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 .
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.
1. Claim(s) 1-4,8-9 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102a(1) as being anticipated by US 20240324182 A1 (Cho).
Regarding claim 1, Cho shows (Fig. 1-2) a semiconductor device, comprising:
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a bit line (BL, para 28) extending in a first direction (D3);
an oxide film (40, para 32) extending in a second direction (D2) and disposed over the bit line (Fig. 1); and
a plurality of landing pads (LP, para 38) arranged along the oxide film (Fig. 1).
Regarding claim 2, Cho shows (Fig. 1-2) wherein the plurality of landing pads are alternately arranged on two adjacent bit lines along the first direction (as shown above).
Regarding claim 3, Cho shows (Fig. 1-2) wherein about 50 to 100 percent of an area of one of the plurality of landing pads overlaps the bit line (as shown above).
Regarding claim 4, Cho shows (Fig. 1-2) wherein a curved surface of one of the plurality of landing pads overlaps the bit line (as shown above).
Regarding claim 8, Cho shows (Fig. 2) a contact area (area formed between LP and OSP) under one of the plurality of landing pads (LP).
Regarding claim 9, Cho shows (Fig. 2) a lower electrode (within DSP, para 44) electrically connected with the contact area (through LP as shown in Fig. 2 A-A’ top right).
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.
1. Claim(s) 5 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Cho.
Regarding claim 5, Cho shows landing pads on a top surface of the bit line and the oxide film.
Cho does not show wherein a thickness of one of the plurality of landing pads on a top surface of the bit line is substantially equal to a thickness of the oxide film.
However, the ordinary artisan would have recognized the thickness of the oxide film to be a result effective variable affecting the protection of storage node contact BC (para 62). Thus, it would have been obvious to have the thickness of the oxide film equal to the thickness of one of the plurality of landing pads on a top surface of the bit line, since optimum or workable ranges of such variables are discoverable through routine experimentation. See MPEP 2144.05 II.B.
2. Claim(s) 6-7 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Cho, as applied to claim 5 in view of US 20190043865 A1 (Chang).
Regarding claim 6, Cho shows the landing pad and the bit line.
Cho does not show the landing pad tapers away from the bit line.
Chang shows (Fig. 7B) the landing pad (22a, para 34) tapers away from the bit line (16, para 28).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, at or before the effective filing date of the invention was made, to add the invention of Chang, with tapered landing pad, to the invention of Cho.
The motivation to do so is that the combination produces the predictable result of avoiding the short circuits with the adjacent bit line mask (para 34).
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Regarding claim 7, Cho in view of Chang shows wherein an angle defined by the landing pad and the top surface of the bit line is about 70 to 90 degrees (as shown by the two arrows and the angle between them).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to WASIUL HAIDER whose telephone number is (571)272-1554. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9 a.m. - 6 p.m..
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/WASIUL HAIDER/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2812
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