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 .
Considering the amendment filed 5/7/26, claims 11-20 have been canceled. Claims 1-10 and 21-30 remain in the application.
Considering the amendment filed 5/7/26, the 35 USC 103 rejections have been withdrawn, however, the following rejection has been necessitated by the amendment.
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 Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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.
Claims 1-8,21-27,29 and 30 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kobayashi et al. (9,371,427) in combination with Dazai et al. (2020/0183281) further in combination with Cheng et al. (8,623,458).
Kobayashi et al. (9,371,427) teaches a guide pattern (claimed dielectric layer and patterning forming first and second structures separated from one another and substrate exposed therebetween). Applying a block copolymer to the patterned layer whereby the block copolymer is heated (claimed thermal annealing) whereby a microphase separation results in a block copolymer on the guide pattern and on the substrate between the guide patterns (abstract, col. 2, line 44 – col. 3, line 25 and Figs. 1-3). The first polymer layer has the same width of the pattern at the edges of the substrate.
Kobayashi et al. (9,371,427) fails to teach the block copolymer having a solvent having a boiling point higher than 180C.
Dazai et al. (2020/0183281) teaches a resin composition for forming a phase separated structure and method of producing. A resin composition for forming a phase separated structure, the resin composition including a block copolymer, an ion liquid and an organic solvent component whereby an organic solvent having a boiling point of lower than 150C and an organic solvent having a boiling point of above 150C (abstract and [0017]). An annealing treatment is applied to the BCP layer to volatilize the solvents and form the BCP layer whereby the annealing treatment is performed at temperatures of 240C or higher [0165]-[0166].
Therefore, it would have been obvious for one skilled in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Kobayashi et al. (9,371,427) process to include a solvent having a boiling point of greater 180C as evidenced by Dazai et al. (2020/0183281) with the expectation of successful phase separation of the block copolymer to form the patterned films.
Kobayashi et al. (9,371,427) in combination with Dazai et al. (2020/0183281) fails to teach the claimed self-assembled third block copolymer of the first polymer material to be located on the guide pattern (10) as well as on the substrate and between the second polymer structures and there are at least three second polymer structures and two third polymer structures between each pair of adjacent dielectric structures.
Cheng et al. (8,623,458) teaches methods of directed self-assembly and layered structures formed therefrom whereby a photoresist layer (966) (claimed dielectric layer and equivalent to guide pattern (10) of Kobayashi et al. (9,371,427)) is applied to a substrate and self-assembled layers of a first polymer layer are applied thereto as well as applied to the substrate as well as applying at least three second polymer (972) of self-assembled material and at least two third polymer (970) therebetween (abstract, Fig. 2D and col. 2, line 31 – col. 3, line 62).
Therefore, it would have been obvious for one skilled in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Kobayashi et al. (9,371,427) in combination with Dazai et al. (2020/0183281) by forming the first polymer layer of a first polymer material atop the dielectric layer and a second polymer layer of the first polymer material atop the substrate with a third polymer layer of the first polymer material there between having at least three second polymer structures and two third polymer structures as evidenced by Cheng et al. (8,623,458) with the expectation of producing self-assembled layered structures.
Regarding claims 2,8 and 25 the annealing temperatures are greater than 200C and less than 400C meeting the claimed greater than 200C or 250C Dazai et al. (2020/0183281) [0167]. Kobayashi et al. (9,371,427) teaches heating at greater than 200C (col. 1, lines 10-12).
Regarding claim 3,23 and 25, the thermal annealing temperatures are greater than 200C and for a duration less than 5 minutes Dazai et al. (2020/0183281) [0167] while Kobayashi et al. (9,371,427) teaches heating for 1 minute (col. 1, lines 10-12).
Regarding claim 4,6 and 22, Dazai et al. (2020/0183281) teaches the solvents have a relative energy difference of less than 1 for the first or second polymer and hence form the BCP layer.
Regarding claims 5 and 7, Dazai et al. (2020/0183281) teaches the BCP composition can include a first solvent having boiling point less than 150C and a second solvent having a boiling component higher than 150C with boiling point solvent greater than 240C and also can include more than one of these solvents [0101]-[0110].
Regarding claim 24, Kobayashi et al. (9,371,427) teaches forming block copolymer 1 and block copolymer 2 along the surface of the pattern and exposed substrate whereby the block copolymer 1 and block copolymer 2 are repeated along the width of the substrate and pattern to be inclusive of a third and fourth polymer structures. Forming additional polymer structures (fifth, sixth and seventh structures) would be a matter of design choice by one practicing in the art deciding upon the number of polymer structures desired. Kobayashi et al. (9,371,427) and Cheng et al. (8,623,458) teach the polymer structures to have the same width of all the polymer structures formed on the substrate.
Regarding claim 26, no photolithography is utilized.
Regarding claim 27, Kobayashi et al. (9,371,427) teaches etching away the BC2 vs BC1 which represents the third polymer claimed (figs. 5 and 6).
Regarding claim 29, Dazai et al. (2020/0183281) teaches a solvent including propylene glycol monomethyl ether (PGME) [0104] which is like claimed tripropylene glycol monomethyl ether and would be expected to produce similar success.
Regarding claim 30, Kobayashi et al. (9,371,427) teaches the block copolymer to be PS and PMMA col. 3, lines 25-54).
Claims 9,10 and 28 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kobayashi et al. (9,371,427) in combination with Dazai et al. (2020/0183281) further in combination with Cheng et al. (8,623,458) further in combination with Sandhu et al. (2010/0295183).
Features detailed above concerning the teachings of Kobayashi et al. (9,371,427) in combination with Dazai et al. (2020/0183281) further in combination with Cheng et al. (8,623,458) are incorporated here.
Kobayashi et al. (9,371,427) in combination with Dazai et al. (2020/0183281) further in combination with Cheng et al. (8,623,458) fails to teach after selectively removing the polymer structures (phase separation by annealing) and then forming metal lines over the substrate/BCP layer.
Sandhu et al. (2010/0295183) teaches BCP layers (80) can be metallized to function as conductive lines [0007].
Therefore, it would have been obvious for one skilled in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Kobayashi et al. (9,371,427) in combination with Dazai et al. (2020/0183281) further in combination with Cheng et al. (8,623,458) to include metal lines over the BCP layers as evidenced by Sandhu et al. (2010/0295183) with the expectation of producing conductive layered structures.
Response to Amendment
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claims 1-10 and 21-30 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
Applicant argued prior art failed to at least three second polymer structures and two third polymer structures between each pair of adjacent dielectric structures.
Cheng et al. (8,623,458) teaches this as detailed above.
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.
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/BRIAN K TALBOT/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1712
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