DETAILED ACTION
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 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Gupta et al. US 2023/0139457 A1.
Regarding claim 1, Gupta discloses:
A three-dimensional (3D) NAND structure (Fig. 1A), comprising:
a first substrate stack (101) comprising alternating oxide (104; para 0036) and nitride (106; para 0037) layers;
a plurality of first pillars (110) formed through multiple layers of the first substrate stack;
a plurality of first pillar alignment features (122) respectively provided at top portions of the plurality of first pillars;
a second substrate stack (105) provided on the first substrate stack, the second substrate stack comprising alternating oxide (104; para 0048) and nitride layers (106; para 0048), and the second substrate stack covering the plurality of first pillars and the plurality of first pillar alignment features; and
a plurality of second pillars (135, 137) formed through multiple layers of the second substrate stack, wherein bottoms of each of the second pillars are respectively aligned with corresponding ones of the first pillar alignment features.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 2-9 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 fails to teach or clearly suggest the limitations of claim 2 stating “wherein the first pillar alignment features comprise oxide plugs”. In light of these limitations, the prior art fails to anticipate or make obvious the claimed invention.
Claims 10-20 are allowed.
The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance:
The prior art fails to teach or clearly suggest the limitations of claim 10 stating “illuminating a portion of the first masking layer with illumination light, wherein a reflected portion of the illumination light indicates a location of the first pillar alignment feature corresponding to the first pillar, wherein particular wavelengths of the illumination light are blocked by the first masking layer”; and of claim 19 stating “illuminating a portion of the first masking layer with illumination light, wherein a reflected portion of the illumination light indicates a location of the first pillar alignment feature corresponding to the first pillar, wherein particular wavelengths of the illumination light are blocked by the first masking layer; forming a first reference alignment feature in the first masking layer; using the light source to align the first reference alignment feature with the first pillar alignment feature; depositing a second masking layer on at least a portion of the first masking layer; forming a second reference alignment feature in the second masking layer, wherein the second reference alignment feature is aligned with the first reference alignment feature”. In light of these limitations, the prior art fails to anticipate or make obvious the claimed invention.
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.”
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Gupta US 2023/0139457 A1 – discloses “pillar alignment features” (Fig. 1A; 122) as being conductive (para 0047) rather than oxide plugs as noted in claim 2. Also, there is no discussion relative to the alignment to the underlying plugs through a masking layer based on reflected portion of illuminated light as in claims 10 and 19.
Fukuzumi et al. US 2022/0199641 A1 – discloses “pillar alignment features” (Fig. 1c; 122) as being conductive (para 0041) rather than oxide plugs as noted in claim 2. Also, there is no discussion relative to the alignment (Fig. 1D; para 0047) to the underlying plugs through a masking layer based on reflected portion of illuminated light as in claims 10 and 19.
Omura US 2010/0176440 A1 – discloses “pillar alignment features” (Fig. 7A; 16a) as being a silicon nitride film (para 0087) rather than oxide plugs as noted in claim 2. Also, there is no discussion relative to the alignment (Fig. 6C-7A; paras 0090-0092) to the underlying plugs through a masking layer based on reflected portion of illuminated light as in claims 10 and 19.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ERROL V FERNANDES whose telephone number is (571)270-7433. The examiner can normally be reached on 9-5:30.
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/ERROL V FERNANDES/Primary Examiner, AU 2893
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