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 .
Attorney Docket Number: T1516.10367US05
Filling Date: 11/13/23
Priority Date: 08/30/2017
Inventor: Chang et al
Examiner: Bilkis Jahan
DETAILED ACTION
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
Election/Restrictions
Applicants’ election of Species I, Fig. 2 in the reply filed on 06/17/2026 is acknowledged. Because applicants did not distinctly and specifically point out the supposed errors in the restriction requirement, the election has been treated as an election without traverse (MPEP § 818.01(a)).
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) 1, 6-8 and 17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Shrivastava et al (US 2015/0008476 A1).
Regarding claim 1, Srivastava discloses a method (Fig. 5), comprising: forming a first active area 103, 104 (Para. 44, top portion) extending along a first direction (X-direction); forming a first gate 119 (Para. 139) and a second gate 519” (Para. 138) crossing over the first active area 103, 104 and arranged in order along the first direction (X-direction); and forming a first metal contact 535 (Paras. 145, 147) coupled to each of a first region 101 (where top portion of 119a) of the first active area 103, 104 and a second region 101 (where top portion of 519”) of the first active area, wherein a third region 101 (where top portion of 519a’) of the first active area is separated from the first metal contact 535, and the first region 101, the first gate 119, the third region 101, the second gate 519a” and the second region 101 are arranged in order (claim does not specify sequentially) along the first direction (X-direction).
Regarding claim 6, Srivastava discloses the method of claim 1, wherein the first metal contact 535 includes an U shape portion, a terminal of the U shape portion is coupled to the first region 101 (where top portion of 119a), and another terminal of the U shape portion is coupled to the second region 101 (where top portion of 519”).
Regarding claim 7, Srivastava discloses the method of claim 1, further comprising: forming a second active area 103, 14 (bottom half) extending along the first direction (X-direction); and forming a second metal contact 536 (Para. 149) coupled to each of a fourth region 101 (where 519’ bottom portion) of the second active area and a fifth region 101 (where 104 bottom portion) of the second active area, wherein a sixth region 101 (where 537 is leveled) of the first active area is separated from the first metal contact 535, and the fourth region, the first gate, the sixth region, the second gate and the fifth region are arranged in order along the first direction (Fig. 5A).
Regarding claim 8, Srivastava discloses a method (Fig. 5), comprising: forming a first active area 103, 104 extending along a first direction (X-direction); forming a first gate 119 and a second gate 519” crossing over the first active area 103, 104 and arranged in order along the first direction; and forming a first metal contact 535 comprising a first U shape portion (Fig. 5A), wherein the first gate 119a is disposed between a first terminal 535 (ball where 119 leveled)) of the first U shape portion and the second gate 519a”, and the second gate 519a” is disposed between a second terminal 535 (balls at the 519a” leveled) of the first U shape portion and the first gate 119.
Regarding claim 17, Srivastava discloses a method (Fig. 5), comprising: forming a first active area 103, 104 (top portion) extending along a first direction (X-direction); forming a second active area 103, 104 (bottom portion) extending along the first direction; forming a first gate 119 and a second gate 519a” crossing over the first active area (Fig. 5A) and the second active area; and forming a first metal contact 535, a second metal contact 536 and a third metal contact 537 (Para. 156) separated from each other (claim does not specify how they are separated), wherein the first metal contact 535 and the second metal contact 536 are coupled to the first active area 103, 104 and the second active area 103, 104 (bottom portion), respectively, the third metal contact 537 is coupled to each of the first active area 103, 104 (top portion) and the second active area 103, 104 (bottom portion), and the first gate 119, the second gate 519a” and the third metal contact 527 are arranged in order along the first direction (X-direction).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 2-5, 9-16 and 18-20 are 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.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to BILKIS JAHAN whose telephone number is (571)270-5022. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday, 8:00 am-5 Pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Marlon T Fletcher can be reached at (571)272-2063. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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BILKIS . JAHAN
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2817
/BILKIS JAHAN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2817
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