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 § 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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claim(s) 63 – 77, 84, 87, 88, 90 – 93, 100, 101 and 102 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hecht, US 2014/0264347 in view of Iguchi, US 2019/0371893.
Regarding Claim 63, Hecht teaches a method for producing an electronic semiconductor component by way of the intermediate step of producing a pretreated composite substrate, wherein the pretreated composite substrate comprises an acceptor substrate and a first portion of a donor substrate, said first portion having at least one doped layer, wherein the method comprises the following steps of:
a) providing a donor substrate which comprises monocrystalline SiC 110, 120 of Fig. 1 ( paragraph 35), 210 and 220 of Fig. 2A (paragraph 47);
b) doping a first layer in the donor substrate by means of ion implantation, wherein in the course of doping a predetermined dopant depth profile is created in the first layer of the donor substrate during the doping, wherein the first layer extends from the outer face of the donor substrate facing the ion beam to a predetermined doping depth (paragraph 53) where a remaining part of the donor substrate adjoins;
c) creating a predetermined breaking site in the donor substrate which extends substantially parallel to the outer face of the donor substrate (paragraph 35, Fig. 1;
d) providing the acceptor substrate and producing a connection between donor substrate and acceptor substrate, wherein the first layer is arranged in a region between the acceptor substrate and the remaining part of the donor substrate (paragraph 35, Fig. 1);
e) splitting the donor substrate in the region of the predetermined breaking location in order to create the pretreated composite substrate, wherein the pretreated composite substrate comprises the acceptor substrate and a first portion of the donor substrate connected thereto, which first section has at least one doped layer, wherein the doped layer comprises at least one portion of the first layer of the donor substrate, and wherein the pretreated composite substrate after the splitting has a first surface in the region of the predetermined breaking site (paragraph 35, Fig. 1;
f) introducing at least one further structural element of the semiconductor component into the composite substrate from the first surface and/or arranging at least one further structural element of the semiconductor component on the first surface, wherein at least after one of steps b), c), e) and/or after or during step f), a healing step for implantation defects is carried out in the first layer of the donor substrate (paragraph 35, Fig. 2D).
Hecht teaches regular annealing, but fails to teach a healing step for implantation defects is carried out in the first layer of the donor substrate by laser irradiation.
Iguchi teaches a healing step for implantation defects is carried out in the SiC substrate by laser light irradiation in paragraphs 75 – 78 for the benefit of preventing the deterioration in the characteristics of the device structures by thermal conduction of the heat generated in the activation of the ion implantation region in paragraph 78.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one with ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Hecht and apply a healing step for implantation defects by laser light irradiation for the benefit of preventing the deterioration in the characteristics of the device structures by thermal conduction of the heat generated in the activation of the ion implantation region as taught by Iguchi in paragraph 78.
Regarding Claims 64 – 77, Hecht in view of Iguchi teaches the method of claim 63, wherein a healing step by laser irradiation is carried out after step e) and/or after or during step f) (Claim 64); wherein the healing step after step e) and/or after or during step f) is performed by laser irradiation onto the first surface of the composite substrate (Claim 65); wherein, during the healing step by laser irradiation after step e) and/or after or during step f), the temperature in the area of the acceptor substrate does not exceed 1400oC (claim 66); wherein, during the healing step by laser irradiation after step e) and/or after or during step f), a temperature gradient is formed in the composite substrate, wherein the temperature is higher close to the first surface than in the acceptor substrate (Claim 67); wherein the temperature in the doped layer during the healing step by laser irradiation after step e) and/or after or during step f) is at least temporarily at least 1450 oC (Claim 68); wherein the predetermined breaking site is in the area of the remaining part of the donor substrate, and, in addition, after step e), before the healing step, the further step of an ion implantation, preferably using an energy filter, in the composite substrate from the first surface is carried out, by which a supplementary doped layer is formed (Claim 69);
wherein the ion implantation in the composite substrate extends at least up to the doped layer (Claim 70); wherein the ion implantation in the composite substrate is carried out in a manner such that a doping concentration in the supplementary doped layer is higher than a doping concentration in an area of the doped layer facing toward the supplementary doped layer (Claim 71); wherein the temperature in the supplementary doped layer during the healing step by laser irradiation after step e) and/or after or during step f) is at least temporarily at least 1450 oC (Claim 72); wherein a healing step by laser irradiation is carried out after at least one of steps b) and c) (Claim 73); wherein the healing step by laser irradiation after at least one of steps b) and c) takes place on the outer face of the donor substrate (Claim 74); wherein, during the healing step by laser irradiation after at least one of steps b) and c), the temperature in the area of the remaining part of the donor substrate does not exceed 1450 C (Claim 75); wherein, during the healing step by laser irradiation after at least one of steps b) and c), a temperature gradient is formed in the donor substrate, wherein the temperature in the first layer is higher than the temperature in the remaining part of the donor substrate (Claim 76); wherein the temperature in the first layer during the healing step by laser irradiation after at least one of steps b) and c) is at least temporarily at least 1450 oC (Claim 77).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one with ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Hecht in view of Iguchi to select a suitable point in time for carrying out the annealing step and optimization thereof are among the routine tasks of a person skilled in the art; Selection of suitable temperatures for annealing the defects or complying with a temperature budget in the substrates is among the routine tasks of a person skilled in the art. The suitable parameters for laser control as claimed are suggested to a person skilled in the art by Iguchi; therefore, the subject matter of these claims does not involve an inventive step.
Formation of temperature gradient be formed in the composite substrate during the annealing step by means of laser irradiation, the temperature near the first surface being higher than that in the acceptor substrate. However, this is always the case during a laser treatment; therefore, the subject matter of claim 67 does not involve an inventive step.
Regarding Claim 84, Hecht fails to teach wherein the first layer has a thickness of 3 to 15 µm. However, Hecht in paragraphs 41 and 42 already discloses the fact that the thickness of the first layer can be set by varying the energy characteristic of the ion implantation.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one with ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Hecht in view of Iguchi and design to have the first layer having a thickness of 3 to 15 µm for appropriate device fabrication.
Regarding Claims 87 and 88, Hecht teaches acceptor material can be any material close to SiC thermal expansion in paragraph 46 for the benefit of having an acceptor wafer that is not necessarily a wafer with properties for deposition of an epitaxial layer (as it is the dispenser wafer), the material of the acceptor wafer can be selected so that the material costs can be reduced or a material with desired or required properties for an electrical silicon carbide device to be manufactured onto the silicon carbide substrate can be selected in paragraph 46.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one with ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Hecht in view of Iguchi and wherein the acceptor substrate is only temperature stable up to at most 1400o C and is formed from silicon not to melt the silicon.
Regarding Claims 90 – 93, the limitations have been discussed earlier in rejecting Claims 63 – 67.
Regarding Claims 100 – 101, the limitations have been discussed earlier in rejecting Claims 87 and 88.
Regarding Claim 102, Hecht teaches the limitations in paragraph 52.
Claim(s) 77 – 83 and 94 – 99 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hecht, US 2014/0264347 in view of Iguchi, US 2019/0371893 as applied to claim 63 above, and further in view of Tanaka, US 2002/0191301.
Regarding Claims 77 – 83, Hecht in view of Iguchi teaches laser annealing, but fails to teach various parameters such as pulse mode, during a healing step, the temperature introduction in the depth and/or the temperature gradient is controlled by sequential or simultaneous application of light of different wavelengths, pulse durations, and/or pulse numbers pulse frequency, pulse width, wavelength range.
Tanaka teaches a laser irradiation optical system wherein he teaches all these variables that can be applied for proper healing steps throughout the disclosure for the benefit of an effective optical system when set in a clean room having high cost per unit surface area. The characteristics of semiconductor films manufactured using this type of laser beam become uniform, and the electrical characteristics of devices, and by extension, the operating characteristics of semiconductor devices, are both improved. A reduction in cost of the semiconductor device can also be achieved in paragraph 37.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one with ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Hecht in view of Iguchi and Tanaka to customize the laser radiation and can be optimized with careful experimentation by a person skilled in the art.
Regarding Claims 94 – 99, the limitations have been discussed earlier in rejecting Claims 78 – 83.
Claim(s) 85 and 86 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hecht, US 2014/0264347 in view of Iguchi, US 2019/0371893 as applied to claim 63 above, and further in view of Wakabayashi, US 2018/0277372.
Hecht teaches claimed doping concentrations in paragraph 36, but fails to teach wherein the doping of the first layer applies an n-doping and wherein the doping of the first layer is performed using ions of one of the following elements: nitrogen, phosphorus, boron, or aluminum.
Wakabayashi teaches n-doping of SiC with Al in paragraph 25 for the benefit of absorbing a laser beam having a wavelength that cannot be absorbed by SiC, the SiC wafer can be heated
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one with ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Hecht in view of Iguchi for n-doping of SiC with Al for the benefit of absorbing a laser beam having a wavelength that cannot be absorbed by SiC, the SiC wafer can be heated as taught by and Wakabayashi in paragraph 4.
Claim(s) 89 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hecht, US 2014/0264347 in view of Iguchi, US 2019/0371893 as applied to claim 63 above, and further in view of Krippendorf, Microsystem Technology congress, October 26, 2025.
Hecht in view of Iguchi fails to teach wherein the doping in step b) is performed using an energy filter, wherein the energy filter is a micro-structured membrane having a predefined structure profile for setting a dopant depth profile, induced by the implantation, in the first layer in the donor substrate.
Krippendorf teaches the doping is performed using an energy filter, wherein the energy filter is a micro-structured membrane having a predefined structure profile for setting a dopant depth profile, induced by the implantation, in the first layer in the donor substrate in the Abstract and Experimental for the benefit of high yield production in column 2, under Introduction.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one with ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Hecht in view of Iguchi to perform doping using an energy filter, wherein the energy filter is a micro-structured membrane having a predefined structure profile for setting a dopant depth profile, induced by the implantation, in the first layer in the donor substrate for the benefit of high yield production as taught by Krippendorf in column 2, under Introduction.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ASOK K SARKAR whose telephone number is (571)272-1970. The examiner can normally be reached Mon - Fri; 9:30 AM - 6:30 PM.
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, Matthew Landau can be reached at 571 - 272 - 1731. 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.
/ASOK K SARKAR/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2891 April 8, 2026
Prosecution Insights