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)(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.
Claim(s) 1-4, 6-8, 11-13, 16-17, and 21-22, is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by WO 2020/045029 and using U. S. Patent Application Publication No. 20210311382 (hereinafter referred to as Kataoka) as its English Translation Equivalent.
Kataoka, in the abstract, [0002], [0159], and [0166], discloses a reflective mask blank that is used for producing a reflective mask to transfer pattern via EUV exposure. Kataoka, in the abstract and in [0058], [0068], discloses a reflective mask blank that comprises a substrate, a multilayer reflective film (claimed part of reflective part) that reflect the EUV light (reflects the EUV incident light), a protective film (also part of the claimed reflective part, claimed capping layer) on the multilayer reflective film, an absorber film (low reflective part is a single layer). Kataoka, in [0073]-[0075], discloses that the protective film (claimed capping layer) includes Ruthenium (Ru). Kataoka, in [0080]-[0089], discloses the absorber layer (low reflective part) and that the absorber layer includes the claimed material such as cobalt or nickel that have high absorption coefficients. Kataoka, in [0088]-[0096], discloses that the absorber film can include a lower surface region (adjacent to the protective film -capping layer) and a higher surface region opposite to the lower surface region wherein the high absorption coefficient elements are present in the upper surface region of the absorber film and the element or material that is not with such high absorption coefficient is present in the lower surface region, and as disclosed in [0084] of Kataoka, material with relatively higher absorption such as Co (k=0.066) and Ni (k=0.073) can be positioned in the higher surface region, and the lower surface region includes other elements suggested by Kataoka in [0100]), such as Tantalum (k=0.041), titanium (k~ 0.02), Yttrium (k~0.02) and Hafnium (k=0.035), wherein the content of the Co and/or Ni in the upper surface region of the absorber film can be greater than 40 at.% (see [0102]) and the content of the elements such as Ta (part of claimed first material group) or Y or Hf (part of claimed second material group) that has low absorption coefficient in the lower surface region can be greater 15at. % (includes 30 at% or 25 at. %, see [0105]) and as disclosed in [0086] of Kataoka, the content of the higher absorption element in the lower surface region can be zero. Kataoka, in [0075]-[0076], discloses that the multilayer stack coated on the multilayer reflective film can include a lowermost protective ruthenium film and upper layers above the lowermost and beneath the subsequently formed absorber layer wherein the upper layers interposed layer that is above the lowermost protective film (claimed capping layer) includes a content of less than about 50% ruthenium and remainder of Ytrrium or Rhenium or Molybdenum or zirconium and is in the same claimed content and composition of the claimed adhesion layer that is formed below the absorption layer (absorber film) and having a thickness of less about 8 nm (see [0078]). Kataoka, in [0128]-[0129] discloses that the absorber film is less than 50nm and that the upper surface region (with high absorption element) is about 90% of the absorber layer thickness and the lower surface region is the same thickness as claimed i.e., at least greater than 2nm (claim 1-4, 6-8, 11-12, 16-17, 21). Kataoka, in the abstract, [0017], [0023], discloses that the material content in the low reflecting part of the mask blank varies from the side of the absorber layer i.e., lower surface region that is closer to the underlying capping layer and claimed adhesion layer (protective lowermost layer and interposed layer) to the side of the absorber surface that is closer to the periphery such that the concentration of the claimed low reflecting element (high absorption coefficient) is lower in the side of the surface closer to the substrate (underlying capping layer) and higher to the side of the upper surface region and appears to have a gradual increase from the capping layer side to the upper surface side. Kataoka, in [0096], discloses that the upper surface region has the high absorption elements such as cobalt and nickel (see [0084], [0102]) and the lower surface region has less or none of the high absorption elements and includes elements (additive elements, see [0100]) such as titanium, Ytrrium, hafnium, zirconium that can be present in an amount of greater than 15 at. % or more ([0105]) (claims 13, and 22).
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments, see Amendment, filed July 14, 2026, with respect to the rejection(s) of claim(s) 1,3,6,8 under 35 U. S. C. 102(a)(2) 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 over pending claims. See paragraph no. 3, above. With respect to applicant’s argument that Chen or Lin or Kataoka does not disclose the presently amended claims, neither Chen nor Lin is dependent upon to disclose the instant claims. Kataoka is discussed in paragraph no. 3, above. Kataoka teaches the use of single layer of absorber film (claimed low reflective part) that does not require tin or oxides of tin as the absorption element and discloses the change in compositional content i.e., a gradation of the absorption elements along the thickness of the absorber film, and have the same material content in the absorber film as that recited in the amended/new claims.
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). 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 September 3, 2026.
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