DETAILED ACTION
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 5/14/2024 and 12/25/2024 are in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statements are being considered by the examiner.
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.
Claim 13 is 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.
Claim 13 recites the abbreviation “α-W” in line 2 of the claim, but does not provide the expanded form for the abbreviation. Thus, it is unclear what is necessarily required by the abbreviation “α-W”.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1-12 and 14-18 are allowed.
Regarding independent claim 1, Figure 1A of Tapily et al. (US 2025/0185253 A1, hereinafter “Tapily”) discloses a ferroelectric capacitor structure, comprising:
a first electrode 102 (“electrode”- ¶0037);
a second electrode 104 (“electrode”- ¶0037) located on the first electrode 102;
a first ferroelectric material layer 108 (“ferroelectric material layer”- ¶0045) located between the first electrode 102 and the second electrode 104; and
a first nucleation layer 106 (“non-ferroelectric material layer”- ¶0049, which can serve as a nucleation layer- ¶0049) in contact with the first ferroelectric material layer 108.
Tapily does not expressly disclose wherein a material of the first nucleation layer is beta-tungsten (β-W).
Thus, regarding independent claim 1, the claim is allowed, because the prior art of record including Tapily, either singularly or in combination, does not disclose or suggest the combination of limitations including, but not limited to, “wherein a material of the first nucleation layer is beta-tungsten (β-W)”.
Claims 2-12 and 14-18 are allowed as being dependent on allowed claim 1.
Claim 13 (which depends from allowed claim 1) would be allowable if rewritten or amended to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, set forth in this Office action.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure:
Chang et al. (US 2021/0305398 A1), which discloses a ferroelectric capacitor structure comprising a ferroelectric material layer between two electrodes.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JAY C CHANG whose telephone number is (571)272-6132. The examiner can normally be reached Mon- Fri 12pm-10pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Eliseo Ramos-Feliciano can be reached at (571)-272-7925. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/JAY C CHANG/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2817
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