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 Group I, claims 28-33, in the reply filed on 06 February 2026 is acknowledged.
Claims 1-2 and 6-16 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to nonelected inventions, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on 06 February 2026.
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.
Claims 28 and 32-34 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Ramdani et al. (US 2004/0149202 A1)(Ramdani).
Ramdani discloses a layered (i.e., laminated) structure. The layered structure is as shown in the below table with the corresponding claim 28 limitation:
Ramdani
Corresponding claim 1 limitation
Substrate 22 formed of monocrystalline semiconductor, silicon (see Figure 1 and paragraphs [0016] and [0017]; Example 1).
a crystal substrate
Amorphous intermediate layer 28 such as SiOx (Id. and paragraph [0019])
an amorphous thin film … between the crystal substrate and the epitaxial layer
Accommodating monocrystalline buffer layer (i.e., epitaxial layer) such as SrzBa1-zTiO3 (Id.)
epitaxial layer
The amorphous thin film contains silicon (i.e., constituent metal) which is also present in the crystal substrate, silicon.
Ramdani teaches the thickness of the amorphous intermediate layer is 0.5 to 5 nm (paragraph [0018]) which is sufficiently specific to anticipate the range recited in claim 32.
Claim 33 is rejected because the limitations of the claim relate to an optional feature.
As to claim 34, Ramdani teaches the semiconductor structure is used for an integrated circuit (i.e., electronic device). See the title.
Claims 28-29 and 32-34 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Oba et al. (“Epitaxial Growth of Cuprous Oxide Electrodeposited onto Semiconductor and Metal Substrates,” J. Am. Ceram. Soc., 88 [2] 253–270 (2005))(Oba).
Oba discloses an epitaxial cuprous oxide layer deposited on an Si single crystal substrate. See title and abstract. The laminate includes an amorphous silicon oxide layer containing small amounts of copper. See Figure 7(a) and the first column of page 258:
“The HRTEM image in Fig. 5(b) confirms this conclusion: the two crystals are separated by an ‘‘interlayer’’ with a thickness of ≈ 3 nm, and the speckle pattern by which this layer appears in the image indicates that it consists of amorphous material.”
“[T]he region of the amorphous interlayer located approximately at the center of the figure is significantly O-rich. In addition, the Cu concentration is low — the main components are Si and O.”
Thus, the amorphous layer contains a constituent metal of the epitaxial layer (i.e., Cu) and the crystal substrate (i.e., Si) which meets the limitations of instant claim 28 and 29.
As to claim 32, the amorphous interlayer has a thickness if approximately 3 nm. Id.
Claim 33 is rejected because the limitations of the claim relate to an optional feature.
As to claim 34, Oba discloses the semiconductor structure is used for microelectronic devices. See the first sentence of the introduction and the conclusion.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 30 and 31 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.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to David Sample whose telephone number is (571)272-1376. The examiner can normally be reached Monday to Friday 7AM to 3:30 PM.
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/David Sample/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1784
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