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 .
The indicated allowability of claims 1, 2, 4-8 and 10-22 are withdrawn in view of the newly discovered reference(s) to Nemoto et al. (JP 2020-203984) and Kinoshita (JP 2022-07909 A ). Rejections based on the newly cited reference(s) follow.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 the appropriate paragraphs of 35 U.S.C. 102 that form the basis for the rejections under this section made in this Office action:
A person shall be entitled to a patent unless –
(a)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale, or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 1, 2, 4-8, 10-12 and 16-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Nemoto et al. (JP 2020-203984).
Regrading claims 1, 2, 4-8, 10-12 and 16-20, Nemoto et al. teach a radiation-sensitive resin composition ( Embodiment 10 in Table 4, abstract and claims) comprising a polymer ( see formula a-1 “ polymer having a structural unit that includes an acid liable group ( see abstract) meeting the limitation of a polymer, solubility of which in a developer solution is capable of being altered by an action of an acid as instantly claimed. ) , a radiation-sensitive acid generator ( see formula “B-5”
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[0192]) and a compound represented by formula (1):
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( see formula “C-10” :
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[0188] wherein R1 is CH3SCH2O is an monovalent organic group having 1 to 20 carbon atoms, a is 1 and L1 is-CH2-O- and R2 is substituted aromatic hydrocarbon group having 6 to 20 carbon atoms) meeting the limitation as instantly claimed. Kinoshita teaches a pattern forming method comprising ( coating step) a forming a resist film directly or indirectly on a substrate by applying the radiation-sensitive resin composition ; exposing the resist film ( exposure step); and developing the resist film exposed ( development step) ( examples and claims).
Claim(s) 13-15 and 21-22 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Nemoto et al. (JP 2020-203984).
Regarding claims 13-15 and 21-22, Nemoto et al. teach (Ex. 10, abstract and claims) teach a compound represented by formula (1):
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( see formula “C-10” :
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[0188] wherein R1 is CH3SCH2O is a monovalent organic group having 1 to 20 carbon atoms, a is 1 and L1 is-CH2-O- and R2 is substituted aromatic hydrocarbon group having 6 to 20 carbon atoms) meeting the limitation of the instant claims.
Claim(s) 1, 2, 4-8 and 10-22 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Kinoshita (JP 2022-07909 A ).
Regarding claims 1, 2, 4-8 and 10-22, Kinoshita teaches a radiation-sensitive resin composition ( see abstract, claims, and embodiment 44) comprising a polymer ( see “formula a-27 “
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[0051] meeting the limitation of a polymer, solubility of which in a developer solution is capable of being altered by an action of an acid as instantly claimed. ) , a radiation-sensitive acid generator ( see formula “C-8
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[0258]) and a compound represented by formula (1):
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( see formula “D-4” :
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[0290] wherein a is 0 and L1 is-CH2-O- and R2 is substituted aromatic hydrocarbon group having 6 to 20 carbon atoms) meeting the limitation of independent claim 1 and the compound as recited by independent claim 13. Kinoshita teaches a pattern forming method comprising step (1) a forming a resist film directly or indirectly on a substrate by applying the radiation-sensitive resin composition ; exposing the resist film ( step 2); and developing the resist film exposed ( step 3) ( examples and claims).
Conclusion
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/CHANCEITY N ROBINSON/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1737
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