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 .
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 12/22/2025 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
Applicant argues on page 9, Examiner’s element 2DP being midway of the height of body region 3 would place 2DP deeper than the third depth position, therefore does not teach the limitation of the claim which requires the second depth portion to be shallower than the third depth position.
Examiner respectfully disagrees. Firstly, the midway height would be roughly halfway between the upper surface of the substrate and the bottommost surface of the body 3, which would place 2DP shallower than 3DP. Further, body region 3 consists of a P+ region which extends along side surface regions of the trench portion so there would be an alternate teaching of the broad claim limitation.
The rejection is being maintained and the rejection below has been updated to include the amended portions as well as the newly added claim.
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) 1-10, 14-16, 23, and 32 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Schulze et al. (US PGPub 2011/0101416; hereinafter “Schulze”).
Re claim 2: Schulze teaches (e.g. fig. 4) a semiconductor device comprising: a semiconductor substrate (20) that has an upper surface (15) and a lower surface (16) and that is provided with a drift region (2) of a first conductivity type (2 is an n--region); a plurality of trench portions (trench for trench gate 9; hereinafter “TP”) that are provided to reach the drift region (2) from the upper surface (15) of the semiconductor substrate (20); and a mesa portion (region between trench gates 9; hereinafter “MP”) that is interposed between the plurality of trench portions (TP), wherein the mesa portion (MP) has: a base region (3) of a second conductivity type (p-type body region 3; e.g. paragraph 52) that is provided between the drift region (2) and the upper surface (15); and a first region (H is implanted into regions 10; e.g. paragraph 42) that has a concentration peak of a hydrogen chemical concentration (H is implanted into regions 10; e.g. paragraph 42) at a first depth position (depth of 10; hereinafter “1DP”) in a depth direction from the upper surface (15) toward the lower surface (16) in the mesa portion (MP), the mesa portion (MP) has an emitter region (4) of the first conductivity type (n+ region 4) that is arranged between the drift region (2) and the upper surface (15) of the semiconductor substrate (20) and that has a doping concentration higher (n+ region 4) than a doping concentration of the base region (p-region 3), the semiconductor device further comprises an interlayer dielectric film (91) that covers the upper surface of the semiconductor substrate (20), the interlayer dielectric film (91) has a contact hole (hole for 7; hereinafter “CH”) that exposes the upper surface (15) of the semiconductor substrate (20), the first region (10) is provided at a position overlapping the contact hole (CH) in a top plan view, the semiconductor device further comprises a trench contact (7) that is provided on a side of the lower surface of the semiconductor substrate (20) with respect to the contact hole (CH) and that passes through the emitter region (4) from the upper surface (15), the first region (10) is provided at a position deeper than a bottom surface of the trench contact (7), wherein the base region (3) has, at an interface in contact with a side wall of each of the plurality of trench portions (TP), a peak of the doping concentration (peak of 3) at a second depth position (depth of peak of 3 including implant 5 would be higher since an implant to the midway height and activation anneal would have the peak be higher than 10 and higher than bottom surface of 7; hereinafter “2DP”) which is shallower than the first depth position (1DP) in the depth direction, the bottom surface of the trench contact (TC) is arranged at a third depth position (depth of the bottom surface of 7; hereinafter “3DP”) in the depth direction, the second depth position (2DP) is shallower than the third depth position (3DP), and the third depth position (3DP) is shallower than the first depth position (1DP).
Re claim 5: Schulze teaches the semiconductor device according to claim 2, wherein a plug of a metal material (portion of 7 below 15) is formed inside the trench contact (7).
Re claim 6: Schulze teaches the semiconductor device according to claim 2, wherein the trench contact (7) is positioned at a center of the mesa portion (MP) in an arrangement direction in which the plurality of trench portions (TP) are arranged.
Re claim 7: Schulze teaches the semiconductor device according to claim 2, wherein the interlayer dielectric film (91) covers the upper surface (15) of the semiconductor substrate (20) at a region where the trench contact (7) is not provided.
Re claim 8: Schulze teaches the semiconductor device according to claim 2, wherein the first depth position (1DP) is positioned within the base region (3).
Re claim 9: Schulze teaches the semiconductor device according to claim 2, wherein a distance in the depth direction between the first depth position (1DP) and the third depth position (3DP) is less than or equal to 1µm (distance can be zero, therefore there exists some distance between these two depth positions).
Re claim 10: Schulze teaches the semiconductor device according to claim 2, wherein the hydrogen chemical concentration of the first region (10) at the first depth position (1DP) is higher than (dopant within 10 is at a concentration higher than the dopants used for p-doping; e.g. paragraph 41) the doping concentration of the base region (3) at the interface and at the second depth position (2DP).
Re claim 14: Schulze teaches the semiconductor device according to claim 2, wherein in the depth direction, an upper end of the first region (10) is shallower than lower ends of the plurality of trench portions (TP).
Re claim 15: Schulze teaches the semiconductor device according to claim 2, wherein in the depth direction, a lower end of the first region (10) is shallower than lower ends of the plurality of trench portions (TP).
Re claim 16: Schulze teaches the semiconductor device according to claim 2, wherein in the depth direction, the first depth position (1DP) is shallower than lower ends of the plurality of trench portions (TP).
Re claim 23: Schulze teaches the semiconductor device according to claim 2, wherein in the depth direction, the first depth position (1DP) is deeper than an upper end of the base region (3).
Re claim 32: Schulze teaches the semiconductor device according to claim 2, wherein the interlayer dielectric film (91) is provided on an upper surface of the mesa portion (MP), ends (left 3rd and right 3rd of 10 are the ends; hereinafter “10E”) of the first region (10) in a first direction (left right direction of fig. 4; hereinafter “1D”), in which the plurality of trench portions (TP) are arrayed, are aligned with ends of the contact hole (CH) in the first direction (1D), and the hydrogen chemical concentration at the first depth position (1DP) continuously decreases (implant for 10 would diffuse impurities in the direction of 1D to the left and right from 10), in the first direction, from the ends (10E) of the first region (10) until reaching adjacent two trench portions (TP) among the plurality of trench portions (TP).
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) 25-29, 31 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Schulze as applied to claim 2 above, and further in view of Aono et al. (US PGPub 2008/0197379; hereinafter “Aono”).
Re claim 25: Schulze teaches substantially the entire device as claimed in claim 2 except explicitly teaching the semiconductor device wherein the mesa portion further has an accumulation region of the first conductivity type provided between the base region and the drift region in the depth direction, the accumulation region having a doping concentration higher than a doping concentration of the drift region.
Aono teaches (e.g. figs. 1 and 2) the mesa portion (portion between two trench gates 8) further has an accumulation region (n-type carrier storage layer 3; e.g. paragraph 58) of the first conductivity type (n-type) provided between the base region (2) and the drift region (1) in the depth direction, the accumulation region (3) having a doping concentration (n-type region 3 formed by implanting phosphorus; e.g. paragraph 64) higher than a doping concentration of the drift region (n--drift region).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of effective filing, absent unexpected results, to use the accumulation region as taught by Aono in the device of Schulze in order to have the predictable result of enhancing carrier injection.
Re claim 26: Schulze in view of Aono teaches the semiconductor device according to claim 25, wherein in the depth direction, an upper end of the first region (10 of Schulze) is shallower than a lower end of the accumulation region (3 of Aono).
Re claim 27: Schulze in view of Aono teaches the semiconductor device according to claim 25, wherein in the depth direction, a lower end of the first region (10 of Schulze) is shallower than a lower end of the accumulation region (3 of Aono).
Re claim 28: Schulze in view of Aono teaches the semiconductor device according to claim 25, wherein in the depth direction, the first depth position (1DP of Schulze) is deeper than a lower end of the accumulation region (3 of Aono).
Re claim 29: Schulze in view of Aono teaches the semiconductor device according to claim 25, wherein in the depth direction, the first depth position (1DP of Schulze) is shallower than a lower end of the accumulation region (3 of Aono).
Re claim 31: Schulze in view of Aono teaches the semiconductor device according to claim 25, wherein in the depth direction, the first depth position (1DP of Schulze) is shallower than an upper end of the accumulation region (3 of Aono).
Conclusion
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. 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 JESSE Y MIYOSHI whose telephone number is (571)270-1629. The examiner can normally be reached M-F, 8:30AM-5:00PM.
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/JESSE Y MIYOSHI/
Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2898