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 .
DETAILED ACTION
Status of Claims
1. Applicant's submittal of claims 1-8 in the “Claims” filed on 05/30/2024 is acknowledged and entered by the Examiner.
This office action consider claims 1-8 pending for prosecution.
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.
2. Claims 1-8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
Regarding Claim 1, the instant claim recites limitations, wherein the metes and bounds of the claimed method are vague and ill-defined as a result of uncertainty in the different boundaries and new limitations “a substrate; a plurality of bit lines located on the substrate, and disposed parallel to each other in a first horizontal direction at predetermined intervals; a plurality of word lines located on “the bit line”, and disposed parallel to each other in a second horizontal direction substantially perpendicular to the first horizontal direction at predetermined intervals; a plurality of channel patterns arranged in a honeycomb structure on “the bit line”, the plurality of channel patterns each extending in a vertical direction; a gate insulating pattern located between the plurality of channel patterns and the plurality of word lines; a plurality of switching insulating layers each formed on an upper surface of each of the plurality of channel patterns, at least a portion of which has a thickness that an electron can penetrate upon application of a voltage; and a plurality of control electrodes disposed parallel to each other at predetermined intervals to connect the plurality of switching insulating layers, wherein the plurality of word lines comprise a first word line and a second word line respectively disposed at different heights, and the first and second word lines are provided alternating with each other in the first horizontal direction, and the plurality of channel patterns located on “the single bit line” are arranged in zigzag along both edges of “the single bit line”, and the plurality of channel patterns contacting “the single word line” are arranged in a straight line” (Claim 1; emphasis added). The claim is indefinite because of the following:
i) The claim is indefinite because “the bit line” (Claim 1) lacks proper antecedent, “the single bit line” lacks proper antecedent, and “the single word line” lacks proper antecedent. There is no recitation of “a bit line” or “a single bit line” or “a single word line” in claim 1. Therefore, the limitation of “a substrate; a plurality of bit lines located on the substrate, and disposed parallel to each other in a first horizontal direction at predetermined intervals; a plurality of word lines located on “the bit line”, and disposed parallel to each other in a second horizontal direction substantially perpendicular to the first horizontal direction at predetermined intervals; a plurality of channel patterns arranged in a honeycomb structure on “the bit line”, the plurality of channel patterns each extending in a vertical direction; a gate insulating pattern located between the plurality of channel patterns and the plurality of word lines; a plurality of switching insulating layers each formed on an upper surface of each of the plurality of channel patterns, at least a portion of which has a thickness that an electron can penetrate upon application of a voltage; and a plurality of control electrodes disposed parallel to each other at predetermined intervals to connect the plurality of switching insulating layers, wherein the plurality of word lines comprise a first word line and a second word line respectively disposed at different heights, and the first and second word lines are provided alternating with each other in the first horizontal direction, and the plurality of channel patterns located on “the single bit line” are arranged in zigzag along both edges of “the single bit line”, and the plurality of channel patterns contacting “the single word line” (Claim 1) is indefinite and unclear.
The specification does not provide a standard for ascertaining the requisite degree, and one of ordinary skill in the art would not be reasonably apprised of the scope of the invention, whereby the claims are rendered indefinite. Therefore, the resulting claim is indefinite and is failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter. Appropriate clarification and/or correction are/is required within metes and bounds of the claimed invention.
Regarding Claims 2-8, those are rejected under 112(b) because of their dependency status from claim 1.
Regarding Claim 4, the instant claim recites limitations in view of parent claim 1, wherein the metes and bounds of the claimed method are vague and ill-defined as a result of uncertainty in the different boundaries and new limitations “wherein “the control electrode” has a thickness greater than the thickness of “the switching insulating layer” (Claim 4; emphasis added). The claim is indefinite because of the following:
i) The claim is indefinite because “the control electrode” (Claim 4) lacks proper antecedent, and “the switching insulating layer” lacks proper antecedent. There is no recitation of “a control electrode” or “a switching insulating layer” in claim 1 or claim 4. Therefore, the limitation of “wherein “the control electrode” has a thickness greater than the thickness of “the switching insulating layer” (Claim 4) is indefinite and unclear.
The specification does not provide a standard for ascertaining the requisite degree, and one of ordinary skill in the art would not be reasonably apprised of the scope of the invention, whereby the claims are rendered indefinite. Therefore, the resulting claim is indefinite and is failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter. Appropriate clarification and/or correction are/is required within metes and bounds of the claimed invention.
Regarding Claim 5, the instant claim recites limitations in view of parent claim 1, wherein the metes and bounds of the claimed method are vague and ill-defined as a result of uncertainty in the different boundaries and new limitations “wherein “the switching insulating layer” comprises at least one selected from the group consisting of silicon oxide (SiO2), titanium oxide (TiO2), aluminum oxide (Al2O3), nickel oxide (NiO, NiO2, Ni2O3), copper oxide (Cu2O, CuO), zirconium oxide (ZrO2), manganese oxide (MnO, MnO2, Mn2O3, Mn3O4, Mn2O7), hafnium oxide (HfO2), tungsten oxide (WO, WO2, WO3, W2O3), tantalum oxide (Ta2O5), niobium oxide (Nb2O5) and iron oxide (FeO, Fe2O3, Fe3O4)” (Claim 5; emphasis added). The claim is indefinite because of the following:
i) The claim is indefinite because “the switching insulating layer” (Claim 5) lacks proper antecedent. There is no recitation of “a switching insulating layer” in claim 1 or claim 5. Therefore, the limitation of “wherein “the switching insulating layer” comprises at least one selected from the group consisting of silicon oxide (SiO2), titanium oxide (TiO2), aluminum oxide (Al2O3), nickel oxide (NiO, NiO2, Ni2O3), copper oxide (Cu2O, CuO), zirconium oxide (ZrO2), manganese oxide (MnO, MnO2, Mn2O3, Mn3O4, Mn2O7), hafnium oxide (HfO2), tungsten oxide (WO, WO2, WO3, W2O3), tantalum oxide (Ta2O5), niobium oxide (Nb2O5) and iron oxide (FeO, Fe2O3, Fe3O4) (Claim 5) is indefinite and unclear.
The specification does not provide a standard for ascertaining the requisite degree, and one of ordinary skill in the art would not be reasonably apprised of the scope of the invention, whereby the claims are rendered indefinite. Therefore, the resulting claim is indefinite and is failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter. Appropriate clarification and/or correction are/is required within metes and bounds of the claimed invention.
Regarding Claim 7, the instant claim recites limitations in view of parent claim 1, wherein the metes and bounds of the claimed method are vague and ill-defined as a result of uncertainty in the different boundaries and new limitations “wherein each of the plurality of channel patterns comprises an upper electrode and a lower electrode, wherein the lower electrode is in contact with “the bit line”” (Claim 7; emphasis added). The claim is indefinite because of the following:
i) The claim is indefinite because “the bit line” (Claim 7) lacks proper antecedent. There is no recitation of “a bit line” in claim 1 or claim 7. Therefore, the limitation of ““wherein each of the plurality of channel patterns comprises an upper electrode and a lower electrode, wherein the lower electrode is in contact with “the bit line”” (Claim 7) is indefinite and unclear.
The specification does not provide a standard for ascertaining the requisite degree, and one of ordinary skill in the art would not be reasonably apprised of the scope of the invention, whereby the claims are rendered indefinite. Therefore, the resulting claim is indefinite and is failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter. Appropriate clarification and/or correction are/is required within metes and bounds of the claimed invention.
Regarding Claim 8, the instant claim recites limitations in view of parent claim 1, wherein the metes and bounds of the claimed method are vague and ill-defined as a result of uncertainty in the different boundaries and new limitations “further comprising a gate electrode arranged between “the word line” and the gate insulating pattern” (Claim 8; emphasis added). The claim is indefinite because of the following:
i) The claim is indefinite because “the word line” (Claim 8) lacks proper antecedent. There is no recitation of “a word line” in claim 1 or claim 8. Therefore, the limitation of “further comprising a gate electrode arranged between “the word line” and the gate insulating pattern” (Claim 8) is indefinite and unclear.
The specification does not provide a standard for ascertaining the requisite degree, and one of ordinary skill in the art would not be reasonably apprised of the scope of the invention, whereby the claims are rendered indefinite. Therefore, the resulting claim is indefinite and is failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter. Appropriate clarification and/or correction are/is required within metes and bounds of the claimed invention.
Allowable Subject Matter
3. The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
But for the pending 35 U.S.C. 112(b) rejections, the independent claim 1 would
be allowed.
Regarding Claim 1: would be allowable (pending 35 U.S.C. 112(b) rejections), because, the references of the Prior Art of record and considered pertinent to the applicant's disclosure, and the examiner’s knowledge does not teach or render obvious, at least to the skilled artisan, the instant invention regarding: “a plurality of channel patterns arranged in a honeycomb structure on the bit line, the plurality of channel patterns each extending in a vertical direction; a gate insulating pattern located between the plurality of channel patterns and the plurality of word lines; a plurality of switching insulating layers each formed on an upper surface of each of the plurality of channel patterns, at least a portion of which has a thickness that an electron can penetrate upon application of a voltage; and a plurality of control electrodes disposed parallel to each other at predetermined intervals to connect the plurality of switching insulating layers, wherein the plurality of word lines comprise a first word line and a second word line respectively disposed at different heights, and the first and second word lines are provided alternating with each other in the first horizontal direction, and the plurality of channel patterns located on the single bit line are arranged in zigzag along both edges of the single bit line, and the plurality of channel patterns contacting the single word line are arranged in a straight line”, as recited in Claim 18, in combination with the remaining limitations of the claim.
Claims 2-8, would be allowed (pending 35 U.S.C. 112(b) rejections) as those inherit the allowable subject matter from claim 1.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Omar Mojaddedi whose telephone number is 313-446-6582. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday – Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m..
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Julio J. Maldonado, can be reached on 571-272-1864. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/OMAR F MOJADDEDI/Examiner, Art Unit 2898
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