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 .
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) 15-18 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Wakisaka (US 2005/0218473).
Regarding claim 15, Wakisaka discloses a resistor structure (Figure 3), comprising: a resistor sheet (Figure 3, reference 3); and two landing pads (Figure 3, reference 4) at opposite ends of the resistor sheet (Figure 3, reference 3) with sidewall spacers (Figure 3, reference 5) around each landing pad (Figure 3, reference 4).
Regarding claim 16, Wakisaka discloses wherein peripheral portions of the sidewall spacers (Figure 3, reference 5) extend below the resistor sheet (Figure 3, reference 3).
Regarding claim 17, Wakisaka discloses wherein each landing pad (Figure 3, reference 4) comprises a barrier metal layer (Figure 3, reference 9) and a hard mask layer (Figure 3, reference 10).
Regarding claim 18, Wakisaka discloses further comprising a buffer layer (Figure 3, reference 1) below the resistor sheet (Figure 3, reference 3) and a capping layer (Figure 3, reference 7) covering the resistor sheet (Figure 3, reference 3) and the two landing pads (Figure 3, reference 4).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1-14 and 19-20 are allowed over the prior art of record.
Reasons for Allowance
The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance: The prior art does not disclose nor fairly suggest a method for forming a resistor structure, comprising: etching the spacer film layer to form sidewall spacers around the two landing pads; and etching away the exposed portion of the barrier metal layer between the two landing pads to form the resistor structure (claim 1) and a method for forming a resistor structure in a back-end-of-line process, comprising: etching to form a resistor stack from the resistor material layer, the barrier metal layer, and the hard mask layer; etching the hard mask layer to expose a portion of the barrier metal layer between two ends of the resistor stack; partially etching the exposed portion of the barrier metal layer to form two landing pads at the ends of the resistor stack ;applying a spacer film layer over the resistor stack; etching the spacer film layer to form sidewall spacers around the two landing pads; completely etching away the exposed portion of the barrier metal layer between the two landing pads to form the resistor structure; applying a capping layer over the resistor structure; forming a second dielectric layer upon the substrate and over the resistor structure; etching to form vias to the two landing pads; filling the vias with an electrically conductive material; and forming metal contacts over the vias (claim 19) as described in these independent claims and in the context of their recited processes, along with their depending claims.
Any comments considered necessary by applicant must be submitted no later than the payment of the issue fee and, to avoid processing delays, should preferably accompany the issue fee. Such submissions should be clearly labeled “Comments on Statement of Reasons for Allowance.”
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Kuo et al (US 2022/0149147 A1) discloses a resistor structure (Figure 12A, reference 302a), a resistor sheet (Figure 12A, reference 144), two landing pads (Figure 12A, reference 120) at opposite ends of the resistor sheet (Figure 12A, reference 114), and an exposed portion of a barrier metal layer (Figure 12A, reference 118) between the two landing pads (Figure 12A, reference 120).
However, Kuo et al does not disclose the above allowable claimed subject matter.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MONICA D HARRISON whose telephone number is (571)272-1959. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 7-4:30pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Joshua Benitez can be reached at 571-270-1435. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/MONICA D HARRISON/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2815
mdh
February 3, 2026