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 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)(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(s) 1-16, 18-25, is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by U. S. Patent Application Publication No. 2023/0259025 (hereinafter referred to as Hansen).
Hansen, in [0002], in [0010]-[0011], and in [0013], discloses a process of forming a EUV radiation-sensitive film on a semiconductor substrate, wherein the radiation-sensitive film comprises an organometallic material including an organometallic oxide ([0036]), and carbon-containing unit, and Hansen, in [0205], discloses that the organometallic material deposited on the substrate include polymerized bonds (carbon-carbon bonds). Hansen, in [0020]-[0022], discloses that after depositing the modified precursor containing organometallic material on the substrate to form the photoresist layer, the photoresist layer is subjected to patterning via EUV exposure followed by developing to form a patterned photoresist (pattern of the resist formed on the substrate) (claim 1). Hansen, in [0007], [0010], discloses that the radiation-sensitive film includes an organometallic material that comprises a radiation-sensitive metal center, and the metal can be Sn or Zr or Hf or a combination thereof (claim 2). Hansen, in [0008], [0013]-[0017], [0023], [0040]-[0042], [0109]-[0111], and [0154], discloses that the metal precursor (initial or modified precursor) is provided in vapor form and deposited via plasma enhanced CVD onto the surface of the substrate to form the radiation sensitive organometallic coating that has carbon-carbon bonds (figure 1E), wherein the metal precursor (modified precursor) includes alkylene moieties (carbon-carbon double bonds, see figure 1A, an organometallic polymer layer) and is deposited with the same claimed reactant species (that has the same claimed unsaturation) that is supplied in the same claimed phase (vapor) and is subjected to same claimed deposition technique (plasma excited , PECVD) and will inherently form (nucleation phase) in the same claimed non-solid form as an organometallic polymer layer (and is the same as the claimed liquid like oligomer units) (claims 3-4). Hansen, in [0013]-[0017], [0036], and [0042], discloses that the initial precursor introduced with organic co-reactants in the form of vapor in a PECVD to form the modified precursor on the substrate and does not include any of the species recited in claim 5. Hansen, in [0108], discloses that the metal precursor includes metal alkoxide (Sn(t-BuO)4) (claim 6). Hansen, in [0165], discloses that the metal-containing precursor includes isopropyl tris(t-butoxy)tin (claims 7, 9, and 13). Hansen, in [0036], discloses that two or three or four initial precursors (metal precursors) can be used, and Hansen, in [0104], discloses that initial precursor material can include metal-containing precursors such as Sn(Et4) (tetraethyl tin) or Sn(Me4) (tetramethyl tin) (claims 8, 11-12, and 14). Hansen, in [0165], discloses that the metal precursor can include Sn(t-Bu)(t-BuO)3 (claim 10). Hansen, in [0036], and [0040], [0042], [0154], discloses that the initial precursor (one or two or three of the metal precursors) is employed with organic co-reactants (one or two or more organic co-reactants) to form the modified precursor in vapor form and deposit via plasma enhanced CVD, and Hansen, in [0017]-[0018], discloses that the organic co-reactant (the claimed additive monomer) that is introduced with the initial precursor (metal precursor) can be a ketone, Hansen in [0055], defines the ketone as a hydrocarbon (alkyl) containing a C=O bond (claims 15-16). Hansen, in [0214], [0219], and [0223], discloses that the vapor of the initial precursor (metal precursor) is coated onto the substrate to form polymerized material of the organometallic material (EUV sensitive film), and that the substrate temperature can be between 50°C and maintained to about 250°C after the coating (claims 18-20). Hansen, in [0002], in [0010]-[0011], and in [0013], discloses forming a radiation-sensitive film on a substrate, wherein the radiation-sensitive film comprises an organometallic material including an organometallic oxide ([0036]), and a carbon-containing unit, and Hansen, in [0205], discloses that the organometallic material deposited on the substrate include polymerized bonds (carbon-carbon bonds). Hansen, in [0008], [0013]-[0017], [0023], [0040]-[0042], [0109]-[0111], and [0154], discloses that the metal precursor (initial or modified precursor) is provided in vapor form and deposited via plasma enhanced CVD onto the surface of the substrate to form the radiation sensitive organometallic coating that has carbon-carbon bonds (figure 1E), wherein the metal precursor (modified precursor) includes alkylene moieties (carbon-carbon double bonds, see figure 1A, an organometallic polymer layer) and is deposited with the same claimed reactant species (that has the same claimed unsaturation) that is supplied in the same claimed phase (vapor) and is subjected to same claimed deposition technique (plasma excited , PECVD) and will inherently form (nucleation phase) in the same claimed non-solid form as an organometallic polymer layer. Hansen, in [0020]-[0022], discloses that the coated modified precursor comprising the organometallic material forms the photoresist layer, and the photoresist layer is subjected to patterning via EUV exposure, and the exposed film is developed to form a patterned photoresist (pattern of the resist formed on the substrate). Hansen, in [0215]-[0216], discloses that during the CVD process of initially coating the metal containing precursor (exposing the substrate to the vapor), the substrate can be maintained at a temperature as low as 0°C, and Hansen, in [0217], discloses that the polymerized organometallic material layer is formed by maintaining the temperature up to about 150°C (claim 21). Hansen, in [0219], discloses that the forming of the coating of the metal precursor with the organic precursor so as to form polymerized coating (carbon-carbon bonds) via plasma assisted deposition can include maintaining the substrate temperature of about 250°C (claims 22-23). Hansen, in [0108], discloses that the metal precursor includes metal alkoxide (Sn(t-BuO)4) (claim 24). Hansen, in [0036], and [0040], [0042], [0154], discloses that the initial precursors (one, two or three metal precursors) are employed with organic co-reactants (one, two more organic co-reactants) to form the modified precursor in vapor form and deposit via plasma enhanced CVD the EUV-sensitive material, and Hansen, in [0017]-[0018], discloses that the organic co-reactant (the claimed additive monomer) that is introduced with the initial precursor (metal precursor) can be a ketone, and Hansen in [0055], defines the ketone as a hydrocarbon (alkyl) containing a C=O bond. Hansen teaches the same claimed precursor material (metal precursor) to be coated and is reacted with a co-reactant that is a hydrocarbon that contains a carbonyl group and is introduced in vapor phase in a plasma enhanced coating process i.e., vapors are excited via a plasma generated in the chamber that the reactant vapors are introduced into, and is the same claimed process of forming the EUV sensitive film and will inherently and necessarily increase the photosensitivity of the formed coating (claim 25).
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) 17 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over U. S. Patent Application Publication No. 2023/0259025 (hereinafter referred to as Hansen) in view of U. S. Patent Application Publication No. 20100048029 (hereinafter referred to as Kumar).
Hansen is discussed in paragraph no. 4, above.
Hansen, in [0212], [0214]-[0216], discloses the maintaining of the substrate temperature as low as 0°C or higher during the coating of the metal precursor introduced in the form a vapor via plasma enhanced CVD onto the substrate (claim 17).
The difference between the claim and Hansen is that Hansen does not disclose that the ion-energy in the PECVD process is maintained at less than 50 eV.
Kumar, in [0011], and [0014], discloses that the plasma during the process of exposure of the substrate to the gaseous species (vapor) is maintained at a low energy (low energy ions) that is less 50eV (at about 20eV).
Therefore, it would be obvious to a skilled artisan to modify Hansen by maintaining the ion energy in the amount taught by Kumar because Hansen in [0219], discloses a plasma assisted deposition and does not prohibit the low ion energy claimed and Kumar, discloses in [0005] that high ion energy creates defects on the substrate surface and Kumar in [0008], and [0010], and [0012], discloses that superior film growth on the substrate is enabled when reactive species are nucleated at relatively low energy and that enhanced growth (nucleation) conditions at low energy does not damage the surface atoms on the surface of the substrate and thus avoid the etching of the substrate surface.
Conclusion
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, Mark F. Huff can be reached on (571) 272-1385. 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 March 31, 2026.
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