Last updated: July 17, 2026

Application No. 18/593,364

Treating the Dielectric Films Under the Bottoms of Source/Drain Regions

Non-Final OA

Filed

Mar 01, 2024

Priority

Dec 18, 2023 — provisional 63/611,350

Examiner

SMITH, SAMUEL JONATHAN

Art Unit

2817

Tech Center

2800 — Semiconductors & Electrical Systems

Assignee

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.

OA Round

1 (Non-Final)

Interview Optional

— +5.1% interview lift. Interview lift (+5.1%) is below the 15.0% threshold. A written response is recommended.

Based on 45 resolved cases, 2023–2026

Examiner Intelligence

SMITH, SAMUEL JONATHAN View full profile →

Grants 82% — above average

Career Allowance Rate

37 granted / 45 resolved

+14.2% vs TC avg

Moderate +5% lift

Without

With

+5.1%

Interview Lift

resolved cases with interview

Typical timeline

3y 5m

Avg Prosecution

20 currently pending

Career history

Total Applications

across all art units

Statute-Specific Performance

§103

77.6%

+37.6% vs TC avg

§102

17.8%

-22.2% vs TC avg

§112

4.0%

-36.0% vs TC avg

Black line = Tech Center average estimate • Based on career data from 45 resolved cases

Prosecution Timeline

Mar 01, 2024

Application Filed

Aug 26, 2025

Response after Non-Final Action

May 29, 2026

Non-Final Rejection mailed (current)

Precedent Cases

Applications granted by this same examiner with similar technology

17/875,949

Patent 12666982

SEMICONDUCTOR PACKAGE

3y 11m to grant Granted Jun 23, 2026

18/221,539

Patent 12653005

SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE STRUCTURE WITH PATTERNS HAVING COPLANAR BOTTOM SURFACES AND METHOD FOR PREPARING THE SAME

2y 11m to grant Granted Jun 09, 2026

18/163,274

Patent 12648413

METHOD OF MANUFACTURING SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE

3y 4m to grant Granted Jun 02, 2026

18/530,241

Patent 12648275

DISPLAY APPARATUS

2y 5m to grant Granted Jun 02, 2026

18/320,057

Patent 12641927

LIGHT-EMITTING DEVICE AND DISPLAY PANEL

3y 0m to grant Granted May 26, 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.

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Prosecution Projections

1-2

Expected OA Rounds

82%

Grant Probability

87%

With Interview (+5.1%)

3y 5m (~1y 1m remaining)

Median Time to Grant

Low

PTA Risk

Based on 45 resolved cases by this examiner. Grant probability derived from career allowance rate.