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 .
The response of the applicant has been read and given careful consideration. Rejection of the previous action not repeated below are withdrawn in view of the arguments and amendments of the applicant. Responses to the arguments of the applicant are presented after the first rejection they are directed to.
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.
The following is a quotation of the appropriate paragraphs of 35 U.S.C. 102 that form the basis for the rejections under this section made in this Office action:
A person shall be entitled to a patent unless –
(a)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale, or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
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.
Claims 1-9 and 14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ma et al. 20150274543.
Ma et al. 20150274543 teaches with respect to figure 1, the formation of a nanotube film where a free standing film of carbon nanotubes (104) are arranged and bonded with van der Waals forces to form an array of apertures (this may be a drawn array as illustrated in figures 2-5). The carbon nanotubes can be single or multiwalled The thickness of the CNT film is 0.5 to 100 nm. Alumina (aluminum oxide) is deposited upon the CNT film by alternating treatment with trimethyl aluminum (300) and water to form a film (110). The carbon nanotube film can be attached to a frame and then treated to grow the layer (110) in step S301. The carbon nanotube and coating (110) are then annealed in the presence of oxygen /air at 500-1000 degrees C to remove the carbon nanotube materials and leave the final nanotube (112) [0034-0080]. The materials of the final nanotube (112) can be a metal oxide, metal nitride, metal carbide, silicon oxide, silicon nitride, or silicon carbide [0081]
Ma et al. 20150274543 does not exemplify the embodiment where the layer on the carbon nanotubes is silicon carbide.
With respect to claims 1-8 and 14, it would have been obvious to modify the process disclosed using alumina (aluminum oxide) by replacing the alumina with silicon nitride based upon the disclosure of SiC at [0081], where more than 60% of the weight of the carbon-silicon nitride core shell nanotubes would be silicon carbide (Si has a greater atomic weight and the outer SiC shell has a greater volume than the inner carbon nanotube core). The entire outer surface is of silicon carbide where a portion of the carbon has been replaced with silicon. The composites is considered a double walled (multiwalled) carbon nanotube, where the outer tube is silicon nitride. The limitation of claim 8 is considered an intended use limitation, as it is not a process reciting steps.
With respect to claims 1-8 and 14, it would have been obvious to modify the process disclosed using alumina (aluminum oxide) by using double walled or multiwalled carbon nanotubes for the core as taught at [0039], and replacing the alumina with silicon nitride based upon the disclosure of SiC at [0081], where more than 60% of the weight of the carbon-silicon nitride core shell nanotubes would be silicon carbide (Si has a greater atomic weight and the outer SiC shell has a greater volume than the inner carbon nanotube core). The entire outer surface is of silicon carbide where a portion of the carbon has been replaced with silicon. The composites is considered a double walled (multiwalled) carbon nanotube, where the outer tube is silicon nitride. The limitation of claim 8 is considered and intended use limitation, as it is not a process. Reciting the EUV exposure process.
With respect to claims 1-9 and 14, it would have been obvious to modify the process disclosed using alumina (aluminum oxide) by using double walled or multiwalled carbon nanotubes for the core as taught at [0039], replacing the alumina with silicon nitride based upon the disclosure of SiC at [0081], where more than 60% of the weight of the carbon-silicon nitride core shell nanotubes would be silicon carbide (Si has a greater atomic weight and the outer SiC shell has a greater volume than the inner carbon nanotube core) and the carbon nanotubes are attached to a frame prior to the deposition of the silicon carbide as taught at [0067]. The entire outer surface is of silicon carbide where a portion of the carbon has been replaced with silicon. The composites is considered a double walled (multiwalled) carbon nanotube, where the outer tube is silicon nitride
The position of the examiner is that the carbon nanotube with the SiC layer, is considered considered to be a carbon/SiC core shell nanotube (multiwalled) which is bounded by the claims. The SiC content of the entire nanotube is ~50%. The applicant could overcome this rejection and those based upon Ma et al. by limiting the carbon nanotubes to single walled carbon nanotubes as disclosed at [0007].
Claims 1-11 and 13-14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ma et al. 20150274543, in view of Jung et al. 20170038676, Kim et al. 20190390090 and Ono et al. WO 2018008594.
Jung et al. 20170038676 teaches at least some example embodiments, SiC (silicon carbide or carborundum) nanowires may be formed by using CNTs (carbon nanotubes) as a matrix and using SiH4 (silane) and C.sub.3H.sub.8 (propane) as main source gases. A metal catalyst may be formed on a silicon substrate, and the silicon substrate on which the metal catalyst is formed may be surface-processed by using NH.sub.3 (ammonia). Afterwards, the CNTs may be grown by supplying a carbon source, for example, C2H2 (acetylene), at a temperature of about 700° C. Thereafter, the obtained resultant structure may be transferred to a radio-frequency (RF)-inductive CVD (chemical vapor deposition) system, hydrogen (H2) gas may be supplied to the RF-inductive CVD system, and the resultant structure may be surface-processed for about five minutes at a temperature of about 1000° C. so that the SiC nanowires may be grown [0108]. Each of the plurality of nanowires may have a width of about 5 nm (nanometer) to about 100 nm in a thickness of each of the plurality of nanowires. The porous film may have a thickness of about 50 nm to about 4 μm (micrometer). At least some of the plurality of nanowires may include a core wire and a shell wire, and the shell wire surrounds the core wire. The core wire may include a first material and the shell wire may include a second material, and the first material may be different from the second material. The pellicle membrane may further include a capping layer, the capping layer covering at least one surface of the porous thin film. In some example embodiments, the capping layer may cover the first surface of the porous film and a second surface of the porous film, and the first surface of the porous film and the second surface on opposing sides of the porous film. In some example embodiments, the capping layer may include a first material, and the porous film includes a second material, wherein the first material is different from the second material. The capping layer may include a first material selected from the group consisting of silicon carbide (SiC), silicon dioxide (SiO.sub.2), silicon nitride (Si.sub.3N.sub.4), silicon oxynitride (SiON), yttrium oxide (Y2O3), yttrium nitride (YN), barium carbide (BaC.sub.2), barium nitride (Ba(NO.sub.3).sub.2), molybdenum (Mo), ruthenium (Ru), and rhodium (Rh), and a combination thereof [0018-0020] The pellicle may further include a pellicle frame which supports the pellicle membrane. The pellicle frame may be adhered to the porous thin film by an adhesive layer. The pellicle membrane may further include a capping layer, the capping layer covers a first surface of the porous thin film. The pellicle frame may be adhered to the capping layer by an adhesive layer. According to example embodiments of inventive concepts, there is provided a photomask assembly comprising a pellicle and a photomask. The pellicle may include a pellicle membrane, the pellicle membrane may include a porous film, and the porous thin film includes a plurality of nanowires patterned across one another to form a net structure. The photomask may include a surface, wherein the pellicle is fixed to the surface of the photomask [0021-0022]. FIGS. 18A and 18B are graphs showing estimation results of extreme ultraviolet (EUV) transmittance relative to the density of a plurality of nanowires, and the thickness of a porous thin film included in a pellicle membrane of a pellicle according to an example embodiment [0046]. Example embodiments provide a pellicle, which may protect a photomask from external defective elements during an exposure process, and limit and/or prevent damage caused by foreign materials. In particular, at least one example embodiment provides a pellicle having a pellicle membrane, which may ensure structural stability and have a high transmittance with respect to the wavelength of the EUV light. In example embodiments, the pellicle may limit and/or prevent thermal damage due to an exposure process. Even if an additional vent hole for outgassing is not prepared, the pellicle may limit and/or prevent contaminants and/or foreign particles from being adsorbed and left on a fine pattern of the photomask. The contaminants and/or foreign particles may grow on the photomask due to a photochemical reaction, which uses ultraviolet (UV) light irradiated during a photolithography process as activation energy and, thereby, resulting in haze defects to the surface of the photomask [0058].
Kim et al. 20190390090 teaches that the pellicle membrane 110 may include a carbon-based material. For example, the pellicle membrane 110 may include amorphous carbon, graphene, nanometer-thickness graphite, carbon nanosheet, carbon nanotube, silicon carbide (SiC), boron carbide (B.sub.4C) or a combination thereof [0044]. The pellicle membrane 110 may have a single-layered structure or a multiple-layered structure. For example, the pellicle membrane 110 may have a multiple-layered structure including a combination of the above-mentioned materials. For example, the pellicle membrane 110 may further include a protective layer combined with a surface or both surfaces of a membrane layer and including SiC, SiO.sub.2, Si.sub.3N.sub.4, SiON, Y.sub.2O.sub.3, YN, Mo, Ru, Rh, BN, B.sub.4C, B, or a combination thereof.
Ono et al. WO 2018008594 (machine translation attached) teaches that the pellicle film for EUV lithography needs to be tolerant to hydrogen radical (i.e., reduction-tolerant) and tolerant to oxidation. Therefore, a protective layer may be provided to protect the carbon nanotube tubes against hydrogen radical or oxidation. A protective layer 106 may be provided in contact with the carbon nanotube sheet. For example, the protective layer 106 may be provided on a surface of the pellicle film 102 or 202 closer to the pattern plate 184; may be provided between the pellicle film 102 and the substrate 100 (FIG. 9(a)); may be stacked as an uppermost layer on the pellicle film 102 or 202; or such manners of provision may be combined. Hydrogen radical may be generated on both of two surfaces of the pellicle film. Therefore, it is preferred to combine the above-described manners of provision; namely, it is preferred that the protective layer 106 is formed on the surface of the pellicle film 102 or 202 closer to the pattern plate 184 and is also stacked as an uppermost layer on the pellicle film 102 or 202 [0129]. The protective layer 106 may be formed of a material selected from SiO.sub.x (x≤2), Si.sub.aN.sub.b (a/b is 0.7 to 1.5), SiON, Y.sub.2O.sub.3, YN, Mo, Ru, Rb, Sr, Y, Zr, Nb, B.sub.4C, SiC and Rh [0130]. The resultant carbon nanotubes may each be of a single walled or a multiple walled, and may stand perpendicularly to a surface of the substrate for chemical vapor deposition [0057].
Ma et al. 20150274543 does not exemplify or fairly teach the attachment of the pellicle to a photomask or the use of it in an exposure process.
With respect to claims 1-10 and 14, it would have been obvious to modify the process disclosed using alumina (aluminum oxide) by using double walled or multiwalled carbon nanotubes for the core as taught at [0039], replacing the alumina with silicon nitride based upon the disclosure of SiC at [0081], where more than 60% of the weight of the carbon-silicon nitride core shell nanotubes would be silicon carbide (Si has a greater atomic weight and the outer SiC shell has a greater volume than the inner carbon nanotube core) and the carbon nanotubes are attached to a frame prior to the deposition of the silicon carbide as taught at [0067] and to attach the pellicle via the frame to a photomask as taught in Jung et al. 20170038676, Kim et al. 20190390090 and Ono et al. 20190129300 with a reasonable expectation of forming a useful composite based upon the disclosed use of silicon carbide as a pellicle membrane materials in
Jung et al. 20170038676 at [0021-0022] and Kim et al. 20190390090 at [0044], the use of carbon nanotubes as pellicle materials in Kim et al. 20190390090 at [0044] and Ono et al. 20190129300 at [0057,0129] and the use of silicon carbide as a protective layer material in Jung et al. 20170038676, Kim et al. 20190390090 and Ono et al. 20190129300, where Ono et al. 20190129300 specifically describes it as useful in protecting carbon nanotubes from hydrogen radicals at [0130]. The entire outer surface is of silicon carbide where a portion of the carbon has been replaced with silicon. The composites is considered a multiwalled carbon nanotube, where the outer tube is silicon nitride
With respect to claims 1-11 and 13-14, it would have been obvious to modify the process disclosed using alumina (aluminum oxide) by using double walled or multiwalled carbon nanotubes for the core as taught at [0039], replacing the alumina with silicon nitride based upon the disclosure of SiC at [0081], where more than 60% of the weight of the carbon-silicon nitride core shell nanotubes would be silicon carbide (Si has a greater atomic weight and the outer SiC shell has a greater volume than the inner carbon nanotube core) and the carbon nanotubes are attached to a frame prior to the deposition of the silicon carbide as taught at [0067] and to attach the pellicle via the frame to a photomask as taught in Jung et al. 20170038676, Kim et al. 20190390090 and Ono et al. 20190129300 and to use it in an exposure process such as that disclosed by Jung et al. 20170038676 at [0058] with a reasonable expectation of forming a useful composite based upon the disclosed use of silicon carbide as a pellicle membrane materials in
Jung et al. 20170038676 at [0021-0022] and Kim et al. 20190390090 at [0044], the use of carbon nanotubes as pellicle materials in Kim et al. 20190390090 at [0044] and Ono et al. 20190129300 at [0057,0129] and the use of silicon carbide as a protective layer material in Jung et al. 20170038676, Kim et al. 20190390090 and Ono et al. 20190129300, where Ono et al. 20190129300 specifically describes it as useful in protecting carbon nanotubes from hydrogen radicals at [0130]. The entire outer surface is of silicon carbide where a portion of the carbon has been replaced with silicon. The composites is considered a multiwalled carbon nanotube, where the outer tube is silicon nitride
Claim 1-9,12 and 14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ma et al. 20150274543, in view of Taguchi et al., “Synthesis of silicon carbide nanotubes” Commun. Am. Cer. Soc., Vol. 88(2) pp 459-461 (2005)
Taguchi et al., “Synthesis of silicon carbide nanotubes” Commun. Am. Cer. Soc., Vol. 88(2) pp 459-461 (2005) teaches the formation of silicon carbide nanotubes from carbon nanotubes by heating silicon powder to 1200 degrees C for 1-100 hours. (section II). The heating for 100 hours converted most of the carbon in the nanotubes into silicon carbide (section III, page 359)., One of the resulting products was a coaxial structure where the inner nanotube was carbon and the outer was SiC.. Another result was a single phase SiC nanotube (section III, page 460). The data in figure 3 shows the heating for 1 hour converts a portion of the carbon in the carbon nanotubes into silicon carbide.
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Heating in air (oxygen) at 600 degrees C for 1` hour was disclosed as removing the most of the remaining carbon, but some C-SiC nanotubes remained in some samples (section III, page 461).
Ma et al. 20150274543 does not teach the process of forming the pellicle where carbon nanotubes are attached to a frame and placed in a chamber in the presence of silicon containing particles which are heated to between 1200 and 1700 degrees C.
It would have been obvious to one skilled in the art to modify the process of Ma et al. 20150274543 useful in forming SiC nanotubes on a frame by placing the frame with the carbon nanotubes into a chamber containing silicon powder and heating the silicon powder to 1200 degrees C to for 2 hours as taught by Taguchi et al., “Synthesis of silicon carbide nanotubes” Commun. Am. Cer. Soc., Vol. 88(2) pp 459-461 (2005) to cause the replacement of a portion of the carbon with silicon with a reasonable expectation of forming a carbon nanotubes mounted on a frame where a portion of the carbon has been replaced with silicon based upon the teachings of Taguchi et al., “Synthesis of silicon carbide nanotubes” Commun. Am. Cer. Soc., Vol. 88(2) pp 459-461 (2005), particularly figure 3, which evidences that the replacement has occurred after 1 hour.
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 Martin J Angebranndt whose telephone number is (571)272-1378. The examiner can normally be reached 7-3:30 pm EST.
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MARTIN J. ANGEBRANNDT
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 1737
/MARTIN J ANGEBRANNDT/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1737 October 5, 2026
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