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 .
DETAILED ACTION
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
1. 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.
2. Claim(s) 1, 3, 9-10, 14-15, is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Tonegawa et al (Pub. No.: US 2016/0064654).
3. Regarding independent claim 1, Tonegawa et al teaches a magnetization rotating element (Fig. 1, or Fig. 16) comprising: a spin-orbit torque wiring (Fig. 1, CF1, or Fig. 16, BF1(CF1), paragraph [0223]-[0224]); and a Fig. 1, MR1, or Fig. 16, MR1 connected to the spin-orbit torque wiring (Fig. 1, CF1, or Fig. 16, BF1(CF1), paragraph [0223]-[0224]), wherein the spin-orbit torque wiring (Fig. 1, CF1, or Fig. 16, BF1(CF1), paragraph [0223]-[0224]) has an amorphous structure (Fig. 1, CF1, Fig. 16, BF1(CF1), paragraph [0218], lines 1-5), and the amorphous structure (Fig. 1, CF1, Fig. 16, BF1(CF1), paragraph [0218], lines 1-5) is made of any of an oxide, a nitride (Fig. 1, CF1, Fig. 16, BF1(CF1), paragraph [0218], lines 1-5), and an oxynitride.
4. Regarding claim 3, Tonegawa et al teaches the spin-orbit torque wiring (Fig. 1, CF1, or Fig. 16, BF1(CF1), paragraph [0223]-[0224]) includes an element including d electrons (paragraph [0084]) or f electrons.
5. Regarding claim 9, Tonegawa et al teaches a first insulation layer that covers side surfaces of the first ferromagnetic layer (Fig. 1, MR1, or Fig. 16, MR1) and the spin-orbit torque wiring (Fig. 1, CF1, or Fig. 16, BF1(CF1), paragraph [0223]-[0224]), wherein the first insulation layer (Fig. 1, IL11) is made of any of an oxide, a nitride, and an oxynitride (Fig. 1, IL11, paragraph [0095], lines 1-6).
6. Regarding claim 10, Tonegawa et al teaches a second insulation layer (Fig. 1, IL11, Fig. 16, IL10) that covers a second surface of the spin-orbit torque wiring (Fig. 1, CF1, or Fig. 16, BF1(CF1), paragraph [0223]-[0224]) on a side opposite to a first surface closer to the first ferromagnetic layer (Fig. 1, MR1, or Fig. 16, MR1), wherein the second insulation layer is made of any of an oxide, a nitride, and an oxynitride (Fig. 1, IL11, paragraph [0095], lines 1-6).
7. Regarding claim 14, Tonegawa et al teaches a magnetoresistive effect element (Fig. 1, or Fig. 16) comprising: the magnetization rotating element (Fig. 1, or Fig. 16) according to a second ferromagnetic layer (Fig. 1, MP1, Fig. 16, MP1); and a nonmagnetic layer (Fig. 1, TB1, Fig. 16, TB1), wherein the nonmagnetic layer (Fig. 1, TB1, Fig. 16, TB1) is interposed between the first ferromagnetic layer (Fig. 1, MR1, or Fig. 16, MR1) and the second ferromagnetic layer (Fig. 1, MP1, Fig. 16, MP1).
8. Regarding claim 15, Tonegawa et al teaches a magnetic memory (Fig. 1) comprising a plurality of magnetoresistive effect elements (Fig. 2, Fig. 3, paragraph [0049]).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
9. 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.
10. Claim(s) 2 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Tonegawa et al (Pub. No.: US 2016/0064654) in view of HARADA (Pub. No.: US 2009/0117271).
11. Regarding claim 2, Tonegawa et al teaches the spin-orbit torque wiring (Fig. 1, CF1, or Fig. 16, BF1(CF1),
Tonegawa et al is silent with respect to a concentration of oxygen or nitrogen contained in the wiring is lower than a concentration of oxygen or nitrogen of a stoichiometric composition determined from cations contained in the wiring.
HARADA teaches a concentration of oxygen or nitrogen contained in the wiring is lower than a concentration of oxygen or nitrogen of a stoichiometric composition determined from cations contained in the wiring (Fig. 4-Fig. 6, paragraph [0042]-[0053]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention to apply the teachings of HARADA to the teaching of Tonegawa et al such that keep a specific resistance would help to reduce the resistance during programming operation.
Allowable Subject Matter
12. Claims 4-8, 11-13 are allowed.
13. With respect to claims 4, there is no teaching, suggestion, or motivation for combination in the prior art to a concentration of oxygen or nitrogen in a first surface of the spin-orbit torque wiring on a side closer to the first ferromagnetic layer is different from a concentration of oxygen or nitrogen in a second surface on a side opposite to the first surface.
14. With respect to dependent claims 5-7, since these claims are depending on claim 4, therefore claims 5-7 are allowable subject matter.
15. With respect to claim 8, there is no teaching, suggestion, or motivation for combination in the prior art to wherein a concentration of oxygen or nitrogen in the spin-orbit torque wiring differs between a center and a side in any in-plane direction.
16. With respect to claims 11, there is no teaching, suggestion, or motivation for combination in the prior art to wherein the second insulation layer includes a metal element included in the spin-orbit torque wiring.
17. With respect to claims 12, there is no teaching, suggestion, or motivation for combination in the prior art to wherein the spin-orbit torque wiring includes a crystallized layer inside.
18. With respect to claims 13, there is no teaching, suggestion, or motivation for combination in the prior art to the crystallized layer contains any one selected from the group consisting of Ta, Al, Mg, Si, Ga, and Ge.
Conclusion
19. The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure, Saito et al (US Patent 11,610,614).
Saito et al (US Patent 11,610,614) shows spin torque layer for ferro-magnetic memory.
20. Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Han Yang whose telephone is (571) 270-3048. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday-Friday 8am-5pm with alternate Friday off. If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Richard Elms can be reached on (571) 272-1869. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is (571) 273-8300.
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HY
03/15/2026
/HAN YANG/
Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2824
Prosecution Insights