DETAILED ACTION
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 .
Election/Restrictions
Applicant elected with traverse of formula Ia on 11/5/2024.
Claims 17 and 18 are withdrawn because they are directed to the nonelected species.
Claims 29 and 30 are withdrawn by original presentation.
Response to Amendment
The amendment filed 11/10/2025 are entered and fully considered.
Response to Arguments
Applicant argues the prior art does not teach the elected compound of claim 16 as a reducing agent. Applicant argues the reducing agent only changes the oxidation state of the film without becoming part of it. The examiner does not agree with applicant’s definition of a reductant and maintains that a reducing agent is defined by the electron donation. The term does not define what is deposited for a particular reaction. The aluminum precursor in PARK can be oxidizing or reducing. The examples that have a halogen bonded to the aluminum are more likely to be oxidizers than the alkyl groups. However the newly amended limitation requires the compound to be a reducing agent for the metal or semi metal. The reducing agent limitation in combination with the compound structure limits the scope of the deposition reaction and the previous rejection is removed.
An additional reference LU et al. (US 2013/0115383) shows how a similar aluminum compound can be used as a reducing agent with a metal halide to deposit a pure metal film [0025]. This is the same metal/semimetal compound (halides) described in applicants specification page 24 lines 9-24. Although the cyclic structure is slightly different in the LU and PARK reference, they serve the same purpose of increasing stability while the exposed hydrogen atoms are the same and will similarly to be replaced by the halogens from the metal halide. The reaction results in the aluminum precursor acting as the reducing agent for the metal halide.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
The text of those sections of Title 35, U.S. Code not included in this action can be found in a prior Office action.
Claim(s) 16 and 19-28 are is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over of LU et al. (US 2013/0115383) in view of PARK et al. (US 2020/0207790) and KUHN et al. “Vinamidin-stabilisierte Alane” (1999) (from IDS).
Regarding claims 16 and 23,
LU teaches an aluminum precursor for depositing pure metal such as Ti or Ta abstract by ALD [0028]. The aluminum hydride (alane) is stabilized with a coordination to an amine [0019]. The aluminum precursor uses Al-H bonds which can reduce a metal halide to a pure metal film [0025]. The reference teaches an aluminum precursor with Al-H bonds and a stabilizing amine but does not expressly teach the claimed ring structure using the nitrogen and R groups. However, PARK teaches a precursor that can be used in atomic layer deposition [0048]. PARK teaches a precursor for a thin film [0007] that uses an aluminum compound shown at [0044]:
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202
226
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Z can be NR7. R4 is hydrogen, C1-6 alkyl or (dialkylamino)alkyl of C3-10 [0027]. R3 can be a hydrogen or C1-6 alkyl group [0027]. R5 and R6 are hydrogen or C1-6 alkyl [0027]. PARK further states that the N can have an extra pair of electrons that interact with the Al to form a hexagonal ring structure [0044]. This conjugate system provides stability to the aluminum compound [0046]. At the time of filing the invention it would have been prima facie obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to use the conjugate system ring structure with resonance in PARK as the stabilizing structure in LU to improve the stability of the aluminum compound.
An example of the stabilizing conjugate system with resonant structure for an alane is shown in KUHN which teaches a similar aluminum precursor for a similar CVD process with formula:
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92
126
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Greyscale
The precursor has the same conjugate structure for stability and uses hydrogens directly bonded to the aluminum which indicate it is a reducing agent. At the time of filing the invention it would have been prima facie obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to use an aluminum precursor with Al-H bonds with a stabilizing ring structure of PARK because KUHN demonstrates they are known and operable for vapor deposition (CVD and ALD).
The above generic formula covers Formula Ia and more specifically Ia-1, Ia-2, Ia-3. The reference does not teach the use of TMS, CF3 or DIP as R groups corresponding to species Ia-4, Ia-5, Ia-6, or Ia-7. In addition Z can be O which would correspond to formula Ib, but not formula Ic.
Regarding claim 19,
As described above, the R3 group can be hydrogen. R3 is at the third position of the compound.
Regarding claims 20 and 21,
LU teaches the metal halide can be Ti and Ta abstract and other metals/semimetals [0007].
Regarding claim 22,
LU teaches performing thin film application (ALD) a plural times [0030].
Regarding claim 24,
Modified LU teaches a precursor according to formula Ia as described above. The precursor has a molecular weight of less than 600 g/mol.
Regarding claims 25 and 26,
Modified LU teaches the precursor according to formula Ia as described above. The same precursor will have the same physical properties of vapor pressure and melting point.
Regarding claim 27,
LU teaches the metal deposited can be Ti and Ta abstract and other metals/semimetals [0007].
Regarding claim 28,
LU teaches a pure metal layer which is less than 5% nitrogen.
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). 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 AUSTIN MURATA whose telephone number is (571)270-5596. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8:30-5.
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/AUSTIN MURATA/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1712