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 § 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) 1, 5-7, and 9-16, is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over U. S. Patent No. 5,101,053 (Boettcher) in view of U. S. Patent Application Publication No. 2021/0055652 (hereinafter referred to as Hatakeyama).
Boettcher, in col 1, lines 5-7, in col 2, lines 10-18, in col 3, lines 15-18, and lines 23-24 discloses a radiation sensitive composition that comprises a base polymer that has structural units , and polymer-bound photosensitive polymerization initiator such as copolymerizable sulfonium salts. Boettcher, in col 3, lines 25-69, and in col 4, discloses that the sulfonium salt includes a sulfonium cation and an acid anion (claimed non-nucleophilic counter ion, A⁻), wherein the sulfonium cation part includes an initiator part, a spacer part and the reactive group which is the ethylenically unsaturated copolymerizable part; the sulfonium part (the initiator part) includes two R groups bonded to the S⁺ ion and the other bond of the S⁺ ion is bonded to the hydrocarbyl group that is part of the spacer group and reactive group, viz., -O-W-X-Z-CO-CY=CH2 and includes the claimed structure , see below,
(R1) (R2) S⁺ bonded to the spacer and reactive group, see below,
-O-CO-CH2-O-CO-NH-CH2-O-CO-C(CH3)=CH2,
wherein R1 and R2 are hydrocarbyl groups (see line 30 of col 3, is the same as the claimed R2, and R3), and the other R group bonded directly to the S⁺ is the -O-CO-CH2- i.e., the claimed X3, -O- is the claimed X2, claimed R1 is -H, and the claimed X1 is -CH2-, and is the same claimed structure recited as the sulfonium cation. Boettcher, in col 3, lines 60, and in col 5, lines 25-28, discloses that the counter anion A⁻ is an acid anion such as fluorinated sulfonic acid anion and include structures such as (MSO3)⁻, wherein M is C1-C8 alkyl groups or fluorinated alkyl groups (halogenated derivatives and fluorine). Boettcher, in col 5, lines 22-24, discloses that the acid anion can also include a carboxylate anion such as CH3COO⁻ and is the same structure as that recited as formula (a2-1) (claims 1, 6-7). Boettcher, in col 17, lines 41-46, discloses that the radiation sensitive composition includes a phenolic formaldehyde resin and includes the claimed structure (b2) i.e., the polymer includes an acid labile group, and that the polymer can also include recurring units of epoxy resin i.e., polymer that is free of acid-labile group (claims 9, and 11). Boettcher, in col 17, lines 57-68, and in col 18, lines 13-23, discloses that the photosensitive composition can be used as a photoresist to form a resist pattern and that the sulfonium salt in the composition is photochemically active (photoactive) that causes photochemical elimination of phenolic protective groups and thereby causes solubility differentiation i.e., the photosensitive composition is chemically amplified and discloses the resist composition can be either a negative working or positive working composition (positive resist or negative resist) (claims 10, and 12). Boettcher, in col 10, lines 40-45, discloses that the composition includes organic solvent (claim 13). Boettcher, in col 17, lines 11-31, and in col 18, lines 14-20, discloses that composition is coated onto a substrate and subjected to exposure through a mask, followed by developing (washing away unexposed portions for a photocurable compositions), wherein the exposure to radiation include wavelengths as low as 200nm (include the claimed wavelength) (claims 15-16).
The difference between the claims and Boettcher is that Boettcher does not disclose that the fluorinated anion of the acid is the structures presently recited. Boettcher does not disclose the quencher recited in claim 5 or the acid generator recited (part of claim 6) or the surfactant recited in claim 14.
Hatakeyama, in [0036], discloses that the resist composition includes a sulfonium cation and its counter anion, wherein the anion of the sulfonium salt is a fluorinated sulfonic acid or fluorinated imide acid or fluorinated methide acid. Hatakeyama discloses that the cation of formula (1) as disclosed in [0059], on page 5, right column discloses that the cation moiety of the sulfonium salt as a monomer and is polymerizable (can be polymer bound). Hatakeyama, in [0060], discloses the X-, counter anion as strong acid anions ([0062]), and discloses in [0063], that the anion structure includes, see below,
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62
123
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,
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90
215
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,
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170
181
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, and is the same as the claimed (a1-2), (a1-1-2), and (a1-3),
and Hatakeyama, in [0075], [0083], discloses that the anion can also include the following structure, see below,
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134
261
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and is the same as the structure of the anion recited as (a1-1-3). Hatakeyama, paragraph no. [0075], discloses that the anion is a fluorinated sulfonic acid anion that includes iodine (see structural formula (1E)). Hatakeyama, in [0120], discloses that the resist composition also includes a photoacid generator (claimed acid generator), a quencher, and a surfactant.
Therefore, it would be obvious to a skilled artisan to modify Boettcher by employing the acid anion with an iodine as taught by Hatakeyama because Boettcher, in col 5, lines 25-28, discloses that the hydrocarbon groups of the anion include halogenated derivatives, including fluorine and can include sulfonates, and Hatakeyama, in [0062], discloses that the anions of the strong acids are capable of promoting deprotection reaction of acid labile groups in positive resist or crosslinking or polarity switch reaction in negative resist. It would be obvious to a skilled artisan to modify Boettcher by including the quencher, acid generator and surfactant in the resist composition as taught by Hatakeyama because Boettcher, in col 16, lines 35-38, discloses that the composition can include other additives and does not preclude the claimed components and Hatakeyama, in [0138], discloses that including a quencher in the resist composition prevents a film thickness loss of the formed resist pattern or prevents the rounding of the top of the resist pattern, and Hatakeyama, in [0140], discloses that using a surfactant in the resist composition improves and/or controls the coating characteristics of the resist composition and Hatakeyama in [0120], discloses that adding an acid generator such as the photoacid generator (other than the sulfonium salt) results in a resist composition that has a very high sensitivity such that the dissolution rate in the developer of the base polymer is accelerated by the catalytic reaction.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments, see Amendment, filed July 20, 2026, with respect to the rejection(s) of claim(s) 1, 5-7, 9-13, 15-16, under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) have been fully considered and are persuasive. Therefore, the rejection has been withdrawn. However, upon further consideration, a new ground(s) of rejection is made in view of Hatakeyama, see paragraph no. 5, above. With respect to applicant’s arguments that Boettcher does not disclose the claimed acid anion, Boettcher discloses a fluorine-containing sulfonate ion as the anion. With respect to applicant’s argument that Boettcher does not disclose the newly recited strong acid anion recited in claim 1, Hatakeyama is dependent upon to disclose the newly recited strong acid anions for the onium salt. With respect to applicant’s argument that Boettcher does not disclose an acid generator, Hatakeyama is dependent upon to disclose the use of an acid generator in the resist composition. With respect to applicant’s argument that Hatakeyama does not disclose a sulfonium salt that is polymer bound i.e., the cation moiety is polymer bound, Boettcher is dependent upon to disclose the claimed polymer bound sulfonium cation and the claimed counter anion carboxylate moiety, and Hatakeyama, on page 5, right column, second last row structure to the right, and the last row structures, on page 7, left column, 3rd row, on page 9, right column, last row structures, on page 25, left column, second structure in the last row, on page 25, right column, 1st row structures, and on page 26, right column, last row structure, discloses sulfonium cation monomer that is polymerizable (ethylenically unsaturated monomer) and thereby can be a polymer bound sulfonium cation moiety.
Conclusion
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. 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 October 1, 2026.
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