DETAILED ACTION
As per MPEP 2111 and 2111.01, the claims are given their broadest reasonable interpretation and the words of the claims are given their plain meaning consistent with the specification without importing claim limitations from the specification.
In responding to this Office action, the applicant is requested to include specific references (figures, paragraphs, lines, etc.) to the drawings/specification of the present application and/or the cited prior arts that clearly support any amendments/arguments presented in the response, to facilitate consideration of the amendments/arguments.
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 .
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Should applicant desire to obtain the benefit of foreign priority under 35 U.S.C. 119(a)-(d) prior to declaration of an interference, a certified English translation of the foreign application must be submitted in reply to this action. 37 CFR 41.154(b) and 41.202(e). Failure to provide a certified translation may result in no benefit being accorded for the non-English application.
Specification
The following title is suggested: --MAGNETIC MEMORY DEVICE WITH PLATINIUM METAL LAYERS--
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, 3-5, 7, 8 , 10, and 11 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Gosavi, US 20190305212 A1.
As to claim 1, Gosavi discloses a magnetic memory device (see Fig 2a) comprising:
a conductive line (see Fig 2a Refs 223a and 222) on a substrate (see Fig 10A Ref 1001), the conductive line comprising first metal layers (see Fig 7D Ref 722a) and second metal layers (see Fig 7D Ref 722b) alternately stacked in a direction perpendicular (see Fig 7D Ref Z) to an upper surface of the substrate (see Fig 10A Ref 1001); and a magnetic tunnel junction pattern (see Fig 7D Ref 721 and SFA) on the conductive line, wherein
the first metal layers comprise platinum (see Para [0115]), wherein
the second metal layers comprise a first metal element (see Para [0115]) and a second metal element (see Para [0115]), and wherein
the first metal element is platinum and the second metal element is a metal element different than platinum (see Para [0115]).
As to claim 3, Gosavi discloses the magnetic memory device of claim 1, wherein
the conductive line is configured to apply a spin-orbit torque to the magnetic tunnel junction pattern (see Para [0066]).
As to claim 4, Gosavi discloses the magnetic memory device of claim 1, wherein
the magnetic tunnel junction pattern comprises: a free magnetic pattern, a pinned magnetic pattern, and a tunnel barrier pattern between the free magnetic pattern and the pinned magnetic pattern (see Fig 7D Refs 721aa, 421c, and 221b), and wherein
an uppermost first metal layer among the first metal layers and the free magnetic pattern are in contact with each other (see Fig 7D Ref 725; Contact does not imply direct contact.).
As to claim 5, Gosavi discloses the magnetic memory device of claim 1, wherein
the conductive line comprises a magnetic metal element (see Para [0115]).
As to claim 7, Gosavi discloses the magnetic memory device of claim 1, wherein
the second metal element is a magnetic metal element (see Para [0115]).
As to claim 8, Gosavi discloses the magnetic memory device of claim 1, wherein
the second metal element comprises at least one of nickel, palladium, manganese, or gold (see Para [0115]).
As to claim 10, Gosavi discloses the magnetic memory device of claim 1, further comprising
an interlayer insulating layer (see Fig 10A Ref 1024) on the substrate, wherein the interlayer insulating layer is provided on an upper surface of the conductive line and the magnetic tunnel junction pattern (see Fig 10A Ref 1024).
As to claim 11, Gosavi discloses the magnetic memory device of claim 1, wherein
a vertical thickness of the conductive line is 20 nm to 50 nm (see Para [0115] and Fig 7D Refs ta and tb; The number of disclosed layers sums to the claimed thicknesses.).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 of this title, 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.
Claim(s) 2 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Gosavi, US 20190305212 A1, in view of Song, US 20250127063 A1.
As to claim 2, Gosavi discloses the magnetic memory device of claim 1, wherein
a first vertical thickness of each of the first metal layers and a second vertical thickness of each of the second metal layers are the same.
Gosavi does not appear to explicitly disclose are different from each other.
Song discloses are different from each other (see Song Fig 2 Refs 112 and 114 and Para [0031]).
It would have been obvious to one skilled in the art at the time of the effective filing of the invention that a device, as disclosed by Gosavi, may implement a particular SHE layer, as disclosed by Song. The inventions are well known variants of spin orbit torque devices and the combination of known inventions which produces predictable results. Further evidence to the obviousness of their combination is Song’s attempt to engineer switching efficiency (see Song Para [0033]).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 12-20 are allowed.
Claim(s) 6 and 9 is/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.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
The prior art does not appear to disclose (as recited in claim 9):
each of the second metal layers comprises second monomolecular layers including the first metal element and the second metal element.
The prior art does not appear to disclose (as recited in claim 12):
a magnetic tunnel junction pattern on the conductive line, wherein the first metal layers comprise platinum (Pt), and wherein the second metal layers comprise platinum and nickel (PtNi).
The prior art does not appear to disclose (as recited in claim 17):
the first metal layers comprise platinum (Pt), wherein the second metal layers comprise platinum and nickel (PtNi), and wherein an uppermost first metal layer among the first metal layers is in contact with the free magnetic pattern.
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.
Yamada, US 20220165934 A1 discloses a conductive line.
Manipatruni, US 20200083286 A1 discloses the first metal element is platinum and the second metal element is a metal element different than platinum.
Lin, US 20200075670 A1 discloses a conductive line.
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/JEROME LEBOEUF/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2824 - 03/25/2026