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 .
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.
Claim(s) 1, 2, 5-9, 11, and 13-17 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Takahashi et al.
Takahashi et al disclose a resist composition for EB or EUV exposure (see examples) comprising a photoacid generator (ionic compound) and a resin, wherein the resin includes units meeting the limitations for the instant resin (B) comprising (b1).
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Wherein the hydroxy styrene represents (b1) with the interactive group being -OH (and meeting the instant formula (3) of claim 6, wherein A is H or alkyl, L is a an aryl group or -COO- , B is a single bond or aryl, and C is -OH[ se above wherein B is a single bond in a hydroxystyrene unit, and wherein L and B are present in a hydroxyphenyl(meth)acrylate] (2) of claim 7 wherein n is 1), the resin and the ionic compound are demonstrated to be the same compound (see above for polymers comprising both the unit (b1) and the ionic compound-containing monomeric unit; instant claim 5), and wherein the unit comprises cations and anions meeting the limitations of the instant formulas (6), B-7, B-8, B-9, and B-10 (wherein M3 is a sulfonium or iodonium cation, A3 is the anion of B-7, 8, 9, 10 as exemplified, L is an alkyl, aryl, or fluorinated alkyl group, and R is an organic group including an alkenyl group and or -COO-). The reference examples additionally include units of formula (7), wherein R31 is H, s and t are each 0, and R32 is a monovalent organic group comprising (see unit 2 is A-1 and A-2; instant claim 9).
The composition is used to form a film and employed in a patterning method as set forth by the instant claims 14-16).
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The reference examples additionally include units of formula (7), wherein R31 is H, s and t are each 0, and R32 is a monovalent organic group comprising (see unit 2 is A-1 and A-2; instant claim 9).
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In the reference formula, the R groups in the polymer backbone may be halogen (Cl, Br, F, or I, preferably F), with -COO- linking groups (X groups), and monovalent organic groups
Additionally, the reference employs the units meeting the limitations of (b1) as discussed above, and the reference teaches that the units may be included in amounts falling within the range of 5 to 90%, 10 to 80%, preferably 20-90%, which overlaps the instantly claimed range of 20% or less ( [0264]; instant claim 8).
Given the teachings of the reference, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the instant invention to prepare the material of Takahashi et al choosing to include a monomeric unit as described above, wherein at least one of the carbon atoms of the alkenyl group forming the polymer backbone includes a halogen atom of Cl, Br, or I, or wherein the unit equating to the instant (b1) is present in an amount of 5 to 20 mol%, falling within the scope of the instant claims.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 9/29/2025 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive as applied to the Takahashi et al reference.
Applicant’s arguments and amendments overcame the rejections over Masunaga et al and Thackeray et al as the references fail to fairly teach or suggest a monomer wherein X is Cl, Br, or I as newly amended.
However, Takahashi et al teach a composition for EB or EUV exposure and sensitivity as required by the instant claims, comprising a polymer having units falling within the scope of the instant claims.
Takahashi’s polymers include a monomer having a structure falling within the scope of unit (1) of polymer (B), wherein instant X is R04, R07, and R63 in reference formulas for preferred monomers (2), (3), (5) are specifically contemplated to be a halogen atom, including Cl, Br, and I, despite F being preferred ([0029], [0040], [0044], halogen defined in [0087], also see claim 2).
For example, unit (2) and (3) comprise A is a group comprising A, a structural moiety is decomposed to generate an acid, and unit (5) comprises a monovalent organic group (-C(=O)O-C(R54)(R55)(R56)), wherein R54 is alkyl and each of R55-R56 is H, alkyl, cycloalkyl, or aromatic groups, which meets the limitations for the instant (1). As described by the instant specification, units demonstrated as instant (1) include those on page 29, which are similar in structure to those described by Takahashi et al. Applicant has specifically noted that of Takahashi’s non-limiting exemplified polymers, A-3 does not meet the limitations of the instant claims. However, the resin includes (1), wherein when the second monomer in A-3 has the methyl group of R63 replaced by a halogen including Cl, Br, or I (as discussed above are equivalent to the methyl group in [0044]), the unit also comprises R, wherein the monovalent organic group is -C(CH3)(H)((phenyl) and is of similar structure to the 6th monomer in the group on page 29, and would fall within the scope of the instant (1) of (B). The polymer further includes a unit comprising the instantly claimed interactive group, wherein the interactive group include groups such as -OH, wherein the unit is a hydroxystyrene group is a group specifically disclose by the instant specification as a unit in (B) comprising an interactive group (see page 34 6th demonstrated unit).
As discussed above and not argued by applicant, the reference teaches an ionic compound as instantly claimed.
Therefore, the polymer of Takahashi et al does include a monomer in polymer (B) wherein unit (1) is taught with a Cl, Br, or I as X, and the rejections of record are maintained.
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 AMANDA C WALKE whose telephone number is (571)272-1337. The examiner can normally be reached Monday to Thursday 5:30am to 4pm.
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/AMANDA C. WALKE/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1722
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