DETAILED ACTION This office action is in response to the election filed 2/25/2026. Currently, claims 1- 12 are pending. Election/Restrictions Applicant’s election without traverse of claims 1-8 is acknowledged. Priority Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55. Drawings The drawings are objected to because they all contain an unrecognizable character preceding the number of the drawing instead of “Figure” or “FIG.”. Furthermore, Figures 1-3B should be designated by a legend such as --Prior Art-- because only that which is old is illustrated. See MPEP § 608.02(g). 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 title of the invention is not descriptive. A new title is required that is clearly indicative of the invention to which the claims are directed. The following title is suggested: ISOLATION STRUCTURE FOR EDRAM AND METHOD FOR MAKING THE SAME. Furthermore, the disclosure is objected to because of the following informalities: The term “linear” is used throughout the specification (e.g. p. 11, second-to-last line), but the context does not fit the traditional meaning of “linear”. Likely, this is a typographical error and the term should be “liner”. 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 appl icant regards as his invention. Claims 1-8 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. Claim 1 recites the limitation “at least removing a portion of the re-deposited nitride layer …” The term “at least” requires a reference to which a comparison may be made. In this case, there is no such reference. In other words, if removing a portion of the re-deposited nitride layer is at a minimum, what steps beyond this minimum are available? The Examiner notes that there is similar language recited in the specification, but slightly different: “ at least a portion of the re-deposited nitride layer 105 located above the surface of the first active sub-region 110a is removed ” (p. 12, lines 23-24). In this case, the step of removing the nitride is not the reference of a minimum. Instead, it is a portion of the re-deposited nitride layer that is the reference of a minimum, implying that the whole of the re-deposited nitride layer is the reference beyond the minimum. Amending claim 1 to instead recite “removing at least a portion …” would overcome this rejection. For purposes of examination, the claim is examined with this understanding. Claim 8 also recites “at least removing”. Furthermore, the claims recite the limitation “linear oxide” and “linear nitride” at least in claims 6 and 8, respectively. Where applicant acts as his or her own lexicographer to specifically define a term of a claim contrary to its ordinary meaning, the written description must clearly redefine the claim term and set forth the uncommon definition so as to put one reasonably skilled in the art on notice that the applicant intended to so redefine that claim term. Process Control Corp. v. HydReclaim Corp. , 190 F.3d 1350, 1357, 52 USPQ2d 1029, 1033 (Fed. Cir. 1999). The term “ linear ” appears to mean “ liner ,” while the accepted meaning is something more akin to a straight line. The term is indefinite because the specification does not clearly redefine the term. Fur purposes of examination, the term is interpreted to mean “liner”. Allowable Subject Matter As indicated above, the claims are not allowable. However, interpreting the limitations according to the assumptions listed above, the claims are found to contain allowable subject matter. The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: The claims are generally directed towards a method for making an EDRAM with an isolation structure, including the use of a pad oxide and pad nitride for forming the trench for the embedded polysilicon, and forming and refilling a recess to form an isolation structure. The claimed invention includes further details, many of which are also found in the prior art. See, for example, Hsu et al. (US 6,815,307), Cheng et al. (US 7,705,386), Chen et al. (US 2005/0151182) and Rengarajan et al. (US 5,940,717). Applicant’s Admitted Prior Art and Hu et al. (US 2025/0120060 , cited in IDS ) are identified as the closest prior art. However, none of these references teach the combination of limitations recited in claim 1, particularly the removal of the pad nitride and pad oxide followed by a re-deposition of the pad oxide and pad nitride and eventual removal of the re-deposited pad nitride in the context of the particular steps for forming the isolation structure including etching the second active sub-region and the polysilicon joined to the second active sub-region to form an isolation recess at a first side of the deep trench opposite to the first active sub-region , filling the isolation recess with a first isolation dielectric, wherein a remaining portion of the polysilicon in the upper portion of the deep trench is situated between the first active sub-region and the first isolation dielectric, and wherein the first active sub-region, the polysilicon and the first isolation dielectric delimit an upper polysilicon recess , removing at least a portion of the re-deposited nitride layer above a top surface of the first active sub-region and forming a second isolation dielectric in the upper polysilicon recess, wherein the second isolation dielectric has a top surface higher than the top surface of the first active sub-region . Conclusion Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to FILLIN "Examiner name" \* MERGEFORMAT DANIEL M LUKE whose telephone number is FILLIN "Phone number" \* MERGEFORMAT (571)270-1569 . The examiner can normally be reached FILLIN "Work Schedule?" \* MERGEFORMAT Monday-Friday, 9am-5pm, EST . 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, FILLIN "SPE Name?" \* MERGEFORMAT William Kraig can be reached at FILLIN "SPE Phone?" \* MERGEFORMAT (571) 272-8660 . The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300. Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000. /DANIEL LUKE/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2896