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)(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.
Claims 1 – 6, 8 – 13, 15 – 17 and 19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Miyairi (US 2016/0233343).
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(Claim 1) Miyairi teaches a semiconductor device (fig. 2 and using fig. 1 for nomenclature) comprising:
a first insulating layer (120);
a semiconductor layer (130);
a gate insulating layer (160);
a gate electrode (170b);
a first electrode (140);
a second electrode (150); and
a first conductive layer (170a or 170a+183),
wherein a side surface of the first insulating layer (120) is over the first electrode (140),
wherein the second electrode (150) is over the first insulating layer (120),
wherein the semiconductor layer (130) is in contact with the first electrode (140), the side surface of the first insulating layer (120), and the second electrode (150),
wherein the gate insulating layer (160) comprises a portion facing the side surface of the first insulating layer (120) with the semiconductor layer (130) interposed between the first insulating layer (120) and the gate insulating layer (160),
wherein the gate electrode (170b) comprises a portion facing the side surface of the first insulating layer (120) with the gate insulating layer (160) and the semiconductor layer (130) interposed between the first insulating layer (120) and the gate electrode (170b),
wherein the first conductive layer (170a/183) is in contact with the gate electrode (170b),
wherein the first conductive layer (170a/183) comprises a portion facing the side surface of the first insulating layer (120) with the gate electrode (170b), the gate insulating layer (160), and the semiconductor layer (130) interposed between the first insulating layer (120) and the first conductive layer (170a/183), and
wherein the first conductive layer (170a/183) comprises a portion thicker than the gate electrode (170b).
(Claim 2) Miyairi teaches a semiconductor device comprising:
a first insulating layer (120);
a semiconductor layer (130);
a gate insulating layer (160);
a gate electrode (170b);
a first electrode (140);
a second electrode (150); and
a first conductive layer (170a/183),
wherein the first insulating layer (120) comprises an opening,
wherein a side surface of the first insulating layer (120) in the opening is over the first electrode (140),
wherein the second electrode (150) is over the first insulating layer (120),
wherein the semiconductor layer (130), the gate insulating layer (160), the gate electrode (170b), and the first conductive layer (170a/183) each comprises a portion inside the opening,
wherein the semiconductor layer (130) is in contact with the first electrode (140), the side surface of the first insulating layer (120), and the second electrode (150),
wherein the gate insulating layer (160) comprises a portion facing the side surface of the first insulating layer (120) with the semiconductor layer (130) interposed between the first insulating layer (120) and the gate insulating layer (160),
wherein the gate electrode (170b) comprises a portion facing the side surface of the first insulating layer (120) with the gate insulating layer (160) and the semiconductor layer (13) interposed between the first insulating layer (120) and the gate electrode (170b),
wherein the first conductive layer (170a/183) is in contact with the gate electrode (170a),
wherein the first conductive layer (170a/183) comprises a portion facing the side surface of the first insulating layer (120) with the gate electrode (170b), the gate insulating layer (160), and the semiconductor layer (130) interposed between the first insulating layer (120) and the first conductive layer (170a/183), and
wherein the first conductive layer (170a/183) comprises a portion thicker than the gate electrode (170b).
(Claim 3) Miyairi teaches a semiconductor device comprising:
a first insulating layer (120);
a semiconductor layer (130);
a gate insulating layer (160);
a gate electrode (170b);
a first electrode (140);
a second electrode (150); and
a first conductive layer (170a/183),
wherein the first insulating layer (120) comprises a slit,
wherein a side surface of the first insulating layer (120) in the slit is over the first electrode (140),
wherein the second electrode (150) is over the first insulating layer (120),
wherein the semiconductor layer (130), the gate insulating layer (160), the gate electrode (170b), and the first conductive layer (170a/183) each comprise a portion inside the slit,
wherein the semiconductor layer (130) is in contact with the first electrode (140), the side surface of the first insulating layer (120), and the second electrode (150),
wherein the gate insulating layer (160) comprises a portion facing the side surface of the first insulating layer (120) with the semiconductor layer (130) interposed between the first insulating layer (120) and the gate insulating layer (160),
wherein the gate electrode (170b) comprises a portion facing the side surface of the first insulating layer (120) with the gate insulating layer (160) and the semiconductor layer (130) interposed between the first insulating layer (120) and the gate electrode (170b),
wherein the first conductive layer (170a/183) is in contact with the gate electrode (170a),
wherein the first conductive layer (170a/183) comprises a portion facing the side surface of the first insulating layer (120) with the gate electrode (170b), the gate insulating layer (160), and the semiconductor layer (130) interposed between the first insulating layer (120) and the first conductive layer (170a/183), and
wherein the first conductive layer (170a/183) comprises a portion thicker than the gate electrode (170b).
(Claim 4) Miyairi teaches the semiconductor device, further comprising a second insulating layer (125),
wherein a top surface of the first conductive layer (170a/183) is level or substantially level with a top surface of the second insulating layer (125).
(Claim 5) Miyairi teaches wherein the semiconductor layer (130) comprises a metal oxide (paragraph 74), and
wherein the first electrode (140) comprises a metal oxide having a composition different from that of the semiconductor layer (paragraph 119).
(Claim 6) Miyairi teaches the semiconductor device, further comprising a second conductive layer (fig. 1 C #181),
wherein the first electrode (140) comprises a portion in contact with a top surface of the second conductive layer (181), and
wherein the second conductive layer (181) comprises a metal or an alloy (paragraph 118).
(Claim 8) Miyairi teaches wherein an angle formed between the side surface of the first insulating layer (120) and a top surface of the first electrode (140) is greater than or equal to 90 degrees and less than or equal to 120 degrees.
(Claim 9) Miyairi teaches wherein the side surface of the first insulating layer (120) comprises an uneven shape (bottom notch).
(Claim 10) Miyairi teaches wherein the semiconductor layer (130) is in contact with a top surface of the second electrode (150),
wherein the semiconductor layer (130) comprises a metal oxide (paragraph 74, 134), and
wherein the second electrode (160) comprises a metal oxide having a composition different from that of the semiconductor layer (paragraph 130).
(Claim 11) Miyairi teaches the semiconductor device, further comprising a third conductive layer (182),
wherein the second electrode (150) comprises a portion (top) in contact with the third conductive layer (182), and
wherein the third conductive layer (182) comprises a metal or an alloy (paragraph 162).
(Claim 12) Miyairi teaches wherein the semiconductor layer (130) comprises a metal oxide (paragraphs 74, 134), and
wherein the first electrode (140) comprises a metal oxide having a composition different from that of the semiconductor layer (paragraph 119).
(Claim 13) Miyairi teaches the semiconductor device, further comprising a second conductive layer (fig. 1C #181),
wherein the first electrode (140) comprises a portion (bottom) in contact with a top surface of the second conductive layer (181), and
wherein the second conductive (181) layer comprises a metal or an alloy (paragraph 118).
(Claim 15) Miyairi teaches wherein the semiconductor layer (130) is in contact with a top surface of the second electrode (150),
wherein the semiconductor layer comprises (130) a metal oxide (paragraphs 74, 134), and
wherein the second electrode (150) comprises a metal oxide (paragraph 130) having a composition different from that of the semiconductor layer.
(Claim 16) Miyairi teaches wherein the semiconductor layer (130) comprises a metal oxide (paragraphs 74, 134), and
wherein the first electrode (140) comprises a metal oxide (paragraph 119) having a composition different from that of the semiconductor layer.
(Claim 17) Miyairi teaches the semiconductor device, further comprising a second conductive layer (fig. 1C #181),
wherein the first electrode (140) comprises a portion (bottom) in contact with a top surface of the second conductive layer (181), and
wherein the second conductive layer (181) comprises a metal or an alloy (paragraph 118).
(Claim 19) Miyairi teaches wherein the semiconductor layer (130) is in contact with a top surface of the second electrode (140),
wherein the semiconductor layer (130) comprises a metal oxide (paragraphs 74, 134), and
wherein the second electrode (150) comprises a metal oxide (paragraph 130) having a composition different from that of the semiconductor layer.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 7, 14 and 18 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.
(Claims 7, 14, 18) wherein a thickness of the second portion is smaller than a thickness of the first portion and a thickness of the third portion.
Conclusion
Prior art made of record and not relied upon, considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure are listed in PTO – 892 Form.
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/IGWE U ANYA/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2891
October 2, 2026
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