DETAILED ACTION
Priority Claim
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
IDS
All references provided in the IDS have been considered.
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.
Claims 14-18 are 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 pre-AIA the applicant regards as the invention.
Regarding Independent Claim 14,
Claim 14, line 2-4 and 8-10 recite: ” bit lines disposed on a substrate, each of the bit lines extending primarily in a first direction, and the bit lines being spaced apart from each other in a second direction that is perpendicular to the first direction;” and “first extension portions electrically connected to the first and second transistor, respectively, each of the first extension portions extending primarily in a third direction that is perpendicular to the first and second directions;”, respectively. As written, the first, second, and third directions appear to be interchangeable and in conflict with the specification, ¶ [0063] and drawings (Fig. 3, Fig. 53, and Fig. 54), rendering the claim scope indefinite (for example, in Fig. 54, the bit lines are extending primarily in a first direction, but in order for this to be true, the “D3” direction is to be considered the “first direction”, which is in conflict with ¶ [0063] of the disclosure and introduces ambiguity). The “first” direction is taken to be in the vertical direction extending from the upper planar surface of the substrate, while the second and third directions are taken to be the two horizontal directions sharing an endpoint with the first direction. Appropriate correction is required. Claims 15-18 are rejected by virtue of their dependency on Claim 14.
Claim 14, line 5 recites: “a first transistor, a capacitor, and a second transistor sequentially disposed in the second direction.” It is unclear what is meant by “sequentially disposed”. It has been interpreted to mean that from left to right (or vice versa) on the same planar surface, there is a transistor/capacitor/transistor sequence. Claims 15-18 are rejected by virtue of their dependency on Claim 14.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1-13, 19-20 are allowed.
Re: Independent Claim 1 (and its dependent claim(s) 2-13), the prior art of record do not disclose or suggest, in combination with all other limitations in the claim:
Lee (US 20220199621 A1), the closest prior art of record, discloses:
A semiconductor device, comprising:
first and second bit lines each disposed on a substrate, and the first and second bit lines being spaced apart from each other in a second direction that is parallel to the upper surface of the substrate;
a word line including:
first extension portions disposed between the first and second bit lines, a second extension portion
first and second channels each extending through the first extension portions of the word line; and
a capacitor including:
a first capacitor electrode electrically connected to the first channel;
a dielectric pattern disposed on a surface of the first capacitor electrode; and
a second capacitor electrode disposed on a surface of the dielectric pattern, the second capacitor electrode being electrically connected to the second channel.
Lee and other prior art made of record does not explicitly disclose or suggest:
each of the first and second bit lines extending primarily in a first direction that is perpendicular to an upper surface of the substrate,
each of the first extension portions extending primarily in a third direction that is parallel to the upper surface of the substrate and intersecting the second direction; and
a second extension portion extending primarily in the second direction at a same level as the first extension portions and being connected to the first extension portions.
It would not be obvious to a POSITA to modify the device and specific orientations of the first and second bit lines and the first and second extension portions to make the invention as claimed.
Dependent Claims 2-13 incorporate the allowable subject of Independent Claim 1, and are therefore allowable. Re: Independent Claim 19 (and its dependent Claim 20), independent Claim 19 includes the allowable subject matter that is disclosed in Independent Claim 1, and is therefore allowable.
Claim(s) 14 (and dependent Claims 15-18) would be allowable if rewritten or amended to overcome the rejection under 35 U.S.C 112 (b). No new prior art has been applied to claims 14-20 as best understood.
Re: Independent Claim 14 (and its dependent Claim 15-20), independent Claim 14 includes the allowable subject matter that is disclosed in Independent Claim 1, and may be allowed upon overcoming the 112b rejection.
As allowable subject matter has been indicated, applicant's reply must either comply with all formal requirements or specifically traverse each requirement not complied with. See 37 CFR 1.111(b) and MPEP § 707.07(a).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to NIMARTA KAUR CHOWDHARY whose telephone number is (571)272-7679. The examiner can normally be reached usually Monday - Thursday, 6:45 AM - 4:45 PM (EST).
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/NIMARTA KAUR CHOWDHARY/Examiner, Art Unit 2898
/Leonard Chang/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2898
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