Last updated: July 17, 2026

Application No. 18/543,110

CHIP STRUCTURE

Non-Final OA

Filed

Dec 18, 2023

Priority

Aug 14, 2018 — provisional 62/718,556 +1 more

Examiner

PIZARRO CRESPO, MARCOS D

Art Unit

2814

Tech Center

2800 — Semiconductors & Electrical Systems

Assignee

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.

OA Round

1 (Non-Final)

Interview Optional

— +14.5% interview lift. Interview lift (+14.5%) is below the 15.0% threshold. A written response is recommended.

Based on 557 resolved cases, 2023–2026

Examiner Intelligence

PIZARRO CRESPO, MARCOS D View full profile →

Grants 66% — above average

Career Allowance Rate

368 granted / 557 resolved

-1.9% vs TC avg

Moderate +14% lift

Without

With

+14.5%

Interview Lift

resolved cases with interview

Typical timeline

3y 7m

Avg Prosecution

19 currently pending

Career history

596

Total Applications

across all art units

Statute-Specific Performance

§101

0.1%

-39.9% vs TC avg

§103

74.2%

+34.2% vs TC avg

§102

11.9%

-28.1% vs TC avg

§112

11.5%

-28.5% vs TC avg

Black line = Tech Center average estimate • Based on career data from 557 resolved cases

Prosecution Timeline

Dec 18, 2023

Application Filed

May 07, 2026

Non-Final Rejection mailed (current)

Precedent Cases

Applications granted by this same examiner with similar technology

17/499,364

Patent 12684768

FLASH MEMORY WITH IMPROVED GATE STRUCTURE AND A METHOD OF CREATING THE SAME

4y 9m to grant Granted Jul 14, 2026

17/376,580

Patent 12668484

MICROELECTROMECHANICAL SYSTEMS DEVICE HAVING IMPROVED SIGNAL DISTORTION

4y 11m to grant Granted Jun 30, 2026

17/453,045

Patent 12660286

VERTICAL THIN FILM TRANSISTOR WITH PERFORATED OR COMB-GATE ELECTRODE CONFIGURATION AND FABRICATION METHODS FOR SAME

4y 7m to grant Granted Jun 16, 2026

18/173,283

Patent 12660593

INTERCONNECT STRUCTURE

3y 3m to grant Granted Jun 16, 2026

18/410,619

Patent 12660638

LAYERED MOLDED DIRECT CONTACT AND DIELECTRIC STRUCTURE AND METHOD FOR MAKING THE SAME

2y 5m to grant Granted Jun 16, 2026

Study what changed to get past this examiner. Based on 5 most recent grants.

Strategy Recommendation AI-generated — please review before filing

Get a prosecution strategy drawn from examiner precedents, rejection analysis, and claim mapping.

Typically takes 5-10 seconds — AI-generated, attorney review required before filing

Prosecution Projections

1-2

Expected OA Rounds

66%

Grant Probability

81%

With Interview (+14.5%)

3y 7m (~1y 0m remaining)

Median Time to Grant

Low

PTA Risk

Based on 557 resolved cases by this examiner. Grant probability derived from career allowance rate.