USPTO Examiner LEE HSIEN MING - Art Unit 2814

Recent Applications

Detailed information about the 100 most recent patent applications.

Application NumberTitleFiling DateDisposal DateDispositionTime (months)Office ActionsRestrictionsInterviewAppeal
18729977HIGH-SPEED LAYOUT METHOD AND LAYOUT DEVICE FOR PHOTOVOLTAIC MODULESJuly 2024November 2024Allow400NoNo
18710346METHOD OF DEPOSITION ON A SUBSTRATE USED FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF A SOLAR CELL, SCREEN FOR SCREEN PRINTING ON A SUBSTRATE USED FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF A SOLAR CELL, PROCESSING LINE FOR PROCESSING A SUBSTRATE USED FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF A SOLAR CELLMay 2024January 2025Allow910YesNo
18635530SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE STRUCTURE AND METHOD FOR FORMING THE SAMEApril 2024November 2024Allow700NoNo
18697445METHOD FOR STRIPPING GALLIUM NITRIDE SUBSTRATEMarch 2024November 2024Allow810NoNo
18582672SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE AND MANUFACTURING METHOD THEREOFFebruary 2024December 2024Allow1010NoNo
18428325Integrated Assemblies Having Transistor Body Regions Coupled to Carrier-Sink-Structures; and Methods of Forming Integrated AssembliesJanuary 2024October 2024Allow810NoNo
18417199LEFT-ISD-LTSEE {Low Electrostatic Field Transistor (LEFT) Using Implanted S/D and Selective Low Temperature Epitaxial Extension (ISD-LTSEE)}January 2024May 2024Allow420YesNo
18394479LINE BENDING CONTROL FOR MEMORY APPLICATIONSDecember 2023December 2024Allow1210NoNo
18394273MICROELECTRONIC DEVICES COMPRISING STACK STRUCTURES HAVING PILLARS AND ELLIPTICAL CONDUCTIVE CONTACTSDecember 2023November 2024Allow1110NoNo
18533907PREPARATION METHOD OF CONTACT MATERIAL WITH HIGH THERMAL STABILITY AND LOW CONTACT RESISTANCE BASED ON MGAGSB-BASED THERMOELECTRIC MATERIALDecember 2023April 2024Allow410YesNo
18506906METHOD OF MANUFACTURING SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICENovember 2023February 2025Abandon1510NoNo
18500183DISPLAY DEVICENovember 2023August 2024Allow910NoNo
18386112VERTICAL MEMORY DEVICES AND METHODS OF MANUFACTURING THE SAMENovember 2023September 2024Allow1110YesNo
18499703MEMORY DEVICESNovember 2023August 2024Allow1010NoNo
18497035NOVEL 3D RAM SL/BL CONTACT MODULATIONOctober 2023October 2024Allow1211NoNo
18370913SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE AND DATA STORAGE SYSTEM INCLUDING THE SAMESeptember 2023June 2024Allow900NoNo
18368689SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE WITH BURIED GATE STRUCTURESSeptember 2023March 2025Allow1810NoNo
18460462MEMORY DEVICES INCLUDING DIFFERENT TIER PITCHES, AND RELATED ELECTRONIC SYSTEMSSeptember 2023July 2024Allow1110NoNo
18236823SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE INCLUDING GATE STRUCTURE AND SEPARATION STRUCTUREAugust 2023May 2024Allow900NoNo
18448005CELL STRUCTURE WITH INTERMEDIATE METAL LAYERS FOR POWER SUPPLIESAugust 2023November 2024Allow1520NoNo
18363819METHOD OF MANUFACTURING SEMICONDUCTOR STRUCTURE, SEMICONDUCTOR STRUCTURE, AND MEMORYAugust 2023October 2023Allow200NoNo
18359492Semiconductor Device and MethodJuly 2023May 2024Allow1010NoNo
18358321Buried Metal for FinFET Device and MethodJuly 2023April 2024Allow900NoNo
18225561SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE AND MANUFACTURING METHOD THEREOFJuly 2023May 2024Allow1010NoNo
18218218SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE HAVING DOUBLE BIT CAPACITY AND METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING THE SAMEJuly 2023January 2025Allow1910NoNo
18347234ELECTRONIC DEVICE WITH GALLIUM NITRIDE TRANSISTORS AND METHOD OF MAKING SAMEJuly 2023July 2024Allow1210NoNo
18341947SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE, AND ASSOCIATED METHOD AND SYSTEMJune 2023July 2024Allow1320YesNo
18336908DISPLAY APPARATUSJune 2023June 2024Allow1210NoNo
18209231MEMORY DEVICE INCLUDING SUPPORT STRUCTURESJune 2023August 2024Allow1420YesNo
18328102SEMICONDUCTOR-ON-INSULATOR (SOI) SUBSTRATE AND METHOD FOR FORMINGJune 2023April 2024Allow1010NoNo
18328416THREE-DIMENSIONAL MEMORY DEVICE AND MANUFACTURING METHOD THEREOFJune 2023February 2024Allow800NoNo
18328389SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE AND METHOD OF FABRICATING THE SAMEJune 2023January 2024Allow800NoNo
18326682SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE WITH CONFORMAL SOURCE/DRAIN LAYERMay 2023April 2024Allow1010NoNo
18316244SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE HAVING BURIED GATE STRUCTURE AND METHOD FOR FABRICATING THE SAMEMay 2023January 2024Allow800NoNo
18142992ACTIVE PROTECTION CIRCUITS FOR SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICESMay 2023October 2024Allow1800NoNo
18308743Contact Conductive Feature Formation and StructureApril 2023July 2024Allow1520NoNo
18308031THREE-DIMENSIONAL MEMORY ARRAY WITH LOCAL LINE SELECTORApril 2023March 2024Allow1110NoNo
18307187SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE STRUCTURE WITH BARRIER LAYERApril 2023March 2024Allow1110NoNo
18304422SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE STRUCTURE AND METHOD FOR FORMING THE SAMEApril 2023December 2023Allow800NoNo
18136216SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURING THE SAMEApril 2023April 2024Allow1210YesNo
18135596STAIRCASE STRUCTURE IN THREE-DIMENSIONAL MEMORY DEVICE AND METHOD FOR FORMING THE SAMEApril 2023January 2024Allow910YesNo
18189437Semiconductor Device and MethodMarch 2023January 2024Allow1020NoNo
18184036SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE HAVING A BUTTED CONTACT AND METHOD OF FORMINGMarch 2023February 2024Allow1120NoNo
18182823RADIO FREQUENCY SILICON ON INSULATOR STRUCTURE WITH SUPERIOR PERFORMANCE, STABILITY, AND MANUFACTURABILITYMarch 2023November 2023Allow810NoNo
18104328SEMICONDUCTOR MEMORY DEVICE AND METHOD OF FABRICATING THE SAMEFebruary 2023December 2023Allow1010NoNo
18152952SEMICONDUCTOR STRUCTURE AND MANUFACTURING METHOD THEREOFJanuary 2023October 2023Allow920NoNo
18069887INTEGRATED CIRCUIT AND METHOD OF GENERATING INTEGRATED CIRCUIT LAYOUTDecember 2022October 2023Allow1020NoNo
18067870NOVEL 3D RAM SL/BL CONTACT MODULATIONDecember 2022June 2023Allow600NoNo
18083206SEMICONDUCTOR MEMORY DEVICE AND ERASING METHOD OF THE SEMICONDUCTOR MEMORY DEVICEDecember 2022June 2023Allow600NoNo
18064690SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE WITH MULTIPLE POLARITY GROUPSDecember 2022July 2023Allow810NoNo
17931445SILICON-ON-INSULATOR WITH CRYSTALLINE SILICON OXIDESeptember 2022October 2023Allow1310YesNo
17929638MICROELECTRONIC DEVICES INCLUDING STAIRCASE STRUCTURES, AND RELATED MEMORY DEVICES AND ELECTRONIC SYSTEMSSeptember 2022April 2024Allow2010NoNo
17895205VERTICAL MEMORY DEVICESAugust 2022September 2023Allow1310YesNo
17822036APPARATUSES AND MEMORY DEVICES INCLUDING SLOT STRUCTURES EXTENDING THROUGH STACK STRUCTURESAugust 2022July 2023Allow1010NoNo
17894667METHOD OF MANUFACTURING SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICEAugust 2022July 2023Allow1110NoNo
17890565Integrated Assemblies, and Methods of Forming Integrated AssembliesAugust 2022November 2023Allow1500NoNo
17819009MICROELECTRONIC DEVICES, MEMORY DEVICES, AND ELECTRONIC SYSTEMSAugust 2022July 2023Allow1100NoNo
17818324MICROELECTRONIC DEVICES WITH LOWER RECESSED CONDUCTIVE STRUCTURES AND RELATED METHODSAugust 2022January 2024Allow1810NoNo
17875148SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE AND MANUFACTURING METHOD THEREOFJuly 2022June 2023Allow1110NoNo
17869142Buried Metal for FinFET Device and MethodJuly 2022June 2023Allow1110NoNo
17869487Semiconductor Device and MethodJuly 2022June 2023Allow1110NoNo
17866720SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE HAVING DOUBLE BIT CAPACITY AND METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING THE SAMEJuly 2022January 2025Allow3020NoNo
17861281SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE WITH PASSING GATEJuly 2022February 2025Allow3120NoNo
17859888METHOD OF FORMING AN ELECTRODE ON A SUBSTRATE AND A SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE STRUCTURE INCLUDING AN ELECTRODEJuly 2022February 2024Allow1920YesNo
17843762SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE AND MANUFACTURING METHOD OF SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICEJune 2022July 2023Allow1310NoNo
17841624Integrated Assemblies and Methods of Forming Integrated AssembliesJune 2022December 2023Allow1810YesNo
17833834SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE AND MANUFACTURING METHOD THEREOFJune 2022May 2023Allow1210NoNo
17833363SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE STRUCTURE WITH BARRIER LAYERJune 2022June 2023Allow1210NoNo
17828763SOLID-STATE IMAGE PICKUP ELEMENT AND ELECTRONIC APPARATUSMay 2022March 2024Allow2240YesNo
17664906SEMICONDUCTOR STRUCTURE AND MANUFACTURING METHOD THEREOFMay 2022December 2022Allow710NoNo
17824487METHOD OF MANUFACTURING SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE HAVING PROTRUSION OF WORD LINEMay 2022December 2024Allow3110NoNo
17824821INTEGRATED CIRCUIT DEVICE AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURING THE SAMEMay 2022December 2023Allow1910NoNo
17750421IMPRINT METHODMay 2022September 2024Allow2800NoNo
17664243SUBSTRATE PROCESSING APPARATUS AND SUBSTRATE PROCESSING METHODMay 2022November 2024Allow3010NoNo
17663898STRUCTURES FOR RADIOFREQUENCY APPLICATIONS AND RELATED METHODSMay 2022October 2023Allow1730YesNo
17776637CRITICAL DIMENSION ERROR ANALYSIS METHODMay 2022March 2025Allow3410NoNo
17744026INTEGRATED CIRCUIT DEVICE AND MANUFACTURING METHOD THEREOFMay 2022December 2023Allow1910YesNo
17738928BACKSIDE POWER RAIL FOR PHYSICAL FAILURE ANALYSIS (PFA)May 2022October 2024Allow2900NoNo
17736365Conductive Via Of Integrated Circuitry, Memory Array Comprising Strings Of Memory Cells, Method Of Forming A Conductive Via Of Integrated Circuitry, And Method Of Forming A Memory Array Comprising Strings Of Memory CellsMay 2022January 2024Allow2010NoNo
17734410Integrated Assemblies Having Transistor Body Regions Coupled to Carrier-Sink-Structures; and Methods of Forming Integrated AssembliesMay 2022October 2023Allow1711NoNo
17661065SEMICONDUCTOR STRUCTURE AND MANUFACTURING METHOD THEREOFApril 2022November 2024Allow3110NoNo
17728007CELL STRUCTURE WITH INTERMEDIATE METAL LAYERS FOR POWER SUPPLIESApril 2022April 2023Allow1210NoNo
17660389FORMATION OF GATE STACKS COMPRISING A THRESHOLD VOLTAGE TUNING LAYERApril 2022January 2025Allow3310NoNo
17726004METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE WITH BIT LINE CONTACTS OF DIFFERENT PITCHESApril 2022December 2023Allow1910NoNo
17659990THREE-DIMENSIONAL MEMORY DEVICE INCLUDING A STRING SELECTION LINE GATE ELECTRODE HAVING A SILICIDE LAYERApril 2022June 2023Allow1300NoNo
17721734SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE, AND ASSOCIATED METHOD AND SYSTEMApril 2022March 2023Allow1110NoNo
17721096SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE AND MANUFACTURING METHOD OF THE SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICEApril 2022May 2023Allow1310NoNo
17719939SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE HAVING BURIED GATE STRUCTURE AND METHOD FOR FABRICATING THE SAMEApril 2022August 2024Allow2910NoNo
17718676THREE-DIMENSIONAL SEMICONDUCTOR MEMORY DEVICEApril 2022August 2023Allow1610YesNo
17715967SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE AND MANUFACTURING METHOD THEREOFApril 2022October 2024Allow3110NoNo
17710364TWO-DIMENSIONAL VERTICAL FINSMarch 2022July 2023Allow1610NoNo
17657006HIGH ASPECT RATIO CONTACT STRUCTURE WITH MULTIPLE METAL STACKSMarch 2022January 2025Allow3421YesNo
17706541VAPOR-DEPOSITION MASK, METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING VAPOR-DEPOSITION MASK, AND METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING DISPLAY DEVICEMarch 2022January 2025Allow3410NoNo
17705943Semiconductor Device and MethodMarch 2022November 2022Allow800NoNo
17702967METHOD OF FABRICATING A VERTICAL SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICEMarch 2022May 2023Allow1400NoNo
17701103SEMICONDUCTOR-ON-INSULATOR (SOI) SUBSTRATE AND METHOD FOR FORMINGMarch 2022March 2023Allow1210NoNo
17700406METHOD OF MANUFACTURING SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE HAVING WORD LINE STRUCTUREMarch 2022December 2023Allow2010NoNo
17699168ELECTRONIC COMPONENT TRANSFER APPARATUS, ELECTRONIC COMPONENT TRANSFER METHOD, AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURING A LIGHT-EMITTING DIODE PANELMarch 2022February 2025Allow3510NoNo
17691641SUBSTRATE PROCESSING APPARATUS, ELEVATOR AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURING SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICEMarch 2022December 2024Allow3410NoNo
17685930SUPER JUNCTION SILICON CARBIDE SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE AND MANUFACTURING METHOD THEREOFMarch 2022August 2024Allow3000NoNo

Appeals Overview

This analysis examines appeal outcomes and the strategic value of filing appeals for examiner LEE, HSIEN MING.

Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) Decisions

Total PTAB Decisions
2
Examiner Affirmed
0
(0.0%)
Examiner Reversed
2
(100.0%)
Reversal Percentile
94.8%
Higher than average

What This Means

With a 100.0% reversal rate, the PTAB has reversed the examiner's rejections more often than affirming them. This reversal rate is in the top 25% across the USPTO, indicating that appeals are more successful here than in most other areas.

Strategic Value of Filing an Appeal

Total Appeal Filings
11
Allowed After Appeal Filing
5
(45.5%)
Not Allowed After Appeal Filing
6
(54.5%)
Filing Benefit Percentile
72.1%
Higher than average

Understanding Appeal Filing Strategy

Filing a Notice of Appeal can sometimes lead to allowance even before the appeal is fully briefed or decided by the PTAB. This occurs when the examiner or their supervisor reconsiders the rejection during the mandatory appeal conference (MPEP § 1207.01) after the appeal is filed.

In this dataset, 45.5% of applications that filed an appeal were subsequently allowed. This appeal filing benefit rate is above the USPTO average, suggesting that filing an appeal can be an effective strategy for prompting reconsideration.

Strategic Recommendations

Appeals to PTAB show good success rates. If you have a strong case on the merits, consider fully prosecuting the appeal to a Board decision.

Filing a Notice of Appeal is strategically valuable. The act of filing often prompts favorable reconsideration during the mandatory appeal conference.

Examiner LEE, HSIEN MING - Prosecution Strategy Guide

Executive Summary

Examiner LEE, HSIEN MING works in Art Unit 2814 and has examined 865 patent applications in our dataset. With an allowance rate of 97.3%, this examiner allows applications at a higher rate than most examiners at the USPTO. Applications typically reach final disposition in approximately 18 months.

Allowance Patterns

Examiner LEE, HSIEN MING's allowance rate of 97.3% places them in the 92% percentile among all USPTO examiners. This examiner is more likely to allow applications than most examiners at the USPTO.

Office Action Patterns

On average, applications examined by LEE, HSIEN MING receive 1.31 office actions before reaching final disposition. This places the examiner in the 25% percentile for office actions issued. This examiner issues fewer office actions than average, which may indicate efficient prosecution or a more lenient examination style.

Prosecution Timeline

The median time to disposition (half-life) for applications examined by LEE, HSIEN MING is 18 months. This places the examiner in the 94% percentile for prosecution speed. Applications move through prosecution relatively quickly with this examiner.

Interview Effectiveness

Conducting an examiner interview provides a +0.9% benefit to allowance rate for applications examined by LEE, HSIEN MING. This interview benefit is in the 15% percentile among all examiners. Note: Interviews show limited statistical benefit with this examiner compared to others, though they may still be valuable for clarifying issues.

Request for Continued Examination (RCE) Effectiveness

When applicants file an RCE with this examiner, 34.9% of applications are subsequently allowed. This success rate is in the 73% percentile among all examiners. Strategic Insight: RCEs show above-average effectiveness with this examiner. Consider whether your amendments or new arguments are strong enough to warrant an RCE versus filing a continuation.

After-Final Amendment Practice

This examiner enters after-final amendments leading to allowance in 72.0% of cases where such amendments are filed. This entry rate is in the 91% percentile among all examiners. Strategic Recommendation: This examiner is highly receptive to after-final amendments compared to other examiners. Per MPEP § 714.12, after-final amendments may be entered "under justifiable circumstances." Consider filing after-final amendments with a clear showing of allowability rather than immediately filing an RCE, as this examiner frequently enters such amendments.

Pre-Appeal Conference Effectiveness

When applicants request a pre-appeal conference (PAC) with this examiner, 100.0% result in withdrawal of the rejection or reopening of prosecution. This success rate is in the 71% percentile among all examiners. Strategic Recommendation: Pre-appeal conferences show above-average effectiveness with this examiner. If you have strong arguments, a PAC request may result in favorable reconsideration.

Appeal Withdrawal and Reconsideration

This examiner withdraws rejections or reopens prosecution in 81.8% of appeals filed. This is in the 72% percentile among all examiners. Of these withdrawals, 55.6% occur early in the appeal process (after Notice of Appeal but before Appeal Brief). Strategic Insight: This examiner shows above-average willingness to reconsider rejections during appeals. The mandatory appeal conference (MPEP § 1207.01) provides an opportunity for reconsideration.

Petition Practice

When applicants file petitions regarding this examiner's actions, 34.8% are granted (fully or in part). This grant rate is in the 30% percentile among all examiners. Strategic Note: Petitions show below-average success regarding this examiner's actions. Ensure you have a strong procedural basis before filing.

Examiner Cooperation and Flexibility

Examiner's Amendments: This examiner makes examiner's amendments in 8.0% of allowed cases (in the 94% percentile). Per MPEP § 1302.04, examiner's amendments are used to place applications in condition for allowance when only minor changes are needed. This examiner frequently uses this tool compared to other examiners, indicating a cooperative approach to getting applications allowed. Strategic Insight: If you are close to allowance but minor claim amendments are needed, this examiner may be willing to make an examiner's amendment rather than requiring another round of prosecution.

Quayle Actions: This examiner issues Ex Parte Quayle actions in 26.6% of allowed cases (in the 95% percentile). Per MPEP § 714.14, a Quayle action indicates that all claims are allowable but formal matters remain. This examiner frequently uses Quayle actions compared to other examiners, which is a positive indicator that once substantive issues are resolved, allowance follows quickly.

Prosecution Strategy Recommendations

Based on the statistical analysis of this examiner's prosecution patterns, here are tailored strategic recommendations:

  • Consider after-final amendments: This examiner frequently enters after-final amendments. If you can clearly overcome rejections with claim amendments, file an after-final amendment before resorting to an RCE.
  • Examiner cooperation: This examiner frequently makes examiner's amendments to place applications in condition for allowance. If you are close to allowance, the examiner may help finalize the claims.

Relevant MPEP Sections for Prosecution Strategy

  • MPEP § 713.10: Examiner interviews - available before Notice of Allowance or transfer to PTAB
  • MPEP § 714.12: After-final amendments - may be entered "under justifiable circumstances"
  • MPEP § 1002.02(c): Petitionable matters to Technology Center Director
  • MPEP § 1004: Actions requiring primary examiner signature (allowances, final rejections, examiner's answers)
  • MPEP § 1207.01: Appeal conferences - mandatory for all appeals
  • MPEP § 1214.07: Reopening prosecution after appeal

Important Disclaimer

Not Legal Advice: The information provided in this report is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. You should consult with a qualified patent attorney or agent for advice specific to your situation.

No Guarantees: We do not provide any guarantees as to the accuracy, completeness, or timeliness of the statistics presented above. Patent prosecution statistics are derived from publicly available USPTO data and are subject to data quality limitations, processing errors, and changes in USPTO practices over time.

Limitation of Liability: Under no circumstances will IronCrow AI be liable for any outcome, decision, or action resulting from your reliance on the statistics, analysis, or recommendations presented in this report. Past prosecution patterns do not guarantee future results.

Use at Your Own Risk: While we strive to provide accurate and useful prosecution statistics, you should independently verify any information that is material to your prosecution strategy and use your professional judgment in all patent prosecution matters.