Prior art — US Patent 11581322

The provided patent text for US11581322B2 does not contain a distinct "References Cited" section listing unrelated prior art patents. Instead, it includes a "CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS" section, which details the direct antecedents in the patent's priority chain. These related applications, while not "prior art" in the conventional sense of independent inventions, are critically relevant to the patent's prosecution and validity, as they establish the priority date for the claimed subject matter.

Below are the details of the related applications cited within US11581322B2, interpreted as the "most relevant prior art" citations in the context of documents cited directly by the patent itself.

US Patent 11581322: Three-dimensional memory devices having through array contacts and methods for forming the same

Filing Date: 2020-11-21 (for US application Ser. No. 17/100,847, which led to US11581322B2)
Publication Date: 2023-02-14

Cited Related Applications:

1. U.S. application Ser. No. 16/745,342

Full Citation: U.S. application Ser. No. 16/745,342, filed on January 17, 2020, entitled "THREE-DIMENSIONAL MEMORY DEVICES HAVING THROUGH ARRAY CONTACTS AND METHODS FOR FORMING THE SAME".
Publication/Filing Date: January 17, 2020
Brief Description: This is a divisional application in the patent family leading to US11581322B2. It describes three-dimensional (3D) memory devices that feature through array contacts (TACs) and methods for their fabrication. The invention aims to enhance memory cell density and reduce manufacturing costs by developing TACs that are not enclosed by traditional barrier structures.
Potential Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102): As a direct parent application to US11581322B2 (which is a divisional of this application), its disclosure generally serves to establish priority for the claims of US11581322B2. Therefore, if the claims of US11581322B2 are fully supported by the disclosure of U.S. application Ser. No. 16/745,342 and are entitled to its filing date, this application would not typically act as anticipating prior art under 35 U.S.C. § 102 against those claims. However, if any claims in US11581322B2 were determined not to be entitled to the priority date of U.S. application Ser. No. 16/745,342, and if this application was published before the effective filing date of those particular claims, then its disclosures could potentially anticipate those specific claims under 35 U.S.C. § 102.

2. U.S. application Ser. No. 16/149,103

Full Citation: U.S. application Ser. No. 16/149,103, filed on October 1, 2018, entitled "THREE-DIMENSIONAL MEMORY DEVICES HAVING THROUGH ARRAY CONTACTS AND METHODS FOR FORMING THE SAME".
Publication/Filing Date: October 1, 2018
Brief Description: This application is a divisional of International Application No. PCT/CN2018/101482 and a grandparent application in the priority chain for US11581322B2. It discloses 3D memory devices with through array contacts (TACs) and associated fabrication methods, focusing on similar objectives as its progeny: increasing memory density and simplifying manufacturing processes by eliminating barrier structures.
Potential Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102): Similar to the above, as an earlier application in the priority chain for US11581322B2, its disclosure typically establishes the priority date for the claimed subject matter. If the claims of US11581322B2 are fully supported by this disclosure and are entitled to its filing date, this application would generally not act as anticipating prior art under 35 U.S.C. § 102 against those claims. However, if certain claims of US11581322B2 were found not to be entitled to the priority date of U.S. application Ser. No. 16/149,103, and if this application was published before the effective filing date of those claims, then its disclosures could potentially anticipate those specific claims under 35 U.S.C. § 102.

3. International Application No. PCT/CN2018/101482

Full Citation: International Application No. PCT/CN2018/101482, filed on August 21, 2018, entitled "THREE-DIMENSIONAL MEMORY DEVICES HAVING THROUGH ARRAY CONTACTS AND METHODS FOR FORMING THE SAME".
Publication/Filing Date: August 21, 2018
Brief Description: This International Application is the earliest application in the priority chain for US11581322B2. It presents 3D memory devices with through array contacts (TACs) and methods for their formation, highlighting advancements in memory cell density and cost reduction by designing TACs without barrier structures.
Potential Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102): This International Application serves as the foundational priority document for US11581322B2. Assuming the claims of US11581322B2 are fully supported by this disclosure and are entitled to its priority date of August 21, 2018, this application would not act as anticipating prior art under 35 U.S.C. § 102 against those claims. This application is crucial for establishing the earliest possible effective filing date for the inventive subject matter. If, hypothetically, claims in US11581322B2 were not entitled to this priority date and this PCT application was published before the effective filing date of such non-priority-entitled claims, then its disclosures could potentially anticipate those claims under 35 U.S.C. § 102.