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 .
Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after final rejection. Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on 9/22/2025 has been entered.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
The text of those sections of Title 35, U.S. Code not included in this action can be found in a prior Office action.
Claim(s) 1-2,5-10 and 13 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kamimura (US 2019/0177670) in view of Haraki et al (US 2019/0019672).
With regards to claims 1 and 6, Kamimura discloses a composition (treatment liquid) for semiconductor device, wherein the composition comprises a fluorine-containing compound, such as hydrogen fluoride (HF), ammonium fluoride [0073]-[0076]; A content of the fluorine-containing compound in the treatment liquid is preferably 0.01% by mass or more [0079,[0080], which overlaps the claimed range and overlapping ranges are prima facie obvious, MPEP 2144.05.
Kamimura may not discloses that both the HF and ammonium fluoride being used in the composition. However, further discloses that the fluorine-containing compound may be used singly or in combination of two or more kinds thereof [0081].
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to select any combination of the fluorine-containing compound of Kamimura, including HF and ammonium fluoride defined in the instant claim 1 because it has been held that "it is prima facie obvious to combine two compositions each of which is taught by the prior art to be useful for the same purpose, in order to form a third composition to be used for the very same purpose. In re Kerkhoven, 626 F.2d 846, 850, 205 USPQ 1069, 1072 (CCPA 1980). see, MPEP 2144.06.
Kamimura discloses that the composition comprises a water-soluble polymer compound [0132], specific examples of the water-soluble polymer include anionic polymers including polystyrene sulfonic acid [0137]–[0138]; A content of the water-soluble polymer compound in the treatment liquid is preferably 0.01% to 10% by mass [0141], with overlaps the claimed range and aforesaid teaching easily reads on the limitation of “the water-soluble polymer includes a polymer provided by polymerizing at least one monomer component selected from a group consisting of acrylic acid, ammonium acrylate, acrylamide, styrenesulfonic acid, ammonium styrenesulfonate, and styrenesulfonic acid ester”.
Kamimura also discloses that the composition comprises a corrosion inhibitor including citric acid, malonic acid, succinic acid, etc. [0100], which reads on the claimed “organic compound having a carboxylic acid having two or more carboxyl groups”; and A content of the corrosion inhibitor in the treatment liquid is preferably 0.01% to 5% by mass [0116], which overlaps the claimed range, and overlapping ranges are prima facie obvious; MPEP 2144.05.
Kamimura discloses above but fails to disclose that the composition comprises the carboxylic acid is selected form the group consisting of nonanoic acid and a perfluoroalkyl carboxylic acid as listed in the claims 1 and 6.
However, Haraki et al disclose a liquid composition used to treat semiconductor substrate [0020] of silicon oxide, silicon nitride, etc. using a surfactant comprises perfluoropentanoic acid [0028], [0036]-[0038]; and the present invention can be used to prevent collapse of various material patterns having a high aspect ratio formed on a semiconductor substrate during a process of fabricating a semiconductor device, and thus being capable of manufacturing a high precision and high quality semiconductor device at high yield [0035]; and aforesaid perfluoropentanoic acid is “perfluoroalkyl carboxylic acid”.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to employ Haraki et al al's teaching of introducing the surfactant of perfluoropentanoic acid into the teaching of Kimimura for preventing collapse of various patterns during manufacture the semiconductor device as taught by Haraki et al.
Examiner noted that water being present in the composition is optional; and the silicon oxide film is selectively micromachined is purely an intended use of the composition and Kamimura’s composition have all the components as the instant claims 1 and 6; and therefore, such is capable of performing in the claimed manner. It has been held that the recitation of a new intended use for an old product does not make a claim to that old product patentable. In re Schreiber, 44 USPQ2d 1429 (Fed. Cir. 1997).
With regards to claim 2, Kamimura discloses that the composition comprises a water-soluble polymer compound [0132], specific examples of the water-soluble polymer include anionic polymers including polystyrene sulfonic acid [0137]–[0138].
With regards to claim 4, Kamimura discloses that the composition comprises a pH adjusting agent comprises n-hexanoic acid, 3,3-dimethylbutyric acid, 2-ethylbutyric acid, 4-methylpentanoic acid, n-heptanoic acid, 2-methylhexanoic acid, n-octanoic acid, etc. [0195].
With regards to claims 6-9, Kamimura discloses above the liquid composition and also discloses that the liquid composition can be used to treat a laminate including multiple layers [0262]-[0265], wherein semiconductor substrate formed of multiple layers, its configuration is not particularly limited, and the substrate may have, for example, exposed integrated circuit structures such as interconnect structures (interconnect features) such as a metal wire and a dielectric material on the semiconductor substrate such as silicon as described above. Examples of the metals and the alloys used in the interconnect structures include, but are not limited to, aluminum, aluminum alloyed with copper, copper, titanium, tantalum, cobalt, silicon, titanium nitride, tantalum nitride, and tungsten. Further, there may be layers such as an interlayer dielectric layer, a silicon oxide layer, a silicon nitride layer, a silicon carbide layer, a carbon-doped silicon oxide layer, or the like on the semiconductor substrate [0283].
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to selectively treat or micromachined or etched the silicon oxide layer because such would have been an obvious design choice.
With regards to claim 10, Kamimura discloses that the composition comprises a water-soluble polymer compound [0132], specific examples of the water-soluble polymer include anionic polymers including polystyrene sulfonic acid [0137]–[0138].
Regarding claims 5 and 13, Haraki et al disclose a liquid composition used to treat semiconductor substrate [0020] of silicon oxide, silicon nitride, etc. using a surfactant comprises perfluoropentanoic acid [0028], [0036]-[0038].
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Lee (US 2011/0094536) discloses a composition for removing residue [0038], wherein the composition comprises organic acid such as pentanoic acid (valeric acid), hexanoic acid (caproic acid), heptanoic acid (enanthic acid), octanoic acid (caprylic acid), nonanoic acid, etc. [0066].
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to SHAMIM AHMED whose telephone number is (571)272-1457. The examiner can normally be reached M-TH (8-5:30pm).
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, Joshua Allen can be reached at 571-270-3176. 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.
SHAMIM AHMED
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 1713
/SHAMIM AHMED/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1713
Prosecution Insights