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
.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.
Claim(s) 1- 5, & 10-13 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Lee (US Pub no. 2021/0082998 A1)
Regarding claim 1, Lee et al discloses a memory structure comprising:
a dielectric layer (112)over a substrate(100)[0028]; a first ferromagnetic bottom electrode(191) extending in the dielectric layer(112)[0031][0051];
a second ferromagnetic bottom electrode (192)extending in the dielectric layer(112)[0031][0051], and spaced apart from the first ferromagnetic bottom electrode(191) (fig. 1/fig. 3/fig. 19); a spin-orbit torque (SOT) channel layer(150) extending across the first ferromagnetic bottom electrode(191) and the second ferromagnetic bottom electrode(192) [0035]; and a magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) structure(mtj) over the SOT channel layer(150) fig. 3[0035].
Regarding claim 2, Lee et al discloses wherein the first ferromagnetic bottom electrode (191)and the second ferromagnetic bottom electrode(192) are magnetically oriented in opposite directions[0043] fig. 3.
Regarding claim 3, Lee et al discloses wherein the first ferromagnetic bottom
electrode (191)has a bottom surface lower than a bottom surface of the second ferromagnetic bottom electrode(192) [0070] (fig. 1/fig. 3/fig. 19).
Regarding claim 4, Lee et al discloses further comprising: a metal spacer layer(non-magnetic layer) under the second ferromagnetic bottom electrode(192); and a ferromagnetic layer (magnetic layer)under the metal spacer layer(non-magnetic layer)[0051].
Regarding claim 5, Lee et al discloses further comprising: a passivation layer (170) on a sidewall of the MTJ structure(MTJ) fig. 2[0037]; a top electrode(160) on a top surface of the MTJ structure(MTJ) [0037]; and a metal line(200) over the top electrode(160)[0037] fig. 19.
Regarding claim 10, Lee et al discloses wherein the first ferromagnetic bottom
electrode(191) and the second ferromagnetic bottom electrode(192) comprise cobalt[0051].
Regarding claim 11, Lee et al discloses A memory structure (fig. 1/fig. 3/fig. 19)comprising:
one or more transistors (SW) on a substrate(100) [0030]; an interconnect structure(contact plugs(120) and terminals) over the one or more transistors(SW) [0030], the interconnect structure contact plugs(120) and terminals) comprising a plurality of metal vias (120)and a plurality of metal lines(terminals)[0030]; a first ferromagnetic bottom electrode(191) over a first one of the plurality of metal lines(terminals)[0051][0030]]; a second ferromagnetic bottom electrode(192) over a second one of the plurality of metal lines(terminals[0030][0051]; and a SOT channel layer(150) in contact with a top surface of the first ferromagnetic bottom electrode(191) and a top surface of the second ferromagnetic bottom electrode(192) fig. 19[0036][0041], wherein the first ferromagnetic bottom electrode (191)has a bottom surface separated from the SOT channel layer (150)by a first distance(T1), the second ferromagnetic bottom electrode (192)has a bottom surface separated from the SOT channel layer (150)by a second distance(T2), and the first distance is greater than the second distance fig. 19[0070].
Regarding claim 12, Lee et al discloses wherein the first ferromagnetic bottom
electrode (191) is in contact with the first one of the plurality of metal lines(terminal)[0030] (fig. 1/fig. 3/fig. 19).
Regarding claim 13, Lee et al discloses wherein the second ferromagnetic bottom Electrode(192) is in contact with the first one of the plurality of metal lines(terminals) [0030] (fig. 1/fig. 3/fig. 19).
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) 14 & 15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lee (US Pub no. 2021/0082998 A1) in view of Martin (EP3863015 A1)cited in IDS
Regarding claim 14, Lee et al discloses all the claim limitations of claim 11 but fails to teach further comprising: a synthetic anti-ferromagnetic (SAF) spacer in contact with the bottom surface of the second ferromagnetic bottom electrode.
However, Martin et al discloses a synthetic anti-ferromagnetic (SAF) spacer(57) in contact with the bottom surface of a ferromagnetic bottom electrode(56)[0025] fig. 5. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify Lee et al with the teachings of Martin et al to provide an antiparallel coupling between the ferromagnetic layers.
Regarding claim 15, Lee et al discloses a plurality of metal lines (terminals) [0030] but fails to teach ferromagnetic layer between the SAF spacer and the second one of the plurality of metal lines.
However, Martin et al discloses a ferromagnetic layer(56) under the SAF layer (57) fig. 5 [0025]. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify the teachings of Lee et al with that of Martin et al such that ferromagnetic layer between the SAF spacer and the second one of the plurality of metal lines results to provide an antiparallel coupling between the ferromagnetic layers.
Claim(s) 17 & 18 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lee (US Pub no. 2021/0082998 A1)
Regarding claim 17, Lee et al discloses a. memory structure comprising: a transistor (SW)over a substrate(100)[0030]; an interconnect structure((120 and terminals)) over the transistor(SW) [0030]; a dielectric layer(111/112) over a first metal feature(120a) and a second metal feature (120b)of the interconnect structure((120 and terminals))[0029-0030]; a SOT channel layer (150)over the dielectric layer(111/112)[0030][0031]; an MTJ structure (MTJ)over the SOT channel layer(150); a first metal plug(191) extending from the SOT channel layer(150), through the dielectric layer(111/112), to the first metal feature(120a); and a second metal plug (192)extending from the SOT channel layer(150), through the dielectric layer(111/112), to the second metal feature(120b); Lee et al discloses that the first and second metal plug(191/192) comprises magnetic and non-magnetic layers which are alternately and repeatedly stacked [0051] but fails to teach wherein the second metal plug comprises more metal layers than the first metal plug. However, in another embodiment fig. 19, the thickness of the metal plugs can be different[0070]. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify the embodiment of Lee et al having alternating magnetic and non-magnetic layers with the teachings of embodiment fig. 19 to achieve the second metal plug comprises more metal layers than the first metal plug through routine experimentation to optimize the coercive force. [W]here the general conditions of a claim are disclosed in the prior art, it is not inventive to discover the optimum or workable ranges by routine experimentation.” In re Aller, 220 F.2d 454, 456, 105 USPQ 233, 235 (CCPA 1955)
Regarding claim 18, Lee et al discloses wherein the second metal plug (192)comprises: a first ferromagnetic layer over the second metal feature(120b)[0029]; a non-magnetic metal layer over the first ferromagnetic layer (magnetic and non-magnetic layers which are alternately and repeatedly stacked ); and a second ferromagnetic layer over the non-magnetic metal layer (magnetic and non-magnetic layers which are alternately and repeatedly stacked )[0051] .
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 6-9,16 & 19-20 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.
The limitations of claim 6 including: the ferromagnetic layer having
a thickness different from a thickness of the second ferromagnetic bottom electrode was not found in prior art. Claims 7-8 are objected to since the claims depend from claim 6. Claim 9 is objected to since the claim depends on claim 8.
The limitations of claim 16 including: wherein the ferromagnetic layer is thicker
than the second ferromagnetic bottom electrode and thinner than the first ferromagnetic
bottom electrode was not found in prior art.
The limitations of claim 19 including: wherein the first ferromagnetic layer has
a thickness different from a thickness of the second ferromagnetic layer was not found in prior art.
The limitations of claim 20 including wherein the first ferromagnetic layer has
a thickness greater than a thickness of the second ferromagnetic layer was not found in prior art.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to LATANYA N CRAWFORD EASON whose telephone number is (571)270-3208. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 8:30 AM-4:30 PM.
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/LATANYA N CRAWFORD EASON/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2813
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