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 .
This is the initial office action for US Patent Application No. 18/355269 by Yoshimura et al.
Claims 1-20 are currently pending and have been fully considered.
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
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.
Claims 1-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hirano et al. (US 2012/0003590 A1), herein referred to as Hirano.
Regarding claim 1, Hirano teaches [0012-0018] an actinic ray-sensitive or radiation-sensitive resin composition comprising a resin (A) that contains a repeating unit which can have an aryl group (aromatic ring) wherein the aryl group [0054-0058] may further include a halogen atom and the aryl group may also have a halogen atom-free substitutent (shown below):
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Additionally, Hirano teaches the actinic ray-sensitive or radiation-sensitive resin composition comprising an ionic compound with a cationic structural moiety [0112-0113] which can include a halogen atom as a substituent. Hirano further teaches [0420-0421 and 0435] the ionic compound (referred to as compound (PA) by Hirano) is present in the actinic ray-sensitive or radiation-sensitive resin composition in a range of 0.1 to 10 mass percent, preferably 1 to 8 mass percent based on the entire solid content of the composition.
The mass percent range of the ionic compound content taught by Hirano overlaps the claimed range of 5 mass percent or more recited in claim 1. In view of MPEP Chapter 2144.05, Section I which states “In the case where the claimed ranges overlap or lie inside ranges disclosed by the prior art, a prima facie case of obviousness exists. In re Wertheim, 541 F.2d 257, 191 USPQ 90 (CCPA 1976); In re Woodruff, 919 F.2d 1575, 16 USPQ2d 1934 (Fed. Cir. 1990)”, the overlapping mass percent range of the ionic compound taught by Hirano renders claim 1 as being unpatentable and a prima facie case of obviousness exists.
Regarding claim 2, Hirano teaches [0283] the actinic ray-sensitive or radiation-sensitive resin composition further comprising an ionic compound having an acid-decomposable group in a cationic moiety.
Regarding claims 3, 4 and 10-13, Hirano teaches [0271-0272] the actinic ray-sensitive or radiation-sensitive resin composition wherein the resin (A) may include a lactone structure which includes a 5 to 7 membered ring (polycyclic lactone structure).
Regarding claims 5 and 14-20, Hirano teaches [0283-0289]] the actinic ray-sensitive or radiation-sensitive resin composition wherein the resin (A) may have a repeating unit shown below:
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The repeating unit may further include two R groups that are bonded together to form a ring, shown below:
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Regarding claim 6, Hirano teaches [0420-0421 and 0435] the ionic compound (referred to as compound (PA) by Hirano) may be present in the actinic ray-sensitive or radiation-sensitive resin composition in an amount of 10 mass percent.
Regarding claim 7, Hirano teaches (Claim 9) the actinic ray-sensitive or radiation-sensitive resin composition of claim 1 being included in a resist film.
Regarding claim 8, Hirano teaches (Claim 10) a pattern forming method comprising exposing and developing the resist film.
Regarding claim 9, Hirano teaches [0483] forming an integrated circuit device with the pattern forming method.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to STEWART A FRASER whose telephone number is (571)270-5126. The examiner can normally be reached M-F, 7am-4pm, EST.
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/STEWART A FRASER/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1724