DETAILED ACTION
This action is responsive to the following communication: the response filed 7/21/26. The changes and remarks disclosed therein have been considered.
Claim(s) status: 1-8, 21-32 pending.
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of Group I (claims 1-8) in the reply filed on 7/21/26 is acknowledged. Newly added claims 21-32 directed to Group I are examined together with claims 1-8.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted has been considered by the examiner.
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 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.
Claim(s) 1, 21, 24 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Choi et al. (US 2016/0064390 “Choi”).
Regarding claim1, Choi discloses a structure (fig. 17A, further detailed in examiner’s annotation), comprising:
a first active area (first, upper active area 320a), a second active area (second, upper active area 320b), a third active area (third, middle active area 320b) and a fourth active area (fourth, lower active area 320b/320a) separated from each other (via layer 110); and
a first gate (132) comprising a first gate portion (a gate portion 132 that intersects first, upper active area 320a), a second gate portion (a gate portion 132 that intersects second, upper active area 320b), a third gate portion (a gate portion 132 that intersects third, middle active area 320b) and a fourth gate portion (a gate portion 132 that intersects fourth, lower active area 320b/320a) arranged in order (top to bottom order in Y direction),
wherein the first gate portion, the second gate portion, the third gate portion and the fourth gate portion cross over the first active area, the second active area, the third active area and the fourth active area (each 1st-4th gate portions cross over each 1st-4th active areas), respectively,
the first gate portion (i.e. of first active area) is electrically isolated (i.e. via a gate separation region 32a) from the second gate portion (i.e. of second active area), and
the third gate portion (i.e. of third active area) is electrically isolated (i.e. via another gate separation region 32a) from the fourth gate portion (i.e. of fourth active area).
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Regarding claim 21, Choi discloses a structure (fig. 17A, further detailed in examiner’s annotation), comprising:
a first active area (first, upper active area 320a), a second active area (second, upper active area 320b), a third active area (third, middle active area 320b) separated from each other (via layer 110);
a first gate (132) comprising a first gate portion (a gate portion 132 that intersects first, upper active area 320a), a second gate portion (a gate portion 132 that intersects second, upper active area 320b), a third gate portion (a gate portion 132 that intersects third, middle active area 320b) and a fourth gate portion (a gate portion 132 that intersects fourth, lower active area 320b/320a) arranged in order (top to bottom order in Y direction),
wherein the first gate portion, the second gate portion and the third gate portion cross over the first active area, the second active area and the third active area (each 1st-3rd gate portions cross over each 1st-3rd active areas), respectively; and
a first conductive segment (upper segment 141/142) crossing over each of the first active area (first, upper active area 320a), the second active area (second, upper active area 320b) and the third active area (third, middle active area 320b), and configured to couple the first active area to the second active area (fig. 17B),
wherein the first gate portion (i.e. of first active area) is electrically isolated (i.e. via a gate separation region 32a) from the second gate portion (i.e. of second active area), and
the third gate portion (i.e. of third active area) is electrically isolated (i.e. via another gate separation region 32a) from the fourth gate portion (i.e. of fourth active area).
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Regarding claim 24, Choi discloses the structure of claim 21 (fig. 17A, further detailed in examiner’s annotation), further comprising: a fourth active area (fourth, lower active area 320b/320a) separated from the third active area (via layer 110); and a second conductive segment (lower segment 141/142) crossing over and coupled to each of the fourth active area (fourth, lower active area 320b/320a) and the third active area (third, middle active area 320b, wherein the fourth gate portion crosses over the fourth active area.
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Allowable Subject Matter
Claim(s) 28-32 are allowed.
The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance: the prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant’s disclosure does not teach or suggest the claimed invention having the following limitation, in combination with the remaining claimed limitations.
With respect to independent claim 28 (and all dependent claim(s) therefrom), the prior art fails to teach or suggest the claimed limitations, namely a first metal segment disposed between the second active area and the third active area, and coupled to the second gate portion and the third gate portion.
The allowable claims are supported in at least fig. 7 of the instant application.
Any comments considered necessary by applicant must be submitted no later than the payment of the issue fee and, to avoid processing delays, should preferably accompany the issue fee. Such submissions should be clearly labeled “Comments on Statement of Reasons for Allowance.”
Claim(s) 2-8, 22-23, 25-27 is/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 following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: The prior art of record and considered pertinent to the applicant's disclosure does not teach or suggest the claimed invention having the following limitation, in combination with the remaining claimed limitations.
With respect to dependent claim 2 (and all dependent claim(s) therefrom), the prior art fails to teach or suggest the claimed limitations, namely a first conductive segment crossing over each of the first active area, the second active area, the third active area and the fourth active area, wherein the first conductive segment is configured to couple the first active area to the second active area, and couple the third active area to the fourth active area.
With respect to dependent claim 22, the prior art fails to teach or suggest the claimed limitations, namely a first metal segment crossing over each of the first conductive segment and the first gate; and a first via disposed between the second active area and the third active area, and configured to couple the first metal segment to the first gate.
With respect to dependent claim 23, the prior art fails to teach or suggest the claimed limitations, namely wherein the first gate is disposed between the first conductive segment and the second conductive segment.
With respect to dependent claim 25, the prior art fails to teach or suggest the claimed limitations, namely a first metal segment crossing over each of the second conductive segment, the first gate and the second gate; and a first via disposed between the third active area and the fourth active area, and configured to couple the first metal segment to the second conductive segment.
With respect to dependent claim 26 (and all dependent claim(s) therefrom), the prior art fails to teach or suggest the claimed limitations, namely wherein the first gate is disposed between the third conductive segment and the first conductive segment.
The allowable claims are supported in at least fig. 7 of the instant application.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to UYEN SMET whose telephone number is (571) 272-2267. The examiner can normally be reached M-F, 9 AM-5 PM.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Richard Elms can be reached on (571) 272-1869. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is (571) 273-8300.
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/UYEN SMET/
Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2824
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