ananDETAILED 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 .
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
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 19-38 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Onozawa (20140179441).
Regarding Claim 1, in Figs. 1A and 2 and in paragraphs 0019, 0032, 0061, 0066, 0083, 0084, 0088, 0118 and 0121, Onozawa discloses a semiconductor device comprising a semiconductor substrate 1 including an upper surface and a lower surface, wherein the semiconductor substrate includes an n-type semiconductor region 5/15/6/16/7/17/ having a hydrogen containing region, and a carrier concentration distribution representing a carrier concentration by a semi- logarithmic graph in the depth direction of the n-type semiconductor region (Fig. 2) includes: a flat portion (flat portions labeled as “flat portion” around depth 20 and depth 40) which is a substantially flat region and contains a first flat part (first “flat portion” on the left depth around 20 micrometers) and a second flat part (second “flat portion” on the right around depth 40 micrometers), located closer to the lower surface of the semiconductor substrate than the first plat part; and a slope (around element 6a at depth 35) located between the first flat part and the second flat part.
Regarding Claim 20, in Fig. 1A, the n-type semiconductor region includes a drift region 2 a carrier concentration of which is lower than that of the hydrogen containing region 5/15/6/16/7/17
Regarding Claim 21, a change of the carrier concentration in the flat portion is within a range of values of +/- 20%. (see paragraphs 0084 and 0088 in conjunction with claim 1 of Onozawa)
Regarding Claim 22, a carrier concentration of the first flat part is 80% or more and 120% or less of that of the semiconductor substrate; and a length of the first flat part is within 70% of a thickness of the semiconductor substrate (see paragraphs 0084 and 0088 in conjunction with claim 1 of Onozawa)
Regarding Claim 23, in Fig. 1a and 2, the carrier concentration distribution of the hydrogen containing region includes the second flat part
Regarding Claim 24, the carrier concentration distribution of the drift region includes the first flat part (see paragraphs 0032, 0083 and 0118)
Regarding Clam 25, the carrier concentration distribution of the hydrogen containing region 5/15/6/16/7/17 includes the slope (the region around element 6a in Fig. 2).
Regarding Claim 26, the slope (the region around element 6a) includes an upward convex shape.
Regarding Claim 27, the carrier concentration distribution includes at least one peak 5a/7a that is closer to the lower surface than the slope 6a.
Regarding Claim 28, the second flat part is located between the slope 6a and the at least one peak 5a/7a.
Regarding Claim 29, a carrier concentration of the second flat part is lower than a carrier concentration of a half-value of the at least one peak (see paragraphs 0069 and 0087).
Regarding Claim 30, a length between the at least one peak and an end point located closest to the lower surface among points at which the carrier concentration is constant in the depth direction of the second flat part is smaller than a length of the flat portion (see paragraph 0070)
Regarding Claim 31, a gradient at the end point is substantially zero (see paragraphs 0069 and 0087)
Regarding Claim 32, the end point is an end point of a high concentration region in which a carrier concentration is higher than a virtual carrier concentration (see paragraphs 0097, 0103, 0104, 0121)
Regarding Claim 33, the at least one peak 5a/6a/7a is located closest to the drift region in the hydrogen containing region.
Regarding Claim 34, the second flat part includes the at least one peak that is flattened, and a full width at half maximum of the flattened peak is 5 m or more (see paragraph 0069)
Regarding Claim 35, the second flat part includes the at least one peak that is flattened, and a full width at half maximum of the flattened peak is 10 m or more (see paragraph 0069)
Regarding Claim 36, the second flat part includes the at least one peak that is flattened, and a full width at half maximum of the flattened peak is 15 m or more (see paragraph 0069).
Regarding Claim 37, the second flat part further includes one or more other peaks 5a/6a/7a.
Regarding Claim 38, the second flat part includes a local maximum value corresponding to the at least one peak and a local minimum value which corresponding to a valley in a range of values of +/-20% within which a change of the carrier concentration in the flat portion is (see paragraphs 0084 and 0088 in conjunction with claim 1 of Onozawa).
Conclusion
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/FAZLI ERDEM/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2812 3/12/2026