DETAILED ACTION
Claims 1-3, 6-12, and 16 are pending.
Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 103 which forms the basis for all obviousness rejections set forth in this Office action:
A patent for a claimed invention may not be obtained, notwithstanding that the claimed invention is not identically disclosed as set forth in section 102, if the differences between the claimed invention and the prior art are such that the claimed invention as a whole would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the claimed invention pertains. Patentability shall not be negated by the manner in which the invention was made.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
Claims 1-3, 6-12, and 16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hirayama et al. (U.S. 2016/0209745) in view of Mochizuki et al. (U.S. 2017/0003591).
Hirayama et al. teaches a resist composition including a base component (A) which exhibits changed solubility in a developing solution under action of acid and an acid generator (B) which generates acid upon exposure, the base component (A) including a resin component having a structural unit (a0) represented by general formula (a0-1), and the acid generator component (B) containing a compound having a cation moiety having an electron withdrawing group [0049] (claims 6 and 10), preferably an onium salt acid generator. As the onium salt acid generator, a compound represented by general formula (b-1), a compound represented by general formula (b-2) or a compound represented by general formula (b-3) may be used [0298-0299] and as specific examples of formula (b-1), anions represented by formulae (an-1) to (an-3) can be mentioned [0335] wherein (an-1) is the following:
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[0335] wherein R”101 can be a lactone-containing cyclic group represented by any of formulae (a2-r-1) to (a2-r-7) [0336] and a specific example includes the following [0251]:
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[0251], v” is 0 to 3, L”101 can be -C(=O)-, q” is 1 to 20, n” can be 0, and V”101 is a fluorinated alkylene [0336] which is equivalent to the anion of formula (I-A) of instant claims 1 and 10 when Q1 and Q2 are fluorine atoms, L1 is represented by formula (b1-2) when Lb4 is a divalent saturated hydrocarbon group having 1 to 20 carbon atoms, Lb5 is a single bond or a divalent saturated hydrocarbon group having 1 to 3 carbon atoms, and Y is an alicyclic hydrocarbon group having 5 carbon atoms in which on -CH2- is replaced by -O- and one -CH2- is replace by -CO-. Hirayama et al. also teaches in formulae (b-1), (b-2) and (b-3), M′m+ represents an organic cation having a valency of m and a cation moiety having an electron withdrawing group, and a sulfonium cation having an electron withdrawing group or an iodonium cation having an electron withdrawing group is preferable [0350] the electron withdrawing group for the cation moiety of the component (B) include a halogen atom, a halogenated alkyl group, a halogenated alkoxy group, a halogenated aryloxy group, a halogenated alkylamino group, a halogenated alkylthio group, an alkyloxycarbonyl group, an aryloxycarbonyl group, a cyano group, a nitro group, a dialkylphosphono group, a diarylphosphono group, an alkylsulfonyl group, an arylsulfonyl group, a sulfonyloxy group, acylthio group, a sulfamoyl group, a thiocyanate group and a thiocarbonyl group. Among these examples, a halogen atom or a halogenated alkyl group is preferable [0352-0353] and as the cation moiety of the component (B), a cation represented by any of general formulae (ca-1) to (ca-4) is particularly desirable [0355] wherein formula (ca-1) is the following:
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[0355] wherein R201 to R203 each independently represents an aryl group, alkyl group or alkenyl group which may have a substituent. However, at least one of R201 to R203 has an electron withdrawing group. Further, R202 and R203 may be mutually bonded to form a ring with the sulfur atom [0356], examples of the aryl group for R201 to R203 include an unsubstituted aryl group of 6 to 20 carbon atoms, and a phenyl group or a naphthyl group is preferable. As the alkyl group for R201 to R203, a chain-like or cyclic alkyl group having 1 to 30 carbon atoms is preferable [0363-0364] such that when R201 is a phenyl group having a fluorine atom as the electron withdrawing group and R202 and R203 are chain-like alkyl groups having 1 to 30 carbon atoms it is structurally similar to the cation of the salt represented by formula (I) of instant claims 1-3 and 10-12.
Hirayama et al. does not teach a hydroxyl group as a substituent on the cation.
However, Mochizuki et al. teaches an actinic ray-sensitive or radiation-sensitive resin composition, comprising: (A) resin; (B) acid generator; and (C) organic acid [0034] in which a preferable embodiment of the acid generator include an onium compound [0211] and examples of the preferable onium compound according to the invention include a sulfonium compound represented by Formula (7) or an iodonium compound represented by Formula (8). These compounds preferably have at least one electron-withdrawing group in this cation portion, in view of sensitivity, resolution, a pattern shape, and LER improvement in a micro pattern [0214] and examples of the electron-withdrawing group include a fluorine atom, a halogen atom, a fluoroalkyl group, a cyano group, a hydroxyl group, and a nitro group [0215] and a specific example includes the following:
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[page 39] which is equivalent to the cation of the salt represented by formula (I) of instant claim 10 when R1 and R2 are aromatic groups having 6 carbon atoms, and R3, R4, and R5 are fluorine atoms and structurally similar to the cation of the salt represented by formula (I) of instant claims 1-3, 11, and 12. When the cation (ca-1) of Hirayama et al. modified by Mochizuki et al. is defined as: R201 is a phenyl substituted by a fluorine atom at the meta-position and a hydroxyl group at the para-position and R202 and R203 are chain-like alkyl groups having 1 to 30 carbon atoms it is equivalent to the cation of the salt represented by formula (1) of instant claims 1-3 and 10-12 when R1 and R2 are chain hydrocarbon groups having 1 to 30 carbon atoms and R3, R4, and R5 are hydrogen atoms.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the teachings of Hirayama et al. based on the teaching of Mochizuki et al. and arrive at the instant claims through routine experimentation of combining equally suitable electron withdrawing groups in order to improve sensitivity, resolution, a pattern shape, and LER.
With regard to claims 8 and 10, Hirayama et al. teaches the resist composition of the present invention may include an acid diffusion control agent component (hereafter, frequently referred to as “component (D)”), in addition to the component (A), or in addition to the component (A) and the component (B) [0417] and the component (D) may be a photodecomposable base (D1) (hereafter, referred to as “component (D1)”) which is decomposed upon exposure and then loses the ability of controlling of acid diffusion, or a nitrogen-containing organic compound (D2) (hereafter, referred to as “component (D2)”) which does not fall under the definition of component (D1) [0419] and a specific example includes the following compound (D)-1:
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[0801] which is equivalent to a carboxylic salt generating an acid having a lower acidity than that of an acid generated from the acid generator.
With regard to claims 7 and 10, Hirayama et al. teaches the component (A) preferably has a structural unit containing an acid decomposable group which exhibits increased polarity by the action of acid (hereafter, referred to as “structural unit (a1)”), a structural unit derived from an acrylate ester containing a —SO2— containing cyclic group (hereafter, referred to as “structural unit (a2)”), a structural unit containing a polar group-containing aliphatic hydrocarbon group (hereafter, referred to as “structural unit (a3)”), a structural unit containing an acid non-dissociable cyclic group (hereafter, referred to as “structural unit (a4)”), a structural unit containing a lactone-containing cyclic group or a carbonate containing cyclic group (hereafter, referred to as “structural unit (a5)”) [0138] and a specific example of (a1) includes the following:
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[page 21] wherein Rα is a hydrogen atom, a methyl group or a trifluoromethyl group [0198] which is equivalent to a resin having an acid labile group represented by formula (a1-1) of instant claim 10 when Ra4 is a hydrogen atom or a methyl group, La1 is -O-, Ra6 is an alkyl group having 1 carbon atom, and m1 is 0. Hirayama et al. also teaches the component (A) preferably has a structural unit (st) (hereafter, referred to as “structural unit (st)”) derived from styrene or hydroxystyrene [0122] and examples include the following structural unit (I) [0126]:
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[0126] wherein Rst is a hydrogen atom or a methyl group and m is 1 to 3 [0127] which is equivalent to formula (a2-A) of instant claim 10 when Ra50 is a hydrogen atom or an alkyl group having 1 carbon atom, Aa50 is a single bond, and mb is 0 to 2 where Ra51 is a hydroxy group.
With regard to claims 9 and 16, Hirayama et al. teaches the method of forming a resist pattern includes: forming a resist film on a substrate using a resist composition according to the first aspect; conducting exposure of the resist film; and developing the resist film to form a resist pattern [0526] where a resist composition of the present invention is applied to a substrate using a spinner or the like, and a bake treatment (post applied bake (PAB)) is conducted at a temperature of 80 to 150° C for 40 to 120 seconds, preferably 60 to 90 seconds, to form a resist film [0528] and following selective exposure of the thus formed resist film, a baking treatment (post exposure baking (PEB)) is conducted under temperature conditions of 80 to 150° C for 40 to 120 seconds, and preferably 60 to 90 seconds [0529].
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed February 4, 2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive. Applicant argues regarding the 103 rejection over Hirayama in view of Mochizuki, Hirayama does not disclose or suggest that a hydroxyl group can be used as a substituent for the cation of the salt. Hirayama provides specific substituents regarding the electron withdrawing group but hydroxyl is not included. Additionally, when introduced into the aromatic ring, like the cation of Hirayama, the hydroxyl group generally corresponds to the electron donating group. One of ordinary skill in the art would have no proper reason, rationale, or motivation to modify the cation, which is characterized by having the electron withdrawing group in Hirayama, to have the hydroxy group. Mochizuki fail to overcome the deficiencies of Hirayama. Furthermore, the cited references or the knowledge in the art provide no proper reason or rationale that would allow one of ordinary skill in the art to arrive at the claimed invention.
The Examiner acknowledges that Hirayama does not include hydroxy among its list of electron withdrawing groups. However, Hirayama also teaches in paragraph [0297] “The resist composition of the present invention includes an acid generator component (B) (hereafter, referred to as “component (B)”) which generates acid upon exposure. As the component (B), there is no particular limitation as long as it contains a compound having a cation moiety having an electron withdrawing group, and any of the known acid generators used in conventional chemically amplified resist compositions can be used”. Therefore, other known cations such as those of Mochizuki can be encompassed by the teachings of Hirayama because Mochizuki teaches a hydroxyl group is considered an electron-withdrawing group, along with a fluorine atom, in paragraph [0215]. Thus, Mochizuki does in fact cure the deficiencies of Hirayama. Mochizuki also teaches the acid generator preferably have at least one electron-withdrawing group in this cation portion, in view of sensitivity, resolution, a pattern shape, and LER improvement in a micro pattern [0214] which provides one of ordinary skill in the art the reason/rationale to make the necessary modifications to arrive at the instant claims. Therefore, the combined teachings of Hirayama and Mochizuki provide one of ordinary skill in the art the means and motive to make additional acid generators having sulfonium cations with hydroxyl and fluorine electron withdrawing groups together with sulfonate anions having a heterocyclic ring and arrive at the instant claims with a reasonable expectation of success.
Conclusion
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ANNA E MALLOY whose telephone number is (571)270-5849. The examiner can normally be reached 8:00-4:30 EST M-F.
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/Anna Malloy/Examiner, Art Unit 1737
/MARK F. HUFF/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 1737
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