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 .
Claims 1-11 are pending.
The examiner would like to note that a foreign priority application No.2021-045282 filed on March 18, 2021 has not been made of record in the instant application.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
The following is a quotation of the appropriate paragraph of 35 U.S.C. 102 that forms 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 and 4-11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Hirano et al. (JP 2009-086358 A, with machine translation provided by the applicant on October 11, 2023).
With regard to claims 1, 10, and 11, Hirano et al. teach a resist composition comprising the resin A-31 and the photoacid generator B-72 (Example 35 in in Table 2, par.0377), wherein the resin A-31 is represented by the formula:
PNG
media_image1.png
168
406
media_image1.png
Greyscale
(par.0161).
Hirano et al. further teach a resist composition comprising the resin A-34 and the photoacid generator B-27 (Example 37 in Table 1, par.0377), wherein the resin A-34 is represented by the formula:
PNG
media_image2.png
168
436
media_image2.png
Greyscale
(par.0161).
Hirano et al. further teach a resist composition comprising the resin A-35 and the photoacid generator B-34 (Example 38 in Table 1, par.0377), wherein the resin A-35 is represented by the formula:
PNG
media_image3.png
164
524
media_image3.png
Greyscale
(par.0161).
The resin A-31 of Hirano et al. is a polymer comprising a structural unit of formula (1) in claims 1 and 10, wherein R1 is a methyl group, L is a single bond, R2, R3, and R4 are hydrogen atoms, and R5 is a monovalent organic group with 6 carbon atoms.
The resin A-34 of Hirano et al. is a polymer comprising a structural unit of formula (1) in claims 1 and 10, wherein R1 is a methyl group, L is a single bond, R2, R3, and R4 are hydrogen atoms, and R5 is a group of formula -CH=CH-C(=O)-CH3 (monovalent organic group with 4 carbon atoms).
The resin A-35 of Hirano et al. is a polymer comprising a structural unit of formula (1) in claims 1 and 10, wherein R1 is a methyl group, L is a single bond, R2 and R3 are hydrogen atoms, R4 is a methyl group (monovalent organic group with 1 carbon atom), and R5 is a group of formula -CH=CH-C(=O)-CH3 (monovalent organic group with 4 carbon atoms).
The monomer producing the repeating unit of formula:
PNG
media_image4.png
180
168
media_image4.png
Greyscale
in the resin A-31 of Hirano et al. is a compound of formula (1’) in claim 11, wherein R1 is a methyl group, L is a single bond, R2, R3, and R4 are hydrogen atoms, and R5 is a monovalent organic group with 6 carbon atoms.
The monomer producing the repeating unit of formula:
PNG
media_image5.png
144
210
media_image5.png
Greyscale
in the resin A-34 of Hirano et al. is a compound of formula (1’) in claim 11, wherein R1 is a methyl group, L is a single bond, R2, R3, and R4 are hydrogen atoms, and R5 is a group of formula -CH=CH-C(=O)-CH3 (monovalent organic group with 4 carbon atoms).
The monomer producing the repeating unit of formula:
PNG
media_image6.png
144
296
media_image6.png
Greyscale
in the resin A-35 of Hirano et al. is a compound of formula (1’) in claim 11, wherein R1 is a methyl group, L is a single bond, R2 and R3 are hydrogen atoms, R4 is a methyl group (monovalent organic group with 1 carbon atom), and R5 is a group of formula -CH=CH-C(=O)-CH3 (monovalent organic group with 4 carbon atoms).
Therefore, the resist composition in Examples 35, 37, and 38 of Hirano et al. anticipate the radiation-sensitive resin composition in claim 1.
The resins A-31, A-34, and A-35 anticipate the polymer in claim 10.
The monomers producing the repeating units above anticipate the compound in claim 11.
With regard to claims 4-6, the resin A-31 of Hirano et al. is a polymer comprising a structural unit of formula (1), wherein R3 and R4 are hydrogen atoms, and R5 is a monovalent hydrocarbon group with 6 carbon atoms.
With regard to claim 7, the first repeating unit of the resins A-31, A-34, and A-35 of Hirano et al. is a structural unit comprising a phenolic hydroxyl group.
With regard to claim 8, the second repeating unit of the resins A-31, A-34, and A-35 of Hirano et al. is a structural unit comprising an acid-labile group (see definition in par.0064-0065 and the structural unit (3-1-5) in par.0088 of the specification of the instant application).
With regard to claim 9, Hirano et al. teach a method comprising the steps of:
-applying the positive resist composition solution onto a wafer and drying the obtain a resist film;
-exposing the resist film; and
-developing the exposed resist film (par.0365).
Claims 1-6 and 8-11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Takeuchi et al. (US 2001/003640).
With regard to claims 1, 10, and 11, Takeuchi et al. teach a resist composition comprising a polymer and a photoacid generator, wherein the polymer is represented by the formula:
PNG
media_image7.png
220
248
media_image7.png
Greyscale
(Example 36 in par.0412-0413 and Example 42 in par.0431).
The polymer above comprises a first structural unit of formula (1) in claims 1 and 10, wherein L is a single bond, R1 is a methyl group, R2 is a methyl group (monovalent organic group with 1 carbon atom), R3 and R4 are hydrogen atoms, and R5 is a monovalent organic group with 10 carbon atoms.
The monomer producing the first repeating of the polymer above is a compound of formula (1’) in claim 11, wherein L is a single bond, R1 is a methyl group, R2 is a methyl group (monovalent organic group with 1 carbon atom), R3 and R4 are hydrogen atoms, and R5 is a monovalent organic group with 10 carbon atoms.
Therefore, the resist composition in Example 42 of Takeuchi et al. anticipates the radiation-sensitive resin composition in claim 1.
The polymer in Example 42 of Takeuchi et al. anticipates polymer in claim 10.
The monomer producing the first repeating unit of the polymer in Example 42 of Takeuchi et al. anticipates the compound in claim 11.
With regard to claims 2 and 3, the polymer above is a polymer comprising a first structural unit of formula (1), wherein R2 is a methyl group (monovalent hydrocarbon group with 1 carbon atom).
With regard to claims 4-6, the polymer above is a polymer comprising a first structural unit of formula (1), wherein R3 and R4 are hydrogen atoms, and R5 is a monovalent hydrocarbon group with 10 carbon atoms.
With regard to claim 8, the second repeating unit of the polymer above is a third structural unit comprising an acid-labile group (see definition in par.0064-0065 and the structural unit (3-1-5) in par.0088 of the specification of the instant application).
With regard to claim 9, Takeuchi et al. teach a method comprising the steps of:
-applying a resist composition solution onto a wafer and drying the obtain a resist film;
-exposing the resist film; and
-developing the exposed resist film (par.0414).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure:
Fukushima et al. (US 2021/0096465) teach a polymer comprising recurring units (a) having an acid labile group comprising a multiple bond (par.0015-0016). The recurring units (a) having an acid labile group may be represented by the formulas:
PNG
media_image8.png
182
186
media_image8.png
Greyscale
or
PNG
media_image8.png
182
186
media_image8.png
Greyscale
(par.0050), wherein RA is each independently hydrogen, fluorine, methyl, or trifluoromethyl (par.0042).
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ANCA EOFF whose telephone number is (571)272-9810. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Fri 10am-6:30pm.
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, Niki Bakhtiari can be reached at (571)272-3433. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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.
/ANCA EOFF/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1722
Prosecution Insights