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 without traverse of Invention II, claims 8-20, in the reply filed on July 21, 2026 is acknowledged. Claims 1-7 have been cancelled by the Applicant. Action on the merits is as follows:
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 (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) 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) 8-10, 12-18 and 20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Mushiga et al. (Mushiga) (US 2019/0252396 A1).
In regards to claim 8, Mushiga (Figs. 27A, 28C, 28F, 52A-52G and associated text/equivalent items) discloses an apparatus (Figs. 28A, 52A, item 1000), comprising: a stack of materials (items 132 plus 146 or 232 plus 246) comprising a plurality of layers (items 132, 146 or 232, 246), the plurality of layers (items 132, 146, 232, 246) alternating between a first material (insulating/dielectric material, paragraphs 119, 162) and a second material (electrically conductive material, paragraphs 186, 250), the second material (electrically conductive material, paragraphs 186, 250) comprising a first metallic material (paragraph 250, TiN, TaN, WN W, Co, Mo, and/or Cu or TiN, TaN, and/or WN plus W, Co, Mo, and/or Cu), the stack of materials (items 132 plus 146 or 232 plus 246) comprising a cavity (item 85) at least partially filled with a third material (air or material of item 86A or 86B, [Examiner notes that air is a material because it is a form of matter that has mass and takes up space]), wherein a bottom of the cavity (item 85) is in contact with a layer of the plurality of layers of the second material (electrically conductive material, paragraphs 186, 250, items 146, 246); and a contact (item 86) extending at least partially through the stack of materials (items 132 plus 146 or 232 plus 246) and at least partially within the cavity (item 85), the contact (item 86 or 86B) comprising a second metallic material (paragraph 197, TiN, tungsten, cobalt, molybdenum, or copper) that is in contact with the first metallic material (paragraph 250, TiN, TaN, and/or WN plus W, Co, Mo, and/or Cu) of the layer of the plurality of layers (items 132, 146, 232, 246). What is the third material?
In regards to claims 9 and 17, Mushiga (Figs. 27A, 28C, 28F, 52A-52G and associated text/equivalent items) discloses wherein the contact (item 86 or 86B) is lined with the second metallic material (item 86A, TiN).
In regards to claims 10 and 18, Mushiga (Figs. 27A, 28C, 28F, 52A-52G and associated text/equivalent items) discloses wherein the contact (item 86) is at least partially filled with a third metallic material (item 86B, paragraph 197, tungsten, cobalt, molybdenum, or copper).
In regards to claims 12 and 20, Mushiga (Figs. 27A, 28C, 28F, 52A-52G and associated text/equivalent items) discloses wherein the contact (item 86) extends through each layer of the plurality of layers (items 132, 146 or 232, 246) of the stack of materials (items 132 plus 146 or 232 plus 246).
In regards to claim 13, Mushiga (Figs. 27A, 28C, 28F, 52A-52G and associated text/equivalent items) discloses wherein the contact (item 86) extends partially through the stack of materials (items 132 plus 146 or 232 plus 246) to a depth of the layer of the plurality of layers (items 132, 146 or 232, 246).
In regards to claim 14, Mushiga (Figs. 27A, 28C, 28F, 52A-52G and associated text/equivalent items) discloses wherein the second metallic material comprises Molybdenum (paragraph 197, TiN, tungsten, cobalt, molybdenum, or copper).
In regards to claim 15, Mushiga (Figs. 27A, 28C, 28F, 52A-52G and associated text/equivalent items) discloses wherein the first metallic material (paragraph 250, TiN, TaN, WN W, Co, Mo, and/or Cu or TiN, TaN, and/or WN plus W, Co, Mo, and/or Cu) of the layer of the plurality of layers (items 132, 146 or 232, 246) forms a plurality of word lines (paragraph 203) each coupled with respective pluralities of memory cells (paragraph 211, 268).
In regards to claim 16, Mushiga (Figs. 27A, 28C, 28F, 52A-52G and associated text/equivalent items) discloses an apparatus (Figs. 28A, 52A, item 1000), comprising: a stack of materials (items 132 plus 146 or 232 plus 246) comprising a plurality of layers (items 132, 146, 232, 246) comprising a first material (insulating/dielectric material, paragraphs 119, 162) and a second material (electrically conductive material, paragraphs 186, 250), the second material (electrically conductive material, paragraphs 186, 250) comprising a first metallic material (paragraph 250, TiN, TaN, WN W, Co, Mo, and/or Cu or TiN, TaN, and/or WN plus W, Co, Mo, and/or Cu), the stack of materials (items 132 plus 146 or 232 plus 246) comprising a cavity (item 85) at least partially filled with a third material (air or material of item 86A or 86B, [Examiner notes that air is a material because it is a form of matter that has mass and takes up space]), wherein a bottom of the cavity (item 85) is in contact with a layer of the plurality of layers of the second material (electrically conductive material, paragraphs 186, 250, items 146, 246); and a contact (item 86 or 86B) extending at least partially through the stack of materials (items 132 plus 146 or 232 plus 246) and at least partially within the cavity (item 85), the contact (item 86 or 86B) comprising a second metallic material (paragraph 197, TiN, tungsten, cobalt, molybdenum, or copper) that is in contact with the first metallic material (paragraph 250, TiN, TaN, and/or WN plus W, Co, Mo, and/or Cu) of the layer of the plurality of layers (items 132, 146, 232, 246). What is the third material?
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) 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 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) 11 and 19 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Mushiga et al. (Mushiga) (US 2019/0252396 A1) in view of Preusse et al. (Preusse) (US 9,620,453 B2).
In regards to claims 11 and 19, Mushiga does not specifically disclose wherein the contact is at least partially filled with a fourth material, the fourth material between the third material and the second metallic material.
Preusse (Fig. 5 and associated text/items) discloses wherein the contact (items 109 or 108 plus 109) is at least partially filled with a fourth material (items 111 or 201) or , the fourth material (items 111 or 201) between the third material (items 201 or 501) and the second metallic material (items 107, 111).
Therefore it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to incorporate the teachings of Preusse for the purpose of improved adhesion and/or an electrical connection.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to TELLY D GREEN whose telephone number is (571)270-3204. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8am-5pm.
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TELLY D. GREEN
Examiner
Art Unit 2898
/TELLY D GREEN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2898 August 3, 2026
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