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 § 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) 12-24 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Suzuki et al. (Hereinafter Suzuki, JP2003212694) in view of Suemitsu et al. (hereinafter Suemitsu, US 2002/0102862).
In regards to independent claim 12, Suzuki teaches a method for producing a heteroepitaxial wafer heteroepitaxially growing a 3C-SiC single crystal film on a single crystal silicon substrate ([0026]-0028]), the method comprising:
with using a reduced-pressure CVD apparatus, a first step of removing a native oxide film on a surface of the single crystal silicon substrate by hydrogen baking ([0027]);
a second step of nucleation of SiC on the single crystal silicon substrate on condition of pressure of 13332 Pa or lower and a temperature of 300° C. or higher and 950° C. or lower ([0027-0028]).
Suzuki fails to explicitly teach:
a third step of forming the 3C-SiC single crystal film by growing a SiC single crystal on condition of pressure of 13332 Pa or lower and a temperature of 800° C. or higher and lower than 1200° C., while supplying a source gas containing carbon and silicon into the reduced-pressure CVD apparatus.
Suemitsu teaches:
a third step of forming the 3C-SiC single crystal film by growing a SiC single crystal on condition of pressure of 13332 Pa or lower and a temperature of 800° C. or higher and lower than 1200° C., while supplying a source gas containing carbon and silicon into the reduced-pressure CVD apparatus ([0043-47]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, having the teachings of Suzuki and Suemitsu before him before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify the SiC crystal growth taught by Suzuki to include the SiC growth without thermal treating of Suemitsu in order to obtain a SiC crystal grown without thermal treating. One would have been motivated to make such a combination because it creates a film with good crystallity and flatness.
In regards to dependent claim 13, Suzuki teaches wherein the source gas is monomethylsilane or trimethylsilane (0026]).
In regards to dependent claim 14, Suzuki teaches wherein the first step is performed on condition of a temperature of 1000° C. or higher and 1200° C. or lower ([0027]).
In regards to dependent claim 15, Suzuki teaches wherein the first step is performed on condition of a temperature of 1000° C. or higher and 1200° C. or lower ([0027]).
In regards to dependent claim 16, Suzuki fails to explicitly teach wherein the third step is performed on condition of pressure of 1333 Pa or lower, thereby forming a vacancy directly under the 3C-SiC single crystal film. Suemitsu teaches wherein the third step is performed on condition of pressure of 1333 Pa or lower, thereby forming a vacancy directly under the 3C-SiC single crystal film ([0043-47]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, having the teachings of Suzuki and Suemitsu before him before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify the SiC crystal growth taught by Suzuki to include the SiC growth without thermal treating of Suemitsu in order to obtain a SiC crystal grown without thermal treating. One would have been motivated to make such a combination because it creates a film with good crystallity and flatness.
In regards to dependent claim 17, Suzuki fails to explicitly teach wherein the third step is performed on condition of pressure of 1333 Pa or lower, thereby forming a vacancy directly under the 3C-SiC single crystal film. Suemitsu teaches wherein the third step is performed on condition of pressure of 1333 Pa or lower, thereby forming a vacancy directly under the 3C-SiC single crystal film ([0043-47]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, having the teachings of Suzuki and Suemitsu before him before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify the SiC crystal growth taught by Suzuki to include the SiC growth without thermal treating of Suemitsu in order to obtain a SiC crystal grown without thermal treating. One would have been motivated to make such a combination because it creates a film with good crystallity and flatness.
In regards to dependent claim 18, Suzuki fails to explicitly teach wherein the third step is performed on condition of pressure of 1333 Pa or lower, thereby forming a vacancy directly under the 3C-SiC single crystal film. Suemitsu teaches wherein the third step is performed on condition of pressure of 1333 Pa or lower, thereby forming a vacancy directly under the 3C-SiC single crystal film ([0043-47]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, having the teachings of Suzuki and Suemitsu before him before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify the SiC crystal growth taught by Suzuki to include the SiC growth without thermal treating of Suemitsu in order to obtain a SiC crystal grown without thermal treating. One would have been motivated to make such a combination because it creates a film with good crystallity and flatness.
In regards to dependent claim 19, Suzuki fails to explicitly teach wherein the third step is performed on condition of pressure of 1333 Pa or lower, thereby forming a vacancy directly under the 3C-SiC single crystal film. Suemitsu teaches wherein the third step is performed on condition of pressure of 1333 Pa or lower, thereby forming a vacancy directly under the 3C-SiC single crystal film ([0043-47]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, having the teachings of Suzuki and Suemitsu before him before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify the SiC crystal growth taught by Suzuki to include the SiC growth without thermal treating of Suemitsu in order to obtain a SiC crystal grown without thermal treating. One would have been motivated to make such a combination because it creates a film with good crystallity and flatness.
In regards to dependent claim 20, Suzuki teaches wherein the third step is performed with one or more of pressure and temperature higher than the condition of the second step [0027-0028].
In regards to dependent claim 21, Suzuki teaches producing a heteroepitaxial wafer according to claim 20, wherein the third step is performed on condition of a temperature of 1000° C. or higher and lower than 1200° C ([0027]).
In regards to dependent claim 22, Suzuki teaches wherein one or more of pressure and temperature are raised higher during the third step [0027]).
In regards to dependent claim 23, Suzuki teaches wherein the second step and the third step are performed on condition of gradually raising a temperature from a range from 300° C. or higher to 950° C. or lower to the range from 1000° C. or higher to lower than 1200° C., thereby performing the nucleation of SiC and the formation of a 3C-SiC single crystal film following the nucleation of SiC in succession ([0027]).
In regards to dependent claim 24, Suzuki teaches wherein the temperature rise is at a rate of temperature rise of 0.5° C./sec or faster and 2° C./sec or slower ([0027]).
Claim(s) 25-26 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Suzuki in view of Suemitsu and Park et al. (hereinafter Park, KR20100034332).
In regards to dependent claim 25, Suzuki fails to explicitly teach wherein a GaN layer is formed on a surface of the formed 3C-SiC single crystal film by further growing GaN thereon. Park teaches wherein a GaN layer is formed on a surface of the formed 3C-SiC single crystal film by further growing GaN thereon ([0018], Fig. 1F). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, having the teachings of Suzuki, Suemitsu, and Park before him before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify the SiC crystal growth taught by Suzuki to include the GaN growth of Park in order to obtain a SiC crystal grown with GaN. One would have been motivated to make such a combination because it reduces defects by creating a single crystalline substrate.
In regards to dependent claim 26, Suzuki fails to explicitly teach wherein a Si layer is formed on the surface of the formed 3C-SiC single crystal film by further growing Si thereon. Park teaches wherein a Si layer is formed on the surface of the formed 3C-SiC single crystal film by further growing Si thereon ([0018], Fig. 1f). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, having the teachings of Suzuki, Suemitsu, and Park before him before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify the SiC crystal growth taught by Suzuki to include the Si growth of Park in order to obtain a SiC crystal grown with Si. One would have been motivated to make such a combination because it reduces defects by creating a single crystalline substrate.
Conclusion
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/WILLIAM C TRAPANESE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2812
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