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 .
Status of Claims
Claims 1-13 are pending in the application and are examined on merits herein.
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)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim 8 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Waidhas et al. (US 2024/0429221).
In re Claim 8, Waidhas teaches a trench capacitor, comprising (Fig. 3 and Annotated Fig. 3):
a first trench (as a first trench from the left) and a second trench (as a central trench) disposed in a substrate 304 (paragraph 0030);
a first inner electrode FIE (as in Annotated Fig. 3, as a part of conductor 320, paragraph 0030) formed in a central portion of the first trench;
Annotated Fig. 3
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285
537
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a first capacitor dielectric layer FCD (as in Annotated Fig. 3, as a part of dielectric 318, paragraph 0030) disposed on the first inner electrode FIE;
a second inner electrode SIE (as in Annotated Fig. 3, as another part of conductor 320) formed in a central portion of the second trench;
a second capacitor dielectric layer SCD (as in Annotated Fig. 3, as another part of dielectric 318) disposed on the second inner electrode SIE;
a first outer electrode FOE and a second outer electrode SOE (as in Annotated Fig. 3, the first and second outer electrodes are created from parts of conductive material 316, paragraph 0030) disposed symmetrically with respect to the first inner electrode FIE; and
a third outer electrode TOE and a fourth outer electrode FhOE (as in Annotated Fig. 3, the third and fourth outer electrodes being other parts of conductive material 316) disposed symmetrically with respect to the second inner electrode SIE, wherein
each of the first to fourth outer electrodes (FOE through FhOE) has a shallower depth compared to each of the first and second inner electrodes in relation to a top surface of the substrate (as shown – they extend only to a bottom of substrate 304, while inner electrodes extend further than the bottom of 304, and wherein
the second outer electrode SOE disposed in the first trench is physically connected to the third outer electrode disposed in the second trench – through a connection part shown as CP in Annotated Fig. 3.
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 11 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Waidhas.
In re Claim 11, Waidhas teaches the trench capacitor of Claim 8 as cited above, wherein (Claims 13 and 15) each of the first to fourth outer electrodes (which Waidhas identifies as a first electrode that can be created from “a first metal”) comprises a material different from a material of the first or second inner electrode (which Waidhas identifies as a second electrode created from “a second metal” ), and, since Waidhas does not teach that the first metal is identical to the second metal, Waidhas makes it obvious that the outer electrodes and the inner electrodes are created from different metals.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1-7 are allowed.
Claims 9-10 and 12-13 are objected to since they are dependent on a rejected base Claim 8, while each of Claims 9-10 and 12 contain allowable subject matter, and Claim 13 depends on Claim 12.
Reason for Indicating Allowable Subject Matter
Re Claim 1: Although there are prior arts containing various limitations of Claim 1, Examiner was unable to combine these prior arts together to come up with a structure comprising all limitations of Claim 1. As such, Popp et al. (US 2013/0221483) teaches most limitations of Claim 1, including (Fig. 1C) a trench capacitor comprising a trench formed in a substrate 10, an inner electrode 50 disposed in a central portion of the trench and having a top and bottom portions, an outer electrode 80 disposed symmetrically with respect to the inner electrode, the outer electrode 80 having a depth shallower than a depth of the inner electrode 50 with respect to a top surface of the substrate 10, a capacitor dielectric 70 surrounding the outer electrode 80, wherein the outer electrode 70 protrudes above the top surface of the substrate and has a top surface that is higher than the top surface of the inner electrode 50. However, Popp does not teach a thick bottom insulating layer disposed below the inner electrode and the outer electrode – in the Popp structure, a doped semiconductor region 15 is in direct contact with the inner electrode 15. And despite the fact that Okumura (US 4,953,125) or Chao (US 10,784267) teach(es) a thick bottom insulating layer disposed below the inner and outer electrodes of trench capacitors, Examiner found no motivation to combine any of these prior arts with Popp and to separate the Popp inner electrode from the doped semiconductor. Other relevant prior arts of record, teaching some limitations of Claim 1 (including Gutsche et al. (US 2004/0228067) or Wells et al. (US 2007/0023805)) – do not cure the above deficiency. Moreover, none of these prior arts of record cannot be used as a primary reference since each of them has less limitations of Claim 1 and cannot be combined with other prior arts to teach all limitations of Claim 1.
Re Claims 2-7: Claims 2-7 are allowed due to dependency on Claim 1.
Re Claim 9: The prior arts of record, alone or in combination, cannot be combined with Waidhas (anticipating Claim 8, on which Claim 9 depends) to teach such limitation of Claim 9 as: “the first and second outer electrodes protrude above the top surface of the substrate”.
Re Claim 10: The prior arts of record, alone or in combination, cannot be combined with Waidhas (anticipating Claim 8, on which claim 9 depends) to teach such limitation of Claim 10 as: “a connection portion disposed on the top surface of the substrate”.
Re Claim 12: The prior arts of record, alone or in combination, cannot be combined with Waidhas (anticipating Claim 8, on which Claim 12 depends) to teach such limitation of Claim 12 as: “a thick bottom insulating layer formed below the first inner electrode and the first and second outer electrodes”, in combination with other limitations of Claim 12 and with limitations of Claim 8 on which Claim 12 depends.
The prior arts of record for Claims 9, 10, and 12, in addition to the prior arts cited by this Office Action above, also include (as relevant): Satoh (US 5,183,774).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication should be directed to GALINA G YUSHINA whose telephone number is 571-270-7440. The Examiner can normally be reached between 8 AM - 7 PM Pacific Time (Flexible).
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The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300; a fax phone number of Galina Yushina is 571-270-8440.
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/GALINA G YUSHINA/Primary Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2811, TC 2800,
United States Patent and Trademark Office
E-mail: galina.yushina@USPTO.gov
Phone: 571-270-7440
Date: 01/28/26