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 .
DETAILED ACTION
Amendment, received 9/17/2026, has been entered.
Claims 1-4, 7-14 and 16-23 are presented for examination.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
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.
Claim(s) 18, 19 and 22-23 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Ota et al. (US Pub. No. 2020/0243687 A1), hereafter referred to as Ota.
As to claim 18, Ota discloses a device (fig 14), comprising:
a substrate (SB);
a channel (FA) disposed over the substrate (SB) in a vertical direction in a cross-sectional side view;
a gate structure (GE2) disposed over the channel (FA) in the vertical direction in the cross-sectional side view;
an isolation structure (EI) disposed adjacent to the substrate (SB) in a horizontal direction (see annotated fig 14 below) in the cross-sectional side view;
a first conductive electrode (PG1 and portion of GE2 shown in annotated fig 14) disposed over the isolation structure (EI) in the vertical direction in the cross-sectional side view;
a ferroelectric layer (FR) disposed over the first conductive electrode (PG1 and portion of GE2) in the vertical direction in the cross-sectional side view, wherein the first conductive electrode is wider than the ferroelectric layer in the horizontal direction in the cross-sectional side view (see width of GE2 is wider than FR as shown in annotated figure 14 below); and
a second conductive electrode (PG2) disposed over the ferroelectric layer (FR) in the vertical direction in the cross-sectional side view.
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As to claim 19, Ota discloses the device of claim 18 (paragraphs above),
wherein the first conductive electrode (PG1 and portion of GE2 shown in annotated fig 14) is electrically coupled to the gate structure (GE2).
As to claim 22, Ota discloses the device of claim 18 (paragraphs above),
wherein the first conductive electrode (PG1 and portion of GE2 shown in annotated fig 14) is wider than the second conductive electrode (PG2) in the horizontal direction in the cross-sectional side view.
As to claim 23, Ota discloses the device of claim 18 (paragraphs above),
wherein a side surface of the isolation structure (EI) extends to a side surface of the substrate (portion of substrate shown in annotated fig 14) in the cross-sectional side view.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1-4, 7-14 and 16-17 are allowed.
Claims 20-21 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: The prior art of record fails to teach or suggest wherein the dielectric structure extends vertically partially through the ILD, as recited in claim 1; or a mask layer disposed between the ferroelectric layer and the semiconductor fin structure in the second cross-sectional side view, as recited in claim 12. Claims 2-4, 7-11, 13-14 and 16-17 are allowable because of their dependence from an allowable claim. Additionally, the prior art of record fails to teach a source/drain region disposed between the channel and the isolation structure in the cross-sectional side view, as recited in dependent claim 20. Claim 21 is objected to as allowable because of its dependence from claim 20.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 9/17/2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
Applicant has not provided specific remarks for claim 18.
Examiner presents that claim 18 is rejected as detailed above.
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to SHAUN M CAMPBELL whose telephone number is (571)270-3830. The examiner can normally be reached on MWFS: 7:30-6pm Thurs 1-2pm.
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, Purvis, Sue can be reached at (571)272-1236. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/SHAUN M CAMPBELL/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2893 10/7/2026
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