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 .
Detailed Action
Claim Rejections – 35 U.S.C. 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.
(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.
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-AlA 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.
Claims 15-22 rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Wu (CN 116613213, machine-translation provided).
Regarding Claim 15
FIG. 1 of Wu discloses a method for manufacturing a heterojunction structure device, the method comprising: preparing a substrate (Si); forming a gate electrode (G, W/TiN) on the substrate; forming a ferroelectric layer (HZO) including a material having ferroelectric characteristics on the gate electrode; forming an insulating layer (Al2O3) on the ferroelectric layer; forming a channel layer (α-In2Se3) including a material having ferroelectric and semiconductor characteristics on the insulating layer; and forming a source electrode (S, Au) and a drain electrode (D, Au) on the channel layer such that the source electrode and the drain electrode are spaced apart from each other.
Regarding Claim 16
Wu discloses the ferroelectric layer (HZO) includes a material having out-of-plane (OOP) polarization characteristics.
Regarding Claim 17
Wu discloses the channel layer includes a material (α-In2Se3) having both out-of-plane (OOP) polarization characteristics and in-plane (IP) polarization characteristics.
Regarding Claim 18
Wu discloses the ferroelectric layer includes any one of hafnium zirconium oxide (HZO), arsenic (As), antimony (Sb), bismuth (Bi), tellurium (Te), d1T-MOS2, t-MOS2, WS2, WSe2, WTe2, BiN, SbN, BiP, GaN, GaSe, SiC, BN, AlN, ZnO, GeS, GeSe, SnS, SnSe, SiTE, GeTe, SnTE, PbTe, CrN, CrB2, CrBr3, Crl3, GaTeCl, AgBiP2Se6, CuCrP2S.sub.6, CuCrP2Se6, CuVP2S.sub.6, CuVP2Se6, CuInP2Se6, CuInP2S.sub.6(CIPS), Sc2CO2, Bi2O2Se, Bi2O2Te, Bi2O2s, Ba2PbCl4, graphanol, hydroxyl-functionalized graphene, halogen-decorated phosphorene, g-C6N8H, and Bi—CH2OH.
Regarding Claim 19
Wu discloses the channel layer includes a material (α-In2Se3) having both out-of-plane (OOP) polarization characteristics and in-plane (IP) polarization characteristics.
Regarding Claim 20
The claim “polarization of the channel layer is controlled by light irradiated to the channel layer” containing a recitation with respect to the manner in which a claimed apparatus is intended to be employed. This recitation does not differentiate the claimed apparatus from the prior art apparatus because the apparatus of Wu teaches all the structural limitations of the claim. Ex parte Masham, 2 USPQ2d 1647 (Bd. Pat. App. & Inter. 1987), see MPEP 2114 R-1.
Regarding Claim 21
The claim “polarization of the ferroelectric layer is controlled by a voltage applied to the gate electrode” containing a recitation with respect to the manner in which a claimed apparatus is intended to be employed. This recitation does not differentiate the claimed apparatus from the prior art apparatus because the apparatus of Wu teaches all the structural limitations of the claim. Ex parte Masham, 2 USPQ2d 1647 (Bd. Pat. App. & Inter. 1987), see MPEP 2114 R-1. Furthermore, FIG. 3 of Wu discloses polarization of the ferroelectric layer is controlled by a voltage applied to the gate electrode.
Regarding Claim 22
Wu discloses the insulating layer includes aluminum oxide (Al2O3), silicon oxide (SiO2), hafnium oxide (HfO2), and hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN).
Claim Rejections – 35 U.S.C. 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.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claim 15 rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lu (U.S. Patent Pub. No. 2024/0006507), in view of Doornbos (U.S. Patent Pub. No. 2021/0376108).
Regarding Claim 15
FIG. 1 of Lu discloses a method for manufacturing a heterojunction structure device, the method comprising: preparing a substrate (1); forming a gate electrode (2) on the substrate; forming a ferroelectric layer (3) including a material having ferroelectric characteristics on the gate electrode [0022]; forming an insulating layer (4) on the ferroelectric layer; forming a channel layer (5) including a material having semiconductor characteristics on the insulating layer; and forming a source electrode (6) and a drain electrode (7) on the channel layer such that the source electrode and the drain electrode are spaced apart from each other.
Lu is silent with respect to “a channel layer including a material having ferroelectric and semiconductor characteristics”.
FIG. 2 of Doornbos discloses a similar method for manufacturing a heterojunction structure device, comprising a channel layer (104) including a material having ferroelectric and semiconductor characteristics [0020].
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing of the claimed invention to modify the device of Lu, as taught by Doornbos. The ordinary artisan would have been motivated to modify Lu in the above manner for purpose of forming a ferroelectric field effect transistor ([0002] of Doornbos).
Claim 15 rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Wang (U.S. Patent Pub. No. 2021/0399137), in view of Houdt (U.S. Patent Pub. No. 2017/0040331).
Regarding Claim 15
FIG. 9 of Wang discloses a method for manufacturing a heterojunction structure device, the method comprising: preparing a substrate (10); forming a gate electrode (58) on the substrate; forming a ferroelectric layer (54) including a material having ferroelectric characteristics on the gate electrode [0046]; forming an insulating layer (52) on the ferroelectric layer; forming a channel layer (30) including a material having semiconductor characteristics on the insulating layer; and forming a source electrode (72) and a drain electrode (78) on the channel layer such that the source electrode and the drain electrode are spaced apart from each other.
Wang is silent with respect to “a channel layer including a material having ferroelectric and semiconductor characteristics”.
FIG. 5 of Houdt discloses a similar method for manufacturing a heterojunction structure device, comprising a channel layer (33) including a material having ferroelectric and semiconductor characteristics [0012].
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing of the claimed invention to modify the device of Wang, as taught by Houdt. The ordinary artisan would have been motivated to modify Wang in the above manner for purpose of improving ferroelectric memory cells ([0014] of Houdt).
Claim 16 rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Wang and Houdt, in view of Dunkel (U.S. Patent Pub. No. 2020/0176456).
Regarding Claim 16
Wang as modified by Houdt discloses Claim 15.
Wang as modified by Houdt is silent with respect to “the ferroelectric layer includes a material having out-of-plane (OOP) polarization characteristics”.
FIG. 1 of Dunkel discloses a similar method for manufacturing a heterojunction structure device, wherein the ferroelectric layer includes a material having out-of-plane (OOP) polarization characteristics [0015].
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing of the claimed invention to modify the device of Wang, as taught by Dunkel. The ordinary artisan would have been motivated to modify Wang in the above manner for purpose of maintaining its logic state even when power is removed ([0002] of Dunkel).
Claim 17 rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Wang (U.S. Patent Pub. No. 2021/0399137), in view of Wang259 (CN 113594259, machine-translation provided).
Regarding Claim 17
Wang as modified by Houdt discloses Claim 15.
Wang as modified by Houdt is silent with respect to “the channel layer includes a material having both out-of-plane (OOP) polarization characteristics and in-plane (IP) polarization characteristics”.
FIG. 5 of Wang259 discloses a similar method for manufacturing a heterojunction structure device, wherein the channel layer includes a material having both out-of-plane (OOP) polarization characteristics and in-plane (IP) polarization characteristics (Abstract).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing of the claimed invention to modify the device of Wang, as taught by Wang259. The ordinary artisan would have been motivated to modify Wang in the above manner for purpose of realizing logic gate operation (Abstract of Wang259).
Pertinent Art
US 20250126823, 20220271046, 20230378350.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to SHENG-BAI ZHU whose telephone number is (571)270-3904. The examiner can normally be reached on 11am – 7pm EST.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Chad Dicke can be reached on (571)270-7996. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/SHENG-BAI ZHU/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2897
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