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 Species 1, Embodiment I, claims 1-16 and 20, in the reply filed on August 24, 2026 is acknowledged. Claims 17-19 have been withdrawn. 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) 1-4 and 8-12 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Liaw (US 2023/0223455 A1) [See written search report].
In regards to claim 1, Liaw (paragraph 54-81, Figs. 4A-4H and associated text) discloses a semiconductor device (paragraph 26), comprising: a first lower active contact (item 602-1); a first source/drain pattern (item 418) on the first lower active contact (item 602-1); a second lower active contact (item 602-4); a second source/drain pattern (item 418) on the second lower active contact (item 602-4); a lower conductive layer (item 608-1) electrically connected to the first and second lower active contacts (item 602-1 and 602-4); a third source/drain pattern (item 418) and a fourth source/drain pattern (item 418) between the first and second source/drain patterns (item 418); a first upper active contact (item 502-2 or 504-2) on the third source/drain pattern (item 418); a second upper active contact (item 502-3 or 508-3) on the fourth source/drain pattern (item 418); and an upper conductive line (item 506-1) electrically connected to the first and second upper active contacts (item 502-2 and 502-3), wherein the first to fourth source/drain patterns (item 418), the first and second lower active contacts (item 602-1 and 602-4), and the first and second upper active contacts (item 502-2 and 502-3 or 504-2 and 508-3) are disposed between the lower conductive layer (item 608-1) and upper conductive line (item 506-1).
In regards to claim 2, Liaw (paragraph 54-81, Figs. 4A-4H and associated text) discloses wherein a distance between the first and second upper active contacts (item 502-2 and 502-3 or 504-2 and 508-3) is smaller than a distance between the first and second lower active contacts (item 602-1 and 602-4).
In regards to claim 3, Liaw (paragraph 54-81, Figs. 4A-4H and associated text) discloses wherein the lower conductive layer comprises: a first lower conductive portion overlapped with the first lower active contact; a second lower conductive portion overlapped with the second lower active contact; and a third lower conductive portion connecting the first and second lower conductive portions to each other, wherein the upper conductive line is overlapped with the third lower conductive portion (equivalent to conductive lower vias (item 604-1 and 6-3-4) that overlap the above mentioned lower active contacts are connected by metal line (item 608-1) which sits underneath the upper conductive line (item 506-1).
In regards to claim 4, Liaw (paragraph 54-81, Figs. 4A-4H and associated text) discloses wherein the upper conductive line is extended in a first direction, and a length of the third lower conductive portion in the first direction is larger than a length of the first and second lower conductive portions in the first direction (equivalent to the metal line (item 608-1) longer in the x-direction compared to metal vias (item 604-1, 604-4)).
In regards to claim 8, Liaw (paragraph 54-81, Figs. 4A-4H and associated text) discloses a semiconductor device (paragraph 26), comprising: a first source/drain pattern (item 418); a first lower active contact (item 602-1) in contact with a lower portion of the first source/drain pattern (item 418); a second source/drain pattern (item 418); a second lower active contact (item 602-4) in contact with a lower portion of the second source/drain pattern (item 418); a lower conductive layer (item 608-1) electrically connected to the first and second lower active contacts (item 602-1 and 602-4); a third source/drain pattern (item 418); a first upper active contact (item 502-2 or 504-2) in contact with an upper portion of the third source/drain pattern (item 418); an upper conductive line (item 506-1) electrically connected to the first upper active contact (item 502-2 or 504-2); a fourth source/drain pattern (item 418); a second upper active contact (item 502-2 and 502-3) in contact with an upper portion of the fourth source/drain pattern (item 418); and a first bit line electrically connected to the second upper active contact, wherein the lower conductive layer (item 608-1) comprises: a first lower conductive portion in contact with the first lower active contact; a second lower conductive portion in contact with the second lower active contact; and a third lower conductive portion connecting the first and second lower conductive portions to each other, wherein the first lower conductive portion is overlapped with the first bit line, and the third lower conductive portion is overlapped with the upper conductive line.
In regards to claim 9, Liaw (paragraph 54-81, Figs. 4A-4H and associated text) discloses further comprising a second bit line overlapped with the second lower conductive portion.
In regards to claim 10, Liaw (paragraph 54-81, Figs. 4A-4H and associated text) discloses wherein the upper conductive line is disposed between the first and second bit lines.
In regards to claim 11, Liaw (paragraph 54-81, Figs. 4A-4H and associated text) discloses wherein the first upper active contact is overlapped with the third lower conductive portion.
In regards to claim 12, Liaw (paragraph 54-81, Figs. 4A-4H and associated text) discloses further comprising: a first gate electrode (items 406-3 or 406-5) adjacent to the first source/drain pattern; an upper gate contact (item 512-3) in contact with an upper portion of the first gate electrode (items 406-3 or 406-5); a second gate electrode (items 406-3 or 406-5) adjacent to the fourth source/drain pattern; and a lower gate contact (item 606-3) in contact with a lower portion of the second gate electrode (items 406-3 or 406-5).
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) 15 and 16 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Liaw (US 2023/0223455 A1)..
In regards to claim 15, Liaw (paragraph 54-81, Figs. 4A-4H and associated text) does not specifically disclose wherein the first, second, and fourth source/drain patterns have a first conductivity type, and the third source/drain pattern has a second conductivity type different from the first conductivity type.
Examiner notes that it is well known in the art that SRAM devices must have both and n-type and p-type devices, which in turn have different conductivity type S/D regions.
In regards to claim 16, Liaw (paragraph 54-81, Figs. 4A-4H and associated text) discloses a first gate electrode (item 406-3) adjacent to the second and third source/drain patterns (item S/D); a fifth source/drain pattern (item S/D) adjacent to the first gate electrode; and a third lower active contact in contact with a lower portion of the fifth source/drain pattern (item S/D), wherein the third lower active contact is in contact with the second lower conductive portion.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 5-7, 13 and 14 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.
Claim 20 is allowed.
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 September 23, 2026
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