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 .
Election/Restrictions Acknowledged
Applicant’s election without traverse of Species 2 shown in Figs. 6A, 6B, 7A, and 8B in the response to Restriction Requirements filed on 07/28/26 is acknowledged. Applicant amended Claim 14 and stated that Claims 1-20 are read on the elected species. However, elected Species 2 covers structures 600, 650, 700, and 750 shown, respectively in Figs. 6A, 6B, 7A, and 7B, while Claim 1 is read on structures 200 of Fig. 2.
Status of Claims
Claims 1-7 are withdrawn from further consideration as being drawn to a nonelected invention.
Claims 8-20 are examined on merits herein.
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.
Claims 8 - 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hsieh et al. (US 2021/0202310) in view of Lee et al. (US 2019/0244896).
In re Claim 8, Hsieh teaches a semiconductor structure, comprising (Fig. 18):
a conductive structure 262 (paragraph 0056, where 262 belongs to the structure connected to a source/drain 54, paragraph 0012);
a liner layer 248 (paragraph 0053) at least partially surrounding the conductive structure 260;
a barrier layer 240 (paragraph 0052) surrounding the liner layer 248; and
a cap 170 (paragraph 0044) that is under at least one of the liner layer 248 or the barrier layer 240 and that is over a source/drain contact - being a stack of 74 and 160 (number 160 is shown in Fig. 12; paragraphs 0021, 0043, where 160 comprises a contact 150, a liner 148, and a barrier 140, paragraphs 0040, 0038, 0034).
Hsieh does not teach that the cap is created from a graphene – he teaches the cap comprising cobalt, ruthenium or the like (paragraph 0044).
Lee teaches (Fig. 1, paragraph 0035) that a cap layer 36 may comprise, in addition to cobalt and ruthenium, also a graphene.
Hsieh and Lee teach analogous arts directed to a cap layer disposed between a conductive structure and a contact, and one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective date of filing the application would have had a reasonable expectation of success in modifying the Hsieh structure in view of the Lee teaching, since they are from the same field of endeavor, and the structure of Lee successfully operates.
It would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective date of filing the application to substitute the cobalt (or ruthenium) cap layer in the Hsieh structure with the graphene cap layer – per Lee, if such material is preferred for the manufacturer. See MPEP 2144.05 and MPEP 2143 on a Conclusion of Obviousness: KSR Rational (B): Simple Substitution of One Known Element for Another to Obtain Predictable Results.
In re Claim 9, Hsieh/Lee teaches the semiconductor structure of Claim 8 as cited above.
Hsieh teaches that the semiconductor structure further comprising (Fig. 18): a dielectric layer 210 (paragraph 0048) surrounding at least a portion of the barrier layer 240.
In re Claim 10, Hsieh/Lee teaches the semiconductor structure of Claim 8 as cited above and further comprising: a first dielectric layer 110 (Fig. 18, paragraph 0024) surrounding at least a first portion of the source/drain contact 160/74.
In re Claim 11, Hsieh/Lee teaches the semiconductor structure of Claim 10 as cited above and further comprising: a second dielectric layer 78 (Fig. 18, paragraph 0020) surrounding at least a second portion of the source/drain contact 160/74.
In re Claim 12, Hsieh/Lee teaches the semiconductor structure of Claim 11 as cited above and further comprising: an etch stop layer 108 (Fig. 18, paragraph 0023) separating the first dielectric layer 110 and the second dielectric layer 78.
In re Claim 13, Hsieh/Lee teaches the semiconductor structure of Claim 8 as cited above and further comprising: an etch stop layer 208 (Fig. 18, paragraph 0047) surrounding at least one of the graphene cap 170 or a portion of the barrier layer.
In re Claim 14, Hsieh/Lee teaches the semiconductor structure of Claim 8 as cited above and further comprising: a second liner layer 148 (Fig. 12, and as it is explained for Claim 8) at least partially surrounding the source/drain contact – e.g., its portion 150.
In re Claim 15, Hsieh/Lee teaches the semiconductor structure of Claim 14 as cited above, wherein (Fig. 18) the source/drain contact 160/74 resides directly on a source/drain 54 (paragraph 0012).
In re Claim 16, Hsieh teaches a semiconductor structure, comprising (Fig. 18):
a conductive structure 262 (that is connected to a source/drain region 54, paragraphs 0012, 0056);
a source/drain contact 150 connected through 140 and 148 to 74 (see Fig. 12 and paragraphs 0021, 0034, 0038, 0040 for the cited numbers);
a cobalt or ruthenium (or other material) cap 170 (Fig. 18, paragraph 0044) that separates the conductive structure 262 from the source/drain contact; and
a liner layer 148 at least partially surrounding the source/drain contact 150 and in contact with the cap 170.
Hsieh does not teach that the cap is created from a graphene – he teaches the cap comprising cobalt, ruthenium or the like (paragraph 0044).
Lee teaches (Fig. 1, paragraph 0035) that a cap layer 36 may comprise, in addition to cobalt and ruthenium, also a graphene.
It would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective date of filing the application to substitute the cobalt (or ruthenium) cap layer in the Hsieh structure with the graphene cap layer – per Lee, if such material is preferred for the manufacturer. See MPEP 2144.05 and MPEP 2143 on a Conclusion of Obviousness: KSR Rational (B): Simple Substitution of One Known Element for Another to Obtain Predictable Results.
In re Claim 17, Hsieh/Lee teaches the semiconductor structure of Claim 16 as cited above and wherein the liner layer 148 (Fig. 18, see also Fig. 12) is between the source/drain contact – e.g., its upper part 150 - and a source/drain 54.
In re Claim 18, Hsieh/Lee teaches the semiconductor structure of Claim 16 as cited above and further comprising: a barrier layer 140 at least partially surrounding the source/drain contact – its part 150 - and in contact with the graphene (per Lee) cap 170.
In re Claim 19, Hsieh/Lee teaches the semiconductor structure of Claim 18 as cited above, wherein (Figs. 12 and 18) the barrier layer 140 is between the source/drain contact 150 and a source/drain 54.
In re Claim 20, Hsieh/Lee teaches the semiconductor structure of Claim 16 as cited above and further comprising (Fig. 18):
one or more dielectric layers 110 and 78 (paragraphs 0022, 0024) at least partially surrounding at least a portion of the source/drain contact 150 and 74; or
an etch stop layer at least partially surrounding the at least the portion of the source/drain contact.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication should be directed to GALINA G YUSHINA whose telephone number is 571-270-7440. The Examiner can normally be reached between 8 AM - 7 PM Pacific Time (Flexible).
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The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300; a fax phone number of Galina Yushina is 571-270-8440.
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/GALINA G YUSHINA/Primary Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2811, TC 2800,
United States Patent and Trademark Office
E-mail: galina.yushina@USPTO.gov
Phone: 571-270-7440
Date: 07/30/26
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