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
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) 1, 3-6 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by US 2023/0240160 A1 (Allegra).
Re claim 1, Allegra teaches a memory device, comprising:
a dielectric substrate (insulating layer 111);
a first metal electrode contact layer (bottom contact 112) coupled to the dielectric substrate;
a metal heater element (heater 102) disposed longitudinally on top of the first metal electrode contact layer;
a first section of a layer of crystalline phase change material (narrow bottom portion of memory region 106) positioned perpendicular to and in contact with an exposed first end of the longitudinally disposed metal heater element (Fig. 11C);
a first section of a second metal electrode contact layer (electrode 108) positioned parallel to and spaced from, the first section of the layer of crystalline phase change material; and
a dielectric spacer (insulating layer 104) positioned between the layer of crystalline phase change material and the first section of the second metal electrode contact layer (Fig. 11C).
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Re claim 3, Allegra teaches further comprising: a second section (top portion of 106 in contact with 108) of the layer of crystalline phase change material positioned parallel to the metal heater element; and a second section of the second metal electrode contact layer positioned parallel to the metal heater element and on top of the second section of the layer of crystalline phase change material (Fig. 11C).
Re claim 4, Allegra teaches further comprising a contact (conductive vias [0054]) positioned on top of the second section of the second metal electrode contact layer.
Re claim 5, Allegra teaches further comprising: a third section of the layer of crystalline phase change material (right portion of 106 in contact with the top horizontal portion of 102) positioned perpendicular to and in contact with an exposed second end of the longitudinally disposed metal heater element; and a third section of the second metal electrode contact layer positioned parallel to and spaced from, the third section of the layer of crystalline phase change material (Fig. 11C).
Re claim 6, Allegra teaches further comprising a contact positioned on top of the second section of the second metal electrode contact layer (conductive vias [0054]).
Claim(s) 9, 11-12 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by US 2022/0181546 A1 (Ok).
Re claim 9, Ok teaches a memory device, comprising:
a dielectric substrate (first dielectric layer 106);
a first metal electrode contact layer (bottom electrodes 110) coupled to the dielectric substrate;
a metal heater element (heater 116) extending linearly across and on top of a top surface of the first metal electrode contact (Fig. 7);
a second metal contact electrode (top electrode contacts 136) positioned above the metal heater element and above the first metal electrode contact (Fig. 7);
a layer of crystalline phase change material (phase change material layer 126) positioned parallel to a side wall of the first metal electrode contact (sidewalls of 110 and 126 are parallel) and perpendicular to a first end of the metal heater element; and
an electrode layer (via contact 138/second metal layer 142) coupled to the second metal contact electrode and positioned parallel to the layer of crystalline phase change material and perpendicular to the first end of the heater element (Fig. 7).
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Re claim 11, Ok teaches further comprising a section of insulation (third dielectric layer 132) positioned between the heater element and the second metal contact electrode, wherein the layer of crystalline phase change material extends around the section of insulation, over a span of the heater element, and under the second metal contact electrode (Fig. 7).
Re claim 12, Ok teaches wherein the layer of crystalline phase change material extends down a side wall of the section of insulation in contact with a second end of the metal heater element (Fig. 7).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 2, 10, 13 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.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to BRIGITTE A PATERSON whose telephone number is (571)272-1752. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 9:00AM-5:00PM.
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BRIGITTE A. PATERSON
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2896
/BRIGITTE A PATERSON/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2896
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