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) 1-2, 8-10, is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over U. S. Patent Application Publication No. 2013/0177841 (hereinafter referred to as Sakai) in view of KR10-1593388 (hereinafter referred to as Nam et al).
Sakai, in [0056], and [0058], discloses the formation of a mask blank that comprises a transparent quartz substrate and light-shielding layer, wherein the light shielding layer includes a transition metal, and nitrogen and oxygen ([0095]). Sakai, in [0058], and [0127], discloses that the light shielding layer is a laminated layer of a first and second light shielding layers, and Sakai, in [0120], discloses that the sputtering target is a chromium target and that the oxygen or nitrogen are added , and in [0147], Sakai discloses a content of at least about 40% in the CrN layer. Sakai teaches the same process of sputter depositing the light-shielding film on the quartz substrate, and in [0126], discloses that the film formed is desired of low surface roughness so as to also possess a reduction in grain size, and the film is deposited with the same constitutional components, transition metal, oxygen and nitrogen and will inherently and necessarily possess the claimed grain size range and the number of grains per sq. µm. Sakai, in [0002]-[0003], discloses that the mask i.e., using the mask with the light shielding layer as the pattern (as described in the preceding sentences), can be used in the patterning of a semiconductor device wherein the semiconductor substrate is subjected to a photolithography process to form a pattern in the semiconductor substrate, the photolithography process includes the formation of a resist film on the substrate, exposing the substrate through the mask and developing the exposed film (claims 1-2, 8-10).
The difference between the claims and Sakai is that Sakai does not specify the grain size.
Nam, in step (b1), discloses that the grain size of the molybdenum film has a grain size of about 15nm.
Therefore, it would be obvious to a skilled artisan to modify Sakai by using the grain size in the light shielding film as taught by Nam because Nam teaches in step b1) that having a large grain size does not result in the formation of a film with desired density, and having a large grain size results in increasing defects in the film and Sakai in [0126], teaches reducing the grain size in the light shielding film formed in order to reduce surface roughness.
Claim(s) 3-5, and 11-12, is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over U. S. Patent Application Publication No. 2013/0177841 (hereinafter referred to as Sakai) in view of KR10-1593388 (hereinafter referred to as Nam et al) as applied to claims 1-2, 8-10 above, and further in view of KR 202100065049 (hereinafter referred to as Hashimoto).
Sakai is discussed in paragraph no. 3, above.
Sakai, in [0058], and [0127], discloses that the light shielding layer is a laminated layer of a first and second light shielding layers. Sakai teaches the formation of laminate of light shielding layers (another layer formed on the laminate, plurality ) that comprise transition metal and oxygen ([0022], and [0078]). Sakai, in [0009], and [0171], discloses that the light shielding layer can be etched by a dry etching gas such a chlorine gas and/or mixed gas which includes argon (mixed gas [0118]).
The difference between the claims and Sakai in view of Nam is that Sakai in view of Nam does not disclose the claimed etching speed.
Hashimoto, in Example 1, discloses that the crystal size (grain size) of the light shielding film is increased so as to increase the etch rate of the light shielding film to about 1.5nm/sec which is greater than the claimed etch speed recited in claims 3-5, and 11-12.
Therefore, it would be obvious to a skilled artisan to modify Sakai in view of Nam by using the process information taught by Hashimoto to reduce the grain size so as to decrease the etch rate of the light shielding film because Sakai and Nam desires to reduce the grain size of the light shielding film and Nam prefers a grain size of 15nm and as taught by Hashimoto, reducing the grain size of the light shielding film will reduce the etch rate to less than 1.4nm/sec.
Claim(s) 6-7, are is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over U. S. Patent Application Publication No. 2013/0177841 (hereinafter referred to as Sakai) in view of KR10-1593388 (hereinafter referred to as Nam et al) as applied to claims 1-2, 8-10 above, and further in view of Japanese Patent Publication No. 2000-214307 (hereinafter referred to JP ‘307).
Sakai in view of Nam is discussed in paragraph no. 3, above.
Sakai, in [0022], and [0024], and in the examples, discloses that the light shielding material is a transition metal that includes chromium (sputtering target includes transition metal).
The difference between the claims and Sakai in view of Nam is that Sakai in view of Nam does not disclose the presence of iron in the claimed amount or as recited (claims 6-7).
JP ‘307, in [0016], and [0026] discloses that adding Fe in the light shielding material to at least greater than 0.00 % by weight (greater than zero includes the claimed content) improves the light shielding property.
Therefore, it would be obvious to a skilled artisan to modify Sakai in view of Nam to use a trace amount of Fe in the light shielding material (coated or to be coated) of Sakai because Sakai teaches the use of transition metal and does not preclude the iron content, and JP ‘307, in [0038], and [0039], discloses adding Fe to light shielding material film to improve light shielding property, and that adding Fe improves acid resistance to the film.
Conclusion
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/DABORAH CHACKO-DAVIS/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1737 January 10, 2026.