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 .
Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after final rejection. Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on December 5th, 2025 has been entered.
Response to Amendment
The Amendment filed on December 5th, 2025 has been entered. Claims 7-8 and claims 11-15 are pending in the application. Claims 1-6 and claims 9-10 have been cancelled.
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.
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.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claims 7-9 and claim 12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zhu (CN 112130428 A), listed in the IDS dated 24 January 2025, and Chen (US 9484218 B2).
With regard to claims 7, 8 and claim 12, Zhu teaches a photoresist remover (See Abstract) comprising 25-50wt% alcohol ether, specifically ethylene glycol monobutyl ether (see [0016] and [0031]), 30-70wt% propylene carbonate (see [0016]-[0017]), and 1-20wt% triethanolamine (see [0016] and [0019]) and N-ethylethanolamine (see [0018]), which are organic base compounds. Zhu further discloses the solution may be non-aqueous and contain no water (see [0047]). The secondary and/or tertiary amine disclosed by Zhu (see Abstract) may be an organic base compound. Further, only a single polar solvent of formula 2 or formula 3 is necessary. Propylene carbonate is listed as a suitable polar solvent (see [0017]).
Zhu fails to disclose benzyltrimethylammonium hydroxide.
Chen discloses a substantially water-free photoresist stripping composition (see Abstract). Chen further discloses the composition comprising an amine, which may be benzyltrimethylammonium hydroxide (see Col 2 line 34-36). Chen further teaches the amine in the composition of the present invention can break down the polymeric frameworks of the cured photoresist and lift off fragments of the cured photoresist (see Col 3 line 1-3).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to utilize the benzyltrimethylammonium hydroxide of Chen in the photoresist remover of Zhu for the purpose of breaking down the polymeric frameworks of the cured photoresist and lifting off fragments of the cured photoresist.
Claim 11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zhu (CN 112130428 A), listed in the IDS dated 24 January 2025, and Chen (US 9484218 B2), as applied to claim 7 above, and in further view of Park (CN 102667628 A), listed in the IDS dated 25 July 2022.
With regard to claim 11, Zhu and Chen disclose all of the limitations of claim 7.
However, Zhu and Chen fail to disclose an organic base compound comprising methylamine, ethylene diamine, triethylamine, or combinations thereof.
Park discloses a non-aqueous photoresist stripping agent composition (see Abstract). Park further discloses the composition does not include water because of the water activated alkaline compound, which would cause the aluminum or copper layer to be corroded in the presence of water (see [0026]). Park further discloses triethanolamine as a suitable alkaline compound (see [0034]). Park further teaches 5wt% to 30wt% of the alkaline compound (see [0033]), which may also be methylamine or mixtures of one or more suitable compounds (see [0034]). Park further discloses the alkaline compound can strongly penetrate a resist matrix that has been denatured or crosslinked due to various process conditions such as etching, ashing or ion implantation, thereby breaking the intramolecular bonds or intermolecular bonds of the matrix (see [0032]). Park further teaches the basic compound acts in this manner, hollow spaces are formed in structurally weak portions of the photoresist remaining on the substrate, and the photoresist is converted into an amorphous polymer gel mass (see [0032]). Therefore, the photoresist attached to the upper surface of the substrate can be easily removed (see [0032]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date, to utilize the methylamine of Park in the composition of Zhu as methylamine is an alkaline compound and the alkaline compound can strongly penetrate a resist matrix that has been denatured or crosslinked due to various process conditions such as etching, ashing or ion implantation, thereby breaking the intramolecular bonds or intermolecular bonds of the matrix, as disclosed by Park.
Claim 13 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zhu (CN 112130428 A), listed in the IDS dated 24 January 2025, and Chen (US 9484218 B2), as applied to claims 1-12 above, in further view of Yamasaki (WO 2010061701 A1).
Zhu and Chen disclose all of the limitations of claims 1-12 above.
However, Zhu and Chen are silent as to a method for removing a photoresist film from a substrate.
With regard to claim 13, Yamasaki discloses an anticorrosive photoresist composition which is effective over a wide range of temperatures in the presence and absence of water (see page 2 line 69-60). Yamasaki further teaches a treatment method with the anticorrosive photoresist remover composition which is generally a spray method (page 6 line 260). Lastly, Yamasaki teaches the temperature range of the composition as 30-90oC (see page 5 line 238-240).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date, to utilize the method of Yamasaki with the photoresist remover compositions as disclosed by Zhu and Chen, as the method disclosed by Yamasaki utilizes a nonaqueous photoresist remover and Zhu and Chen disclose a nonaqueous photoresist remover.
Claim 14 and claim 15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zhu (CN 112130428 A), listed in the IDS dated 24 January 2025, and Chen (US 9484218 B2), and Yamasaki (WO 2010061701 A1), as applied to claim 13 above, in further view of Minsek (US 20160152926 A1).
With regard to claim 14 and claim 15, Yamasaki discloses a method for removing photoresist as disclosed in claim 13.
However, Yamasaki fails to disclose the cleaning step carried out under alkaline conditions, particularly at a pH of 10-12.
Minsek discloses a composition and method of removing photoresist, an analogous art (see Abstract). Minsek further discloses the composition comprising a polar solvent (see Abstract). Minsek further teaches the composition having a pH of greater than about 11.5, as a higher base assists in the removal of the photoresist (see [0009]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date, to utilize the pH range, as disclosed by Minsek, with the method, as disclosed by Yamasaki, for the purpose of improving the removal of the photoresist, as disclosed by Minsek.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed December 5th, 2025 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
Applicant argues that Zhu discloses secondary or tertiary amines. Zhu discloses a photoresist remover, comprising an alcohol ether compound represented by formula 1, a polar solvent selected from a compound represented by formula 2, a compound represented by formula 3 and a mixture thereof, and at least one secondary alcohol amine or tertiary alcohol amine represented by formula 4, wherein n is an integer of 1 to 3 (see Abstract). Only one of formula 2 or formula 3 is necessary. Propylene carbonate satisfies the polar solvent requirement. The secondary or tertiary amine may be an organic base compound. For example, Zhu teaches triethanolamine (see Claim 7). Triethanolamine is an organic base. Therefore, Zhu discloses the carbonate compound, the organic base compound, and the alcohol ether compound.
Applicant further argues that Kane discloses the use of dicypridine as a stabilizer to prevent undesirable side reactions in its non-aqueous BTAH system. As Kane is no longer relied upon as prior art, Applicant’s argument is moot.
Applicant further argues that Du discloses an aqueous system to maintain stability and metal protection. As Du is no longer relied upon as prior art, Applicant’s argument is moot.
Conclusion
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/GREGORY R DELCOTTO/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1761
/B.S.H./Examiner, Art Unit 1761