DETAILED ACTION
Claims 1-5 and 7-17 are pending. Claims 1 and 8 have been amended, claims 6 and 7 have been canceled, and claim 17 has been added.
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and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114.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 November 20, 2025 has been entered.
Claim Objections
Claims 2, 3, and 8 are objected to because of the following informalities: Claims 2 and 3 recite “(wherein…group)” such that the parentheses should be omitted. Claim 8 recites formulae in Group II-1 and Group II-2 which are too blurry. Appropriate correction is required.
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 1-5 and 8-17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Xu et al. (U.S. 2013/0171574).
Xu et al. teaches methods of trimming photoresist patterns are provided. The methods comprise in sequence: (a) providing a semiconductor substrate comprising one or more layers to be patterned on an upper surface thereof; (b) forming a photoresist pattern on the one or more layers to be patterned, wherein the photoresist pattern comprises a plurality of features and is formed from a chemically amplified photoresist composition, the photoresist pattern comprising a matrix polymer having acid labile groups; (c) coating a photoresist trimming composition over the photoresist pattern, wherein the trimming composition comprises a matrix polymer, a free acid having fluorine substitution and a solvent, and wherein the trimming composition is free of cross-linking agents; (d) heating the coated semiconductor substrate, thereby causing a change in polarity of the photoresist matrix polymer in a surface region of the photoresist pattern; and (e) contacting the photoresist pattern with a developing solution to remove the surface region of the photoresist pattern [0009] (claims 1, 15, and 16) wherein an example of the matrix polymer includes the following polymer P1:
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181
248
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[0045] wherein the repeating unit on the left is equivalent to an acrylic polymer comprising a hydroxy group and a fluorine of instant claim 1, specifically represented by Chemical Formula 1 of instant claim 2, more specifically Chemical Formula 2 of instant claims 3 and 17, even more specifically the top middle structural unit of Group I of instant claim 4 when R4 is a methyl group. Xu et al. also teaches the matrix polymer is typically present in the compositions in an amount of from 80 to 99 wt %, more typically from 90 to 98 wt %, based on total solids of the trimming composition. The weight average molecular weight of the polymer is typically less than 400,000, preferably from 3000 to 50,000, more preferably from 3000 to 25,000 [0017] and the solvent component of the trimming composition is typically present in an amount of from 90 to 99 wt % based on the trimming composition [0020] (claims 5, 9, and 10). Xu et al. further teaches the trimming compositions further include one or more free acid having fluorine substitution and exemplary suitable acids include the following: CF3SO3H and
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[0019] which are equivalent to the sulfonic acid compound represented by Chemical Formula 3 of instant claim 1, specifically the left acid of Group II-1 of instant claim 8 and the sulfonimide compound represented by Chemical Formula 5 of instant claim 1, specifically the right compound of Group II-2 of instant claim 8 respectively. Further, it is prima facie obvious to combine two compositions each of which is taught by the prior art to be useful for the same purpose, in order to form a third composition to be used for the very same purpose…[T]he idea of combining them flows logically from their having been individually taught in the prior art. In re Kerkhoven, 205 USPQ 1069 1072. In the instant case, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to obtain a trimming composition comprising at least two acid compounds and arrive at the instant claims through routine experimentation of combining equally suitable components for the sought invention with a reasonable expectation of success. Xu et al. also teaches the trimming compositions further include a solvent or solvent mixture and suitable organic solvents for the overcoat composition include, for example: alkyl esters such as alkyl propionates such as n-butyl propionate, n-pentyl propionate, n-hexyl propionate and n-heptyl propionate, and alkyl butyrates such as n-butyl butyrate, isobutyl butyrate and isobutyl isobutyrate; ketones such as 2,5-dimethyl-4-hexanone and 2,6-dimethyl-4-heptanone; aliphatic hydrocarbons such as n-heptane, n-nonane, n-octane, n-decane, 2-methylheptane, 3-methylheptane, 3,3-dimethylhexane and 2,3,4-trimethylpentane, and fluorinated aliphatic hydrocarbons such as perfluoroheptane; and alcohols such as straight, branched or cyclic C4-C9 monohydric alcohol such as 1-butanol, 2-butanol, 3-methyl-1-butanol, isobutyl alcohol, tert-butyl alcohol, 1-pentanol, 2-pentanol, 1-hexanol, 1-heptanol, 1-octanol, 2-hexanol, 2-heptanol, 2-octanol, 3-hexanol, 3-heptanol, 3-octanol and 4-octanol; 2,2,3,3,4,4-hexafluoro-1-butanol, 2,2,3,3,4,4,5,5-octafluoro-1-pentanol and 2,2,3,3,4,4,5,5,6,6-decafluoro-1-hexanol, and C5-C9 fluorinated diols such as 2,2,3,3,4,4-hexafluoro-1,5-pentanediol, 2,2,3,3,4,4,5,5-octafluoro-1,6-hexanediol and 2,2,3,3,4,4,5,5,6,6,7,7-dodecafluoro-1,8-octanediol; and mixtures containing one or more of these solvents. Of these organic solvents, alcohols, aliphatic hydrocarbons and ethers are preferred [0020] while Example 2 uses a mixture of 4-methyl-2-pentynol and di(isopentyl)ether [0045] (claim 11). Xu et al. further teaches the photoresist pattern is next contacted with a developing solution to remove the trimming composition layer 116 and the surface region of the photoresist pattern 118, with the resulting trimmed pattern being shown in FIG. 1E. The developer is typically an aqueous alkaline developer, for example, a quaternary ammonium hydroxide solution, for example, a tetra-alkyl ammonium hydroxide solutions such as 0.26 Normality (N) (2.38 wt %) tetramethylammonium hydroxide (TMAH). Alternatively, an organic solvent developer can be used, for example, a solvent chosen from ketones, esters, ethers, hydrocarbons, and mixtures thereof. Of the organic solvent developers, 2-heptanone and n-butyl acetate are typical [0038] wherein n-butyl acetate is equivalent to a rinse solution comprising an acetate-based compound of instant claim 1, specifically Chemical Formula 7 of instant claims 12 and 13, more specifically the top middle compound shown in Group III of instant claim 14. Xu et al. also teaches the following non-limiting examples are illustrative of the invention [0043] and as a result of methods in accordance with the invention, the process window for formation of patterns such as isolated lines and posts can be significantly improved [0009]. 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 specific teachings of Xu et al. to include the above components and arrive at the instant claims through routine experimentation of combining and/or substituting equally suitable components for the sought invention in order to improve isolated lines and posts.
Response to Arguments
Due to the amendment filed November 20, 2025 of instant claim 1, the double patenting rejections over 17/733,743 in view of Yoshimura and 17/734,772 in view of Yoshimura, as well as the 103 rejections over Yoshimura in view of Hatakeyama and Asakawa and further in view of Yagi have been withdrawn. Applicant’s arguments with regard to these rejections have been considered but are moot due to the amendment of instant claim 1.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. U.S. 2016/0097979, U.S. 2017/0255102, U.S. 2017/0205711, U.S. 2012/0171613, and U.S. 6,309,789.
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/Anna Malloy/Examiner, Art Unit 1737
/KEITH WALKER/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 1735
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