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
Applicant's election with traverse of Species I, claims 1-6 in the reply filed on 01/06/2026 is acknowledged. The traversal is on the ground(s) that the election of species on grounds that a search for one species would likely reveal references, if any, for all species because all of the original claims (i.e., claims 1-20) and newly added claims (i.e., claims 21-25) are drawn to a method of forming a structure on substrate that generally includes forming a nucleation layer within at least one opening formed in a multi-tier portion of the substrate, exposing the nucleation layer to a nitrogen containing gas or nitrogen containing plasma, forming a fill layer over the nucleation layer, and exposing the fill layer to a nitrogen containing gas or nitrogen containing plasma. This is not found persuasive because Specie I: claims 1-6, drawn to a method of forming a structure on a substrate, comprising: exposing the at least one opening of the substrate to a reducing agent comprising boron at a reducing agent flow rate, wherein the tungsten-containing gas and the reducing agent are alternated cyclically to form a nucleation layer within the at least one opening of the substrate; and Specie II: claims 7-15, drawn to a method of forming a structure on a substrate, comprising: wherein the upper portion comprises a width smaller than a width of the lower portion.
The requirement is still deemed proper and is therefore made FINAL.
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.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 1-6, 22, 24 and 25 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1)/(2) as being anticipated by Chandrashekar (Pub. No.: US 2015/0024592).
Re claim 1, Chandrashekar, FIG. 4 teaches a method of forming a structure on a substrate, comprising:
exposing at least one opening formed in a multi-tier portion of the substrate to a tungsten-containing gas at a precursor gas flow rate;
exposing the at least one opening of the substrate to a reducing agent comprising boron at a reducing agent flow rate (deposit a bulk tungsten in first group of step 401, note that in the deposition of the bulk tungsten is including tungsten-containing gases including, but not limited to, WF6, WCl6, ….. and reducing gas such as diborane, ¶¶ [0092]-[0094]), wherein the tungsten-containing gas and the reducing agent are alternated cyclically to form a nucleation layer within the at least one opening of the substrate;
exposing the at least one opening of the substrate to a nitrogen trifluoride ([etch tungsten] step 403, [0100]) containing gas to inhibit growth of the nucleation layer at narrow portions within the at least one opening;
exposing the at least one opening to the tungsten-containing precursor gas (step 405) to form a fill layer over the nucleation layer within the at least one opening; and
exposing the at least one opening of the substrate to the nitrogen trifluoride containing gas or a nitrogen-containing plasma ([etch tungsten] step 407, [0100]) to inhibit growth of portions of the fill layer along the at least one opening.
Re claim 2, Chandrashekar, FIG. 4 teaches the method of claim 1, wherein exposing the at least one opening to the tungsten-containing precursor gas comprises a chemical vapor deposition process [0095].
Re claim 3, Chandrashekar, FIG. 4 teaches the method of claim 1, wherein exposing the at least one opening to the nitrogen trifluoride containing gas and the nitrogen-containing plasma, comprises alternating the nitrogen trifluoride containing gas and the nitrogen-containing plasma (remote plasma 403/407, [0100]).
Re claim 4, Chandrashekar, FIG. 4 teaches the method of claim 3, wherein exposing the at least one opening to the nitrogen trifluoride containing gas and the nitrogen-containing plasma, comprises exposing the substrate to the nitrogen-containing plasma (remote plasma of step 403) prior to the nitrogen trifluoride containing gas (NF3 of step 407)
Re claim 5, Chandrashekar, FIG. 4 teaches the method of claim 3, wherein exposing the at least one opening of the substrate to the nitrogen trifluoride containing gas and the nitrogen-containing plasma, comprises exposing the substrate to the nitrogen trifluoride containing gas (NF3 of step 403) prior to the nitrogen-containing plasma (remote plasma of step 407).
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Re claim 6, Chandrashekar teaches the method of claim 1, further comprising determining a first interval of exposing the at least one opening of the substrate to the nitrogen trifluoride and a second interval of exposing the substrate to the nitrogen-containing plasma based on:
an interface location of a first and second tier ([FT]/[ST], FIG. 8 [as shown above]) of the multi-tier portion along a length of the at least one opening;
a width of the at least one opening at an interface of two adjacent tiers of the multi-tier portion;
a width of the at least one opening at a surface of the opening;
a ratio between a smallest width along the at least one opening [Sw] to the largest width along the opening [LW];
an aspect ratio of the at least one opening (proportional relationship between the width and height); or combinations thereof.
Re claim 22, Chandrashekar, FIG. 4 teaches the method of claim 1, wherein exposing the at least one opening of the substrate to a nitrogen trifluoride-containing gas includes heating the substrate to a temperature of about 200 ºC to about 600 ºC [0095].
Re claim 24, Chandrashekar, FIG. 8 [as shown above] teaches the method of claim 1, wherein the multi-tier portion of the substrate comprises lower portion and an upper portion, wherein the upper portion [SW] comprises a width smaller than a width of the lower portion [LW].
Re claim 25, Chandrashekar, FIG. 8 [as shown above] teaches the method of claim 24, wherein the multi-tier portion of the substrate comprises a middle portion between the upper portion and the lower portion, wherein the middle portion [MW} comprises a width smaller than the width of the upper portion [SW] and the width of the lower portion [LW].
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) 21 and 23 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Chandrashekar in view of another Chandrashekar (Pub. No.: US 9240347) (hereinafter `347).
Chandrashekar teaches all the limitation of claim 1.
Chandrashekar fails to teach the limitation of claim 21/23.
`347 teaches wherein exposing the at least one opening of the substrate to a nitrogen trifluoride-containing gas includes flowing the nitrogen trifluoride- containing gas for about 1 seconds to about 30 seconds (FIG. 13C, col. 25, lines 20-30) (claim 21).
wherein exposing the at least one opening of the substrate to a nitrogen trifluoride-containing gas includes flowing the nitrogen trifluoride-containing gas at a rate of about 0.5 sccm to about 500 sccm (col. 16, lines 20-23) (claim 23).
It would have been obvious for a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claim invention to include the above said teaching for the purpose of preventing “Depositing tungsten-containing materials into small and high aspect ratio features may cause formation of seams and voids inside the filled features” as taught by `347, BACKGROUND, col 1. Lines 30-40.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to TONY TRAN whose telephone number is (571)270-1749. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday, 8AM-5PM, EST.
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/TONY TRAN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2893
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