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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statements (IDS) submitted on 3/7/24, 6/22/26 are being considered by the examiner.
Claim Objections
Claims 10, 13-16 objected to because of the following informalities:
Claim 10 recites "the sum of the atomic composition" which should be replaced with "a sum of an atomic composition", to avoid antecedent basis issue.
Claims 13-16 recite "selected from" which should be replaced with "selected from the group consisting of" (for proper form of Markush grouping, MPEP 2173.05(h)). Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 21-24 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Claims 21-23 recite “a thickness” in lines 2, 4, 6. This renders the claims indefinite since it is unclear of the “a thickness” is the same thickness or another thickness. This issue could be clarified by specifying that the diamond substrate has “a first thickness”; the boron nitride layer has “a second thickness” and the tuning layer has a “third thickness”.
Claim 24 recites the limitation "the last tuning layer" in line 1-2. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
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) 1-8, 17-30 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lee et al (KR102220648B1) in view of Liu et al (US 2015/0041825 A1 hereinafter Liu).
Regarding Claim 1, Lee discloses in Fig 5: A heterostructure comprising a diamond substrate (11), a boron nitride layer (14) disposed on said diamond substrate and one or more tuning layers (21/22) disposed on top of said boron nitride layer, said one or more tuning layers comprising at least one of Al, Ga, In, Sc, Zn.
Lee does not disclose: and at least one of N, O, As, P.
However, Liu in a similar device teaches in Fig 1: a HEMT, comprising an active layer including p-doped GaN layer formed for improving current performance [0013].
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify the heterostructure of Lee by forming the one or more tuning layers comprising at least one of Al, Ga, In, Sc, Zn and at least one of N, O, As, P as taught by Liu to improve current performance and to increase the breakdown voltage of the semiconductor device [0001, 0007,0012-10013].
Regarding Claim 2, Lee and Liu disclose: The heterostructure of Claim 1 Lee further discloses in Fig 5: comprising a layer (13) disposed between said boron nitride layer and said diamond substrate (11).
Regarding Claim 3, Lee and Liu disclose: The heterostructure of Claim 1 Lee further discloses in Fig 5: comprising a layer (13) disposed between said boron nitride layer (14) and said diamond substrate (11), said layer between said boron nitride layer and said diamond substrate comprising aluminum oxide, hafnium oxide, indium oxide, titanium oxide, tungsten oxide, molybdenum oxide, silicon, carbon, oxygen, sulfur, hydroxyl groups, fluorine, chlorine, graphene, and/or epoxy.
Regarding Claim 4, Lee and Liu disclose: The heterostructure of Claim 1 Lee further discloses in Fig 5: comprising a layer (13) disposed between said boron nitride layer (14) and said diamond substrate (11), said layer between said boron nitride layer and said diamond substrate comprising aluminum oxide, hafnium oxide, indium oxide, titanium oxide, tungsten oxide, molybdenum oxide, silicon, carbon (graphene), oxygen, sulfur, hydroxyl groups and/or fluorine.
Regarding Claim 5, Lee and Liu disclose: The heterostructure of Claim 1 Lee further discloses in Fig 5: comprising a layer (13) disposed between said boron nitride
Layer (14) and said diamond substrate (11), said layer between said boron nitride layer and said diamond substrate comprising aluminum oxide, hafnium oxide, indium oxide, silicon carbon (graphene), oxygen, sulfur, hydroxyl groups and/or fluorine.
Regarding Claim 6, Lee and Liu disclose: The heterostructure of Claim 1 Lee further discloses in Fig 5: wherein said boron nitride layer and/or said diamond substrate are functionalized (graphene layer 13 is formed on the diamond substrate to aid in deposition of the Boron nitride layers: See description for Fig 3), said functionalization present on the surface of the surface boron nitride layer in contact with said diamond substrate and/or on the surface of the diamond substrate in contact with said boron nitride layer.
Regarding Claim 7, Lee and Liu disclose: The heterostructure of Claim 1 Lee further discloses in Fig 5: wherein said one or more tuning layers (21/22) disposed on top of said boron nitride layer (14) comprises at least one of:
a) AIN;
b) GaN;
c) InN;
d) ScN;
e) Al1-GaₓN wherein X is a number between 0 and 1;
f) Al₁-xInₓN wherein x is a number between 0 and 1;
g) Al1-xScxN wherein X is a number between 0 and 1;
h) Ga₁-xInₓN wherein x is a number between 0 and 1;
i) Ga1-xScxN wherein x is a number between 0 and 1;
j) In1-xScxN wherein X is a number between 0 and 1;
k) Al₁-x-yGaxInyN wherein X is a number between 0 and 1, wherein y is a number between 0 and 1 with the proviso that the sum of x and y is less than 1;
1) Al₁-x-yGasScyN wherein X is a number between 0 and 1, wherein y is a number between 0 and with the proviso that the sum of x and y is less than 1;
m) Al₁-x-yInxScyN wherein X is a number between 0 and 1, wherein y is a number between 0 and with the proviso that the sum of x and y is less than 1;
n) Ga1-x-yInxScyN wherein X is a number between 0 and 1, wherein y is a number 0 and 1with the proviso that the sum of x and y is less than 1;
o) Ga1-x-yInxScyN wherein X is a number between 0 and 1, wherein y is a number between 0 and with the proviso that the sum of x and y is less than 1;
p) GaAs;
q) AlAs;
r) InAs;
s) Al₁-xGaₓAs wherein X is a number between 0 and 1;
1) Al₁-xInₓAs wherein X is a number between 0 and 1,
u) Ga₁-xInₓA wherein X is a number between 0 and 1;
v) Al₁-x-yGaxInyAs wherein X is a number between 0 and 1, wherein y is a number between 0 and with the proviso that the sum of X and y is less than 1;
w) AlP;
x) GaP:
y) InP;
z) Al1-xGaxP wherein x is a number between 0 and 1;
aa) Al₁-xInₓP wherein X is a number between 0 and 1;
bb) Ga1-xInxP wherein X is a number between 0 and 1;
cc)Al₁-x-yGaxInyP wherein X is a number between 0 and 1, wherein y is a number between 0 and with the proviso that the sum of X and y is less than 1;
dd) GaAs1-zPz wherein Z is a number between 0 and 1;
ee) AlAs1-zPz wherein Z is a number between 0 and 1;
ff) InAs₁-₂P₂ wherein Z is a number between 0 and 1;
gg) wherein X is a number between 0 and 1, wherein 7, is a number
between 0 and 1;
hh) Al₁-xGaₓAs₁-zPz wherein X is a number between 0 and 1, wherein Z is a number between 0 and 1;
ii) Ga₁-xInₓAS₁-ZPz wherein x is a number between 0 and 1, wherein Z is a number between 0 and 1;
jj) wherein Z is a number between 0 and 1, x is a number
between 0 and 1, wherein y is a number between 0 and with the proviso that
the sum of X and y is less than 1;
11) ZnO;
mm) Ga2O₃; or
nn) Ga₂-xAlxO₃ x is a number between 0 and 2.
Regarding Claim 8, Lee and Liu disclose: The heterostructure of Claim 1 Lee further discloses in Fig 5: wherein said diamond substrate is nanocrystalline, polycrystalline, or single crystalline [0006].
Regarding Claim 17, Lee and Liu disclose: The heterostructure of Claim 1 Lee further discloses in Fig 5: comprising from 1 to about one thousand tuning layers (21/22).
Regarding Claim 18, Lee and Liu disclose: The heterostructure of Claim 17 Lee further discloses in Fig 5: comprising from 1 to about 100 tuning layers (21/22).
Regarding Claim 19, Lee and Liu disclose: The heterostructure of Claim 18 Lee further discloses in Fig 5: comprising from 1 to about 20 tuning layers (21/22).
Regarding Claim 20, Lee and Liu disclose: The heterostructure of Claim 19 Lee further discloses in Fig 5: comprising from 1 to about 10 tuning layers (21/22).
Regarding Claim 21, Lee and Liu disclose: The heterostructure of Claim 1 wherein; Lee further discloses in Fig 5:
said diamond substrate (11: thickness greater than 350 um) has a thickness of from about 50 micrometers to about 10 millimeters;
said boron nitride layer (14: thickness of several nanometers) has a thickness of from about 0.2 nanometer to about
1000 nanometer; and
said one or more tuning layers (21: 0.8-200nm) have a thickness of from about 0. 1 nanometer to about 1 millimeter.
Regarding Claim 22, Lee and Liu disclose: The heterostructure of Claim 21 wherein; Lee further discloses in Fig 5:
said diamond substrate (11: thickness greater than 350 um) has a thickness of from about 100 micrometers to
about 5 millimeters;
said boron nitride layer (14: thickness of several nanometers) has a thickness of from about 1 nanometer to about 100 nanometers; and
said one or more tuning layers (21: 0.8-200nm) have a thickness of from about 1 nanometer to about 100 micrometers.
Regarding Claim 23, Lee and Liu disclose: The heterostructure of Claim 22 wherein; Lee further discloses in Fig 5:
a.) said diamond substrate (11: thickness greater than 350 um) has a thickness of from about 500 micrometers to about 2 millimeters;
b.) said boron nitride layer (14: thickness of several nanometers) has a thickness of from about 1.5 nanometers to about 10 nanometers; and
c.) said one or more tuning layers (21: 0.8-200nm) have a thickness of from about 1 nanometer to about 5 micrometers.
Regarding claim 24, Lee in view of Liu discloses the heterostructure of Claim 1. Lee further discloses the heterostructure comprising a device structure (e.g., HFET).
Lee does not disclose: a device structure disposed on top of the last tuning layer comprising ohmic metal contacts, metal gate contacts, dielectric gate layers, dielectric passivation layers, metal field plates, metal insulator metal capacitors, metal insulator semiconductor capacitors, and/or metal interconnects.
However, Liu teaches forming a high breakdown voltage device (GaN/AIGaN HEMT) (Fig. 1A) comprising an active layer (e.g., channel layer 140) including p-doped GaN layer formed for improving current performance, and the barrier structure (160) under the active layer (140) and comprising a plurality of layers (162/130/164) including p-doped GaN buffer layer (130), wherein a device structure (e.g., gate electrode 180 and source/drain electrodes 172/274) is disposed on top of the last tuning layer (e.g., 164) comprising ohmic metal contacts (e.g., the source/drain metal contacts 372/374 in ohmic contact with the active region 350) (Liu, Fig. 3F, [0032]), metal gate contacts (380) (Fig. 3F, [0034]), dielectric passivation layers (352/376).
References Lee, Horiuchi and Liu are analogous art because they both are directed to diamond substrate devices and one of ordinary skill in the art would have had a reasonable expectation of success to modify device of Lee and Liu with the specified features of Horiuchi because they are from the same field of endeavor.
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify the heterostructure of Lee/Liu by forming power transistor including the heterostructure as taught by Liu to have the heterostructure wherein a device structure (e.g., ohmic metal contacts, metal gate contact, and dielectric passivation layers) is disposed on top of the last tuning layer comprising ohmic metal contacts, metal gate contacts, dielectric gate layers, dielectric passivation layers, metal field plates, metal insulator metal capacitors, metal insulator semiconductor capacitors, and/or metal interconnects, in order to provide a power semiconductor device with increased breakdown voltage.
Regarding Claim 25, Lee and Liu disclose: An electronic component comprising Lee further discloses in Fig 5: a heterostructure according to Claim 1 [0040].
Regarding Claim 26, Lee and Liu disclose: The electronic component according to Claim 25, said electronic component being a high electron mobility transistor, transistor, or diode [0040].
Regarding Claim 27, Lee and Liu disclose: An electronic device comprising an electronic component according to Claim 25 [0040].
Regarding Claim 28, Lee and Liu disclose: The electronic device of Claim 27, said electronic device being a power amplifier, light emitting diode or integrated circuit [0040].
Regarding Claim 29, Lee and Liu disclose: A platform comprising the electronic device of Claim 27 [0040].
Regarding Claim 30, Lee and Liu disclose: The platform of Claim 29, said platform being a radar, transmitter, or communication system [0040].
Claim(s) 9-16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lee et al (KR102220648B1) in view of Liu et al (US 2015/0041825 A1 hereinafter Liu) and further in view of Horiuchi et al (US 6,872,981 hereinafter Horiuchi).
Regarding Claim 9, Lee and Liu disclose: The heterostructure of Claim 1.
Lee and Liu do not disclose wherein said diamond substrate comprises a dopant.
However, Horiuchi in a similar device teaches in Fig 1 and Claim 9: wherein said diamond substrate comprises a dopant (boron).
References Lee, Horiuchi and Liu are analogous art because they both are directed to diamond substrate devices and one of ordinary skill in the art would have had a reasonable expectation of success to modify device of Lee and Liu with the specified features of Horiuchi because they are from the same field of endeavor.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of effective filing of the invention to combine teachings of Lee, Liu and Horiuchi so that said diamond substrate comprises a dopant as taught by Horiuchi in Lee and Liu’s device since, this provides a diode-structure diamond ultraviolet light-emitting device is obtained that realizes the free exciton recombination radiation having a high emission efficiency.
Regarding Claim 10, Lee, Horiuchi and Liu disclose: The heterostructure of Claim 9.
Lee and Liu do not disclose wherein said diamond substrate comprises, based on the sum of the atomic composition of said diamond substrate and said dopant, from about 1 X 10⁻12 atomic % to about 10 atomic % dopant.
However, Horiuchi in a similar device teaches in Fig 1 and Claim 9: wherein said diamond substrate comprises a dopant in the order of 100ppm (0.01%) (boron).
References Lee, Horiuchi and Liu are analogous art because they both are directed to diamond substrate devices and one of ordinary skill in the art would have had a reasonable expectation of success to modify device of Lee and Liu with the specified features of Horiuchi because they are from the same field of endeavor.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of effective filing of the invention to combine teachings of Lee, Liu and Horiuchi so that diamond substrate comprises, based on the sum of the atomic composition of said diamond substrate and said dopant, from about 1 X 10⁻12 atomic % to about 10 atomic % dopant as taught by Horiuchi in Lee and Liu’s device since, this provies a diode-structure diamond ultraviolet light-emitting device is obtained that realizes the free exciton recombination radiation having a high emission efficiency.
Regarding Claim 11, Lee, Horiuchi and Liu disclose: The heterostructure of Claim 10.
Lee and Liu do not disclose wherein said diamond substrate comprises, based on the sum of the atomic composition of said diamond substrate and said dopant, from about 1 X 10-⁶ atomic % to about 5 atomic % dopant.
However, Horiuchi in a similar device teaches in Fig 1 and Claim 9: wherein said diamond substrate comprises a dopant in the order of 100ppm (0.01%) (boron).
References Lee, Horiuchi and Liu are analogous art because they both are directed to diamond substrate devices and one of ordinary skill in the art would have had a reasonable expectation of success to modify device of Lee and Liu with the specified features of Horiuchi because they are from the same field of endeavor.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of effective filing of the invention to combine teachings of Lee, Liu and Horiuchi so that wherein said diamond substrate comprises, based on the sum of the atomic composition of said diamond substrate and said dopant, from about 1 X 10-⁶ atomic % to about 5 atomic % dopant as taught by Horiuchi in Lee and Liu’s device since, this provides a diode-structure diamond ultraviolet light-emitting device is obtained that realizes the free exciton recombination radiation having a high emission efficiency.
Regarding Claim 12, Lee, Horiuchi and Liu disclose: The heterostructure of Claim 11.
Lee and Liu do not disclose wherein said diamond substrate comprises, based on the sum of the atomic composition of said diamond substrate and said dopant, from about 1 X 10⁻⁶ atomic % to about 2 atomic % dopant.
However, Horiuchi in a similar device teaches in Fig 1 and Claim 9: wherein said diamond substrate comprises a dopant in the order of 100ppm (0.01%) (boron).
References Lee, Horiuchi and Liu are analogous art because they both are directed to diamond substrate devices and one of ordinary skill in the art would have had a reasonable expectation of success to modify device of Lee and Liu with the specified features of Horiuchi because they are from the same field of endeavor.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of effective filing of the invention to combine teachings of Lee, Liu and Horiuchi so that wherein said diamond substrate comprises, based on the sum of the atomic composition of said diamond substrate and said dopant, from about 1 X 10⁻⁶ atomic % to about 2 atomic % dopant as taught by Horiuchi in Lee and Liu’s device since, this provides a diode-structure diamond ultraviolet light-emitting device is obtained that realizes the free exciton recombination radiation having a high emission efficiency.
Regarding Claim 13, Lee, Horiuchi and Liu disclose: The heterostructure of Claim 9.
Lee and Liu do not disclose wherein said dopant is selected from hydrogen, boron, oxygen, lithium, sodium, nitrogen, phosphorous, arsenic, silicon, germanium, carbon, iron, zinc, magnesium and mixtures thereof.
However, Horiuchi in a similar device teaches in Fig 1 and Claim 9: wherein said diamond substrate comprises a boron dopant in the order of 100ppm (0.01%).
References Lee, Horiuchi and Liu are analogous art because they both are directed to diamond substrate devices and one of ordinary skill in the art would have had a reasonable expectation of success to modify device of Lee and Liu with the specified features of Horiuchi because they are from the same field of endeavor.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of effective filing of the invention to combine teachings of Lee, Liu and Horiuchi so that wherein said dopant is boron as taught by Horiuchi in Lee and Liu’s device since, this provides a diode-structure diamond ultraviolet light-emitting device is obtained that realizes the free exciton recombination radiation having a high emission efficiency.
Regarding Claim 14, Lee, Horiuchi and Liu disclose: The heterostructure of Claim 13.
Lee and Liu do not disclose wherein said dopant is selected from oxygen, hydrogen, boron, silicon, germanium, carbon, iron, zinc, magnesium, phosphorous and mixtures thereof.
However, Horiuchi in a similar device teaches in Fig 1 and Claim 9: wherein said diamond substrate comprises a boron dopant in the order of 100ppm (0.01%).
References Lee, Horiuchi and Liu are analogous art because they both are directed to diamond substrate devices and one of ordinary skill in the art would have had a reasonable expectation of success to modify device of Lee and Liu with the specified features of Horiuchi because they are from the same field of endeavor.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of effective filing of the invention to combine teachings of Lee, Liu and Horiuchi so that wherein said dopant is boron as taught by Horiuchi in Lee and Liu’s device since, this provides a diode-structure diamond ultraviolet light-emitting device is obtained that realizes the free exciton recombination radiation having a high emission efficiency.
Regarding Claim 15, Lee, Horiuchi and Liu disclose: The heterostructure of Claim 14.
Lee and Liu do not disclose wherein said dopant is selected from oxygen, boron, silicon, germanium, carbon, iron, zinc, magnesium, phosphorous and mixtures thereof.
However, Horiuchi in a similar device teaches in Fig 1 and Claim 9: wherein said diamond substrate comprises a boron dopant in the order of 100ppm (0.01%).
References Lee, Horiuchi and Liu are analogous art because they both are directed to diamond substrate devices and one of ordinary skill in the art would have had a reasonable expectation of success to modify device of Lee and Liu with the specified features of Horiuchi because they are from the same field of endeavor.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of effective filing of the invention to combine teachings of Lee, Liu and Horiuchi so that wherein said dopant is boron as taught by Horiuchi in Lee and Liu’s device since, this provides a diode-structure diamond ultraviolet light-emitting device is obtained that realizes the free exciton recombination radiation having a high emission efficiency.
Regarding Claim 16, Lee, Horiuchi and Liu disclose: The heterostructure of Claim 6.
Lee and Liu do not disclose wherein said dopant is selected from boron, phosphorous and mixtures thereof.
However, Horiuchi in a similar device teaches in Fig 1 and Claim 9: wherein said diamond substrate comprises a boron dopant in the order of 100ppm (0.01%).
References Lee, Horiuchi and Liu are analogous art because they both are directed to diamond substrate devices and one of ordinary skill in the art would have had a reasonable expectation of success to modify device of Lee and Liu with the specified features of Horiuchi because they are from the same field of endeavor.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of effective filing of the invention to combine teachings of Lee, Liu and Horiuchi so that wherein said dopant is boron as taught by Horiuchi in Lee and Liu’s device since, this provides a diode-structure diamond ultraviolet light-emitting device is obtained that realizes the free exciton recombination radiation having a high emission efficiency.
Conclusion
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/NISHATH YASMEEN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2811
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