The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
DETAILED ACTION
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.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Yu et al. (U.S. Patent Application Publication 2018/0040585, hereinafter referred to as Yu).
As to claim 1, Yu teaches 1. A semiconductor structure, comprising: a first conductive feature; a second conductive feature disposed alongside the first conductive feature; a dielectric feature disposed between the first conductive feature and the second conductive feature; a polymeric layer disposed over the first conductive feature, the second conductive feature, and the dielectric feature; a first contact feature extending through the polymeric layer to contact a top surface of the first conductive feature; and a second contact feature extending through the polymeric layer to contact a top surface of the second conductive feature, wherein a top portion of the dielectric feature is disposed between the first contact feature and the second contact feature along a direction. [see 170, 120, 32, 38, 40 in Fig. 8 for example]
As to claim 2, Yu teaches 2. The semiconductor structure of claim 1, wherein each of the first contact feature and the second contact feature is spaced apart from the top portion of the dielectric feature by a portion of the polymeric layer. [see 38 in Fig. 8 for example]
As to claim 3, Yu teaches 3. The semiconductor structure of claim 1, wherein the polymeric layer comprises a photoresist material, a polymeric material, polybenzoxazole (PBO), polyimide, or benzocyclobutene (BCB). [¶0032]
As to claim 4, Yu teaches 4. The semiconductor structure of claim 1, wherein the first contact feature comprises: a seed layer in contact with a top surface of the first conductive feature and the polymeric layer; and a conductive pillar over the seed layer and spaced apart from the top surface of the first conductive feature and the polymeric layer by the seed layer. [¶0036]
As to claim 5, Yu teaches 5. The semiconductor structure of claim 4, wherein the seed layer comprises copper (Cu), tantalum (Ta), titanium (Ti), titanium nitride (TiN), tantalum nitride (TaN). [¶0036]
As to claim 6, Yu teaches 6. The semiconductor structure of claim 4, wherein the conductive pillar comprises copper, nickel, cobalt, aluminum, gold, silver, palladium, tin, bismuth, or an alloy thereof. [¶0036]
As to claim 7, Yu teaches 7. The semiconductor structure of claim 4, wherein the first contact feature further comprises a solder feature disposed over the conductive pillar. [¶0037]
As to claim 8, Yu teaches 8. The semiconductor structure of claim 7, wherein the solder feature comprises Pb-Sn, InSb, tin, silver, copper, or a combination thereof. [¶0037]
As to claim 9, Yu teaches 9. The semiconductor structure of claim 1, wherein the dielectric feature comprises: at least two oxygen-containing dielectric layers; and a nitrogen-containing dielectric layer over the at least two oxygen-containing dielectric layer. [¶0012]
As to claim 10, Yu teaches 10. The semiconductor structure of claim 9, wherein the at least two oxygen-containing dielectric layers comprise silicon oxide, wherein the nitrogen-containing dielectric layer comprises silicon nitride or silicon carbonitride. [¶0012]
As to claim 11, Yu teaches 11. A semiconductor structure, comprising: a first conductive feature; a second conductive feature disposed alongside the first conductive feature; a first contact feature extending toward a top surface of the first conductive feature; a second contact feature extending toward a top surface of the second conductive feature; and a dielectric feature disposed between the first conductive feature and the second conductive feature as well as between the first contact feature and the second contact feature, wherein the dielectric feature comprises: at least two oxygen-containing dielectric layers; and a nitrogen-containing dielectric layer over the at least two oxygen-containing dielectric layer. [see 170, 120, 32, 38, 40 in Fig. 8 for example]
As to claim 12, Yu teaches 12. The semiconductor structure of claim 11, wherein sidewalls of the first contact feature and the second contact feature are spaced apart from sidewalls of the dielectric feature by a polymeric layer. [see 170, 120, 32, 38, 40 in Fig. 8 for example]
As to claim 13, Yu teaches 13. The semiconductor structure of claim 12, wherein the polymeric layer extends continuously over a top surface of the dielectric feature. [see 32 in Fig. 8 for example]
As to claim 14, Yu teaches 14. The semiconductor structure of claim 12, wherein the polymeric layer comprises a photoresist material, a polymeric material, polybenzoxazole (PBO), polyimide, or benzocyclobutene (BCB). [¶0032]
As to claim 15, Yu teaches 15. The semiconductor structure of claim 12, wherein the first contact feature comprises: a seed layer in contact with a top surface of the first conductive feature and the polymeric layer; and a conductive pillar over the seed layer and spaced apart from the top surface of the first conductive feature and the polymeric layer by the seed layer. [¶0036]
As to claim 16, Yu teaches 16. The semiconductor structure of claim 15, wherein the seed layer comprises copper (Cu), tantalum (Ta), titanium (Ti), titanium nitride (TiN), tantalum nitride (TaN). [¶0036]
As to claim 17, Yu teaches 17. The semiconductor structure of claim 15, wherein the conductive pillar comprises copper, nickel, cobalt, aluminum, gold, silver, palladium, tin, bismuth, or an alloy thereof. [¶0036]
As to claim 18, Yu teaches 18. A semiconductor structure, comprising: a first conductive feature; a second conductive feature disposed alongside the first conductive feature; a dielectric feature disposed between the first conductive feature and the second conductive feature; a polymeric layer disposed over the first conductive feature, the second conductive feature, and the dielectric feature; a first contact feature extending through the polymeric layer to contact a top surface of the first conductive feature; and a second contact feature extending through the polymeric layer to contact a top surface of the second conductive feature, wherein a top portion of the dielectric feature extends between the first contact feature and the second contact feature along a direction, wherein each of the first contact feature and the second contact feature is spaced apart from the top portion of the dielectric feature by a portion of the polymeric layer; wherein the first contact feature comprises: a seed layer in contact with a top surface of the first conductive feature and the polymeric layer, and a conductive pillar over the seed layer and spaced apart from the top surface of the first conductive feature and the polymeric layer by the seed layer. [see 170, 120, 32, 38, 40 in Fig. 8 for example]
As to claim 19, Yu teaches 19. The semiconductor structure of claim 18, wherein the seed layer comprises copper (Cu), tantalum (Ta), titanium (Ti), titanium nitride (TiN), tantalum nitride (TaN), wherein the conductive pillar comprises copper, nickel, cobalt, aluminum, gold, silver, palladium, tin, bismuth, or an alloy thereof. [see 38 in Fig. 8 for example]
As to claim 20, Yu teaches 20. The semiconductor structure of claim 18, wherein the first contact feature further comprises a solder feature disposed over the conductive pillar. [see 40 in Fig. 8 for example]
Conclusion
Claims 1-20 are rejected as explained above.
The prior art made of record in the PTO-892 form and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JAEHWAN OH whose telephone number is (571) 270-5800. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday - Friday 9:00 AM-5:00PM.
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/JAEHWAN OH/
Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2899
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