DETAILED ACTION
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of Invention I (claims 1-12) in the reply filed on 07/24/2026 is acknowledged.
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 04/25/2024 has been considered by the examiner.
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.
The following title is suggested: HIGH ELECTRON MOBILITY SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE, AND PRODUCTION METHOD.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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) 1-4, 6, 8, 9, and 11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Okamoto et al. (JP2017-085059A).
Regarding independent claim 1, Okamoto teaches a semiconductor device (Fig. 4; para. 0013+), comprising:
a substrate (1) (para. 0014);
a semiconductor layer (2) on the substrate (para. 0014);
a first main electrode (4) and a second main electrode (5) that are on the semiconductor layer (para. 0019);
a control electrode (8) that is on the semiconductor layer and is between the first main electrode and the second main electrode (para. 0027);
a first insulating layer (7) that is in direct contact with the control electrode and covers the first main electrode (para. 0026);
a second insulating layer (9) on the first insulating layer (para. 0030);
a first conductive layer that penetrates the first insulating layer and the second insulating layer, is electrically connected to the first main electrode, and is in direct contact with the first insulating layer (portion of 11/12 within via 10 connected to source 4; para. 0031-0033); and
a second conductive layer that is on the second insulating layer and is in direct contact with the first conductive layer (portion of 11/12 above layer 9 connected to source electrode 4; para. 0031-0033),
wherein the first insulating layer includes aluminum nitride (para. 0026).
Re claim 2, Okamoto teaches wherein the first insulating layer is in direct contact with the semiconductor layer (Fig. 4).
Re claim 3, Okamoto teaches wherein resistance of the first insulating layer to etching using a fluorine-containing reactive gas is higher than resistance of the second insulating layer to etching using the fluorine-containing reactive gas (this is true for the disclosed materials of the first insulating layer (para. 0026) and the second insulating layer (para. 0030)).
Re claim 4, Okamoto teaches a third insulating layer (leftmost 6) that is between the first main electrode and the first insulating layer and that the first conductive layer penetrates (para. 0022),
wherein resistance of the third insulating layer to etching using a chlorine-containing reactive gas is higher than resistance of the first insulating layer to etching using the chlorine-containing reactive gas (para. 0022, 0026 – at least some of the disclosed combinations of materials would meet this limitation).
Re claim 6, Okamoto teaches wherein the first main electrode includes a third conductive layer (4b) that is in direct contact with the first conductive layer and the third insulating layer (para. 0021), and resistance of the third conductive layer to etching using a fluorine-containing reactive gas is higher than resistance of the third insulating layer to etching using the fluorine-containing reactive gas (etching aluminum (which is what 4b is made from) using fluorine-containing reactive gases is not very effective; however, using fluorine-containing reactive gases for the removal of the third insulating layer materials; for example, aluminum nitrides or oxides (para. 0022), is generally effective; therefore, the limitations of claim 6 are considered to be met by Okamoto).
Re claim 8, Okamoto teaches a fourth conductive layer that penetrates the first insulating layer and the second insulating layer, is electrically connected to the second main electrode, and is in direct contact with the first insulating layer (portion of 11/12 within via 10 connected to drain 5; para. 0031-0033); and
a fifth conductive layer that is on the second insulating layer and is in direct contact with the fourth conductive layer (portion of 11/12 above layer 9 connected to drain 5; para. 0031-0033).
Re claim 9, Okamoto teaches a fourth insulating layer (rightmost 6) that is between the second main electrode and the first insulating layer and that the fourth conductive layer penetrates,
wherein resistance of the fourth insulating layer to etching using a chlorine-containing reactive gas is higher than resistance of the first insulating layer to etching using the chlorine-containing reactive gas (para. 0022, 0026 – at least some of the disclosed combinations of materials would meet this limitation).
Re claim 11, Okamoto teaches wherein the second main electrode includes a sixth conductive layer (5b) that is in direct contact with the fourth conductive layer and the fourth insulating layer (para. 0021), and resistance of the sixth conductive layer to etching using a fluorine-containing reactive gas is higher than resistance of the fourth insulating layer to etching using the fluorine-containing reactive gas (etching aluminum (which is what 4b is made from) using fluorine-containing reactive gases is not very effective; however, using fluorine-containing reactive gases for the removal of the third insulating layer materials; for example, aluminum nitrides or oxides (para. 0022), is generally effective; therefore, the limitations of claim 6 are considered to be met by Okamoto).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 5, 7, 10, and 12 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.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MOLLY KAY REIDA whose telephone number is (571)272-4237. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8:30-5:00PM.
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/MOLLY K REIDA/Examiner, Art Unit 2899
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