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 .
Election/Restrictions
Applicant's election with traverse of claims 11-19 in the reply filed on 05/26/2026 is acknowledged. The traversal is on the ground(s) that there would not be a serious search burden to search Group 1 along with Group 1. This is not found persuasive because for 371 applications the determination whether a group of inventions is so linked as to form a single general inventive concept shall be made without regard to whether the inventions are claimed in separate claims or as alternatives within a single claim. See 37 CFR 1.475(e). As discussed in the restriction requirement of 03/26/2026, the technical features are not a special technical features as they do not make a contribution over the prior art in view of Curioni (US 20170148984 A1), and further in view of Liu (US 20200066984 A1). Unity is broken, restriction is required under 35 U.S.C. 121 and 372, and therefore, the restriction requirement stands.
The requirement is still deemed proper and is therefore made FINAL.
Claims 11-19 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b), as being drawn to a nonelected method, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Applicant timely traversed the restriction (election) requirement in the reply filed on 05/26/2026.
However, Examiner interprets claim 11 as generic.
The examiner has required restriction between product or apparatus claims and process claims. Where applicant elects claims directed to the product/apparatus, and all product/apparatus claims are subsequently found allowable, withdrawn process claims that include all the limitations of the allowable product/apparatus claims should be considered for rejoinder. All claims directed to a nonelected process invention must include all the limitations of an allowable product/apparatus claim for that process invention to be rejoined.
If the Office allows the linking claim, the restriction requirement must be withdrawn and claims to all linked inventions that depend from or otherwise include all the limitations of the allowable linking claim must be acted upon.
Response to Amendment
The response filed 01/17/2024 is accepted, in which, claims 2, 7-12, and 18-20 are amended. Claims 1 and 11 are independent with claims 12-19 are withdrawn through election of Group 1 of the restriction requirement discussed above; and in view of generic claim 11. Claims 1-11 and 20 await an action on the merits as follows.
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 § 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.
Claims 1-2, 7-11, and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Liu (US 20200066984 A1), and further in view of Curioni (US 20170148984 A1).
Regarding claim 1, Liu teaches a radio frequency switching unit (Fig 1), comprising:
…, and a first electrode (40), a second electrode (10), a metal oxide semiconductor layer (20), and a barrier layer (30) on …;
wherein the metal oxide semiconductor layer (20) and the barrier layer (30) are both between (shown between) the first electrode (40) and the second electrode (10), and
the barrier layer (30) is closer (shown closer) to a layer (40) where (40 is the first electrode) the first electrode (40) is located than the metal oxide semiconductor layer (20); wherein
the barrier layer (30) has a hollowed-out pattern (31, Fig 1B) therein; and
the metal oxide semiconductor layer (20) is configured to electrically connect (electrically connects; CF, conductive pathway) the first electrode (40) to the second electrode (10) through the hollowed-out pattern (31) when an operating voltage (Fig 7) is applied between the first electrode (40) and the second electrode (10).
Liu fails to explicitly teach a dielectric substrate.
However, Curioni teaches a dielectric substrate (18, Fig 1).
Liu then goes on to teach a barrier layer (30) on (on, when combined) the dielectric substrate.
Liu and Curioni are considered analogous to the claimed invention because both are from the same field of endeavor of carbon-based resistive devices. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to combine the device of Liu with the features of Curioni to create a radio frequency switching unit, comprising a dielectric substrate, and a first electrode, a second electrode, a metal oxide semiconductor layer, and a barrier layer on the dielectric substrate with better scalability, higher integration density, higher throughput, lower access time, and lower power consumption (Curioni, [0003]) and the monoatomic nature of carbon would make a carbon-based memory cell scalable, even to single bonds. Such cell dimensions would limit the reset current, thus reducing the power consumption. In addition, the high resilience of carbon would enable operation at high temperatures (Curioni, [0004]).
Regarding claim 2, the combination of Liu and Curioni discloses the unit of claim 1. Curioni teaches the dielectric substrate (18, Fig 1).
Liu goes on to teach wherein the barrier layer (30, Fig 1) is closer (shown closer) to the first electrode (40) than the metal oxide semiconductor layer (20); and
an orthographic projection of the hollowed-out pattern (31, Fig 1B) on (on, when combined) the dielectric substrate overlaps (shown overlapping) with orthographic projections of any two of the first electrode (40), the metal oxide semiconductor layer (20), and the second electrode (10) on (on, when combined) the dielectric substrate.
Regarding claim 7, the combination of Liu and Curioni discloses the unit of claim 1. Liu goes on to teach wherein the barrier layer (30, Fig 1) is made of graphene (graphene, [0012]).
Regarding claim 8, the combination of Liu and Curioni discloses the unit of claim 1. Liu teaches the first electrode (40, Fig 1) and the second electrode (10).
Curioni goes on to teach wherein the first electrode and the second electrode are made of a same material (metal nitride, [0065]; both electrodes may be similar design, [0045]).
Regarding claim 9, the combination of Liu and Curioni discloses the unit of claim 1. Liu goes on to teach wherein the first electrode (40, Fig 1) and the second electrode (10) are made of different materials (different; first electrode is Ti, second electrode is Ag, [0014]).
Regarding claim 10, the combination of Liu and Curioni discloses the unit of claim 1. Liu goes on to teach wherein the metal oxide semiconductor layer (20, Fig 1) is made of indium gallium zinc oxide or hafnium oxide (HfO2, [0014]).
Regarding claim 20, the combination of Liu and Curioni discloses the unit of claim 1. Liu goes on to teach an electronic apparatus (conductive bridge semiconductor device, [0005]), comprising the radio frequency switching unit (Fig 1) of claim 1.
Regarding claim 11, Liu teaches a method (Fig 2) for manufacturing a radio frequency switching unit (Fig 1), comprising:
forming, on …, a first electrode (40), a second electrode (10), and
a metal oxide semiconductor layer (20) and a barrier layer (30) between (shown between) the first electrode (40) and the second electrode (10); wherein
the barrier layer (30) is closer (shown closer) to a layer (40) where (40 is the first electrode) the first electrode (40) is located than the metal oxide semiconductor layer (20), and the barrier layer (30) has a hollowed-out pattern (31, Fig 1B) therein; wherein
the metal oxide semiconductor layer (20) is configured to electrically connect (electrically connects; CF, conductive pathway) the first electrode (40) to the second electrode (10) through the hollowed-out pattern (31) when an operating voltage (Fig 7) is applied between the first electrode (40) and the second electrode (10).
Liu fails to explicitly teach providing a dielectric substrate.
However, Curioni teaches providing a dielectric substrate (18, Fig 1).
Liu goes on to teach forming, on the dielectric substrate, a first electrode (40), a second electrode (10), and …
Liu and Curioni are considered analogous to the claimed invention because both are from the same field of endeavor of carbon-based resistive devices. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to combine the device of Liu with the features of Curioni to create a method for manufacturing a radio frequency switching unit, providing a dielectric substrate, and forming, on the dielectric substrate, a first electrode, a second electrode, and a metal oxide semiconductor layer and a barrier layer between the first electrode and the second electrode with better scalability, higher integration density, higher throughput, lower access time, and lower power consumption (Curioni, [0003]) and the monoatomic nature of carbon would make a carbon-based memory cell scalable, even to single bonds. Such cell dimensions would limit the reset current, thus reducing the power consumption. In addition, the high resilience of carbon would enable operation at high temperatures (Curioni, [0004]).
Claim 3 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Liu (US 20200066984 A1), in view of Curioni (US 20170148984 A1), and further in view of Yang (US 20110240947 A1).
Regarding claim 3, the combination of Liu and Curioni discloses the unit of claim 2. Liu teaches the first electrode (40, Fig 1) and the barrier layer (30).
The combination fails to explicitly teach an interlayer dielectric layer between the first electrode and the barrier layer.
However, Yang teaches further comprising an interlayer dielectric layer (ILD: not shown; a structure having more than one graphene layer may include two (or more) graphene layers separated by another material, such as a dielectric material, [0018]) between (between, when the graphene structure is multi-layered, there would be a dielectric layer between the first electrode and the barrier layer of graphene) the first electrode and the barrier layer.
Liu, Curioni, and Yang are considered analogous to the claimed invention because all are from the same field of endeavor of carbon-based resistive devices. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to combine the device of Liu and Curioni with the features of Yang to create a radio frequency switching unit, comprising an interlayer dielectric layer between the first electrode and the barrier layer. Because of its filtering effect, a perfect graphene layer presents a very high barrier to the mobility of ions. When the graphene layer is paired with a memristive material such as TiO2 and when the graphene layer includes certain engineered defects, ion conduction paths may be established "below" the engineered defects such that paths for electrons between two electrodes of the memristor can be established. An ion conduction path, due to the memory effect of the TiO2 will remain even when power is removed from the memristor. Thus, the memristor can maintain its ON state (or OFF state) even when power to the memristor is removed (Yang, [0019]).
Claim 4 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Liu (US 20200066984 A1), in view of Curioni (US 20170148984 A1), and further in view of Haase (US 9831427 B1).
Regarding claim 4, the combination of Liu and Curioni discloses the unit of claim 1. Liu teaches the first electrode (40, Fig 1), the second electrode (10), the barrier layer (30), and the metal oxide semiconductor layer (20).
Curioni teaches the dielectric substrate (18, Fig 1).
The combination fails to explicitly teach wherein the first electrode and the second electrode are in a same layer, the barrier layer is on a side of the layer where the first electrode and the second electrode are located away from the dielectric substrate, and the metal oxide semiconductor layer is on a side of the barrier layer away from the dielectric substrate.
However, Haase teaches wherein the first electrode and the second electrode are in a same layer (635; array of electrodes in the same layer, Fig 6),
the barrier layer is on (shown on) a side (635T: top of 635) of the layer (635) where the first electrode and
the second electrode are located away (shown away; barrier 640 shown on top side of electrodes away from the substrate) from the dielectric substrate, and
the metal oxide semiconductor layer is on (shown indirectly on) a side (640T: top of barrier layer 640) of the barrier layer away (shown away) from the dielectric substrate.
Liu, Curioni, and Haase are considered analogous to the claimed invention because all are from the same field of endeavor of ion-barrier resistive devices. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to combine the device of Liu and Curioni with the features of Haase to create a radio frequency switching unit, wherein the first electrode and the second electrode are in a same layer, the barrier layer is on a side of the layer where the first electrode and the second electrode are located away from the dielectric substrate, and the metal oxide semiconductor layer is on a side of the barrier layer away from the dielectric substrate that sufficiently inhibits diffusion of oxygen atoms or ions out of the switching element (Haase, [Col 1, Ln 23-24]).
Claims 5-6 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Liu (US 20200066984 A1), in view of Curioni (US 20170148984 A1), in view of Haase (US 9831427 B1), and further in view of Yang (US 20110240947 A1).
Regarding claim 5, the combination of Liu, Curioni, and Haase discloses the unit of claim 4. Liu teaches the barrier layer (30, Fig 1), the hollowed-out pattern (31), the first electrode (40), and the second electrode (10).
Curioni teaches the dielectric substrate (18, Fig 1).
The combination fails to explicitly teach wherein the barrier layer comprises at least two sub-structures spaced apart from each other, and a gap between every two adjacent sub-structures defines the hollowed-out pattern; and an orthographic projection of each of the first electrode and the second electrode on the dielectric substrate overlaps with an orthographic projection of each of the at least two sub-structures on the dielectric substrate.
However, Yang teaches wherein the barrier layer comprises at least two sub-structures (100A/100B: 100A is the left portion of 100 in Fig 3A, while 100B is the right portion of 100) spaced apart (shown spaced apart) from each other, and
a gap (160) between (shown between) every two adjacent sub-structures (100A/100B) defines (shown defining) the hollowed-out pattern; and
an orthographic projection of each of the first electrode and the second electrode on the dielectric substrate overlaps (shown overlapping) with an orthographic projection of each of the at least two sub-structures (100A/100B) on the dielectric substrate.
Liu, Curioni, Haase, and Yang are considered analogous to the claimed invention because all are from the same field of endeavor of ion-barrier resistive devices. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to combine the device of Liu, Curioni, and Haase with the features of Yang to create a radio frequency switching unit, wherein the barrier layer comprises at least two sub-structures spaced apart from each other, and a gap between every two adjacent sub-structures defines the hollowed-out pattern; and an orthographic projection of each of the first electrode and the second electrode on the dielectric substrate overlaps with an orthographic projection of each of the at least two sub-structures on the dielectric substrate. Because of its filtering effect, a perfect graphene layer presents a very high barrier to the mobility of ions. When the graphene layer is paired with a memristive material such as TiO2 and when the graphene layer includes certain engineered defects, ion conduction paths may be established "below" the engineered defects such that paths for electrons between two electrodes of the memristor can be established. An ion conduction path, due to the memory effect of the TiO2 will remain even when power is removed from the memristor. Thus, the memristor can maintain its ON state (or OFF state) even when power to the memristor is removed (Yang, [0019]).
Regarding claim 6, the combination of Liu, Curioni, and Haase discloses the unit of claim 4. Liu teaches the barrier layer (30, Fig 1), the first electrode (40), and the second electrode (10).
Haase teaches the layer (635, Fig 6) where the first electrode and the second electrode are located.
The combination fails to explicitly teach an interlayer dielectric layer between the barrier layer and the layer where the first electrode and the second electrode are located.
However, Yang teaches further comprising an interlayer dielectric layer (ILD: not shown; a structure having more than one graphene layer may include two ( or more) graphene layers separated by another material, such as a dielectric material, [0018]) between (between, when the graphene structure is multi-layered, there would be a dielectric layer between the layer containing the electrodes and the barrier layer of graphene) the barrier layer and the layer where the first electrode and the second electrode are located.
Liu, Curioni, Haase, and Yang are considered analogous to the claimed invention because all are from the same field of endeavor of ion-barrier resistive devices. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to combine the device of Liu, Curioni, and Haase with the features of Yang to create a radio frequency switching unit, further comprising an interlayer dielectric layer between the barrier layer and the layer where the first electrode and the second electrode are located. Because of its filtering effect, a perfect graphene layer presents a very high barrier to the mobility of ions. When the graphene layer is paired with a memristive material such as TiO2 and when the graphene layer includes certain engineered defects, ion conduction paths may be established "below" the engineered defects such that paths for electrons between two electrodes of the memristor can be established. An ion conduction path, due to the memory effect of the TiO2 will remain even when power is removed from the memristor. Thus, the memristor can maintain its ON state (or OFF state) even when power to the memristor is removed (Yang, [0019]).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Ouyang (US 20180088276 A1) - Silicon is a dielectric
Min (US 20190051658 A1) - memory device with carbon layers and electrode array
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Jeremy D Watts whose telephone number is (703)756-1055. The examiner can normally be reached M-R 8:00am-4:30pm, F 8:00-3pm EST.
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/JEREMY DANIEL WATTS/Examiner, Art Unit 2897 /CHAD M DICKE/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2897
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