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 .
DETAILED ACTION
Claims 1-11 and 13-24 are pending. Claim 12 has been canceled. Note that, Applicant’s amendment and arguments filed July 9, 2026, have been entered.
Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after final rejection. Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on July 9, 2026, has been entered.
Objections/Rejections Withdrawn
The following objections/rejections as set forth in the Office action mailed 4/9/26 have been withdrawn:
The rejection of claims 1-11 and 13-20 under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Wu et al (US2019/0048292), has been withdrawn.
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Claim Objections
Claims 21-24 are objected to because of the following informalities:
With respect to instant claims 21-24, it is suggested that Applicant delete “includes” and insert “comprises”.
Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
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.
The factual inquiries 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.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claims 1-11, 13-15, and 18-23 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Nukui et al (US 2009/0082240).
With respect to independent, instant clam 1, Nukui et al teach A stripping liquid for a semiconductor device is provided that includes an aqueous solution containing a quaternary ammonium hydroxide, an oxidizing agent, an alkanolamine, and an alkali metal hydroxide. Suitable quaternary ammonium hydroxides include methyltri(hydroxyethyl)ammonium hydroxide, etc., which is present in amounts from 0.01 to 50% by weight of the composition. See paras. 26 and 27. Suitable oxidizing agents include nitric acid, hydrogen peroxide, etc., and mixtures thereof, which may be used in amounts from about 0.01 to 20% by weight. See paras. 29-31. Suitable alkanolamines include N,N-dimethylaminoethanol, monoethanolamine, diethanolamine, butanolamine,etc., and mixtures thereof, which may be used in amounts from 0.01% to 50% by weight of the composition. See paras. 32-36. Suitable alkali metal hydroxides include sodium hydroxide, potassium hydroxide, etc., or mixtures thereof, which may be used in amounts from 0.01 to 10% by weight. See paras. 36-37. Water is used in amounts from 0.01 to 80% by weight. See para. 38.
The stripping liquid of the present invention may comprise a corrosion inhibitor.
Examples of the corrosion inhibitor include carboxylic acids such as formic acid, acetic acid, glyoxylic acid, citric acid, salicylic acid, tartaric acid, etc. The corrosion inhibitor is preferably used at a concentration of 0 to 10 wt % relative to the total weight of the
stripping liquid. See paras.44-46.
Nukui et al do not teach, with sufficient specificity, a composition containing a compound of Formula(I), a compound of Formula (II), a primary amino alcohol, a tertiary amine, a solvent, a basic inorganic compound or an inorganic acid, and the other requisite components of the composition in the specific amounts as recited by independent, instant claim 1 and the respective dependent claims.
Nonetheless it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to formulate a composition containing a compound of Formula(I), a compound of Formula (II), a primary amino alcohol, a tertiary amine, a solvent, a basic inorganic compound or an inorganic acid, and the other requisite components of the composition in the specific amounts as recited by independent, instant claim 1 and the respective dependent claims, with a reasonable expectation of success and similar results with respect to other disclosed components, because the broad teachings of Nukui et al suggest a composition containing a compound of Formula(I), a compound of Formula (II), a primary amino alcohol, a tertiary amine, a solvent, a basic inorganic compound or an inorganic acid, and the other requisite components of the composition in the specific amounts as recited by independent, instant claim 1 and the respective dependent claims.
Claims 16 and 17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Nukui et al (US 2009/0082240) as applied to claims 1-11, 13-15, and 18-23 above, and further in view of Wu et al (US2019/0048292).
Nukui et al do are relied upon as set forth above. However, Nukui et al do not teach the use of 2-(2-aminoethylamino)ethanol in addition to the other requisite components of the composition in the specific amounts as recited by the instant claims.
Wu et al teach a semiconductor processing composition for removing residues and/or contaminants from substrate containing Cu, barrier metal and low-k dielectric. The processing composition includes at least one quaternary base, at least one organic amine, at least one surface modifier, at least one antioxidant, at least one complexing agent and balance water. The processing composition provides a sufficient corrosion protection to Cu and metal barrier during process queue time without deteriorating reliability of electronic devices. See Abstract. Suitable quaternary bases include tris(2-hydroxyethyl)methyl ammonium hydroxide, etc., which may be used in amounts from about 0.001% to 25% by weight. See paras. 14-16. Suitable organic amines include monoethanolamine, aminoethylethanolamine (i.e., 2-(2-aminoethylamino)ethanol), N-N-dimethylethanolamine, triethanolamine, etc., and mixtures thereof, which may be use in amounts from about 0.001% to 20% by weight. See para. 17. Suitable complexing agents include citric acid, oxalic acid, etc., and combinations thereof, which may be used in amounts from 0.0001% to 8% by weight. See para. 20. The composition has a pH in the range of 8-14. See claim 2.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to use aminoethylethanolamine (i.e., 2-(2-aminoethylamino)ethanol) in the composition taught by Nukui et al, with a reasonable expectation of success, because Wu et al teach the equivalence of monoethanolamine to aminoethylethanolamine (i.e., 2-(2-aminoethylamino)ethanol) as an alkanolamine in a similar composition and further, Nukui et al teach the use of monoethanolamine.
Claim 24 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Nukui et al (US 2009/0082240) as applied to claims 1-11, 13-15, and 18-23 above, and further in view of WO2016/069576.
Nukui et al do are relied upon as set forth above. However, Nukui et al do not teach the use of 2-(2-aminoethylamino)ethanol in addition to the other requisite components of the composition in the specific amounts as recited by the instant claims.
‘576 teaches compositions that achieve highly efficacious protection of cobalt-containing material layers and cleaning of the post-CMP residue and contaminant material from the surface of the microelectronic device without compromising the low-k dielectric material, copper interconnect material, or cobalt-containing materials. See Abstract. In one embodiment, the amine-free composition comprises, consists of, or consists essentially of at least one complexing agent, at least one basic compound, at least one solvating agent, at least one oxidizing agent, and water, wherein the at least one basic compound comprises KOH, CsOH, ammonium hydroxide, and combinations thereof, preferably KOH, optionally at least one buffering agent. See para. 44. Suitable oxidizing agents include nitric acid, sulfuric acid, hydrogen peroxide, etc. See para. 48.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to use sulfuric acid in the composition taught by Nukui et al, with a reasonable expectation of success, because ‘576 teaches the equivalence of sulfuric acid to nitric acid as oxidizing agent in a similar composition and further, Nukui et al teach the use of nitric acid as an oxidizing agent.
Response to Arguments
Note that, Applicant’s arguments are moot since all prior art rejection(s) set forth in the Office action mailed April 9, 2026, have been withdrawn and a new ground(s) of rejection has been made, as set forth above, which was necessitated by Applicant’s amendment.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Remaining references cited but not relied upon are considered to be cumulative to or less pertinent than those relied upon or discussed above.
Applicant is reminded that any evidence to be presented in accordance with 37 CFR 1.131 or 1.132 should be submitted before final rejection in order to be considered timely.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to GREGORY R DEL COTTO whose telephone number is (571)272-1312. The examiner can normally be reached M-F, 8:30am-6:00pm, EST.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Angela Brown-Pettigrew can be reached at (571) 272-2817. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/GREGORY R DELCOTTO/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1761
/G.R.D/October 13, 2026
