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 .
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of papers submitted under 35 U.S.C. 119(a)-(d), which papers have been placed of record in the file.
Specification
The specification has not been checked to the extent necessary to determine the presence of all possible minor errors. Applicant's cooperation is requested in correcting any errors of which applicant may become aware in the specification.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 08/06/2024 is being considered by the examiner.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of the first paragraph of 35 U.S.C. 112(a):
(a) IN GENERAL.—The specification shall contain a written description of the invention, and of the manner and process of making and using it, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and use the same, and shall set forth the best mode contemplated by the inventor or joint inventor of carrying out the invention.
The following is a quotation of the first paragraph of pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112:
The specification shall contain a written description of the invention, and of the manner and process of making and using it, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and use the same, and shall set forth the best mode contemplated by the inventor of carrying out his invention.
Claim1-10 rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(a) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), first paragraph, as failing to comply with the enablement requirement. The claim(s) contains subject matter which was not described in the specification in such a way as to enable one skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and/or use the invention.
Regarding claim 1, the phrase " wherein the first channel pattern is spaced apart from the first channel pattern in the second direction;" is not described in the specification in such a way as to enable one skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and/or use the invention.
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Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 1-10 rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Regarding claim 1, the phrase " wherein the first channel pattern is spaced apart from the first channel pattern in the second direction;" renders the claim indefinite because the first channel pattern cannot be spaced apart from the same first channel pattern in a second direction. Appropriate correction is needed.
Allowable Subject Matter
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601
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Claim11-20 is allowed.
The following is an examiner's statement of reasons for allowance: The closest prior art of record of IM (US 20230413573 A1) ( see fig.17 above) teaches the limitation of " A semiconductor memory device comprising: a peripheral circuit substrate; a peripheral circuit element on the peripheral circuit substrate; a peripheral circuit wiring structure on the peripheral circuit substrate and connected to the peripheral circuit element; a bit line on the peripheral circuit wiring structure, but it does not teach or suggest, singularly or in combination, at least the limitations of the independent claim 11 including “a bit line on the peripheral circuit wiring structure and including an upper surface and a bottom surface opposite to each other in a first direction, wherein the bit line extends in a second direction and the bottom surface of the bit line faces the peripheral circuit substrate; a first channel pattern on the upper surface of the bit line; a second channel pattern on the upper surface of the bit line and spaced apart from the first channel pattern in the second direction; a first word line between the first channel pattern and the second channel pattern and extending in a third direction; a second word line between the first channel pattern and the second channel pattern, extending in the third direction, and spaced apart from the first word line in the second direction; a first capacitor and a second capacitor respectively on the first channel pattern and the second channel pattern, and each of the first capacitor and the second capacitor respectively connected to the first channel pattern and the second channel pattern; an upper bonding pad on the bottom surface of the bit line and connected to the bit line; a first lower bonding pad between the upper bonding pad and the peripheral circuit wiring structure and connected to the peripheral circuit wiring structure, wherein the first lower bonding pad is in contact with the upper bonding pad; and a second lower bonding pad spaced apart from the first lower bonding pad in the second direction, and connected to the peripheral circuit wiring structure, wherein the second lower bonding pad is not in contact with the upper bonding pad.”
it does not teach or suggest, singularly or in combination, at least the limitations of the independent claim 17 including “a bit line on the first and second lower bonding pads, the bit line including an upper surface and a bottom surface opposite to each other in a first direction, wherein the bit line extends in a second direction, and the bottom surface of the bit line faces the peripheral circuit substrate; a first channel pattern on the upper surface of the bit line and including a metal oxide; a second channel pattern disposed on the upper surface of the bit line and including the metal oxide, wherein the second channel pattern is spaced apart from the first channel pattern in the second direction; a first word line between the first channel pattern and the second channel pattern and extending in a third direction; a second word line between the first channel pattern and the second channel pattern, extending in the third direction, and spaced apart from the first word line in the second direction; a first capacitor and a second capacitor respectively on the first channel pattern and the second channel pattern, and each of the first capacitor and the second capacitor respectively connected to the first channel pattern and the second channel pattern; a cell circuit wiring structure on the bottom surface of the bit line and connected to the bit line; an upper bonding pad between the cell circuit wiring structure and the first lower bonding pad, wherein the upper bonding pad is in contact with the first lower bonding pad; an upper wiring structure connected to the first capacitor and the second capacitor; and a contact via spaced apart from the bit line in the second direction and connecting the upper wiring structure and the second lower bonding pad to each other, wherein the upper bonding pad is not in contact with the second lower bonding pad.”
Because no reference alone, nor is there any motivation to combine the details over the prior art to create such limitations in these independent claims, the claims are deemed patentable over the prior art.Claims 12-16,18-20 are also allowed as being directly or indirectly dependent of the allowed base claim(s).
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. See PTO 892.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MAMADOU L DIALLO whose telephone number is (571)270-5449. The examiner can normally be reached M-F: 9:00AM-5PM.
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/MAMADOU L DIALLO/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2897
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