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 .
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
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 “liner material cover[ing] surfaces of the device layer facing separating portions, […] wherein a via […] electrically couples a source or drain contact of the first active device to a buried power rail, and wherein at least a part of the via is located in a first separating portion separating adjacent shallow trench isolation structures, and extends through the liner” of claim 11 must be shown or the feature(s) canceled from the claim(s). As currently claimed, the liner is located between adjacent shallow trench isolation structures at the device layer, and if the via is to extend through the liner, then the liner must be present between the adjacent shallow trench isolation structure since that is the claimed location. No liner is shown in this location in the drawings. See Figure 16.
No new matter should be entered.
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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.
The drawings are objected to as failing to comply with 37 CFR 1.84(p)(4) because reference character “130” has been used to designate both a second end (Figure 4) and a via (Figure 6A). See also applicants’ specification, page 23, paragraph 91, and page 25, paragraph 95.
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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. 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.
The drawings are objected to as failing to comply with 37 CFR 1.84(p)(5) because they include the following reference character(s) not mentioned in the description: 800 in Figure 9.
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Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d), or amendment to the specification to add the reference character(s) in the description in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(b) 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. 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.
The drawings are objected to because of the following informalities:
In Figure 5A: Arrange the arrows at width w2 as follows:
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In Figure 6A, add “A-A” to designate its cross-section, per Figure 6C.
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In Figure 6B, add “B-B” to designate its cross-section, per Figure 6C.
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In Figure 8A, add “A-A” to designate its cross-section, per Figure 8C.
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In Figure 8B, add “B-B” to designate its cross-section, per Figure 8C.
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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.
Specification
The disclosure is objected to because of the following informalities:
Page 23, paragraph 91, last sentence: Check the translation of this sentence. This sentence, as currently written, does not make sense.
Page 25, paragraph 97, last sentence: Can a planarization be done with the spacers 63 protruding from the top of the surface 11?
Page 31, paragraph 114, line 3: Delete the extra space and extra comma before “Fig. 14B”.
Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Objections
Claims 1-15 are objected to because of the following informalities:
Claim 1, line 1: Delete the extra space between “device” and the comma.
Claims 2-10 are objected to for depending from objected-to base claim 1.
Claim 11, line 13: Delete the extra space between “portions” and the comma.
Claims 12-15 are objected to for depending from objected-to base claim 11.
Appropriate correction is required.
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 12-15 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 12, which depends from claim 11: Claim 11 defines one buried power rail in line 16. Claim 12, which depends from claim 11, defines a plurality of buried power rails in line 8. However, the relationship between the plurality of buried power rails of claim 12 and the one buried power rail of claim 11 is unclear. Because the relationship is unclear, claim 12 is rejected as indefinite.
Claims 13 and 14 are rejected for depending from rejected base claim 12.
Regarding claim 14, which depends from claim 13, which depends from claim 12, which depends from claim 11: As discussed above, claim 11 defines one buried power rail while claim 12 defines a plurality of buried power rails. Claim 14 refers to “the buried power rails” in lines 1-2, but the language is unclear whether these are the plurality of buried power rails or multiples of the one buried power rail. Because the language is unclear, claim 14 is rejected as indefinite.
Regarding claim 15, which depends from claim 11: Claim 15 defines the first active device, define in claim 11, as being a field effect transistor, “usually” selected from a nanosheet field effect transistor, a complementary field effect transistor and a fin field effect transistor. The use of the term “usually” leaves open a question as to whether the claim requires that the field effect transistor be a nanosheet field effect transistor, a complementary field effect transistor and a fin field effect transistor, or not. Because the claim is vague on this point, claim 15 is rejected as indefinite.
Claim Interpretation
During examination, the Office relied on the following interpretation of “buried power rail”. The term “buried power rail”, read in light of the specification, is specifically a power rail that is within the remaining portion of the substrate, and not any backside power rail that might be present in an interlayer insulating layer (ILD) that is provided on the backside of a substrate or wafer. This interpretation is supported by the disclosure, which seeks to reduce the thickness of the device. A buried power rail that is within the substrate—as opposed to a backside power rail that is in an ILD on the backside of the substrate—results in a thinner device.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 12-15 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, and if the informalities in claim 11 were addressed.
Claims 1-11 are objected for informalities, but would be allowable if the informalities were addressed.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
With regard to claim 1: The claim has been found allowable because the prior art of record does not disclose “c) thereafter depositing a liner covering the backside of the substrate, thereby covering the sacrificial plug and surfaces of the separating portions, covering exposed surfaces of the device layer facing the separating portions, exposed by said removing of the substrate material; d) thereafter anisotropically etching the liner so as to expose a first end of the sacrificial plug, while retaining at least part of the liner in the separating portions between adjacent shallow trench isolation structures covering the surfaces of the device layer facing the separating portions; e) thereafter removing the sacrificial plug selectively with respect to the liner, thereby exposing the source or drain contact of the first active device; and f) thereafter providing an electrically conductive material in the via, electrically contacting the source or drain contact of the first active device, and electrically coupling the electrically conductive material in the via to a buried power rail”, in combination with the remaining limitations of the claim.
With regard to claims 2-10: The claims have been found allowable due to their dependency from claim 1 above.
With regard to claim 11: The claim has been found allowable because the prior art of record does not disclose “wherein a liner material covers surfaces of the device layer facing the separating portions, wherein a via, comprising an electrically conductive material, electrically couples a source or drain contact of the first active device to a buried power rail, and wherein at least part of the via is located in a first separating portion separating adjacent shallow trench isolation structures, and extends through the liner”, in combination with the remaining limitations of the claim.
With regard to claims 12-15: The claims have been found allowable due to their dependency from claim 11 above.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to VICTORIA KATHLEEN HALL whose telephone number is (571)270-7567. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-5 p.m.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Fernando Toledo can be reached at 571-272-1867. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/Victoria K. Hall/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2897
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