Ex Parte Czubatyj et al

Patent Trial and Appeal BoardMar 28, 2014

11518818 (P.T.A.B. Mar. 28, 2014)

UNITED STATES PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE United States Patent and Trademark Office Address: COMMISSIONER FOR PATENTS P.O. Box 1450 Alexandria, Virginia 22313-1450 www.uspto.gov APPLICATION NO. FILING DATE FIRST NAMED INVENTOR ATTORNEY DOCKET NO. CONFIRMATION NO. 11/518,818 09/11/2006 Wolodymyr Czubatyj OVX.0006US (66) 5017 21906 7590 03/28/2014 TROP, PRUNER & HU, P.C. 1616 S. VOSS ROAD, SUITE 750 HOUSTON, TX 77057-2631 EXAMINER HENRY, CALEB E ART UNIT PAPER NUMBER 2894 MAIL DATE DELIVERY MODE 03/28/2014 PAPER 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. PTOL-90A (Rev. 04/07) UNITED STATES PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE _________ BEFORE THE PATENT TRIAL AND APPEAL BOARD __________ Ex parte WOLODYMYR CZUBATYJ, TYLER LOWREY, and SERGEY KOSTYLEV __________ Appeal 2012-001958 Application 11/518,818 Technology Center 2800 ___________ Before ADRIENE LEPIANE HANLON, CATHERINE Q. TIMM, and JAMES C. HOUSEL, Administrative Patent Judges. HANLON, Administrative Patent Judge. DECISION ON APPEAL Appeal Applica A T claims 1 W T chalcog below, i ll. 2-3. T dielectr heater ( C (10). Se 1 1 Appea 2012-0019 tion 11/51 . STAT he Appell -10. We h e AFFIRM he subject enide sem llustrates App embodi he device ic (14), alt 22), a chal laim 1, rep e App. Br . A me l Brief dat 58 8,818 EMENT ants appea ave jurisd . matter on iconductor a device ac ellants’ F ment of a (10) comp ernating la cogenide a roduced b . 7.1 thod comp ed March OF THE C l under 35 iction und appeal is memory d cording to IG. 1 depic chalcogeni rises a sub yers (16a, lloy (18), elow, is d rising: 23, 2011. 2 ASE U.S.C. § er 35 U.S directed to evice. Ap one embo ts a cross de semico strate with 16b) of a and an ele irected to 134 from t .C. § 6(b). a method pellants’ diment of -sectional nductor m a lower e different d ctrode (20 a method o he final rej of making FIG. 1, rep the inven view of an emory dev lectrode ( ielectric m ). Spec. 3 f making ection of a roduced tion. Spec ice. 12), a aterial, a , l. 22-4, l the device . 2, . 24. Appeal Applica le w App. Br T under 3 35 U.S. 35 U.S. B C in one s T materia 2 US 20 3 US 20 4 US 20 2012-0019 tion 11/51 form ast two di formi hile said m form ., Claims A he claims 5 U.S.C. § C. § 103(a C. § 103(a . DISC hen Fig. 2 tep of Che Che cha he Examin ls (22, 30 a 06/009269 06/018904 06/025539 58 8,818 ing a diele fferent die ng an elec aterials a ing a chalc pp’x (em on appeal 102(e) as ) as unpate ) as unpate USSION E, reprodu n’s proces n Fig. 2E nge memo er finds th nd 24, 28 3 A1, pub 5 A1, pub 6 A1, pub ctric on a s lectric ma trode in co re still in ogenide a phasis add stand rejec anticipate ntable ove ntable ove ced below s. Chen ¶ depicts a c ry device at the dev ) in contac lished Ma lished Aug lished Nov 3 ubstrate, s terials in c ntact with contact wi lloy in jux ed). ted as foll d by Chen r Chen in r Chen in , illustrate [0024]. ross-secti in one step ice compr t with one y 4, 2006. ust 24, 20 ember 16 aid dielec ontact with both of s th one ano taposition ows: claim 2; claims 4 view of S view of N s a phase onal view of Chen’ ises two di another (i 06. , 2006. tric forme one anot aid materi ther; and to said ele s 1, 2, 3, , 8, and 10 hum3; and ara.4 change me of a phase s process. fferent die .e., 22 is in d of at her; als ctrode. 5, 7, and 9 under claim 6 un mory devi lectric contact w der ce ith Appeal 2012-001958 Application 11/518,818 4 24 and 30 is in contact with 28), an electrode (44/46), and a chalcogenide alloy (26) in juxtaposition to the electrode. Ans. 5, 11.5 The Appellants do not direct us to any error in the Examiner’s findings. See App. Br. 9. Referring to the second step of the claimed method, the Appellants argue that the formation of voids (42) in the dielectric material “prevents the reference from meeting the claimed limitation of having an electrode in contact with both of the dielectric materials while said materials are still in contact with one another.” App. Br. 9. The Examiner finds that the voids (42) are optional in Chen’s process. For support, the Examiner relies on the last sentence of paragraph [0045] of Chen (i.e., “the sloped sidewalls of first electrode or trench/hole 38 can be used without the use of voids 42, and vice versa”).6 Final 27; Ans. 5. On appeal, the Appellants do not address this portion of paragraph [0045]. See App. Br. 9; Reply Br. 1-2.8 Suffice it to say that the Examiner’s finding is supported by the record. Therefore, the § 102(e) rejection of claims 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, and 9 is sustained. The Appellants do not present separate arguments in support of the patentability of claims 4, 6, 8, and 10. App. Br. 9. Therefore, the § 103(a) rejections of claims 4, 6, 8, and 10 is also sustained. 5 Examiner’s Answer dated June 22, 2011. 6 Chen also discloses that various objectives are achieved “by sloping the sidewalls of the trench/hole in which the first electrode is formed and/or by utilizing voids (air gaps) to thermally insulate each memory cell.” Chen ¶ [0030] (emphasis added). 7 Final Office Action dated June 15, 2010. 8 Reply Brief dated August 10, 2011. Appeal 2012-001958 Application 11/518,818 5 C. DECISION The decision of the Examiner is affirmed. No time period for taking any subsequent action in connection with this appeal may be extended under 37 C.F.R. § 1.136(a)(1). AFFIRMED cdc