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 .
Claim Objections
Claim 16, is objected to because of the following informalities: Claim 16, at lines 1-2, recites “wherein, wherein the resist composition includes the polymer”. 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.
Claim(s) 18-20, is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by U. S. Patent Application Publication No. 2005/0186503 (hereinafter referred to as Nishiyama).
Nishiyama, in [0018]-[0019], [0021], [0036]-[0048], discloses the composition that comprises the resist polymer includes repeating units of a phenol group, and in [0091]-0092], Nishiyama discloses that the resin includes repeat units with pendant lactone group (see [0091], structure [II-31]), and repeat units with t-butyl groups and constitute the claimed monomer units, and solvent. Claim 18 recites that at least one monomer is included in the polymer, and Nishiyama discloses the resist polymer includes repeating units of phenol group and lactone groups and Nishiyama, in [0133], [0141], and [0142], discloses the composition includes radical initiator and thereby Nishiyama includes the claimed molar concentration ranges recited in claim 18, and 20. Nishiyama, in [0020], [0141], discloses the use of photoactive compound in the composition (photoacid generator) (claim 19).
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.
Claim(s) 21, is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over U. S. Patent Application Publication No. 2005/0186503 (hereinafter referred to as Nishiyama) in view of U. S. Patent Application Publication No. 2018/0024435 (hereinafter referred to as Hatakeyama).
Nishiyama, is discussed in paragraph no. 4, above.
The difference between the claims and Nishiyama is that Nishiyama does not disclose that the composition further comprises benzoquinone (claim 21).
Hatakeyama, in [0047], discloses that the resist composition comprises a benzoquinone group.
Therefore, it would be obvious to a skilled artisan to modify Nishiyama by employing the benzoquinone in the resist composition as taught by Hatakeyama because Nishiyama does not prohibit the inclusion of a benzoquinone in the resist composition and Hatakeyama in [0047], and [0048], discloses that adding a benzoquinone group in the resist composition produces a resist composition that has an improved dissolution contrast, high sensitivity and the resist pattern formed, from such a resist composition, has good dimensional variation and good pattern profile.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1-7, 9-15, 17, are allowed. See Remarks filed April 14, 2026, on page 8, 4th paragraph, and on pages 9-10.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments, see Amendment and Remarks, filed April 14, 2026, with respect to the rejection of claims 1-7, 9-15, and have been fully considered and are persuasive. The 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) rejection of claims 1-7, 9-11, 13-16 and 35 U.S.C. 103 rejection of claim 17, have been withdrawn.
Applicant's arguments filed April 14, 2026, with respect to the rejection(s) of claim(s) 18-20, have been fully considered but they are not persuasive. The rejection made over claims 18-20, are maintained. With respect to applicant’s argument that Nishiyama does not disclose N-acyloxyphthalimide and that Muthyala is non-analogous art, claim 18 recites that u, v, x, y, and z of the monomeric units can have a molar concentration of 0% and that at least one monomeric unit is included and Nishiyama teaches the claimed lactone-pendant repeating unit and the phenol repeating unit. Presently filed claim 18 does not require N-acyloxyphthalimide to be present in an amount greater than 0%.
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 Daborah Chacko-Davis whose telephone number is (571) 272-1380. The examiner can normally be reached on 9:30AM-6:00PM EST Mon-Fri. If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Sally A. Merkling can be reached on (571) 272-6297. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-272-8300. Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/DABORAH CHACKO-DAVIS/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1737 May 29, 2026.
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