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 .
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of Species I, with claims 1-7 and 12-18 indicated by Applicant to read thereon, in the reply filed on 3/9/2026 is acknowledged.
While Examiner acknowledges that Applicant indicated that claims 7 and 12-13 read on the elected species I, claim 7 is drawn to non-elected species 5 and/or 6 and is hereby withdrawn from further consideration therefor. Similarly, claims 12-13 does not read on the elected species because the elected specie at least fails to show having a second pick-up region abutting the second surface of the substrate and having the second conductive type.
Claims 7-13 and 19-20 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected species, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on 3/9/2026.
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)(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.
(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.
Claims 1-2, 6, 14 and 18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Lee, US Pub. No. 2024/0105838 A1.
Re claim 1, Lee discloses a semiconductor device structure, comprising: a substrate 110 (or a portion of 110, e.g., fig. 1) having a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface; a first well region 134 abutting the second surface of the substrate and having a first conducive type (e.g., P-type, fig. 1); a source/drain (S/D) feature 136/138 abutting the second surface of the substrate and having a second conductive type (e.g., N-type, fig. 1) different from the first conductive type; and a first pick-up region 131 and/or 132 (e.g., fig. 1, in this case, the layer/well region 131/132 is considered as the pick-up region) abutting the first surface of the substrate and having the first conductive type, see figs. 1-8 and pages 1-7 for more details.
Re claim 2, The semiconductor device structure of claim 1, wherein the first pick-up region is exposed by the first surface of the substrate (e.g., fig. 1).
Re claim 6, The semiconductor device structure of claim 1, further comprising: an isolation structure 140 (e.g, fig. 1) embedded within the substrate and abutting the second surface, wherein the first pick-up region 132 is spaced apart from the isolation structure 140 (e.g., fig. 1).
Re claim 14, Lee discloses a semiconductor device structure, comprising: a substrate 110 (or a portion of 110, e.g., fig. 1) having a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface; a first well region 134 abutting the second surface of the substrate and having a first conducive type (e.g., P-type, fig. 1); a source/drain (S/D) feature 136/138 abutting the second surface of the substrate and having a second conductive type (e.g., N-type, fig. 1) different from the first conductive type; an isolation structure 140 (e.g., fig. 1) embedded within the substrate and extending from the second surface toward the first surface of the substrate; and a first pick-up region 132/131 (e.g, fig. 1) having the first conductive type situated between the first surface of the substrate and the isolation structure, see figs. 1-8 and pages 1-7 for more details.
Re claim 18, The semiconductor device structure of claim 13, wherein the first pick-up region 132 is spaced apart from the isolation structure 140 (e.g., fig. 1).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 3-5 and 15-17 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.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: Prior art fails to further show an electrical connector disposed on the first surface and electrically connected to the first pick-up region.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JACK CHEN whose telephone number is (571)272-1689. The examiner can normally be reached Monday to Friday, 8am to 4pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Yara J. Green can be reached at (571)270-3035. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/JACK S CHEN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2893
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