PATENT CLAIM ANALYSIS

Application Number: 16029261
Application Type: Utility
Filing Date: 2018-07
Publication Date: 2020-01
Patent Classification: ["438", "430000"]

Abstract:
A semiconductor wafer having a main surface is provided. A first etch resistant mask is provided on the main surface. A first reactive ion etching step that forms a first group of trenches using the first etch resistant mask is performed. Each of the trenches in the first group is covered with a second etch resistant mask after performing the first reactive ion etching step. A second reactive ion etching step that forms a second group of trenches using one or both of the first etch resistant mask and the second etch resistant mask is performed. The trenches in the second group are laterally offset from the trenches in the first group. The first and second reactive ion etching processes are performed such that a depth of the trenches of the first group is substantially equal to a depth of the trenches in the second group.

Claim (Index 16):
A method of forming a semiconductor device, comprising:\n providing a semiconductor wafer comprising a main surface; performing a first reactive ion etching process that forms a first group of trenches extending from the main surface into the semiconductor wafer; performing a second reactive ion etching process after performing the first reactive ion etching process, the second reactive ion etching process forming a second group of trenches, each of the trenches in the second group extending from the main surface into the semiconductor wafer and being laterally offset from the trenches in the first group; covering the main surface of the semiconductor wafer with etch resistant material during both of the first and second reactive ion etching processes such that no more than half of an overall surface area of the main surface is exposed to etchant particles during each of the first and second reactive ion etching processes, and wherein the first and second reactive ion etching processes are performed such that a depth of the trenches of the first group is substantially equal to a depth of the trenches in the second group wherein the first reactive ion etching processes is initiated with portions of the main surface being exposed by a first set of openings in a first etch resistant mask, and wherein the second reactive ion etching processes is initiated with portions of the main surface being exposed by a second set of openings in a second etch resistant mask.

Metadata:
- Claim Count in Document: 9.0
- Percentile: 95.0
- Lexical Diversity: 3.12245
- Patent Class: 438.0
- Transitional Phrase Type: open
- Component Type: 1
- Foreign Priority: False
- Related Applications: ['10419588', '12539930', '11507647', '14050335', '14403550']

Analysis Scores:
- 35 USC 101 Eligibility (BERT): 0.873621677798887
- 35 USC 102 Novelty (BERT): 0.516740921375139
- Combined Prediction Score: 0.8379336021565122
- Mean Citation Score: 292.005328
- Max Citation Score: 327.47623
- Similarity Product: 270.7183441082788

Labels:
- Claim Label 101: 1
- Claim Label 102: 0
- Claim Label 103: 1
- Claim Label 112: 1
- Combined Label: 0
- Label 101 Adjusted: 1

Dataset: test