Application No.: 17/473,156
`Reply dated February 21, 2024
`Responseto Office Action of November 21, 2023
`
`REMARKS
`
`By way ofthis Reply, claims 1, 5, and 13 have been amended, no claims have been
`
`canceled, and no new claims have been added. Accordingly, claims 1-20 are currently pending
`
`in this application, of which claims 1, 5, and 13 are independent.
`
`Applicant respectfully submits that the above amendments do not add new matterto this
`
`application and are fully supported by the specification. See, for example, Figure 3 of the
`
`drawings, and paragraph 0059of the specification.
`
`In view of the above amendments and the following Remarks, Applicant respectfully
`
`requests reconsideration and timely withdrawal of the pending objections and rejections for the
`
`reasons discussed below.
`
`Indication of Allowable Subject Matter
`
`Applicant appreciates the indication in the Office Action that claims 3, 5, 12, and 19
`
`contain allowable subject matter.
`
`By way ofthis Reply, “objected to” claim 5 has been amendedto include the features of
`
`its base claim 1 (there are no intervening claims), and thus amended independentclaim 5 is
`
`now in allowable form based on the indications made in the Office Action regarding that claim.
`
`Rejections Under 35 U.S.C. §§ 102, 103
`
`Claim 1 stands rejected under 35 U.S.C. § 102(a)(1) as allegedly being anticipated by
`
`U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2019/0319221 applied for by Ohchi, et a/. (“Ohchi’).
`
`Claims 13-16 stand rejected under 35 U.S.C. § 102(a)(1) as allegedly being anticipated by U.S.
`
`Patent Application Publication No. 2009/0315451 applied for by Choi, ef a/. (“Choi”). Claims 2,
`
`4, 6-8 and 11 stand rejected under 35 U.S.C. § 103 as allegedly being unpatentable over Ohchi
`
`--7--
`
`

`

`Application No.: 17/473,156
`Reply dated February 21, 2024
`Responseto Office Action of November 21, 2023
`
`in view of U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2019/0140029 applied for by Kim, etal.
`
`(“Kim”). Claims 9-10 stand rejected under 35 U.S.C. § 103 as allegedly being unpatentable
`
`over Ohchi in view of U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2009/315451 applied for by Choi,
`
`et al. (“Choi”). Claim 17 stands rejected under 35 U.S.C. § 103 as allegedly being unpatentable
`
`over U.S. Choi in view of U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2018/0321764 applied for by
`
`OH, et al. (“OH”). Claim 18 and 20stands rejected under 35 U.S.C. § 103 as allegedly being
`
`unpatentable over U.S. Choi in view of OH and U.S. Patent Application Publication No.
`
`2013/0242372 applied for by Park, et al. (“OH”). Applicant respectfully traverses these
`
`rejections for at least the following reasons.
`
`Claim 1:
`
`Claim 1 now recites, inter alia:
`
`a pad-protecting layer on the contactlayer, the pad-protecting layer exposing a
`
`portion of the contact layer to the outside through a contacthole,
`
`wherein the pad comprises:
`
`a first pad layer connected to a connection wiring throughafirst contact hole; and
`
`a second pad layer spaced apart from the first pad layer and connectedto the
`
`first pad layer through a second contact hole,
`
`wherein a planar shape of the contact hole is arranged inside a planar shape of
`
`the contact layer
`
`In the present invention as exemplified by amended claim 1, the size of the fourth
`
`contact hole in the pad protection layer is smaller than the size of the contact layer, and soit is
`
`arranged inside the planar shape of the contact layer. See, for example, the fourth contact hole
`
`CNT4 as shownin Figure 3 of the drawings. Noneofthe cited art of record discloses, teaches,
`
`or suggests such features as recited in amended claim 1.
`
`--8--
`
`

`

`Application No.: 17/473,156
`Reply dated February 21, 2024
`Responseto Office Action of November 21, 2023
`
`This feature added to claim 1 provides a benefit in preventing the lower layer of the pad
`
`from corroding due to etchant flowing into the side of the contact layer due to the particular
`
`shape recited in amended claim 1.
`
`In other words, the advantageous effect of preventing the
`
`lower layer of the pad from corroding due to etchantflowing is achieved by arranged the pad
`
`protection layer to cover the side of the contact layer, as explained for example in paragraph
`
`0109 of the specification, which is something not attainable by the cited art or record, when
`
`taken as a whole.
`
`Thus, amended claim 1, and all the claims depending therefrom, are patentable over the
`
`cited art of record.
`
`Independent Claim 13:
`
`Claim 13 now recites similar distinguishing features as discussed above regarding
`
`amended claim 1, and thus amended independent claim 13, and all the claims depending
`
`therefrom, are patentable overthe cited art of record
`
`CONCLUSION
`
`A full and complete response has been made to the pending Office Action, and all of the
`
`stated objections and groundsfor rejection have been overcome or rendered moot.
`
`Accordingly, all pending claims are believed to be allowable, and this application is believed to
`
`be in condition for allowance.
`
`--9--
`
`

`

`Application No.: 17/473,156
`Reply dated February 21, 2024
`Responseto Office Action of November 21, 2023
`
`The Examiner is invited to contact Applicant’s undersigned representative at the number
`
`below if it would expedite prosecution. Prompt and favorable consideration of this Reply is
`
`respectfully requested.
`
`Respectfully submitted,
`
`/Phillip J. Articola/
`
`Phillip J. Articola
`Reg. No. 38,819
`
`Date: February 21, 2024
`
`CUSTOMER NUMBER: 58027
`H.C. Park & Associates, PLC
`1894 Preston White Drive
`Reston, VA 20191
`Tel: 703-288-5105
`Fax: 703-288-5139
`HCP/PJA/sj
`
`--10--
`
`

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