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 .
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 08/26/2024 and 01/13/2026 are being considered by the examiner.
Claim Objections
Claims 1-17 are objected to because of the following informalities: Claim 1 present that n2 and n3 represent an integer of 1 or 2, but do not say whether "each" of n2 and n3 independently may be 1 or 2, or whether they both are 1 or 2 (n2 and n3 must be 1, or n2 and n3 must be 2, but n2 cannot be 2 when n3 is 1). For the sake of interpretation against prior art, the Examiner has elected to consider the broadest reasonable limitation – that each of n2 and n3 may be 1 or 2.
Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
Claim(s) 1-17 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hatakeyama et al (US 20170351177 A1).
Regarding Claim 1 and 3-5, Hatakeyama discloses a chemically amplified resist composition comprising a sulfonium salt of an iodized benzoic acid as a quencher, where the quencher imparts improved LWR and high contrast to the composition and processed articles made therefrom.
Hatakeyama does not explicitly disclose an experimental example meeting the sum total of the limitations of the claims.
These limitations are met by the general disclosure of the reference.
The quencher (claim 4) of the reference is generally described by the formula (A) in [0021] and [0054].
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Where R1 is a hydroxyl group, C1-C6 straight/branched/cyclic alkoxy or alkyl group, C2-C6 straight/branched/cyclic acyloxy group, or other group described in the cited paragraph. X is a linking group or single bond.
R2-R4 are each independently a halogen, or a C1-C12 straight/branched/cyclic alkyl group or C6-C20 aryl or C7-C12 aralkyl group or C7-C12 aryloxyalkyl group in which at least one hydrogen or more may be substituted for a hydroxy halogen, or other group described in [054]
The formula meets the limitations of the claims for where:
Claimed Z+ is a sulfonium cation (claim 3) as per claimed cation-1 and R11’ to R13’ are each a hydrocarbon group having 1-20 carbon atoms (C1-12 alkyl or C6-C20 alkyl, or other group mentioned above)
The instant X is a single bond
The instant n1 is 0
The instant n3 is 1
R1n refers to an alkoxy group having a C4-C6 branched alkyl attachment thereon
Branched C4 groups comprise a small genus having 3 members – a person having ordinary skill in the art would immediately envision a t-Bu group from the genus of “branched C4 group”. Branched C5 groups similarly comprise a small number of species, of which one is a tertiary alkyl group. Branched C6 groups comprise a small number of species, of which two are tertiary alkyl groups. The reference explicitly depicts and names tBu structures elsewhere such as in cations at page 6 and anions at page 21.
A person having ordinary skill would have found it obvious to select tertiary C4-C6 alkoxy groups from the generally disclosed formula, the small number of species that the genus of C4-C6 alkoxy groups consists of, and specific chemical teachings of the reference which suggest that all of the possible iterations of the R groups of formula (A) would be capable of performing in a quencher – if this was not possible, these options would not be disclosed by the reference. As such, a person having ordinary skill in the art would consider these structural iterations to be equivalent to each other for the purpose of the quencher due to chemical similarity.
Regarding Claim 2, the reference Hatakeyama meets the limitations of the claims as discussed above regarding claim 1. The reference does not provide a specific experimental example meeting the claim limitations as set forth.
However, these limitations are met by the general disclosure of the reference.
The reference discusses the quencher as covered above regarding claim 1. In particular examples, the reference discloses ester, amide, and alkoxy functionalities upon the phenyl group of the quencher’s anion. For examples, see pages 21 and 22. These groups function as acid-labile moieties that interact with excess acid beyond the function of the carboxylate group in the quencher.
Elsewhere, the reference discloses acid labile groups, when discussing the base polymer and the inclusion of groups on monomers bearing-acid labile moieties. At [0066], AL-1 through AL-3 are discussed:
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Where AL-1 and AL-2:
R13 and R16 are each independently a monovalent hydrocarbon group having 1-40 carbon atoms that may be, for example a straight/branched/cyclic alkyl and be substituted with a heteroatom such as O, S, N, or F.
R14 and R15 are each independently H or a C1-C20 monovalent hydrocarbon group, for example a straight/branched/cyclic alkyl and be substituted with a heteroatom such as O, S, N, or F.
Subscript A1 is 0-10
The formula groups above, applied to the -R1n group where R1 is an alkoxy group as discussed above regarding claim 1, meets the limitations of the claim where:
ALU-1
Subscript t is 1
R21-R23’ are each a C1-C12 hydrocarbyl group and may be bonded to form a ring (for where Reference comprises a C4-C36 hydrocarbyl group that is branched or cyclic, such as adamantyl or ethylcyclohexyl)
ALU-2
R24 and R25’ are are each independently H or a C1-C10 monovalent hydrocarbon group, for example a straight/branched/cyclic alkyl and be substituted with a heteroatom such as O or S, and may be bonded to form a C2-C20 hydrocarbyl group that may be substituted.
R26 is a monovalent hydrocarbon group having 1-40 carbon atoms that may be, for example a straight/branched/cyclic alkyl and be substituted with a heteroatom such as O, S
Xa is O.
A person having ordinary skill in the art would find it obvious to arrive at the claimed invention by modifying or selecting the chemical functionality of the R1n alkoxy embodiment to correspond to an acid labile group with the intent to further improve the acid-diffusion capabilities of the quencher compound.
Regarding Claim 6-9, 11-13, and 15-17, the reference Hatakeyama meets the limitations of the claims as discussed above regarding claim 1. The reference does not provide a specific experimental example meeting the claim limitations as set forth.
However, these limitations are met by the general disclosure of the reference.
The chemically amplified photoresist composition of Hatakeyama comprises the quencher salt as described above regarding claims 1 and 3-5, and further comprises an acid generator as described from [0091]-[0115], where the salt cation conforms to the general formula (1) and salt anions may be one of (1A)-(1D), where (1A) is a sulfonic acid anion, (1B) is a sulfonyl imide acid anion, and (1C) is a sulfonyl methide acid anion – exposure to induce acid generation would necessarily generate the corresponding acid (claim 7).
The composition comprises an organic solvent as described from [0119]-[0120] (claim 8).
The composition comprises a base polymer, described from [0061]-[0090] (claim 9)
The composition may be a negative or positive-type chemically amplified composition, where the base polymer’s composition changes to best suit the negative/positive processing as described at [0084]-[0089] (claims 11 and 12). When the base polymer is present in a negative resist composition, an acid-labile group is not essential and may be excluded, as per [0084] (claim 13).
The resist composition comprises a surfactant, as per [0117]-[0121] (claim 15).
The composition is treated as per a patterning process described from [0143]-[0141], where the resist composition is deposited upon a substrate, baked to remove solvent, exposed to radiation, post-exposure baked, and developed (claim 16). Exposures may be performed with a radiation source such as UV source, deep-UV, EUV, EB, z-ray, soft-x-ray, or excimer laser light as described in [0136] (claim 17).
A person having ordinary skill in the art would have found it obvious to arrive at the claimed invention prior to the time of filing, incorporating the quencher and the various components disclosed by the reference to arrive at a chemically amplified positive or negative resist having improved LWR and contrast imparted by the chemical components present therein.
Regarding Claim 10, Hatakeyama discloses the limitations of the claim as discussed above regarding claim 1 above. Hatakeyama however does not disclose the limitations of the instant claim in a particular experimental embodiment.
These limitations are met by the general disclosure of the reference.
The composition of Hatakeyama comprises a base polymer, described from [0061]-[0090].
Two particular subunits are (a1) and (a2):
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Where:
RA is H or Me
Y1 is a single bond, phenylene group, naphthalene group, ester group, or C1-C12 group that may have a lactone ring
Y2 is a single bond or ester bond
R11 and R12 are each an acid labile group.
Both (a1) and (a2) may be present or each may be present singly.
Exemplary units meeting the limitations of the above claims are depicted at [0064]-[0068].
The above formulas meet the limitations of the instant claims where:
RA is H or Me
Y1 is a single bond, phenylene group, naphthalene group, ester group, or C1-C12 group that may have a lactone ring
Y2 is a single bond
R14 is a C1 alkanediyl group having an ester group substituted therein
Y3 is a single bond
Subscript b is 0
Subscript a is 1
R11 and R12 are each an acid labile group
Acid labile groups are described from [0065]-[0068]
A person having ordinary skill in the art would have found it obvious to arrive at the claimed invention prior to the time of filing, incorporating the quencher, monomer subunits of the base polymer, and the other components disclosed by the reference to arrive at a chemically amplified positive or negative resist having improved LWR and contrast imparted by the chemical components present therein.
Regarding Claim 14, Hatakeyama discloses the limitations of the claim as discussed above regarding claim 1 above. Hatakeyama however does not disclose the limitations of the instant claim in a particular experimental embodiment.
These limitations are met by the general disclosure of the reference.
The composition of Hatakeyama comprises a base polymer, described from [0061]-[0090].
In a preferred embodiment, at least one of recurring units (f1)-(f3) are present in the base polymer, where multiple instances of the units may also be present ([0075]-[0083]):
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RA is H or Me
R21 is a single bond, phenylene group or -O-R31 or -C(=O)-Q1-R31 where Q1 is -O- or -NH-
R31 is a C1-C6 straight/branched/cyclic alkylene group or C2-C6 alkenylene group or phenylene group which may be substituted with carbonyl, ester, ether, or hydroxyl
R23-R29 are each independently a C1-C12 straight/cyclic/branched alkyl group which may be substituted with carbonyl, ester, or ether, or a C6-C20 aryl group
Z1 is a single bond or other group described in [0076] such as a carboxylic ester having a Z11 attachment group where Z11 is a C1-C12 alkyl group that may be substituted.
A is a H or CF3
Z2 is a single bond, methylene, ethylene, phenylene, fluorinated phenylene, or other group such as -O-R32
The above subunits meet the limitations of the claim for where:
Claimed (f1) corresponds to the reference’s (f1)
RA is H or Me
Z1 corresponds to reference R21 at single bond, phenylene, or the R31-bearing ether, ester, and/or amide group
R21 and R22 correspond to R23 and R22 in the reference
M- is a nonnucleophilic anion
Claimed (f2) corresponds to the reference’s (f2) where:
Z2 is an ester bond
Z3 is a single bond
Z4 is a 2,2,2-trifluoro-1,1-ethanedyl group (reference A is a CF3)
R23-R25 correspond to R24-R26
Claimed (f3) corresponds to the reference’s (f3) where:
Z5 corresponds to reference’s Z2
R26-R28 corresponds to R27-R29
Exemplary compounds are disclosed in the structures of [0077] and [0078].
The inclusion of these subunits in the polymer is effective in restraining acid diffusion and improving edge roughness.
A person having ordinary skill in the art would have found it obvious to arrive at the claimed invention prior to the filing date by incorporating one or more of the subunits f1-f3 into the base polymer so as to restrain acid diffusion and improve edge roughness in a finished patterned product.
Conclusion
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/A.P.T./Examiner, Art Unit 1737
/JONATHAN JOHNSON/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 1734