USPTO Examiner XU ZHIJUN - Art Unit 2818

Recent Applications

Detailed information about the 100 most recent patent applications.

Application NumberTitleFiling DateDisposal DateDispositionTime (months)Office ActionsRestrictionsInterviewAppeal
18437130METHODS FOR GENERATING A CIRCUIT WITH HIGH DENSITY ROUTING LAYOUTFebruary 2024July 2025Allow1720YesNo
18359950VARIABLE GRADUATED CAPACITOR STRUCTURE AND METHODS FOR FORMING THE SAMEJuly 2023July 2025Allow2421YesNo
18359289BOTTOM ELECTRODE VIA AND CONDUCTIVE BARRIER DESIGN TO ELIMINATE ELECTRICAL SHORT IN MEMORY DEVICESJuly 2023February 2025Allow1920NoNo
18358206OPTICAL BLOCKING STRUCTURES FOR BLACK LEVEL CORRECTION PIXELS IN AN IMAGE SENSORJuly 2023September 2024Allow1410YesNo
18084186TRANSFER METHOD OF ALIGNING, PLACING, AND BONDING MICRO SEMICONDUCTOR CHIPS ON SUBSTRATEDecember 2022February 2026Allow3810NoNo
17992502BLOCKING LINE OVERLAPPING CONDUCTIVE LINE CONTACT AREA AND DISPLAY DEVICE HAVING THE SAMENovember 2022March 2026Allow3911YesNo
17960162SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE HAVING FIRST AND SECOND LAYERS AND COVERING LAYEROctober 2022September 2025Abandon3521NoNo
17823970SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE INCLUDING WORK FUNCTION LAYER DOPED WITH BARRIER ELEMENTS AND METHOD FOR FORMING THE SAMESeptember 2022November 2025Allow3920NoNo
17878800SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE AND METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICEAugust 2022March 2026Abandon4311NoNo
17838707SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURING THE SAMEJune 2022November 2025Abandon4111NoNo
17837925INTEGRATED STANDARD CELL STRUCTUREJune 2022January 2026Allow4321YesNo
17582924SCHOTTKY BARRIER DIODE WITH HIGH WITHSTAND VOLTAGEJanuary 2022October 2025Allow4530YesNo
17562441METHODS OF FORMING CONFORMAL TRANSITION METAL DICHALCOGENIDE FILMS FOR MEMORY AND LOGIC APPLICATIONSDecember 2021March 2026Allow5040YesYes
17540560RECESSED INNER GATE SPACERS AND PARTIAL REPLACEMENT CHANNEL IN NON-PLANAR TRANSISTORSDecember 2021March 2026Abandon5120YesNo
17482940STACKED PLANAR FIELD EFFECT TRANSISTORS WITH 2D MATERIAL CHANNELSSeptember 2021January 2025Allow4030YesNo
17475057Methods Used In Forming A Memory Array Comprising Strings Of Memory Cells Comprising Forming Undoped Semiconductive Material Into A Void-SpaceSeptember 2021March 2026Allow5441NoNo
17474688DISPLAY DEVICE HAVING TRUNCATED CONE SHAPED LIGHT EMITTING ELEMENTSeptember 2021December 2025Allow5140NoNo
17465514Semiconductor Devices With Enhanced Carrier MobilitySeptember 2021September 2025Allow4841YesNo
17411389SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE HAVING SINGLE AND POLYCRYSTALLINE SUBSTRATE WITH INTERFACE LAYER THEREBETWEENAugust 2021April 2025Abandon4430NoNo
17398494SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES INCLUDING SEMICONDUCTOR PATTERNS VERTICALLY SPACED APART FROM EACH OTHER AND COMRISING SiGe ALLOY AND METHODS OF FABRICATING THE SAMEAugust 2021January 2026Abandon5441YesNo
17426658NITRIDE-BASED SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE WITH GATE PROTECTION LAYER AND METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING THE SAMEJuly 2021January 2026Allow5421NoNo
17377849METHOD FOR CHARACTERIZING MAGNETIC DEVICEJuly 2021April 2025Allow4530NoNo
17351789THREE-DIMENSIONAL MEMORY DEVICE AND METHOD OF MAKING THEREOF USING DOUBLE PITCH WORD LINE FORMATIONJune 2021June 2024Allow3611NoNo
17348266IMAGE PICKUP APPARATUS HAVING A FRAME AND FIRST AND SECOND RESINS BETWEEN THE FRAME AND AN IMAGE PICKUP CHIPJune 2021February 2025Abandon4421YesNo
17326334DOUBLE-PATTERNING METHOD TO IMPROVE SIDEWALL UNIFORMITYMay 2021August 2024Allow3940NoNo
17322405Method of Forming a Nano-Fet Semiconductor DeviceMay 2021March 2024Allow3411YesNo
17318285VARIABLE GRADUATED CAPACITOR STRUCTURE AND METHODS FOR FORMING THE SAMEMay 2021August 2024Allow4021NoNo
17314752Method of Forming Gate Structures for NanostructuresMay 2021July 2025Allow5141NoNo
17313156STRUCTURE AND FORMATION METHOD OF SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE WITH EMBEDDED EPITAXIAL STRUCTUREMay 2021April 2025Allow4741YesNo
17245221BOTTOM ELECTRODE VIA AND CONDUCTIVE BARRIER DESIGN TO ELIMINATE ELECTRICAL SHORT IN MEMORY DEVICESApril 2021June 2025Allow5041YesNo
17238311EPITAXIAL STRUCTURE HAVING DIFFUSION BARRIER LAYERApril 2021October 2024Allow4231YesNo
17234730PHOTO SENSOR ELEMENT HAVING FIRST ELECTRODE AND SECOND ELECTRODE OVERLAPPING THE FIRST ELECTRODEApril 2021May 2024Abandon3620YesNo
17230640MEMORY CELL WITH LOW RESISTANCE TOP ELECTRODE CONTACT AND METHODS FOR FORMING THE SAMEApril 2021October 2024Allow4230YesNo
17284825Method for Producing Optoelectronic Semiconductor Devices and Optoelectronic Semiconductor DeviceApril 2021December 2024Allow4440NoNo
17229045SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE INCLUDING AN INTERNAL SPACERApril 2021February 2026Allow5840YesYes
17224658SUBSTRATE PROCESSING CONTROL USING A MEASURED SIZE DISTRIBUTION OF BY-PRODUCT PARTICLESApril 2021August 2024Allow4021NoNo
17216903SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES INCLUDING EPITAXIAL PATTERNS WITH PLURALITY OF FIN-SHAPED PATTERNSMarch 2021September 2024Allow4240YesNo
17212740SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE INCLUDING CHANNEL LAYERS AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURING THE SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICEMarch 2021December 2025Allow5761YesNo
17211129SEMICONDUCTOR MEMORY DEVICE INCLUDING VERTICAL INSULATING PATTERN INCLUDING A DIFFUSED METAL AND METHOD OF FABRICATING THE SAMEMarch 2021September 2024Allow4241YesNo
17196401DISPLAY PANEL AND DISPLAY DEVICE INCLUDING ENCAPSULATION LAYERMarch 2021April 2025Allow4950YesNo
17191393OPTICAL BLOCKING STRUCTURES FOR BLACK LEVEL CORRECTION PIXELS IN AN IMAGE SENSORMarch 2021January 2024Allow3521YesNo
17189347SEMICONDUCTOR MEMORY DEVICE INCLUDING AN INSULATING PORTION HAVING A VARYING WIDTHMarch 2021February 2025Allow4841YesNo
17185275MEMORY DEVICE AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURING THE SAMEFebruary 2021February 2024Allow3630YesNo
17183650DISPLAY PANEL, FABRICATION METHOD, AND ELECTRONIC DEVICEFebruary 2021December 2024Abandon4620NoNo
17183077IMAGE SENSING DEVICE INCLUDING BOOSTING CONDUCTIVE MATERIALFebruary 2021December 2025Abandon5860YesNo
17179892DISPLAY PANEL HAVING LIGHT CONTROL LAYERS AND METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING THE SAMEFebruary 2021September 2024Allow4331YesNo
17269118ORGANIC LIGHT-EMITTING DISPLAY SUBSTRATE HAVING PARTITION GROOVES AND MANUFACTURING METHOD THEREOF, AND ORGANIC LIGHT-EMITTING DISPLAY DEVICEFebruary 2021May 2024Allow3920NoNo
17166357METHOD OF FORMING A STEPPED SURFACE IN A THREE-DIMENSIONAL MEMORY DEVICE AND STRUCTURES INCORPORATING THE SAMEFebruary 2021April 2024Allow3841NoNo
17256941Layered Material Laminate Structure on a Semiconductor Layer and Method for Producing SameDecember 2020December 2024Abandon4830NoNo

Appeals Overview

This analysis examines appeal outcomes and the strategic value of filing appeals for examiner XU, ZHIJUN.

Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) Decisions

Total PTAB Decisions
2
Examiner Affirmed
1
(50.0%)
Examiner Reversed
1
(50.0%)
Reversal Percentile
74.5%
Higher than average

What This Means

With a 50.0% reversal rate, the PTAB reverses the examiner's rejections in a meaningful percentage of cases. This reversal rate is above the USPTO average, indicating that appeals have better success here than typical.

Strategic Value of Filing an Appeal

Total Appeal Filings
2
Allowed After Appeal Filing
1
(50.0%)
Not Allowed After Appeal Filing
1
(50.0%)
Filing Benefit Percentile
80.3%
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, 50.0% of applications that filed an appeal were subsequently allowed. This appeal filing benefit rate is in the top 25% across the USPTO, indicating that filing appeals is particularly effective here. The act of filing often prompts favorable reconsideration during the mandatory appeal conference.

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 XU, ZHIJUN - Prosecution Strategy Guide

Executive Summary

Examiner XU, ZHIJUN works in Art Unit 2818 and has examined 37 patent applications in our dataset. With an allowance rate of 78.4%, this examiner has a below-average tendency to allow applications. Applications typically reach final disposition in approximately 44 months.

Allowance Patterns

Examiner XU, ZHIJUN's allowance rate of 78.4% places them in the 46% percentile among all USPTO examiners. This examiner has a below-average tendency to allow applications.

Office Action Patterns

On average, applications examined by XU, ZHIJUN receive 3.27 office actions before reaching final disposition. This places the examiner in the 91% percentile for office actions issued. This examiner issues more office actions than most examiners, which may indicate thorough examination or difficulty in reaching agreement with applicants.

Prosecution Timeline

The median time to disposition (half-life) for applications examined by XU, ZHIJUN is 44 months. This places the examiner in the 15% percentile for prosecution speed. Applications take longer to reach final disposition with this examiner compared to most others.

Interview Effectiveness

Conducting an examiner interview provides a -2.7% benefit to allowance rate for applications examined by XU, ZHIJUN. This interview benefit is in the 8% 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, 23.8% of applications are subsequently allowed. This success rate is in the 33% percentile among all examiners. Strategic Insight: RCEs show below-average effectiveness with this examiner. Carefully evaluate whether an RCE or continuation is the better strategy.

After-Final Amendment Practice

This examiner enters after-final amendments leading to allowance in 19.4% of cases where such amendments are filed. This entry rate is in the 23% percentile among all examiners. Strategic Recommendation: This examiner rarely enters after-final amendments compared to other examiners. You should generally plan to file an RCE or appeal rather than relying on after-final amendment entry. Per MPEP § 714.12, primary examiners have discretion in entering after-final amendments, and this examiner exercises that discretion conservatively.

Appeal Withdrawal and Reconsideration

This examiner withdraws rejections or reopens prosecution in 50.0% of appeals filed. This is in the 18% percentile among all examiners. Strategic Insight: This examiner rarely withdraws rejections during the appeal process compared to other examiners. If you file an appeal, be prepared to fully prosecute it to a PTAB decision. Per MPEP § 1207, the examiner will prepare an Examiner's Answer maintaining the rejections.

Petition Practice

When applicants file petitions regarding this examiner's actions, 0.0% are granted (fully or in part). This grant rate is in the 4% percentile among all examiners. Strategic Note: Petitions are rarely granted regarding this examiner's actions compared to other examiners. Ensure you have a strong procedural basis before filing a petition, as the Technology Center Director typically upholds this examiner's decisions.

Examiner Cooperation and Flexibility

Examiner's Amendments: This examiner makes examiner's amendments in 0.0% of allowed cases (in the 24% percentile). This examiner rarely makes examiner's amendments compared to other examiners. You should expect to make all necessary claim amendments yourself through formal amendment practice.

Quayle Actions: This examiner issues Ex Parte Quayle actions in 0.0% of allowed cases (in the 31% percentile). This examiner issues Quayle actions less often than average. Allowances may come directly without a separate action for formal matters.

Prosecution Strategy Recommendations

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

  • Expect multiple rounds of prosecution: This examiner issues more office actions than average. Address potential issues proactively in your initial response and consider requesting an interview early in prosecution.
  • Plan for RCE after final rejection: This examiner rarely enters after-final amendments. Budget for an RCE in your prosecution strategy if you receive a final rejection.
  • Plan for extended prosecution: Applications take longer than average with this examiner. Factor this into your continuation strategy and client communications.

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.