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 .
Specification
The title of the invention is not descriptive. A new title is required that is clearly indicative of the invention to which the claims are directed.
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.
Claim 9 recites the limitation "the gradient region". There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
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)(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(s) 1-8 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Tsai (20230369439).
PNG
media_image1.png
576
782
media_image1.png
Greyscale
Regarding claim 1, Tsai teaches an field effect transistor comprising:
a source (par. 92); a drain (par. 92); a semiconductor (par. 92) extending between the source and the drain;
a gate (par. 92) located over the semiconductor; and
a gate stack (par. 92) formed between the semiconductor material and the gate, the gate stack including a dielectric layer (fig. 8D: 12) abutting the semiconductor material, and a diffusion barrier layer (fig. 8D: 10) abutting the gate, the gate stack including a gradient region between the dielectric layer and the diffusion barrier (please see fig. 8D which shows the oxygen gradient region between 10 and 12)
wherein the stoichiometry of the materials in the gradient region changes from the stoichiometry of the dielectric material to the stoichiometry of the diffusion barrier (please see fig. 8D which shows the oxygen gradient region between 10 and 12).
Regarding claim 2, Tsai teaches an transistor of claim 1 wherein the change in stoichiometry in the gradient region is substantially monotonic (please see fig. 8D).
Regarding claim 3, Tsai teaches an transistor of claim 1 wherein the diffusion barrier also serves as an adhesion layer for the gate (the material taught in par. 111 are known to have adhesive properties).
Regarding claim 4, Tsai teaches an transistor of claim 1 wherein the materials in the gradient region have stoichiometric ratios in the form of XOiNj where X is the base material, Oi is the oxygen content and Nj is the nitrogen content (par. 111).
Regarding claim 5, Tsai teaches an transistor of claim 4 wherein the base material X is hafnium (par. 111).
Regarding claim 6, Tsai teaches an transistor of claim 4 wherein the base material X is zirconium (par. 111).
Regarding claim 7, Tsai teaches an transistor of claim 1 wherein the semiconductor is tin oxide (par. 117).
Regarding claim 8, Tsai teaches an transistor of claim 1 wherein the semiconductor is IGZO (par. 117).
Claim(s) 9-12 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by O'Meara (20070077701).
Regarding claim 9, O'Meara teaches an gate stack for use in a field effect transistor (par. 16) having a source (par. 116: 113), a drain (par. 116: 114) a semiconductor (par. 116: 112) connecting the source and the drain and having a gate (par. 116: 117) located over the semiconductor, comprising:
a dielectric material (fig. 3C: 304b) abutting the semiconductor;
a diffusion barrier (fig. 3C: 304a) abutting the gate; and
a gradient material between the dielectric material and the diffusion barrier, the gradient region comprising a graded transition between the dielectric material and the diffusion barrier to reduce stressed between the dielectric material and the diffusion barrier (par. 24-41 teaches 304a is expected to act as a good diffusion barrier between the gate electrode material and the non-etched portion 304b).
NOTE: Please see 112 rejection above.
Regarding claim 10, O'Meara teaches an gate stack of claim 9 where the dielectric material has the form of XO, the diffusion barrier has the form XN and the gradient material has the form XO.sub.iN.sub.j, where i decreases and j increases in the gradient region, from the region adjacent the dielectric material to the region adjacent the diffusion barrier (par. 24-41 teaches this).
Regarding claim 11, O'Meara teaches an gate stack of claim 10 wherein X is hafnium (par. 24-41 teaches this material).
Regarding claim 12, O'Meara teaches an gate stack of claim 11 wherein the diffusion barrier also acts as an adhesion layer for the gate (as taught in par. 24-41, the materials taught are known to have adhesive properties).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to CALEB E HENRY whose telephone number is (571)270-5370. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Fri.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Eva Montalvo can be reached at (571) 270-3829. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/CALEB E HENRY/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2818