DETAILED ACTION
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
The Applicant's amendment filed on February 23, 2026 was received. Claims 1 and 14 are amended. Claims 12 and 20 were withdrawn. No claim was added or canceled.
The text of those sections of Title 35. U.S.C. code not included in this action can be found in the prior Office Action Issued September 29, 2025.
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.
Claims 1-11 and 13-19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Tois (US20170352533) in view of Todd (US20210118684).
Regarding claim 1, Tois teaches a method of selectively depositing an organic film on a substrate comprising a first surface and a second surface (abstract, paragraph 0008). Tois teaches to treat the surface of the substrate with hydrogen plasma (paragraph 0039), wherein the first surface is metal or metallic (non-hydroxyl containing surface) and a second surface is dielectric surface such as silicon oxide (paragraph 0037, 0066-0067, 0030-0031). Tois teaches to flow a first precursor over the substrate comprising the second surface and the non-hydroxyl containing surface to form a first portion of a selectively deposited layer on the non-hydroxyl containing surface, the first precursor comprises a first reactive group (paragraphs 0029, 0058 to 0060 and 0073, figure 2). Tois teaches to remove the excess first precursor and any volatile reaction by-product (first precursor effluent) from the substrate (paragraph 0061, figure 2). Tois teaches to flow a second precursor comprising a second reactive group over the substrate to react with the first reactive group to form a selectively deposited layer on the non-hydroxyl containing surface of the substrate and not on the second surface (paragraphs 0062-0063 and 0074, figure 2). Tois teaches to remove the excess second precursor and any volatile reaction by-product from the substrate (second precursor effluent) (paragraph 0064).
Tois does not explicitly teach to form the hydroxide groups on the second surface and to expose the substrate to silylating precursory to form a passivated surface on the second surface and not on the first surface. However, Tois teaches the second surface has the same dielectric material (SiO2), the first surface has the same metallic non-hydroxyl containing surface and use the same hydrogen plasma as the claimed invention, thus, it would be reasonably expected to form hydroxide groups on the dielectric material not on the non-hydroxyl containing surface. Nevertheless, Todd teaches a method of selectively deposition on a second surface of a substrate relative to a first surface (paragraph 0005), wherein the deposit is carbon containing film (pargraph 0128). Todd teaches the surface is treated with hydrogen plasma to form hydroxyl group on the second surface, and the second surface is subsequently passivated by a silicon containing compound (silylating precursor) which reacts with the surface hydroxyl groups to form silyl ether terminated surface and thereby passivate the surface, wherein the second surface is silicon oxide (paragraphs 0064-0065, 0056, 0075 and 0115). Since Tois teaches the first surface is same metallic non-hydroxyl- containing surface as the claimed invention, Todd’s passivated layer would intricially not formed on the such metallic non-hydroxyl-containing surface. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to increase the hydroxy group and passivate the silicon oxide surface as suggested by Todd in the method of Tois because Todd teaches such process can overcome the issue of incomplete passivation of the surfaces, physisorption of ALD precursor molecules and subsequent formation of the ALD film material either within the passivation layer itself or on the surfaces where deposition is not desired (paragraph 0004).
Regarding claim 2, Todd teaches the silylating precursor is forming I, which has the same structure as formula A (paragraph 0064).
Regarding claim 3, Todd teaches the silylating precursor is N, N-dimethyltrimethylsilyamine (dimethylaminotrimethyl silane) (paragraph 0094).
Regarding claim 4, Tois teaches the non-hydroxyl containing surface is copper, cobalt etc (paragraphs 0030-0031).
Regarding claim 5, Tois teaches the second surface is silicon oxide (paragraph 0037).
Regarding claim 6, Tois teaches the first precursor has a general formula as the instant claim (paragraphs 0094-0097).
Regarding claim 7, Tois teaches the second precursor has a general formula as the instant claim (paragraphs 0094-0097).
Regarding claim 8, Tois teaches the first precursor and the second precursor are independly selected from terephthaldehyde and 1,4-diaminobenzene (phynylenediamine) (paragraph 0099).
Regarding claim 9, Tois teaches the forming an additional selectively deposited layer on the selectively deposited layer (paragraph 0065, see figure 2).
Regarding claim 10, Tois teaches to remove the first and second precursors by flowing a purge gas over the substrate and removing the mixture of the one or more of the first precursor effluent and the second precursor effluent and the purge gas from the substrate (paragraphs 0123, 0061 and 0064, figure 2).
Regarding claim 11, Tois teaches the purge gas is nitrogen (paragraph 0123).
Regarding claim 13, Tois teaches the method is atomic layer deposition (ALD) and molecular layer deposition (paragraphs 0009 and 0012).
Regarding claim 14, Tois teaches a method of selectively depositing an organic film on a substrate comprising a first surface and a second surface (abstract, paragraph 0008). Tois teaches to treat the surface of the substrate with hydrogen plasma (paragraph 0039), wherein the first surface is metal or metallic (non-hydroxyl containing surface) and a second surface is dielectric surface such as silicon oxide (paragraph 0037, 0066-0067, 0030-0031). Tois teaches to flow a first precursor over the substrate comprising the second surface and the non-hydroxyl containing surface to form a first portion of a selectively deposited layer on the non-hydroxyl containing surface, the first precursor comprising a first reactive group (paragraphs 0029, 0058 to 0060 and 0073, figure 2). Tois teaches to remove the excess first precursor and any volatile reaction by-product from the substrate ((first precursor effluent) (paragraph 0061, figure 2). Tois teaches to flow a second precursor comprising a second reactive group over the substrate to react with the first reactive group to form a selectively deposited layer on the non-hydroxyl containing surface of the substrate and not on the second surface (paragraphs 0062-0063 and 0074, figure 2). Tois teaches to remove the excess second precursor and any volatile reaction by-product from the substrate (second precursor effluent) (paragraph 0064). Tois teaches the first and second precursors have a general formula as the instant claim (paragraphs 0094-0097).
Tois does not explicitly teach to form the hydroxide groups on the second surface and to expose the substrate to silylating precursory to form a passivated surface to form a passivated surface on the second surface and not on the first surface. However, Tois teaches the second surface has the same dielectric material (SiO2), the first surface has the same metallic non-hydroxyl containing surface and use the same hydrogen plasma as the claimed invention, thus, it would be reasonably expected to form hydroxide groups on the dielectric material and not on the non-hydroxyl containing surface. Nevertheless, Todd teaches a method of selectively deposition on a second surface of a substrate relative to a first surface (paragraph 0005), wherein the deposit is carbon containing film (pargraph 0128). Todd teaches surface is treated with hydrogen plasma to form hydroxyl group on the second surface, and the second surface is subsequently passivated by a silicon containing compound (silylating precursor) which reacts with the surface hydroxyl groups to form silyl ether terminated surface and thereby passivate the surface, wherein the second surface is silicon oxide (paragraphs 0064-0065, 0056, 0075 and 0115). Todd teaches the silylating precursor is forming I, which has the same structure as formula A (paragraph 0064). Since Tois teaches the first surface is same metallic non-hydroxyl- containing surface as the claimed invention, Todd’s passivated layer would intricially not formed on the such metallic non-hydroxyl-containing surface. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to increase the hydroxy group and passivate the silicon oxide surface as suggested by Todd in the method of Tois because Todd teaches such process can overcome the issue of incomplete passivation of the surfaces, physisorption of ALD precursor molecules and subsequent formation of the ALD film material either within the passivation layer itself or on the surfaces where deposition is not desired (paragraph 0004).
Regarding claim 15, Tois teaches the non-hydroxyl containing surface is copper, cobalt etc (paragraphs 0030-0031).
Regarding claim 16, Tois teaches the second surface is silicon oxide (paragraph 0037).
Regarding claim 17, Tois teaches the first precursor and the second precursor are independly selected from terephthaldehyde and 1,4-diaminobenzene (phynylenediamine) (paragraph 0099).
Regarding claim 18, Tois teaches the forming an additional selectively deposited layer on the selectively deposited layer (paragraph 0065, see figure 2).
Regarding claim 19, Tois teaches to remove the first and second precursors by flowing a purge gas over the substrate and removing the mixture of the one or more of the first precursor effluent and the second precursor effluent and the purge gas from the substrate (paragraphs 0123, 0061 and 0064, figure 2). Tois teaches the purge gas is nitrogen (paragraph 0123).
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed on February 23, 2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
Applicant’s principal arguments are:
Tois teaches away from passivating the second surface as claimed, as the key feature of Tois is that selective deposition is achieved without requiring passivation agent on the second surface. Tois teaches it is beneficial to not passivate the second surface, and further teaches that the first surface can be passivated. There is not motivation to combine the references.
In response to Applicant’s arguments, please consider the following comments:
Tois explicitly teaches the selectivity can be achieved without passivation/blocking agents on the surface to receive less of the organic layer (second surface); and/or without catalytic agents on the surface to receive more of the organic layer (first surface) (pargraph 0029); and deposition on the first surface relative to the second surface of the substrate is at least about 80%, 50% or 10% selective (paragraph 0046), which indicate that Tois’s selectivity without passivation does not always achieve deposition not occur on the second surface. Tois also teaches in some embodiments depositions only occurs on the first surface and does not occur on the second surface (paragraph 0046), and a subsequent etching process can be conducted to completely remove deposited organic material from the second surface of the substrate while deposited organic material may remain on the first surface of the substrate (pargraph 0109), which indicate that Tois desires no deposition on the second surface in at least some embodiments. Tois teaches “in some embodiments the second dielectric surface does not comprise a passivation or blocking layer, such as a self-assembled monolayer, which would prevent the actual top surface of the second dielectric surface from exposed to the chemicals of the deposition processes described herein” (paragraph 0041), which further indicates passivation on the second surface is only not desired for the embodiments when deposition is required on the second surface. Thus, Tois’s embodiment focusing on no deposited film on the second surface does not teach away from the passivation method on the second surface. Todd teaches the passivation process can overcome the issue of incomplete passivation of the surfaces, physisorption of ALD precursor molecules and subsequent formation of the ALD film material either within the passivation layer itself or on the surfaces where deposition (paragraph 0004). Specifically, Todd teaches the “removal of adsorbed moisture and tightly clustered surface hydroxyl groups from the SiO2 surface will yield a surface hydroxyl population that is largely free of hydrogen bonding, an increased number of surface siloxane-like (Si—O—Si) bonds that are far less reactive than hydroxyl groups (and that also have less polarity than —OH surface bonds) and that can be tailored to have a mean separation distance that can be controlled through the pre-treatment process conditions. It is believed that this surface will allow essentially complete passivation of reactive chemical sites through the use of specific passivation molecules that have intramolecular lengths that match their reactive group distances to the hydroxyl group surface spacing” (paragraph 0115). Thus, Todd teaches the passivation layer forms a completely passivation of reactive chemical sites compared to -OH surface, which is an improvement of Tois’s selectivity method that only relies on -OH groups formed on the surface, which might have result in some deposition on the second surface. Thus, it would be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, when looking for no deposited layer on the second surface as desired by Tois in at least one embodiment, Todd’s selectively passivation method on the second surface is applicable. Thus, there is motivation to combine Todd with Tois. It would be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to use Todd’s passivation method to further passivate the SiO2 surface in Tois as Todd teaches the passivation layer forms a completely passivation of reactive chemical sites (paragraph 0115). In regards to the argument of passivation on the first surface, it is well settled that nonpreferred and alternative embodiments constitute prior art and disclosed examples and preferred embodiments do not constitute a teaching away from a broader disclosure or nonpreferred embodiments (see MPEP 2123 II). Thus, the one embodiment of passivation on the first surface does not constitute a teaching away from the broader disclosure of the -OH group is formed on the second surface (and metal surface is not being passivated) (by Tois) and the silylating precursor interacts with the hydroxide groups on the second surface to form a passivated surface on the second surface (by Todd), especially Tois’s passivation layer in the first surface in such embodiment is benzotriazole (BTA) layer (paragraph 0033), which is different from the claimed passivation layer (and Todd’s) involving silylating precursor interacts with the hydroxide groups.
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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/N.V.L/Examiner, Art Unit 1717 /ROBERT S WALTERS JR/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1717
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