DETAILED ACTION
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
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.
Response to Amendment/Restriction
Applicant’s election without traverse of Species III and Claims 1-7 and 10 in the reply filed on August 21, 2026 is acknowledged. Thus, Claims 8-9 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected invention. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on August 21, 2026.
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.
(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.
Claim(s) 1-2, 4-5, 7, and 10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1)(2) as being anticipated by U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2016/0351401 A1 to Ba et al. (“Ba”). As to claim 1, Ba discloses a method for reducing a resistance of a contact, at least comprising: step I, preparing a via (105, ¶ 0038) in a device structure, and fabricating an adhesive layer (2nd Layer) that is in the via (105, ¶ 0038) and attached to an inner wall of the via (105, ¶ 0038); step II, fabricating a metal film (3rd Layer) that is in the via (105, ¶ 0038) and attached to the adhesive layer (2nd Layer), the metal film (3rd Layer) being a tungsten film; and step III, filling the via (105, ¶ 0038) with metal tungsten (4th Layer, 5th Layer) (See Fig. 9, TABLE 4, Claim 1, ¶ 0038, ¶ 0039, ¶ 0041, ¶ 0078, ¶ 0109, ¶ 0110).
As to claim 2, Ba further discloses wherein the adhesive layer (2nd Layer) in step I is a Ti layer, a TiN layer, or a composite layer of a Ti layer and a TiN layer (See TABLE 4).
As to claim 4, Ba further discloses wherein the metal film (3rd Layer) is obtained by means of a reaction with a fluorine-free chemical in step II (See ¶ 0078).
As to claim 5, Ba further discloses wherein the fluorine-free chemical in step II is WCL5 (See ¶ 0078).
As to claim 7, Ba further discloses wherein the via (105, ¶ 0038) is filled with the metal tungsten (4th Layer, 5th Layer) by means of a fluorine-containing reaction in step III (See TABLE 4).
As to claim 10, Ba further discloses wherein the metal tungsten (4th Layer, 5th Layer) is formed by two steps in step III: forming a tungsten layer(4th Layer) attached to the metal film (3rd Layer) by means of a reaction between WF6 and B2H6 or SiH4 in a first step (4th Layer), and forming bulk layer tungsten (5th Layer) by means of a reaction between WF6 and H2 in a second step (5th Layer) (See TABLE 4).
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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
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(s) 3 and 6 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2016/0351401 A1 to Ba et al. (“Ba”) as applied to claims 1 and 5 above, and further in view of U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2020/0258744 A1 to Thareja et al. (“Thareja”). The teaching of Ba has been discussed above. As to claim 3, although Ba discloses the adhesive layer (2nd Layer) of a TiN layer (See TABLE 4), Ba does not further disclose wherein the adhesive layer is fabricated by means of physical vapor deposition in step I. However, Thareja does disclose wherein the adhesive layer (702) of a TiN layer is fabricated by means of physical vapor deposition in step I (See ¶ 0037). In view of the teaching of Thareja, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the teaching of Ba to have wherein the adhesive layer is fabricated by means of physical vapor deposition in step I because physical vapor deposition along with atomic layer deposition and chemical vapor deposition are suitable deposition processes for forming a TiN layer (See ¶ 0037). As to claim 6, although Ba discloses the tungsten film (See TABLE 4), Ba does not further disclose wherein the tungsten film is formed by means of a reaction between WCL5 and hydrogen in step II. However, Thareja does disclose wherein the tungsten film (802) is formed by means of a reaction between WCL5 and hydrogen in step II (See ¶ 0038). In view of the teaching of Thareja, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the teaching of Ba to have wherein the tungsten film is formed by means of a reaction between WCL5 and hydrogen in step II the reaction between WCL5 and hydrogen advantageously minimizes the presence of carbon impurities (See ¶ 0038).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to DAVID CHEN whose telephone number is (571)270-7438. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 12-6.
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/DAVID CHEN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2815
