DETAILED ACTION
This is the Office action based on the 17880660 application filed August 4, 2022, and in response to applicant’s argument/remark filed on October 30, 2025. Claims 1-20 are currently pending and have been considered below.
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 .
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 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.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 103:
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 of this title, 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 set forth in Graham v. John Deere Co., 383 U.S. 1, 148 USPQ 459 (1966), that are applied 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 1-20 rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as obvious over Kushibiki et al. (U.S. PGPub. No. 20100240217), hereinafter “Kushibiki”, in view of Baldasseroni et al. (U.S. PGPub. No. 20180138036), hereinafter “Baldasseroni”, and Sung et al. (U.S. PGPub. No. 20170140937), hereinafter “Sung”:--Claims 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11: Kushibiki teaches an apparatus, comprising having a storage medium, such as CD-ROM, wherein the storage medium storing program codes of software executing a method of patterning ([0087-0091]), the method comprisinga) providing a substrate comprising amorphous carbon layer 51, and a mask comprising photoresist layer 53 having an opening formed on a BARC layer 52, which is formed on an amorphous carbon layer 51 (Fig. 5A, [0070]) in a first process chamber in an apparatus (Fig. 3);b) supplying a plasma comprising CF4 and O2 gas to the substrate ([0071-0072], Fig. 5B), wherein the plasma etches the BARC layer 52 through the opening to expose the amorphous carbon layer 51 and form a pattern ([0073]);c) disposing the substrate in a second process chamber ([0074]), then supplying oxygen plasma to further trim the pattern ([0075], Fig. 5C);d) disposing the substrate in a third process chamber.e) supplying a silicon-containing gas, such as divalent and trivalent aminosilanes, such as SiH3(NHC(CH3)3), SiH3(N(CH3)2), SiH2(NHC(CH3)3)2 , or SiH(N(CH3)2)3 into the chamber, wherein the silicon-containing gas is adsorbed to the pattern ([0027, 0053, 0076]);f) stopping the supplying of the silicon-containing gas, then purging the chamber (Step S5 in Fig. 2, [0034]);g) supplying an oxygen-containing gas, such as oxygen plasma, to the substrate to oxidize the adsorbed silicon-containing gas to form silicon oxide layer on the pattern ([0077], Fig. 5D);h) stopping the supplying of oxygen plasma, then purging the chamber ([0037]);i) repeating step (e)-(h) a plurality of times, such as several hundreds of times (Fig. 2, [0038, 0043]).j) disposing the substrate in a fourth process chamber ([0078]), then supplying a plasma comprising CF4 and O2 gas to the substrate ([0079-0080], Fig. 5E) to etch the silicon oxide layer and exposing the amorphous carbon layer 51 ([0081], Fig. 5F)k) disposing the substrate in a fifth process chamber ([0082]), then supplying oxygen plasma to the substrate ([0082], Fig. 5G) to etch the amorphous carbon layer 51 ([0083], Fig. 5H). Kushibiki is silent about the apparatus comprising the first, second, third and fourth process chambers. Baldasseroni teaches a method of forming silicon oxide ([0024, 0060]) on a plurality of substrates simultaneously, comprising loading a plurality of substrates on a plurality of stations, supplying a silicon-containing precursor, such as aminosilane, to adsorbed on the substrate, then exposing the substrate to an oxygen plasma to react with the adsorbed silicon-containing precursor to form silicon oxide ([0064, 0077-0082]). Baldasseroni further teaches that the silicon-containing precursor may be polysilanes, such as silane (SiH4), disilane (Si2H6), and organosilanes such as methylsilane, ethylsilane, isopropylsilane, t-butylsilane, dimethylsilane, diethylsilane, di-t-butylsilane, allylsilane, sec-butylsilane, thexylsilane, isoamylsilane, t-butyldisilane, di-t-butyldisilane, and the like ([0049]). Baldasseroni further teaches that the silicon-containing precursor may be a halosilane, such as iodosilanes, bromosilanes, chlorosilanes, fluorosilanes, tetrachlorosilane, trichlorosilane, dichlorosilane, monochlorosilane, chloroallylsilane, chloromethylsilane, dichloromethylsilane, chlorodimethylsilane, chloroethylsilane, t-butylchlorosilane, di-t-butylchlorosilane, chloroisopropylsilane, chloro-sec-butylsilane, t-butyldimethylchlorosilane, thexyldimethylchlorosilane, and the like ([0050]), and the aminosilane may include at least one nitrogen atom bonded to a silicon atom, but may also contain hydrogens, oxygens, halogens, and carbons, such as mono-, di-, tri- and tetra-aminosilane (H3Si(NH2), H2Si(NH2) 2, HSi(NH2)3 and Si(NH2)4, respectively), as well as substituted mono-, di-, tri- and tetra-aminosilanes, for example, t-butylaminosilane, methylaminosilane, tert-butylsilanamine, bis(tert-butylamino) silane (SiH2(NHC(CH3)3)2 (BTBAS), tert-butyl silylcarbamate, SiH(CH3)—(N(CH3)2)2, SiHCl—(N(CH3)2)2, (Si(CH3)2NH)3 and the like. A further example of an aminosilane is trisilylamine (N(SiH3)) ([0051]). Therefore, one of ordinary skill in the art would be motivated to use the method taught by Baldasseroni to form the silicon oxide in the invention of Kushibiki because this would enable process multiple substrates simultaneously, thus improve manufacturing efficiency. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made, in routine experimentations, to use one or more of the silicon-containing precursor taught by Baldasseroni above as an equivalent substitution for the aminosilane as the silicon-containing precursor in the invention of Kushibiki. Although Kushibiki does not teach the oxygen plasma would etch the amorphous carbon layer 51 at the same time it forms the silicon oxide layer on the sidewall of the opening, since oxygen plasma would etch amorphous carbon, as taught in step k) above and also by Applicant, the oxygen plasma would etch some amorphous carbon, at least at the beginning of step (g). Thus, the oxygen plasma would etch at least an amount of the amorphous carbon that is exposed at the bottom of the opening and form the silicon oxide layer at the beginning of step (g). Kushibiki further teaches that the stopping the supplying of aminosilane and purging the chamber starts after the aminosilane has been adsorbed to the surface of the substrate, i.e. the first duration ([0035]), and the stopping the supplying of oxygen plasma and purging the chamber starts after the silicon oxide film has been formed, i.e. the second duration. Therefore, the first and second duration are result-effective variables. Kushibiki fails to teach adjusting the use-ratio from one cycle to the next. Sung, also directed to atomic layer etching a layer, that comprises a first step of providing a first gas that adsorbs on the surface of the layer and a second step of providing a second gas that reacts with the adsorbed molecules, teaches that process condition for a step may be determined by monitoring the optical emission spectrum of the first gas not adsorbed onto the substrate or the exhaust gas from the chamber and adjust the flow rate and process time ([0041-0044, 0052-0058, 0024], Fig. 2). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to use the method taught by Sung to determine the process condition and parameters in the invention of Kushibishi modified by Baldasseroni and make adjustments to the process parameters because Sung teaches that this would determine the process condition so that adjustment may be made to subsequent processes ([0073-0075, 0078]) Kushibiki further teaches that the absorption of the silicon-containing precursor and exposing to the oxygen mineralizes the surface of the photoresist to form a silicon oxide film ([0077]); therefore, during the first cycle the silicon-containing precursors adsorb onto a photoresist surface, and during the subsequent cycles the silicon-containing precursors adsorb onto a silicon oxide surface. Since the absorption rate of the silicon-containing precursor to a photoresist surface is different than the absorption rate of the silicon-containing precursor to a silicon oxide surface, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made, in routine experimentations, to find the optimal value for the first and second duration such that the first duration for the first cycle to be different than the first duration in a second cycle since it has been held that where the general conditions of a claim are disclosed in the prior art, discovering the optimum or workable ranges involves only routine skill in the art. In re Aller, 105 USPQ 233. It is noted that this would use a different use-ratio from the first cycle to the second cycle. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made, in routine experimentations, to use a silicon-containing precursor from the list of possible silicon-containing precursors taught by Kushibishi and Baldasseroni such that the first duration for the first cycle to be greater than, or less than, the first duration in a second cycle, resulting in a first use-ratio to be greater than or less than the second use-ratio. Although Kushibishi, Baldasseroni and Sung are silent about a profile of the opening, the opening would have a tapered profile when the first use-ratio is less than the second use-ratio, and would have a retrograde profile (wider toward the bottom of the opening) when the first use-ratio is greater than the second use-ratio, as taught by Applicant Since in subsequent cycles after the first cycle the silicon-containing precursor adsorbs to a silicon oxide surface, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made, in routine experimentations, to use the same use-ratio from one cycle to the next after the first cycle. Alternately, it is noted that the plurality of repeating may be arbitrarily divided into a first session, second session, third session, etc. wherein each session has the same or a different first duration:second duration ratio.--Claims 5: It is obvious that the oxygen plasma would comprise both oxygen ions and oxygen radicals in routine experimentations.--Claim 12: It is noted that the purging step is performed between step f) and g).--Claim 13: Kushibiki is silent about using a different chamber in step (g); however, since Kushibiki teaches that supplying oxygen plasma may be performed in the second chamber in step (c), it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made, in routine experimentations, to perform step (g) in the second process chamber, which is different than the third process chamber.--Claim 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20: Kushibiki teaches that as the silicon-containing gas is converted into the silicon oxide film, the silicon oxide film becomes thicker and the line width of the line portion constituting the opening pattern of the photoresist film becomes thinner. Thus the repeating steps e)-h) controls a shape of the sidewall of the photoresist pattern.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed October 30, 2025 have been fully considered as follows:--Regarding Applicant’s argument that Kushibiki fails to disclose the claimed use-ratio, this argument is not persuasive. Claim 1 defines the use-ratio as the ratio of the first time period to the second time period, wherein the first time period is the time period that the first gas is introduced in the chamber, and the second time period is the time period that the second gas is introduced in the chamber. Since Kushibiki clearly teaches introducing a first gas, i.e. the aminosilane, during a first time period in steps e) and f), then introducing a second gas, i.e. the oxygen, during a second time period in steps g) and h), then cyclically repeating the above steps, the use-ratio is an inherent property in the invention of Kushibiki. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made, in routine experimentations, to find the optimal value for the first and second duration such that the first duration for the first cycle to be different than the first duration in a second cycle since it has been held that where the general conditions of a claim are disclosed in the prior art, discovering the optimum or workable ranges involves only routine skill in the art. In re Aller, 105 USPQ 233. However, for further clarification, a new reference is introduced, as shown above.--Regarding Applicant’s argument that “in the oxidation process of Kushibiki, the oxygencontaining gas merely reacts with the silicon-containing gas to provide a protective layer of silicon oxide on both the sidewalls and bottom of the pattern. Thus, assuming that the first and second duration in Kushibiki are result-effective variables, the first and second duration should be optimized for controlling the reaction of the silicon-containing gas with the oxygen containing gas to form a layer of silicon oxide on both the sidewalls and bottoms of the pattern. However, there is no reason or motivation for one of ordinary skill in the art to optimize the useratios in different sessions for the purpose of the present application. That is, there is no motivation or reason for one of ordinary skill in the art to use different use-ratios in different sessions even through routine optimization based on Kushibiki”, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made, in routine experimentations, to find the optimal value for the first and second duration such that the first duration for the first cycle to be different than the first duration in a second cycle, thus having the first use-ratio to be different than the second use-ratio, as explained above. It is noted that Kushibiki and Baldasseroni disclose a wide variety of silicon-containing precursor that may be used for the adsorption to the substrate; therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made, in routine experimentations, to use a silicon-containing precursor from the list of possible silicon-containing precursors taught by Kushibishi and Baldasseroni such that the first duration for the first cycle to be greater than, or less than, the first duration in a second cycle, resulting in a first use-ratio to be greater than or less than the second use-ratio.
Conclusion
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 extension fee 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 THOMAS PHAM whose telephone number is (571)270-7670. The examiner can normally be reached on MTWThF10to7 EST.
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/THOMAS T PHAM/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1713