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`UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
`United States Patent and TrademarkOffice
`Address; COMMISSIONER FOR PATENTS
`P.O. Box 1450
`Alexandria, Virginia 22313-1450
`
`16/751,567
`
`01/24/2020
`
`Amir RAHAFROOZ
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`PIPMM-61603
`
`1504
`
`meseml
`
`ORI
`PEA
`PEARNE & GORDON LLP
`1801 EAST 9TH STREET
`SUITE 1200
`CLEVELAND,OH 44114-3108
`
`ABDELAZIEZ, YASSER A
`
`2898
`
`PAPER NUMBER
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`NOTIFICATION DATE
`
`DELIVERY MODE
`
`09/28/2021
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`ELECTRONIC
`
`Please find below and/or attached an Office communication concerning this application or proceeding.
`
`The time period for reply, if any, is set in the attached communication.
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`Notice of the Office communication was sent electronically on above-indicated "Notification Date" to the
`following e-mail address(es):
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`patdocket@ pearne.com
`
`PTOL-90A (Rev. 04/07)
`
`

`

`Application No.
`Applicant(s)
`16/751,567
`RAHAFROOZetal.
`
`Office Action Summary Art Unit|AIA (FITF) StatusExaminer
`YASSER ABDELAZIEZ
`2898
`Yes
`
`
`
`-- The MAILING DATEofthis communication appears on the cover sheet with the correspondence address --
`Period for Reply
`
`A SHORTENED STATUTORY PERIOD FOR REPLYIS SET TO EXPIRE 3 MONTHS FROM THE MAILING
`DATE OF THIS COMMUNICATION.
`Extensions of time may be available underthe provisions of 37 CFR 1.136(a). In no event, however, may a reply betimely filed after SIX (6) MONTHSfrom the mailing
`date of this communication.
`If NO period for reply is specified above, the maximum statutory period will apply and will expire SIX (6) MONTHSfrom the mailing date of this communication.
`-
`- Failure to reply within the set or extended period for reply will, by statute, cause the application to become ABANDONED (35 U.S.C. § 133}.
`Any reply received by the Office later than three months after the mailing date of this communication, evenif timely filed, may reduce any earned patent term
`adjustment. See 37 CFR 1.704(b).
`
`Status
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`1) Responsive to communication(s) filed on 09/09/2021.
`C} A declaration(s)/affidavit(s) under 37 CFR 1.130(b) was/werefiled on
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`2a)L) This action is FINAL. 2b)¥)This action is non-final.
`3)02 An election was madeby the applicant in responseto a restriction requirement set forth during the interview
`on
`; the restriction requirement and election have been incorporated into this action.
`4\0) Since this application is in condition for allowance except for formal matters, prosecution as to the merits is
`closed in accordance with the practice under Exparte Quayle, 1935 C.D. 11, 453 O.G. 213.
`
`
`
`Disposition of Claims*
`1-19 is/are pending in the application.
`)
`Claim(s)
`5a) Of the above claim(s) 1-10 is/are withdrawn from consideration.
`1) Claim(s)__ is/are allowed.
`Claim(s) 11-12 and 15 is/are rejected.
`)
`Claim(s) 13-14 and 16-19 is/are objected to.
`O Claim(s
`are subject to restriction and/or election requirement
`)
`“ If any claims have been determined allowable, you maybeeligible to benefit from the Patent Prosecution Highway program at a
`participating intellectual property office for the corresponding application. For more information, please see
`http:/Awww.uspto.gov/patents/init_events/pph/index.jsp or send an inquiry to PPHfeedback@uspto.gov.
`
`Application Papers
`10)C) The specification is objected to by the Examiner.
`11)) The drawing(s) filed on 01/24/2020 is/are: a) accepted or b)C) objected to by the Examiner.
`Applicant may not request that any objection to the drawing(s) be held in abeyance. See 37 CFR 1.85(a).
`Replacement drawing sheet(s) including the correction is required if the drawing(s) is objected to. See 37 CFR 1.121 (d).
`
`Priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119
`12)() Acknowledgment is made of a claim for foreign priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119(a)-(d) or (f).
`Certified copies:
`—_c)LJ None ofthe:
`b)LJ Some**
`a)L) All
`1.2 Certified copies of the priority documents have been received.
`2.1) Certified copies of the priority documents have been received in Application No.
`3.2.) Copies of the certified copies of the priority documents have been receivedin this National Stage
`application from the International Bureau (PCT Rule 17.2(a)).
`* See the attached detailed Office action for a list of the certified copies not received.
`
`Attachment(s)
`
`1)
`
`Notice of References Cited (PTO-892)
`
`Information Disclosure Statement(s) (PTO/SB/08a and/or PTO/SB/08b)
`2)
`Paper No(s)/Mail Date 01/24/2020,05/18/2021.
`U.S. Patent and Trademark Office
`
`3) (J Interview Summary (PTO-413)
`Paper No(s)/Mail Date
`(Qj Other:
`
`4)
`
`PTOL-326 (Rev. 11-13)
`
`Office Action Summary
`
`Part of Paper No./Mail Date 20210923
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 16/751 ,567
`Art Unit: 2898
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`Page 2
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`DETAILED ACTION
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`Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
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`The presentapplication, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined underthefirst inventorto file
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`provisions of the AIA.
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`Election/Restrictions
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`Applicant election of group Il, Claims 11-19, without traverse,
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`is acknowledged.
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`Claims 1-10 are withdrawn from consideration. Accordingly, Claims 1-10 are withdrawn.
`
`Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
`
`The following is a quotation of the appropriate paragraphs of 35 U.S.C. 102 that
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`form the basis for the rejections under this section made in this Office action:
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`A person shall be entitled to a patent unless —
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`(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.
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`Claim(s) 11, 12 and 15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being
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`anticipated by Joshi et al. (US 2017/0271446),
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`( hereinafter, Joshi).
`
`NG OC
`*
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`

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`Application/Control Number: 16/751 ,567
`Art Unit: 2898
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`Page 3
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`RE Claim 11, Joshi discloses in FIG. 5C a semiconductor device comprising:
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`a handle substrate 100a;
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`a first semiconductor substrate provided on the handle substrate 100a, referring to
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`FIG. 5C marking above, the first semiconductor substrate 130 havingafirst-type portion
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`and a second-type portion that are stacked and interface with each other to formafirst
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`substrate p-n junction 120/130 pn1; and
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`a second semiconductor substrate 130 provided on the handle substrate 100a, the
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`second semiconductor substrate having anotherfirst-type portion and another second-
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`type portion that are stacked and interface with each other to form a second substrate p-
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`n junction 120/130 pn1,
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`wherein the first-type portions of the first semiconductor substrate 130 and second
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`semiconductor substrate 130 each correspond to one of a p-type portion and a n-type
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`portion, and the second-type portions of the first semiconductor substrate and second
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`semiconductor substrate each correspond to the other of the p-type portion and n-type
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`portion, and
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`wherein the first semiconductor substrate and the second semiconductor substrate
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`are spaced apart by a trench 370, referring to FIG. 5C.
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`It is the examiner position that the
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`first and second portion of the substrate 130 separated by the trench 370 represents the
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`first and second substrates, since the claim does not distinguish whether or not the first
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`and second substrates are formed form one substrate or from twodifferent substrates,
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`hence meeting the claimedlimitation
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`

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`Application/Control Number: 16/751 ,567
`Art Unit: 2898
`
`Page 4
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`RE Claim 12, Joshi discloses a semiconductor device, wherein the first
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`semiconductor substrate and the second semiconductor substrate each comprisessilicon
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`[0046].
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`RE Claim 15, Joshi discloses a semiconductor device, wherein the first-type
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`portions of the first semiconductor substrate and second semiconductor substrate have
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`the substantially same doping level,
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`and the second-type
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`portions
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`of
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`the first
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`semiconductor substrate and second semiconductor substrate have the substantially
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`same doping level, referring to FIG. 3A [0092-0094].
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`It is the examiner position that the
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`limitation is met, since the pn1 and pn2 junctions are formed of the same layer, hence
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`implicitly mean that the the first-type portions of the first semiconductor substrate and
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`second semiconductor substrate have the substantially same doping level, and the
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`second-type portions of the first semiconductor substrate and second semiconductor
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`substrate have the substantially same doping level, hence meeting the claimed limition.
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`Allowable Subject Matter
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`Claims 13, 14 and 16-19 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base
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`claim, but would be allowable if
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`rewritten in independent
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`form including all of
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`the
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`limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
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`In the instant case, Kautzsch et al. (US 2012/0161254) discloses a method for
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`providing a semiconductor structure includes forming a sacrificial structure by etching a
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`plurality of trenches fromafirst main surface of a substrate. The method further includes
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`covering the plurality of trenches at the first main surface with a cover material to define
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`cavities within the substrate, removing a part of the substrate from a second main surface
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`

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`Application/Control Number: 16/751 ,567
`Art Unit: 2898
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`Page 5
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`opposite to the first main surface to a depth at which the plurality of trenches are present,
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`and etching away the sacrificial structure from the second main surface of the substrate.
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`Examiner notesthat a first and second regions of a substrate 602 each comprising a PN
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`stacked layers 632/634, referring to FIG. 6, wherein the first region and second region of
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`the substrate 602 are separated by trench, referring to FIG.6D.
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`Conclusion
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`Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the
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`examiner should be directed to YASSER ABDELAZIEZ whose telephone numberis
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`(571)270-5783. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday - Friday 9 am - 6 pm.
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`Examiner and_videointerviews are available via telephone, in-person,
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`conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an
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`interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request(AIR)
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`If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner's
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`supervisor, Julio Maldonado can be reached on (571)272-1864. The fax phone number
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`for the organization wherethis application or proceeding is assignedis 571-273-8300.
`
`Information regarding the status of an application may be obtained from the Patent
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`

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`Application/Control Number: 16/751 ,567
`Art Unit: 2898
`
`Page 6
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`(EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free).
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`If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer
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`
`Yasser Abdelaziez, PhD
`
`/YASSER A ABDELAZIE Z/
`Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2898
`
`