DETAILED ACTION
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
The text of those sections of Title 35, U.S. Code not included in this action can be found in a prior Office action.
Claims 1-6 and 10-19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Xiao (2018/0122631).
Xiao teaches a method of processing a substrate comprising:
- forming an oligomer layer on a substrate with a concave portion including supplying a precursor to the substrate, flowing a first nitrogen and hydrogen and flowing a second nitrogen and hydrogen gas – see for example application of the oligomers [0052] (with reference to specific formulas) and the application of first and second hydrogen and nitrogen containing gases including a compound of Formula II is applied along with that of Formula I [0040, 60] and (second gas) an ammonia plasma, a plasma comprising ammonia and hydrogen (or ammonia and argon) and other such mixtures [0055], wherein the steps include applying cycles [0065], and
- wherein the process is performed at a substrate temperature of <100 degrees [0058],
- and a thermal post treatment at a temperature in the range of about 100 – 1000 deg C, thereby teaching the film forming at a second temperature not less than the first.
Regarding the particular cycles, the teachings as noted include that the steps of a cycle are performed in a variety of manners including sequentially or concurrently or any combination therefore, see [0065], as such, to include any combination of reactants together or in sequence as claimed would have been obvious. There is no showing of criticality of any of the variably claimed orders, and a change in the sequence of adding ingredients is generally not patentable without such criticality. To simultaneously perform one step and non-simultaneously another (other) step(s) is obvious from the teachings. The supplying the second and first nitrogen and hydrogen containing gas as part of the step (a) do not require unique gases, therefore even one step meets the claim requirements (i.e. if one gas is supplied for 2 seconds, one second is the first supplying step and 1 second is the second supplying step, even though the claim names “second” and “first” gases they are not required to be distinct.
Regarding claims 2-4, the prior art teaches preferably less than 100 degrees, which aligns with the specification teaching of controlling such that physical adsorption occurs preferably over chemical adsorption and/or thermal decomposition. While the prior art does not specifically teach controlling for the thermal decomposition versus chemical and/or physical adsorption, but per the instant specification, this is linked to a control of process conditions, particularly temperature (see particularly [0053]).
Regarding claims 5 and 6, the teachings include that the material is flowed into the concave portion in a fluid manner [0035].
Regarding claims 10-12, the process includes during the processing flowing inert atmospheres to assist in the flow/fill of the material, which is also understood to effect discharge of components (in addition to the low pressure [0068].
Regarding claims 13 and 14, the precursor gas contains the claimed elements, see particularly the examples of [0070-74].
Regarding claims 15 and 16, as per claim 1 and the denoted structures per Xiao, the first and second gases have different molecular structures and the gases meet the requirements of claim 16, see [0040].
Regarding claims 17 and 18, as per [0052-55] such gases are supplied.
Regarding claim 19, per [0002] a semiconductor device is formed.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 12/19/2025 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive. Applicants argue that the specification shows the benefits of the claimed. Applicants point to Fig. 6 but again this does not limited the first versus second N/H gas from being the same or different, the claim does not teach the same process cycle (no inert gas between the two exposures) and also there is no evidence of any benefit of following the claimed process. The applicants state that the first exposure acts as a catalyst and the second cycle removes byproducts. Depending on the time of application, the prior art is capable of the same effect and applicants do not disclose any measured benefit of the same process. Generally the arguments are of unexpected results, but there is no documentation of such results. As claimed the embodiments are within the teachings of Xiao. See MPEP 716.02(A) in regard to unexpected results.
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.
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/JOSEPH A MILLER, JR/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1712