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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 6/13/2024 was filed. The submission is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
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)(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.
Claim(s) 1, 2, 3, and 8 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102a2 as being anticipated by You (US 2025/0063792).
Regarding claim 1.
You teaches:
A microelectronic structure (fig 1j:100[0038]) comprising: a first nanosheet transistor (fig 1j,1I-1,1I-2:108[0080]) that includes a first source/drain (fig 1j,1I-1,1I-2:126[0066]), wherein the first source/drain (fig 1j,1I-1,1I-2:126[0066]) includes a flat horizontal frontside surface and at least one inclined side surface (fig 1j[0118]);
a second nanosheet transistor (fig 1j,1I-1,1I-2:108[0080]) that includes a second source/drain (fig 1j,1I-1,1I-2:126[0066]), wherein the second source/drain (fig 1j,1I-1,1I-2:126[0066]) includes a flat horizontal frontside surface and at least one inclined side surface, wherein the first nanosheet transistor (fig 1j,1I-1,1I-2:108[0080]) and the second nanosheet transistor (fig 1j,1I-1,1I-2:108[0080]) are adjacent to each other (fig 1j), wherein the first source/drain (fig 1j,1I-1,1I-2:126[0066]) and the second source/drain (fig 1j,1I-1,1I-2:126[0066]) are aligned with each other through a common axis (fig 1j:Y[0082]) through a source/drain region (fig 1j,1I-1,1I-2:126[0066]);
a first frontside source/drain contact (fig 1j:154[0118]) that includes a horizontal section and a protrusion section (fig 1j), wherein the horizontal section of the first frontside source/drain contact (fig 1j:154[0118]) is in contact with the flat horizontal frontside surface of the first source/drain (fig 1j:154[0118]), wherein the protrusion section of the first frontside source/drain contact (fig 1j:154[0118]) is in contact with the at least one inclined side surface of the first source/drain;
and a second frontside source/drain contact (fig 1j:154[0118]) that includes a horizontal section and at least one protrusion section, wherein the horizontal section of the second frontside source/drain contact (fig 1j:154[0118]) is in contact with the flat horizontal frontside surface of the second source/drain (fig 1j:154[0118]), wherein the at least one protrusion section of the second frontside source/drain contact is in contact with the at least one inclined side surface of the second source/drain.
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Below is the extrapolation based on You figure 1L of the features of the first contact protrusion and second contact protrusion that are not clearly illustrated in the prior art figure.
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Regarding claim 2.
You teaches The microelectronic structure of claim 1, further
You teaches:
the second source/drain (fig 1I-1,1j:154[0118]) includes at least two inclined side surfaces (fig 1I-1).
Regarding claim 3.
You teaches the microelectronic structure of claim 2, further
You teaches:
the second source/drain (fig 1I-1,1j:154[0118]) has a bolt shape (fig 1I-1), wherein the at least two inclined side surfaces form the sides of the shaft of the bolt shape (fig 1I-1,1j).
Regarding claim 8.
You teaches the microelectronic structure of claim 1, further
You teaches:
the horizontal section and the protrusion section of the first frontside source/drain contact (fig 1j:154[0118]) forms a L-shape contact area with the first source/drain (fig 1j,1I-1,1I-2:126[0066]).
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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.
Rejection Note: Italicized and struck through claim limitations indicate limitations that are not explicitly disclosed in the primary reference, but disclosed in the secondary reference(s).
Claim(s) 4, 5, 6, and 7 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over You (US 2025/0063792) as applied to claim 3 and further in view of Chen (US 2022/0262677).
Regarding claim 4.
You teaches the microelectronic structure of claim 3, above
You does not teach the second frontside source/drain contact includes at least two protrusion sections.
Chen teaches:
the second frontside source/drain contact (fig 5e:70[0060]) includes at least two protrusion sections.
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It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention provide two protrusions in order to increase the area of contact and thereby reduce contact resistance.
Regarding claim 5.
You in view of Chen teaches the microelectronic structure of claim 4, further
Chen teaches:
each of the at least two protrusion sections of the second frontside contact (fig 5e:70[0060]) are in contact with one of the at least two inclined side surfaces of the second source/drain (fig 5e:70[0060]).
Regarding claim 6.
You in view of Chen teaches the microelectronic structure of claim 5, further
Chen teaches:
the horizontal section of the second frontside source/drain contact (fig 5e:70[0060]) is located between the at least two protrusion section of the second frontside source/drain contact (fig 5e:70[0060]).
Regarding claim 7.
You in view of Chen teaches the microelectronic structure of claim 6, further
Chen teaches:
the at least two protrusion sections and the horizontal section of the second frontside contact (fig 5e:70[0060]) form a U-Shape contact area with the second source/drain (fig 5e:50[0056]).
Claim(s) 9 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over You (US 2025/0063792) as applied to claim 1 and further in view of Wen (US 2019/0164741).
Regarding claim 9.
You teaches the microelectronic structure of claim 1, above
You does not teach a contact cut
Wen teaches:
a contact cut (fig 18:114a[0049]) located between the protrusion section of the first frontside source/drain contact (fig 18:184[0048,0049]) and the at least one protrusion section of the second frontside source/drain contact (fig 18:184[0048,0049]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide a contact cut in order to beneficially reduces the spacing requirements (paragraph 10)
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 10 through 20 are allowed.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
Regarding claim 10, the prior art does not teach in combination with other elements of the claim,
A microelectronic structure comprising: a first frontside source/drain contact that includes a horizontal section and a protrusion section, wherein the horizontal section of the first frontside source/drain contact is in contact with the flat horizontal frontside surface of the first source/drain, wherein the protrusion section of the first frontside source/drain contact is in contact with the at least one inclined side surface of the first source/drain; a second frontside source/drain contact that includes a horizontal section and at least one protrusion section, wherein the horizontal section of the second frontside source/drain contact is in contact with the flat horizontal frontside surface of the second source/drain, wherein the at least one protrusion section of the second frontside source/drain contact is in contact with the at least one inclined side surface of the second source/drain; a contact cut located between the protrusion section of the first frontside source/drain contact and the at least one protrusion section of the second frontside source/drain contact; and a gate cut located on top of the contact cut, wherein the gate cut is in contact with a side surface of the first frontside source/drain contact and a side surface of the second frontside source/drain contact.
Regarding claim 18, the prior art does not teach in combination with other elements of the claim,
A microelectronic structure comprising: a first frontside source/drain contact that includes a horizontal section and a protrusion section, wherein the horizontal section of the first frontside source/drain contact is in contact with the flat horizontal frontside surface of the first source/drain, wherein the protrusion section of the first frontside source/drain contact is in contact with the at least one inclined side surface of the first source/drain; a second frontside source/drain contact that includes a horizontal section and at least one protrusion section, wherein the horizontal section of the second frontside source/drain contact is in contact with the flat horizontal frontside surface of the second source/drain, wherein the at least one protrusion section of the second frontside source/drain contact is in contact with the at least one inclined side surface of the second source/drain; a contact cut located between the protrusion section of the first frontside source/drain contact and the at least one protrusion section of the second frontside source/drain contact; and a gate cut located on top of the contact cut, wherein the gate cut is in contact with a side surface of the first frontside source/drain contact and a side surface of the second source/drain contact.
Conclusion
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/D.J.G/Examiner, Art Unit 2817
/Kretelia Graham/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2817
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