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.
Claim(s) 1-18 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Lee et al. (US PGPub 2020/0219891; hereinafter “Lee”).
Re claim 1: Lee teaches (e.g. figs. 12 and 8) a capacitor structure, comprising: a contact layer (first planar portion 1381 of first electrode 138; e.g. paragraph 21) having first (portion of 1381 under 1281; hereinafter “1P”), second (portion of 1381 between 1281 and 1282; hereinafter “2P”), third (portion of 1381 under 1282; hereinafter “3P”), fourth (portion of 1381 between 1282 and 1283; hereinafter “4P”) and fifth (portion of 1381 under 1283; hereinafter “5P”) portions arranged from periphery to center; an insulating layer (insulating layer 116; e.g. paragraph 12) disposed over the contact layer (1381) and having an opening (opening in 116; hereinafter “O”) exposing the contact layer (1381); a bottom conductive plate (vertical metal layers 1281, 1282, 1283; e.g. paragraph 15; hereinafter “BCP”) disposed in the opening (O), wherein the bottom conductive plate (BCP) comprises first (1281), second (1282) and third (1283) portions extending along a depth direction of the opening (O), the first (1281), second (1282) and third (1283) portions of the bottom conductive plate (BCP) separate from each other and are in contact with the first (1P), third (3P) and fifth (5P) portions of the contact layer (1381), respectively, the first portion (1281) of the bottom conductive plate (BCP) surrounds (see fig. 8) the second portion (1282) of the bottom conductive plate (BCP), and the second portion (1282) of the bottom conductive plate (BCP) surrounds the third portion (1283) of the bottom conductive plate (BCP); a dielectric layer (dielectric layer 132; e.g. paragraph 18) conformally disposed on the bottom conductive plate (BCP) and in contact with the second (2P) and fourth (4P) portions of the contact layer (1381); and a top conductive plate (second electrode 140; e.g. paragraph 19) on the dielectric layer (132).
Re claim 2: Lee teaches the capacitor structure of claim 1, wherein the dielectric layer (132) is in contact with upper surfaces and side surfaces of the first (1281), second (1282) and third (1283) portions of the bottom conductive plate (BCP).
Re claim 3: Lee teaches the capacitor structure of claim 1, wherein the top conductive plate (140) comprises first (portion of 1402 between 1281 and 1282; hereinafter “1PE”) and second (portion of 1402 between 1282 and 1283; hereinafter “2PE”) portions extending along the depth direction of the opening (O) and toward the second (2P) and fourth (4P) portions of the contact layer (1381), respectively.
Re claim 4: Lee teaches the capacitor structure of claim 1, wherein the third portion (1283) of the bottom conductive plate (BCP) has a height (there exists a height within 1283 that is greater than another height which exists within 1282) greater than a height of the second portion (1282) of the bottom conductive plate (BCP).
Re claim 5: Lee teaches the capacitor structure of claim 1, wherein the second portion (1282) of the bottom conductive plate (BCP) has a height (there exists a height within 1282 that is greater than another height which exists within 1281) greater than a height of the first portion (1281) of the bottom conductive plate (BCP).
Re claim 6: Lee teaches the capacitor structure of claim 1, wherein the third portion (1283) of the bottom conductive plate (BCP) has a height substantially equal to a height of the top conductive plate (140).
Re claim 7: Lee teaches the capacitor structure of claim 1, further comprising: a conductive layer (152) over the top conductive plate (140), wherein the dielectric layer (132) on the third portion (1283) of the bottom conductive plate (BCP) is embedded in the conductive layer (140).
Re claim 8: Lee teaches the capacitor structure of claim 7, wherein the conductive layer (152) comprises a semiconductor layer (polysilicon contacts are known for use in interconnect structures) and a metal-containing layer (silicides on polysilicon interconnect lines are known) on the semiconductor layer, and the dielectric layer (132) on the third portion (1283) of the bottom conductive plate (BCP) is embedded in the semiconductor layer.
Re claim 9: Lee teaches the capacitor structure of claim 1, wherein the dielectric layer (132) is wave-shaped in cross-section.
Re claim 10: Lee teaches (e.g. figs. 12 and 8) a capacitor structure (capacitor unit 142; e.g. paragraph 24), comprising: a contact layer (first planar portion 1381 of first electrode 138; e.g. paragraph 21) having first(portion of 1381 under 1281; hereinafter “1P”), second (portion of 1381 between 1281 and 1282; hereinafter “2P”), third (portion of 1381 under 1282; hereinafter “3P”), fourth (portion of 1381 between 1282 and 1283; hereinafter “4P”) and fifth (portion of 1381 under 1283; hereinafter “5P”) portions arranged from periphery to center; an insulating layer (insulating layer 116; e.g. paragraph 12) disposed over the contact layer (1381) and having an opening (opening in 116; hereinafter “O”) exposing the contact layer (1381); a bottom conductive plate (vertical metal layers 1281, 1282, 1283; e.g. paragraph 15; hereinafter “BCP”) disposed in the opening (O), wherein the bottom conductive plate (BCP) comprises first(1281), second (1282) and third (1283) portions extending along a depth direction of the opening (O), the first(1281), second (1282) and third (1283) portions of the bottom conductive plate (BCP) separate from each other and are in contact with the first(1P), third (3P) and fifth (5P) portions of the contact layer (1381), respectively, and a surface of the first portion (1281) of the bottom conductive plate (BCP) in a top view is circular or elliptical (fig. 8); a dielectric layer (dielectric layer 132; e.g. paragraph 18) conformally disposed on the bottom conductive plate (BCP) and in contact with the second (2P) and fourth (4P) portions of the contact layer (1381); and a top conductive plate (second electrode 140; e.g. paragraph 19) on the dielectric layer (132).
Re claim 11: Lee teaches the capacitor structure of claim 10, wherein the dielectric layer (132) is in contact with upper surfaces and side surfaces of the first (1281), second (1282) and third (1283) portions of the bottom conductive plate (BCP).
Re claim 12: Lee teaches the capacitor structure of claim 10, wherein the top conductive plate (140) comprises first (portion of 1402 between 1281 and 1282; hereinafter “1PE”) and second (portion of 1402 between 1282 and 1283; hereinafter “2PE”) portions extending along the depth direction of the opening (O) and toward the second (2P) and fourth (4P) portions of the contact layer (1381), respectively.
Re claim 13: Lee teaches the capacitor structure of claim 10, wherein the third portion (1283) of the bottom conductive plate (BCP) has a height (there exists a height within 1283 that is greater than another height which exists within 1282) greater than a height of the second portion (1282) of the bottom conductive plate (BCP).
Re claim 14: Lee teaches the capacitor structure of claim 10, wherein the second portion (1282) of the bottom conductive plate (BCP) has a height (there exists a height within 1282 that is greater than another height which exists within 1281) greater than a height of the first portion (1281) of the bottom conductive plate (BCP).
Re claim 15: Lee teaches the capacitor structure of claim 10, wherein the third portion (1283) of the bottom conductive plate (BCP) has a height substantially equal to a height of the top conductive plate (140).
Re claim 16: Lee teaches the capacitor structure of claim 10, further comprising: a conductive layer (152) over the top conductive plate (140), wherein the dielectric layer (132) on the third portion (1283) of the bottom conductive plate (BCP) is embedded in the conductive layer (140).
Re claim 17: Lee teaches the capacitor structure of claim 16, wherein the conductive layer (152) comprises a semiconductor layer (polysilicon contacts are known for use in interconnect structures) and a metal-containing layer (silicides on polysilicon interconnect lines are known) on the semiconductor layer, and the dielectric layer (132) on the third portion (1283) of the bottom conductive plate (BCP) is embedded in the semiconductor layer.
Re claim 18: Lee teaches the capacitor structure of claim 10, wherein the dielectric layer (132) is wave-shaped in cross-section.
Conclusion
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/JESSE Y MIYOSHI/
Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2898
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