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 .
Election/Restrictions
Claims 13-20 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected invention, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on 3/5/26.
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.
Claims 1-9 and 11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by US Publication 2019/0131135 to Belau et al.
Regarding Claim 1, Belau et al. teaches a semiconductor processing method comprising:
providing a fluorine-containing precursor and a carbon-containing precursor (See at least Paragraphs 18, 24, Table 1, Claims 5 and 6) to a processing region of a semiconductor processing chamber (Fig. 2), wherein a substrate is housed in the processing region, and wherein a layer of oxygen-containing material (224) is disposed on the substrate (single or multiple, Paragraph 26); forming plasma effluents of the fluorine-containing precursor and the carbon-containing precursor; and contacting the substrate with the plasma effluents of the fluorine-containing precursor and the carbon-containing precursor, wherein the contacting etches a feature in the layer of oxygen-containing material (224), and wherein a semiconductor processing chamber operating temperature is maintained at less than or about 0 °C (Paragraph 23, Claim 1) during the semiconductor processing method.
Regarding Claim 2, Belau et al. teaches (See at least Paragraphs 18, 24, Table 1, Claims 5 and 6) the fluorine-containing precursor comprises nitrogen trifluoride (NF₃), carbon tetrafluoride (CF4), hexafluorobutadiene (C4F6), or difluoromethane (CH₂F₂)
Regarding Claim 3, Belau et al. teaches the carbon-containing precursor (CH4, CHF3, CH3F, CH₂F₂) further comprises hydrogen.
Regarding Claim 4, Belau et al. teaches (See at least Paragraphs 18, 24, Table 1, Claims 5 and 6) the carbon-containing precursor comprises methane (CH4) or difluoromethane (CH₂F₂).
Regarding Claims 5 and 6, Belau et al. teaches providing diatomic oxygen (Claim 6)
Regarding Claim 7, Belau et al. teaches (Paragraph 18) less than 750W plasma.
Regarding Claim 8 and 9, Belau et al. teaches (Paragraph 18) less than 1000W bias.
Regarding Claim 11, Belau et al. teaches a semiconductor processing chamber operating temperature is maintained at less than or about 0 °C (Paragraph 23)
Claims 1-6, 10 and 11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by US Publication 2021/0143055 to Tokashiki et al. et al.
Regarding Claim 1, Tokashiki et al. teaches a semiconductor processing method comprising:
providing a fluorine-containing precursor and a carbon-containing precursor (See at least Paragraph 24, Claims 17 and 20) to a processing region of a semiconductor processing chamber (Paragraph 40), wherein a substrate is housed in the processing region, and wherein a layer of oxygen-containing material (110) is disposed on the substrate (Paragraph 20); forming plasma effluents of the fluorine-containing precursor and the carbon-containing precursor (Paragraph 24); and contacting the substrate with the plasma effluents of the fluorine-containing precursor and the carbon-containing precursor, wherein the contacting etches a feature (HAR opening) in the layer of oxygen-containing material (110), and wherein a semiconductor processing chamber operating temperature is maintained at less than or about 0 °C (Paragraphs 25, 46 and Claim 1) during the semiconductor processing method.
Regarding Claim 2, Tokashiki et al. teaches (See at least Paragraph, 24, Claims 17 and 20) the fluorine-containing precursor comprises nitrogen trifluoride (NF₃), carbon tetrafluoride (CF4), hexafluorobutadiene (C4F6), or difluoromethane (CH₂F₂)
Regarding Claim 3, Tokashiki et al. teaches the carbon-containing precursor (CH4, CHF3, CH3F, CH₂F₂) further comprises hydrogen.
Regarding Claim 4, Tokashiki et al. teaches (See at least Paragraph 24, Claims 17 and 20) the carbon-containing precursor comprises methane (CH4) or difluoromethane (CH₂F₂).
Regarding Claims 5 and 6, Tokashiki et al. teaches providing diatomic oxygen (Paragraph 24 and Claim 20)
Regarding Claim 10, Tokashiki et al. teaches CD less than 20nm (Paragraph 25)
Regarding Claim 11, Tokashiki et al. teaches a semiconductor processing chamber operating temperature is maintained at less than or about -40 °C (Paragraph 19)
Claims 1-6, 11 and 12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by US Publication 2021/0233775 to Zhang et al.
Regarding Claim 1, Zhang et al. teaches a semiconductor processing method comprising:
providing a fluorine-containing precursor and a carbon-containing precursor (See at least Paragraph 26, Claims) to a processing region of a semiconductor processing chamber (10), wherein a substrate (25) is housed in the processing region, and wherein a layer of oxygen-containing material (300) is disposed on the substrate (Paragraph 15); forming plasma effluents of the fluorine-containing precursor and the carbon-containing precursor; and contacting the substrate with the plasma effluents of the fluorine-containing precursor and the carbon-containing precursor (Paragraphs 25-31), wherein the contacting etches a feature (Paragraph 12) in the layer of oxygen-containing material, and wherein a semiconductor processing chamber operating temperature is maintained at less than or about 0 °C (Paragraphs 18, 25, 28) during the semiconductor processing method.
Regarding Claim 2, Zhang et al. teaches (Paragraph, 26, 29, Claims) the fluorine-containing precursor comprises nitrogen trifluoride (NF₃), carbon tetrafluoride (CF4), hexafluorobutadiene (C4F6), or difluoromethane (CH₂F₂)
Regarding Claim 3, Zhang et al. teaches (Paragraph, 26, 29, Claims) the carbon-containing precursor (CH4, CHF3, CH3F, CH₂F₂) further comprises hydrogen.
Regarding Claim 4, Zhang et al. teaches (Paragraph, 26, 29, Claims) the carbon-containing precursor comprises methane (CH4) or difluoromethane (CH₂F₂).
Regarding Claims 5 and 6, Zhang et al. teaches providing diatomic oxygen (Paragraph, 26, 29, Claims)
Regarding Claim 11, Zhang et al. teaches a semiconductor processing chamber operating temperature is maintained at less than or about -40 °C (Paragraph 19)
Regarding Claim 12, Zhang et al. teaches the feature is etched in the oxygen containing material (Figure 5) at an etch rate of greater than or about 400 A/min
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 10 and 12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over US Publication 2019/0131135 to Belau et al.
Regarding Claim 10, Belau et al. teaches CD less than 100nm (Paragraph 25) but does not expressly teach 20nm. However, the CD that may be achieved is simply the result of the etching process. Since the same etching process is performed by Belau as broadly claimed, the same CD less than 20nm would reasonably be expected to be achievable by use of the same etching process, or else is the result of essential limitations which have not been claimed.
Regarding Claim 12, Belau et al. teaches etch rate may be improved (Paragraph 22) but does not expressly teach 400 A/min etch rate. However, the etch rate that may be achieved is simply the result of the etching process. Since the same etching process is performed by Belau as broadly claimed, the same 400 A/min etch rate would reasonably be expected to be achievable by use of the same etching process, or else is the result of essential limitations which have not been claimed.
Conclusion
The Prior Art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. US Publication 2023/0127597 to Takahashi et al. teaches a semiconductor processing method comprising: providing a fluorine-containing precursor and a carbon-containing precursor (Paragraphs 29 and 30) to a processing region of a semiconductor processing chamber (Fig 2A-2C), wherein a substrate is housed in the processing region, and wherein a layer of oxygen-containing material (Paragraphs 34-37) is disposed on the substrate; forming plasma effluents of the fluorine-containing precursor and the carbon-containing precursor; and contacting the substrate with the plasma effluents of the fluorine-containing precursor and the carbon-containing precursor, wherein the contacting etches a feature (Fig 1) in the layer of oxygen-containing material, and wherein a semiconductor processing chamber operating temperature is maintained at less than or about 0°C (Paragraphs 26 and 31) during the semiconductor processing method.
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/ROBERTS P CULBERT/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1716
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