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 invention I, claims 1-12, in the reply filed on 04/10/2026 is acknowledged.
Claims 13-20 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected invention, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on 04/10/2026.
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 applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 2 and 8-11 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.
The term “approximately” in claim 2 is a relative term which renders the claim indefinite. The term “approximately” is not defined by the claim, the specification does not provide a standard for ascertaining the requisite degree, and one of ordinary skill in the art would not be reasonably apprised of the scope of the invention. The limitation “approximately half of a height of the source drain region” of the claim has been rendered indefinite by the use of the term “approximately”.
The term “approximately” in claim 8 is a relative term which renders the claim indefinite. The term “approximately” is not defined by the claim, the specification does not provide a standard for ascertaining the requisite degree, and one of ordinary skill in the art would not be reasonably apprised of the scope of the invention. The limitation “approximately half of a height of the source drain region” of the claim has been rendered indefinite by the use of the term “approximately”.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1, 3-7 and 12 are allowed.
Claims 2 and 8-11 would be allowable if rewritten or amended to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, set forth in this Office action.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
The prior art of record, Fan (US 2024/0290850), discloses a semiconductor device comprising: a source drain region adjacent to a nanosheet stack; a source drain contact. See Fan, FIG. 14C; paragraphs [0032]-[0033] and [0036]. The prior art of record, Xie (US 2021/0265470), teaches a wrap around source drain contact, the wrap around source drain contact comprises an upper region, a middle region and a lower region, wherein the upper region is above the source drain region, the middle region surrounds an upper portion of an angled vertical side surface of the source drain region, and the lower region surrounds a remaining portion of the angled vertical side surface of the source drain region, wherein a thickness of the wrap around source drain contact in the middle region is greater than a thickness of the wrap around source drain contact in the lower region. See Xie, FIG. 11; paragraph [0076]. The prior art of records, individually or in combination, do not disclose nor teach “the middle region covers an upper horizontal surface of the source drain region” in combination with other limitations as recited in claim 1.
The prior art of record, Fan, discloses a semiconductor device comprising: a source drain region adjacent to a nanosheet stack; a source drain contact. The prior art of record, Xie, teaches a wrap around source drain contact, the wrap around source drain contact comprises an upper region, a middle region and a lower region, wherein the upper region is above the source drain region, the middle region surrounds an upper portion of the angled vertical side surface of the source drain region, and the lower region surrounds a remaining portion of the angled vertical side surface of the source drain region, wherein a thickness of the wrap around source drain contact in the middle region is greater than a thickness of the wrap around source drain contact in the lower region. The prior art of records, individually or in combination, do not disclose nor teach “the middle region covers an upper horizontal surface of the source drain region; wherein a thickness of the wrap around source drain contact in the middle region is less than a thickness of the wrap around source drain contact in the lower region” in combination with other limitations as recited in claim 7.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to SHIH TSUN A CHOU whose telephone number is (408)918-7583. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8:00-16:00 Arizona Time.
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/SHIH TSUN A CHOU/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2811
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