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 October 10, 2024 is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on June 17, 2025 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
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.
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) 1, 7, and 15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Kubota et al (US Pub 2014/0209897).
In re claim 1, Kubota et al discloses a semiconductor structure comprising: a first electrode (i.e. 304); a second electrode (i.e. 310) over the first electrode; a third electrode (i.e. 315) over the second electrode; a first insulating layer (i.e. 305) between the first electrode and the second electrode; and a second insulating layer (i.e. 312) between the second electrode and the third electrode; wherein the third electrode includes a first bottom surface and a second bottom surface, the first bottom surface and the second bottom surface are at different levels, and a width of the first bottom surface is greater than a width of the second bottom surface (i.e. see annotated Figure 15A below showing the first bottom surface and second bottom surface at different levels and the first bottom surface has a width greater than the second bottom surface).
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In re claim 7, Kubota et al discloses a semiconductor structure comprising: a first electrode (i.e. 304); a second electrode (i.e. 310) over the first electrode; a third electrode (i.e. 315) over the second electrode; a first insulating layer (i.e. 305) between the first electrode and the second electrode; and a second insulating layer (i.e. 312) between the second electrode and the third electrode; wherein the third electrode includes a first bottom surface, a second bottom surface and a third bottom surface at different levels, the second bottom surface is horizontally and vertically between the first bottom surface and the third bottom surface, and a width of the first bottom surface and a width of the third bottom surface are greater than a width of the second bottom surface (i.e. see annotated Figure 15A below showing first bottom surface, second bottom surface, and third bottom surface at different levels, the second bottom surface between the first and third bottom surface, and the width of the first bottom surface and the width of the third bottom surface greater than the width of the second bottom surface).
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In re claim 15, Kobuta et al discloses a semiconductor structure comprising: a first electrode (i.e. 304); a second electrode (i.e. 310) over the first electrode; a third electrode (i.e. 315) over the second electrode; a first insulating layer (i.e. 305) between the first electrode and the second electrode; and a second insulating layer (i.e. 312) between the second electrode and the third electrode; wherein the third electrode includes a first bottom surface, a second bottom surface and a third bottom surface at different levels, the first bottom surface is horizontally and vertically between the second bottom surface and the third bottom surface, and a width of the first bottom surface is greater than a width of the second bottom surface (i.e. see annotated Figure 15A below showing first bottom surface, second bottom surface, and third bottom surface at different levels, the first bottom surface between the second and third bottom surface and the width of first bottom surface is greater than the width of the second bottom surface).
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Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 2-6, 8-14, and 16-20 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
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/ANTHONY HO/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2817