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
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 32, 34, 37-39, 42-45 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hirohisa Yamazaki et al (U. S. Patent Application: 2010/0009079, here after Yamazaki), further in view of D. Blaschke et al, Journal of Applied Surface Science 13 (2019) page 1-9, here after Blaschke, ShouQian Shao et al (U. S. Patent
Application: 2013/0092084, here after Shao), and Yuji Takebayashi et al (U. S. Patent Application: 2009/0325389, here after Takebayashi).
Claim 32 is rejected. Yamazaki teaches an atomic layer deposition method for
forming an oxide film on a film formation surface of a target workpiece in a chamber of
an atomic layer deposition device [abstract, 0011], the atomic layer deposition method
comprising:
a raw material(source) gas supply step of supplying a raw material gas, which in
fact contains a constituent element of the oxide film, into the chamber, thereby forming
an adsorption layer of the raw material gas on the film formation surface;
a raw material gas purge step of removing, from the film formation surface, a
residue of the raw material gas supplied in the raw material gas supply step and a gas
generated by adsorption of the raw material gas onto the film formation surface;
an oxidant supply step of supplying an ozone gas of 100 vol% into the chamber,
thereby oxidizing the adsorption layer formed on the film formation surface; and an
oxidant purge step of removing, from the film formation surface, a residue of the ozone
gas supplied in the oxidant supply step and a gas generated by oxidation of the
adsorption layer [abstract, 0102-0109], wherein the atomic layer deposition device comprises:
the chamber (201) in which the target workpiece (200) is removably disposed;
a gas supply system that supplies the respective gases into the chamber [fig. 4];
and a gas discharge system (246) that discharges any gas inside the chamber by
suction to the outside of the chamber and maintains the inside of the chamber in a
reduced pressure state [0104],
wherein the gas supply system comprises: a raw material(source) gas supply
line(232a) having a raw material gas supply pipe for supplying a raw material gas into
the chamber; an ozone gas supply line(232b) having an ozone gas supply pipe for
supplying an ozone gas (100%) into the chamber; and an inert carrier gas (N2) supply
line having an inert gas supply pipe for supplying the inert gas into the chamber [0005,
fig. 4, fig. 20, 0090], and
wherein the ozone gas supply line comprises: an ozone gas buffer part (102) that
freely accumulates and seals therein the ozone gas flowing in the ozone gas supply
pipe and freely feeds the accumulated ozone gas into the chamber by opening and
closing of an open/close valve (AV2) mounted on the ozone gas supply pipe. Yamazaki teaches in the raw material gas supply step, the raw material gas is supplied as a mixed gas with the inert gas, wherein the raw material gas supply line comprises an inert gas(N2) addition line (234a) having an inert gas addition pipe switchable between a communication state and a shut-off state to establish or shut off [0125]. Yamazaki teaches the oxide film is hafnium oxide [0208], and source material (raw material) is tetrakisdimethyl amino hafnium precursor [0209], but does not teach a temperature of the film formation surface during the formation of the oxide film is set to 100°C or lower. Blaschke teaches a method of formation of oxide film (hafnium oxide)
with ALD at 100C when the raw material is tetrakisethylmethyl amino hafnium precursor
[abstract lines 1-2] when], and oxidant is ozone (100%), and also teaches the film
formation temperature is 100C [table 1 line 6]. Therefore, it would have been obvious to
one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention was made to have a method of
ALD for depositing oxide film of Yamazaki when the deposition temperature is 100C,
and for 100% ozone, because it is suitable temperature for depositing hafnium oxide
film from tetrakisethylmethyl amino hafnium precursor and ozone with ALD. Yamazaki
teaches the ozone gas buffer part comprising a mass flow controller, 241a [0094, 0126],
but does not teach having pressure gauge that measures a gas pressure inside the
ozone gas buffer part. Shao teaches a method of depositing an oxide film (hafnium
oxide) with ALD [0002] and teaches an ozone generator comprising flow meter and
chamber(buffer) having a pressure gauge to measure chamber pressure to measure
concentration of ozone and setting it to desirable amount [0059-0062]. Therefore, it
would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention
was made to have a method of ALD for depositing oxide film of Yamazaki, and
Blaschke teach, where the buffer part(chamber) has a pressure gauge, because the
pressure gauge with mass flow meter can obtain concentration of ozone and match it
with desirable concentration. Yamazaki teaches a raw material gas buffer part (vaporizing chamber, 242) that freely accumulates and seals therein the raw material gas flowing in the raw material gas supply pipe and the inert gas flowing from the inert gas supply pipe into the raw material gas supply pipe(232a) via the inert gas addition line and freely feed the accumulated raw material gas and inert gas into the chamber by opening and closing of an open/close valve (50) [0125, 0210, fig. 4] mounted on the raw material gas supply pipe. Yamazaki teaches having a gas flow meter but does not teach a raw material gas buffer part pressure gauge that measures a gas pressure inside the raw material gas buffer part. Takebayashi teaches a method of depositing oxide film with ALD, where a raw(source) material gas buffer part (vaporizer) has a pressure gauge that measures a gas pressure inside the raw material gas buffer part [0063, 0101], and wherein the mixed gas supplied in the raw material gas supply step is prepared in advance by execution of: a raw material gas accumulation step of accumulating the raw material gas in the raw material gas buffer part until a pressure inside the raw material gas buffer part reaches a predetermined pressure; and then, a mixed gas accumulation step of obtaining and accumulating the mixed gas in the raw material gas buffer part by feeding the inert gas into the raw material gas buffer part via the inert gas addition pipe until the pressure inside the raw material gas buffer part reaches a predetermined pressure higher than that in the raw material gas accumulation step [0062, 0010, 0115-0118]. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention was made to have a method of ALD for depositing oxide film of Yamazaki, Blaschke, and Shao when the there is a pressure gauge raw(source) material gas buffer part (vaporizer), because it is suitable to monitor the pressure and gas flow in it.
Claim 34 is rejected as Takebayashi teaches supplying inert gas and source gas
with controlling flow rate to vaporizer [0065] which in fact in the raw material gas
accumulation step, a partial pressure of the raw material gas in the mixed gas
accumulated in the raw material gas buffer part reaches to a value, and it is obvious to
calculate concentration of raw material based on partial pressure. The amount of gas
pressure and concentration is based on specific film formation and can be optimized by
an ordinary skill in rat in absence of criticality.
Claim 37 is rejected. Takebayashi teaches the atomic layer deposition device
comprises a raw material gas accumulation amount control part that controls an amount
of accumulation of the raw material gas in the raw material gas buffer part based on a
change in measured value of the raw material gas buffer part pressure gauge [0017,
0064].
Claim 38 is rejected. Although Yamazaki does no teach the volume inside the
inside the raw material gas buffer part is larger than or equal to 1/500 of a volume inside
the chamber. However, this ratio is result effective variable and must be optimize. If the
volume ratio becomes very low, a flow speed of the source gas supplied into the
processing chamber becomes almost the same as the flow speed of the source gas
when the buffer tank is not used, and the effect obtained by using the buffer tank is
hardly obtained. If the volume ratio is very high, the pressure in the processing chamber
becomes too high, when the source gas is supplied into the processing chamber from
the buffer tank pulsatively, and this is not preferable. Therefore, it would have been
obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention was made to have a
method of ALD for depositing oxide film of Yamazaki, Blaschke, Shao, and Takebayashi
when the ratio is optimized, because it is a result effective variable and must be
optimized.
Claim 39 is rejected. If the pipe is very narrow and short the amount of source
gas generated from the generator reaches to buffer chamber very quick and
accumulates and the pressure in buffer chamber increases and the source gas is
supplied into the processing chamber from the buffer tank pulsatively, and this is not
preferable, if the pipe is very long or wide, then a flow speed of the source gas supplied
into the processing chamber pulsatively becomes almost the same as the flow speed of
the source gas when the buffer tank is not used. Therefore, it would have been obvious
to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention was made to have a method
of ALD for depositing oxide film of Yamazaki, Blaschke, and Shao when the ratio is
optimized, because it is a result effective variable and must be optimized.
Claim 42 is rejected as Yamazaki teaches the gas supplied into the chamber in
the raw material gas supply step is kept sealed in the chamber for a predetermined
time, and then, is discharged to the outside of the chamber in the raw material gas
purge step, and wherein the gas supplied into the chamber in the oxidant supply step is kept sealed in the chamber for a predetermined time, and then, is discharged to the outside of the chamber in the oxidant purge step [0106-0109].
Claim 43 is rejected as Shao teaches the atomic layer deposition device
comprises an ozone gas accumulation amount control part that controls an amount of
accumulation of the ozone gas in the ozone gas buffer part based on a change in
measured value of the ozone gas buffer part pressure gauge [0059, 0061-0062].
Claim 44 is rejected. Although Yamazaki does no teach the volume inside the
ozone gas buffer part is larger than or equal to 1/50 of a volume inside the chamber.
However, the ratio of the volume inside the ozone gas buffer part and volume inside the
chamber is a result effective variable and has to be optimized. If the volume ratio
becomes very low, a flow speed of the ozone gas supplied into the processing chamber
becomes almost the same as the flow speed of the ozone gas when the buffer tank is
not used, and the effect obtained by using the buffer tank is hardly obtained. If the
volume ratio is very high, the pressure in the processing chamber becomes too high,
when the ozone gas is supplied into the processing chamber from the buffer tank
pulsatively, and this is not preferable (the ratio is not based on Yamazaki's founding
because the rejection is based on modification of Yamazaki) [0158]. Therefore, it would
have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention was
made to have a method of ALD for depositing oxide film of Yamazaki, Blaschke, and
Shao when the ratio is optimized, because it is a result effective variable and must be
optimized.
Claim 45 is rejected for the same reason claim 44 is rejected above, with same
logic an ordinary skill in art would assume if the volume ratio is very low, or the pipe is
very narrow and short the amount of ozone generated from the generator reaches to
buffer chamber very quick and accumulates and the pressure in buffer chamber
increases and the ozone gas is supplied into the processing chamber from the buffer
tank pulsatively, and this is not preferable, if the pipe is very long or wide, then a flow
speed of the ozone gas supplied into the processing chamber pulsatively becomes
almost the same as the flow speed of the ozone gas when the buffer tank is not used.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the
invention was made to have a method of ALD for depositing oxide film of Yamazaki,
Blaschke, and Shao when the ratio is optimized, because it is a result effective variable
and must be optimized.
Claim 40 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hirohisa
Yamazaki et al (U. S. Patent Application: 2010/0009079, here after Yamazaki), D.
Blaschke et al, Journal of Applied Surface Science 13 (2019) page 1-9, here after
Blaschke, and ShouQian Shao et al (U. S. Patent Application: 2013/0092084, here after
Shao), Yuji Takebayashi et al (U. S. Patent Application: 2009/0325389, here after
Takebayashi), further in view of Kimoto Tomohisa et al (Korean Patent: 20200069230,
here after Tomohisa).
Claim 40 is rejected. Yamazaki does not the raw material(source) gas supply line
comprises a bypass line. Tomohisha teaches a method of depositing with atomic layer
depositing and teaches providing on a side of the raw material gas supply pipe
upstream and/or downstream of the raw material gas part and having a bypass pipe
switchable between a communication state and a shut-off state to establish or shut off
communication between the raw material gas buffer part and the gas discharge system
so the carrier gas can supply without the raw material supply to the chamber (purging
raw material pipe) [fig. 1, page 3 last paragraph]. Therefore, it would have been obvious
to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention was made to have a method of ALD for depositing oxide film of Yamazaki, Blaschke, Shao, and Takebayashi, to have a bypass line, because it helps purging raw material line.
Claim 41 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hirohisa
Yamazaki et al (U. S. Patent Application: 2010/0009079, here after Yamazaki), D.
Blaschke et al, Journal of Applied Surface Science 13 (2019) page 1-9, here after
Blaschke, and ShouQian Shao et al (U. S. Patent Application: 2013/0092084, here after
Shao), Yuji Takebayashi et al (U. S. Patent Application: 2009/0325389, here after
Takebayashi), further in view of Taketoshi Sato et al (Japanese Patent: 2009224457,
here after Sato).
Claim 41 is rejected. Yamazaki does not teach an addition pipe temperature
adjusting part that adjusts a temperature inside the inert gas addition pipe. Sato
teaches a method of depositing with atomic layer depositing and teaches using a triple -
pipe structure to supply vaporized gas into innermost pipe and inert gas of temperature
equal to or above vaporized gas liquefaction prevention temperature into an
intermediate pipe outside the innermost pipe, where the vaporized gas flowing in the
innermost pipe is prevented from a liquefied with the inert gas of high temperature
(higher than inner pipe) flowing in the intermediate pipe so the gas nozzle is prevented
from being clogged. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the
art at the time of the invention was made to have a method of ALD for depositing oxide
film of Yamazaki, Blaschke, Shao, and Takebayashi and use a triple -pipe structure to
supply vaporized gas, because it helps avoiding gas nozzle to be clogged.
Claims 46-48, and 50 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable
over Hirohisa Yamazaki et al (U. S. Patent Application: 2010/0009079, here after
Yamazaki), D. Blaschke et al, Journal of Applied Surface Science 13 (2019) page 1-9,
hereafter Blaschke, and ShouQian Shao et al (U. S. Patent Application: 2013/0092084,
here after Shao), Yuji Takebayashi et al (U. S. Patent Application: 2009/0325389, here after Takebayashi), further in view of Masaya Nagato et al (U. S. Patent Application:
2017/0260626, here after Nagato).
Claim 46 is rejected. Yamazaki teaches the ozone gas supply pipe has an ozone
gas nozzle portion formed on a downstream end part thereof and arranged to protrude
from an inner surface of the chamber [fig. 4],
wherein the raw material gas supply pipe has a raw material gas nozzle portion
formed on a downstream end part thereof and arranged to protrude from the inner
surface of the chamber [fig. 4], and
wherein each of the ozone gas nozzle portion and the raw material gas nozzle
portion includes: a cylindrical section protruding from the inner surface of the chamber
[fig. 3, 0095]; a lid section closing a front end of the cylindrical section in a protruding
direction of the cylindrical section; and a plurality of nozzle holes opening through a
cylindrical surface of the cylindrical section of the cylindrical section [fig. 4, 0072, 0118].
Yamazaki does not teach the nozzle holes opening through a cylindrical surface of the
cylindrical section are in a radial direction of the cylindrical section. Nagato teaches a
method of depositing oxide film with ALD and teaches nozzles are in radial direction of
cylindrical section) around rings) [fig. 1, 0022-0024]. Therefore, it would have been
obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention was made to have a
method of ALD for depositing oxide film of Yamazaki where the nozzles are in radial
direction of cylinder, because it is suitable arrangements for gas nozzles for depositing
films in ALD.
Claim 47 is rejected as Nagato teaches the ozone gas nozzle portion (oxidant
reactant) and the raw material (source) gas nozzle portion protrude from the inner
surface of the chamber in parallel with each other, and
wherein the nozzle holes of the oxidant (ozone gas) nozzle(249b) portion and the
nozzle holes of the raw material gas nozzle(249a) portion are positioned opposed to
and facing each other [fig. 1, 0024, 0027].
Claim 48 is rejected as Yamazaki teaches the atomic layer deposition device
comprises a chamber (203) inside heating part (207) arranged in a space between the
ozone gas nozzle portion and the raw material gas nozzle portion within the chamber to
heat the space between the ozone gas nozzle portion and the raw material gas nozzle
portion within the chamber [fig. 2, fig. 4],
wherein the chamber inside heating part is configured to heat the space between
the ozone gas nozzle portion and the raw material gas nozzle portion to a higher
temperature (100 based on Blaschke) than a temperature inside the ozone gas supply
pipe [0129]. Yamazaki teaches the source material is TEMAZ and heat it to 130C
[0161], however the rejection is based on hafnium precursor (tetrakisdimethyl amino
hafnium) which in fact is heated to 75C for evaporation as Blaschke teaches [page 2, 2.
Experimental lines 95-96] and a temperature inside the raw material gas supply pipe.
Claim 50 is rejected as Nagato teaches chamber has a gas flow guide portion
provided protrudingly from the inner surface of the chamber such that the gas flow guide
portion extends from the inner surface of the chamber toward a position of the target
workpiece in the chamber [fig. 2].
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 49 is objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but
would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the
base claim and any intervening claims.
Claim 51 is allowed. Yamazaki teaches the atomic layer deposition
device comprises an inner surface temperature, and teaches a heater to adjust wafer
temperature [0104], which in fact adjusting a temperature of the inner surface of the
chamber as well, wherein the inner surface temperature adjusting part is configured to
adjust the temperature of the inner surface of the chamber (100 based on Blaschke) to a higher temperature than a temperature inside the ozone gas supply pipe and a
temperature inside the raw material gas supply pipe (75C based on Blaschke), Nagato
teaches the ozone gas nozzle portion and the raw material gas nozzle portion protrude
from the inner surface of the chamber in parallel with each other, and nozzle holes of
the ozone gas nozzle portion and the nozzle holes of the raw material gas nozzle
portion are oriented in opposite directions [fig. 1], but does not teach nozzles are facing
away from each other.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 11/12/25 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive. The applicant argues Yamazaki does not teach a raw material gas
buffer part that freely accumulates and seals therein the raw material gas flowing in the
raw material gas supply pipe and the inert gas flowing from the inert gas supply pipe into the raw material gas supply pipe via the inert gas addition line; the examiner disagrees, Yamazaki teaches vaporizing chamber, 242, that considered as a raw material gas buffer part, that freely accumulates and seals therein the raw material gas flowing in the raw material gas supply pipe and the inert gas flowing from the inert gas supply pipe into the raw material gas supply pipe(232a) via the inert gas addition line and freely feed the accumulated raw material gas and inert gas into the chamber by opening and closing of an open/close valve (50) [0125, 0210, fig. 4] mounted on the raw material gas supply pipe. Takebayashi teaches a method of depositing oxide film with ALD, where a raw(source) material gas buffer part (vaporizer) has a pressure gauge that measures a gas pressure inside the raw material gas buffer part [0063, 0101]. Furthermore Yamazaki and Takebayashi both are related to vaporizing a liquid source
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 TABASSOM TADAYYON ESLAMI whose telephone number is (571)270-1885. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9:30-6.
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/TABASSOM TADAYYON ESLAMI/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1718