2 and related text, forming a dielectric layer (130, [71]) over the silicide layer (128A, [66]); performing a third etching process to form a contact opening in the dielectric layer (130, [71]) ([78]); forming a contact feature (132A, [80]) in the contact opening ([78]-[80], figure), for the purpose of decreasing the on-resistance of the device ([65]).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1-8 are allowed because the prior art of record, US 2022/0051947, neither anticipates nor render obvious the limitations of the base claims 1 that recite "the second doped region including the dopant at a second concentration that is less than the first concentration" in combination with other elements of the base claims 1.
Claims 9-14 are allowed because the prior art of record, US 2022/0051947, neither anticipates nor render obvious the limitations of the base claims 9 that recite "the second barrier layer including the dopant at a second concentration" in combination with other elements of the base claims 9.
Claim 20 is 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 because the prior art of record neither anticipates nor render obvious the limitations of the base claims 15 and 20 that recite "the second doped layer including the dopant at a second concentration that is less than the first concentration; performing a fourth etching process to laterally expand the second recess" in combination with other elements of the base claims 15 and 20.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
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/TONG-HO KIM/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2811