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)(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) 1-6, 8-10, and 12 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Buzi et al. (US 20240099163 A1, hereinafter Buzi)
With regards to claim 1, Buzi discloses a method of manufacturing an electronic component (FIGS. 1-5) comprising a step a) of etching at least a first layer made of a material (phase change material 314) containing germanium and comprising one element amongst oxygen, sulfur, selenium and tellurium (at least GeTe, see Paragraph [0045]) followed, without bringing back into contact with oxygen, by a step b) of treating the etched flanks of the first layer with a hydrogen plasma. (Paragraph [0055]: “Advantageously, the hydrogen-containing plasma treatment serves to reduce the damage on the patterned phase change material 314′ and OTS 310′ and remove the residue. Further, as highlighted above, formation of the carbon and oxygen-containing passivation layer 502 uses oxygen that is already bound to the phase change material 314′ and OTS 310′ sidewalls. Thus, formation of the carbon and oxygen-containing passivation layer 502 can reduce or even eliminate oxidation of the phase change material 314′ and OTS 310′.”)
With regards to claim 2, Buzi discloses the method according to claim 1, wherein the first layer is a chalcogenide material. (chalcogenide with tellurium, see Paragraph [0045])
With regards to claim 3 , Buzi discloses the method according to claim 1, wherein the first layer is located in a stack comprising a conductive layer (top electrode 318) and a resistive element (buffer 316) surrounded by an insulating layer , the first layer being in contact through a first face with the conductive layer and, through a second face, opposite the first face, with the resistive element . (See FIG. 5)
With regards to claim 4, Buzi discloses the method according to claim 1, wherein the first layer is made of a phase change material. (phase change material with tellurium, see Paragraph [0045])
With regards to claim 5, Buzi discloses the method according to claim 3, wherein the stack includes a second layer made of an ovonic threshold switching material (OTS ovonic material 310) and another conductive layer, the second conductive layer being in contact through a first face with the conductive layer and, through a second face, opposite the first face, with the other conductive layer. (See FIG. 5)
With regards to claim 6, Buzi discloses the method according to claim 1, wherein the first layer is made of a threshold switching material. (chalcogenide with tellurium, see Paragraph [0045])
With regards to claim 8, Buzi discloses the method according to claim 1, wherein the first layer contains tellurium. (chalcogenide with tellurium, see Paragraph [0045])
With regards to claim 9, Buzi discloses the method according to claim 8, wherein the first layer consists of an alloy containing germanium, tellurium and antimony.
With regards to claim 10, Buzi discloses the method according to claim 1, wherein the first layer is a layer containing selenium, for example containing antimony, selenium and germanium. (Paragraph [0022]: “Chalcogenide elements are those elements in Group 16 of the periodic table, e.g., sulfur (S), selenium (Se) and/or tellurium (Te).)
With regards to claim 12, Buzi discloses the method according to claim 1, wherein the plasma includes molecular hydrogen or ammonia, the flow of each gas in the plasma being comprised between 25 cm3/min and 500 cm3/min. (Paragraph [0057]: “with an H.sub.2 flow rate of from about 25 standard cubic centimeters per minute (sccm) to about 50 sccm”)
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 7, 11, and 13-15 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.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Zhou et al. (US 20230107182 A1) – phase change material device
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/STEVEN M PAGE/Primary Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2812
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