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.
(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) 1-3, 6, 8-10, 13, 15-17, 19 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) and 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Ong et al. (hereinafter Ong, US 2023/0209798).
In regards to independent claim 1, Ong teaches a semiconductor structure comprising:
a first stack of semiconducting layers (125) (Ong. Fig. 7A);
a second stack of semiconducting layers (130), wherein the first stack of semiconducting layers has at least one fewer layer than the second stack of semiconducting layers (130 has 3 layers, 125 has 4 layers) (Ong. Fig. 7A); and
a backside channel plug (605) directly beneath the first stack of semiconducting layers (130) (Ong. Fig. 7A).
In regards to dependent claim 2, Ong teaches wherein a width of the backside channel plug is substantially equal to a width of the first stack of semiconducting layers (Ong, Fig. 7C 605).
In regards to dependent claim 3, Ong teaches wherein the backside channel plug comprises a top portion, a middle portion, and a bottom portion, wherein a width of the middle portion is less than a width of either the top portion or the bottom portion (Ong, Fig. 7A 605).
In regards to dependent claim 6, Ong teaches wherein the backside channel plug comprises a compressive dielectric material, a tensile dielectric material, or some combination thereof (Ong, [0068], cited films are tensile).
In regards to independent claim 8, Ong teaches a semiconductor structure comprising:
a first stack of semiconducting layers (125) (Ong. Fig. 7A);
a second stack of semiconducting layers (130) wherein a top surface of a top layer of the first stack of semiconducting layers is substantially flush with a top surface of a top layer of the second stack of semiconducting layers (Semiconductor Layers 260N-1 and 260N in flush with each other), and wherein a bottom surface of a bottom layer of the first stack of semiconducting layers is above a bottom surface of a bottom layer of the second stack of semiconducting layers (260A in 130 is above 260A in 125) (Ong. Fig. 7A); and
a backside channel plug (605) below the first stack of semiconducting layers (130) (Ong. Fig. 7A);.
In regards to dependent claim 9, Ong teaches wherein a width of the backside channel plug is substantially equal to a width of the first stack of semiconducting layers (Ong, Fig. 7C 605).
In regards to dependent claim 10, Ong teaches wherein the backside channel plug comprises a top portion, a middle portion, and a bottom portion, wherein a width of the middle portion is less than a width of either the top portion or the bottom portion (Ong, Fig. 7A 605).
In regards to dependent claim 13, Ong teaches wherein the backside channel plug comprises a compressive dielectric material, a tensile dielectric material, or some combination thereof (Ong, [0068], cited films are tensile).
In regards to independent claim 15, Ong teaches a semiconductor structure comprising:
a first stack of semiconducting layers (125) including a first gate surrounding at least one layer of the first stack of semiconducting layers (285 in 125) (Ong. Fig. 7A);
a second stack of semiconducting layers (130) including a second gate surrounding at least one layer of the second stack of semiconducting layers (285 in 130), wherein a topmost surface of the first gate is substantially flush with a topmost surface of the second gate (the top surface 285 in 130 is flush with top surface 285 in 125), and a bottommost surface of the first gate is above a bottommost surface of the second gate (bottom 285 in 130 is above bottom 285 in 125) (Ong. Fig. 7A, 7B, 7C); and
a backside channel plug (605) below and in direct contact with the bottommost surface of the second gate (285 in 130) (Ong. Fig. 7A, 7C).
In regards to dependent claim 16, Ong teaches wherein a first width of the backside channel plug is substantially equal to a width of the first stack of semiconducting layers, and a second width of the backside channel plug is substantially equal to a width of the first gate (Ong, Fig. 7C 605).
In regards to dependent claim 17, Ong teaches wherein the backside channel plug comprises a top portion, a middle portion, and a bottom portion, wherein a width of the middle portion is less than a width of either the top portion or the bottom portion (Ong, Fig. 7A 605).
In regards to dependent claim 19, Ong teaches wherein the backside channel plug comprises a compressive dielectric material, a tensile dielectric material, or some combination thereof (Ong, [0068], cited films are tensile).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 103 which forms the basis for all obviousness rejections set forth in this Office action:
A patent for a claimed invention may not be obtained, notwithstanding that the claimed invention is not identically disclosed as set forth in section 102, if the differences between the claimed invention and the prior art are such that the claimed invention as a whole would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the claimed invention pertains. Patentability shall not be negated by the manner in which the invention was made.
Claim(s) 4, 5, 7, 11, 12, 14, 18, 20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ong in view of Chen et al. (hereinafter Chen, US 2023/0137307).
In regards to dependent claim 4, Ong teaches the channel plug of claim 1. Ong fails to explicitly teach the backside channel plug is self-aligned to a backside contact structure and a placeholder. Chen teaches wherein the backside channel plug (126) is self-aligned to a backside contact structure (174) and a placeholder (Contact under 118) (Chen, Fig. 2T). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, having the teachings of Ong and Chen before him before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify the channel plug taught by Ong to include the self-aligned plug of Chen in order to obtain a self-aligned plug. One would have been motivated to make such a combination because it reduces contact size thereby reducing device size.
In regards to dependent claim 5, Ong teaches the channel plug of claim 1. Ong fails to explicitly teach a backside contact structure;
a placeholder adjacent to the backside contact structure and directly beneath a source/drain region; and
wherein the backside channel plug is arranged between and separates the backside contact structure from the placeholder
Chen teaches:
a backside contact structure (174);
a placeholder adjacent to the backside contact structure and directly beneath a source/drain region (Contact under 118); and
wherein the backside channel plug is arranged between and separates the backside contact structure from the placeholder (126, Chen, Fig. 2T). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, having the teachings of Ong and Chen before him before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify the channel plug taught by Ong to include the self-aligned plug of Chen in order to obtain a self-aligned plug. One would have been motivated to make such a combination because it prevents leakage between adjacent backside contacts.
In regards to dependent claim 7, Ong teaches the channel plug of claim 1. Ong fails to explicitly teach the backside channel plug comprises two or more dielectric materials. Chen teaches wherein the backside channel plug comprises two or more dielectric materials (Chen, 112, 126, [0038], [0064-0065]). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, having the teachings of Ong and Chen before him before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify the channel plug taught by Ong to include the self-aligned plug of Chen in order to obtain a self-aligned plug. One would have been motivated to make such a combination because it improves the adhesion between layers by using different dielectric materials.
In regards to dependent claim 11, Ong teaches the channel plug of claim 8. Ong fails to explicitly teach wherein the backside channel plug is self-aligned to a backside contact structure and a placeholder. Chen teaches wherein the backside channel plug (126) is self-aligned to a backside contact structure (174) and a placeholder (Contact under 118) (Chen, Fig. 2T). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, having the teachings of Ong and Chen before him before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify the channel plug taught by Ong to include the self-aligned plug of Chen in order to obtain a self-aligned plug. One would have been motivated to make such a combination because it reduces contact size thereby reducing device size.
In regards to dependent claim 12, Ong teaches the channel plug of claim 8. Ong fails to explicitly teach:
a backside contact structure;
a placeholder adjacent to the backside contact structure and directly beneath a source/drain region; and
wherein the backside channel plug is arranged between and separates the backside contact structure from the placeholder.
Chen teaches:
a backside contact structure (174);
a placeholder adjacent to the backside contact structure and directly beneath a source/drain region (Contact under 118); and
wherein the backside channel plug is arranged between and separates the backside contact structure from the placeholder (126, Chen, Fig. 2T). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, having the teachings of Ong and Chen before him before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify the channel plug taught by Ong to include the self-aligned plug of Chen in order to obtain a self-aligned plug. One would have been motivated to make such a combination because it prevents leakage between adjacent backside contacts.
In regards to dependent claim 14, Ong teaches the channel plug of claim 8. Ong fails to explicitly teach the backside channel plug comprises two or more dielectric materials. Chen teaches wherein the backside channel plug comprises two or more dielectric materials (Chen, 126, [0038], [0064-0065]). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, having the teachings of Ong and Chen before him before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify the channel plug taught by Ong to include the self-aligned plug of Chen in order to obtain a self-aligned plug. One would have been motivated to make such a combination because it improves the adhesion between layers by using different dielectric materials.
In regards to dependent claim 18, Ong teaches the channel plug of claim 15. Ong fails to explicitly teach wherein the backside channel plug is self-aligned to a backside contact structure and a placeholder. Chen teaches wherein the backside channel plug (126) is self-aligned to a backside contact structure (174) and a placeholder (Contact under 118) (Chen, Fig. 2T). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, having the teachings of Ong and Chen before him before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify the channel plug taught by Ong to include the self-aligned plug of Chen in order to obtain a self-aligned plug. One would have been motivated to make such a combination because it reduces contact size thereby reducing device size.
In regards to dependent claim 20, Ong teaches the channel plug of claim 15. Ong fails to explicitly teach the backside channel plug comprises two or more dielectric materials. Chen teaches wherein the backside channel plug comprises two or more dielectric materials (Chen, 126, [0038], [0064-0065]). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, having the teachings of Ong and Chen before him before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify the channel plug taught by Ong to include the self-aligned plug with two or more dielectric materials of Chen in order to obtain a self-aligned plug with two or more dielectric materials. One would have been motivated to make such a combination because it improves the adhesion between layers by using different dielectric materials.
Conclusion
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/WILLIAM C TRAPANESE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2812
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