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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 02/20/2024 was filed before the first action on the merits. The submission is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
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) 1-3 and 5 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Zhong et al. (2010/0173496).
Re claim 1, Zhong teaches a method for spacer patterning (Figs. 4A-E), the method comprising: performing a deposition process [26], the deposition process [26] comprising conformally depositing an over layer (470) over a spacer layer (440) as deposited on top surfaces (Fig. 4B) of a patterned mandrel layer (430) and on sidewalls (Fig. 4B) of the patterned mandrel layer (430); and performing an etch process using a fluorine containing etching gas [29], the etch process comprising: a post-deposition breakthrough process [26] removing portions (474) of the over layer (440) on the top surfaces of the patterned mandrel layer (430, Fig. 4C); and a main-etch process [28-29], removing shoulder portions of the over layer (470) and shoulder portions of the spacer layer (440).
Re claim 2, Zhong teaches the method of claim 1, wherein the deposition process and the etch process are performed in an inductively coupled plasma (ICP) etch chamber without vacuum break [04, 15]. Re claim 3, Zhong teaches the method of claim 1, wherein the spacer layer (440) comprises silicon nitride [02, 13, 36].
Re claim 5, Zhong teaches the method of claim 1, wherein the over layer (470) comprises silicon oxide [26].
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) 4 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zhong et al. (2010/0173496) in view of Ishikawa et al. (2017/0316940).
Re claim 4, Zhong teaches the method of claim 1.
Zhong does not explicitly teach wherein the patterned mandrel layer comprises a carbon containing material.
Ishikawa teaches removing oxide and nitride spacer layers form a carbon-containing mandrel [99-101].
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art as of the effective filling date of the claimed invention to modify Zhong as taught by Ishikawa since carbon-containing mandrels can be easily pattered with a high pattern density and may be selectively removed from nitride spacer layer ([99-101], Ishikawa).
Claim(s) 6 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zhong et al. (2010/0173496) in view of Hsiung et al. (2022/0102219). Re claim 6, Zhong teaches the method of claim 1.
Zhong does not explicitly teach wherein the fluorine containing etching gas comprises fluoromethane (CH3F).
Hsiung teaches using CH₃F to etch oxide and nitride spacer layers [50].
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art as of the effective filling date of the claimed invention to modify Zhong as taught by Hsiung since CH3F an effective gas for etching oxide and nitride sidewalls and allow for etching selectivity to be tuned as needed ([50], Hsiung).
Claim(s) 7-9, 11 and 13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zhong et al. (2010/0173496) in view of Lee et al. (2017/0076957). Re claim 7, Zhong teaches a method for spacer patterning (Figs. 4A-E), the method comprising: performing a deposition process [26], the deposition process [26] comprising conformally depositing an over layer (470) over a spacer layer (440) as deposited on top surfaces (Fig. 4B) of a patterned mandrel layer (430) and on sidewalls (Fig. 4B) of the patterned mandrel layer (430); performing a first etch process using a fluorine containing etching gas [26, 29], the first etch process comprising: a post-deposition breakthrough process [26] removing the over layer (470) from the top surfaces of the patterned mandrel layer (430, Fig. 4C); and a main etch process [28-29] removing shoulder portions of the over layer (470) and shoulder portions of the spacer layer (440); and Zhong does not explicitly teach performing a second etch process, the second etch process comprising removing the patterned mandrel layer.
Lee teaches a method (Figs. 1A-E) performing an etch process [20] comprising removing a patterned mandrel layer ([20], 116).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art as of the effective filling date of the claimed invention to modify Zhong as taught by Lee since all claimed elements were known in the prior art and one skilled in the art could have combined the elements as claimed by known methods with no change in their respective functions, and the combination would have yielded predictable results to a skilled artisan at the time the invention was made.
Re claim 8, Zhong in view of Lee teaches the method of claim 7, wherein the deposition process, the first etch process, and the second etch process are performed in an inductively coupled plasma (ICP) etch chamber without vacuum break ([04, 15], Zhong). Re claim 9, Zhong in view of Lee teaches the method of claim 7, wherein the spacer layer (440, Zhong) comprises silicon nitride ([02, 13, 36], Zhong). Re claim 11, Zhong in view of Lee teaches the method of claim 7, wherein the over layer (470, Zhong) comprises silicon oxide ([26], Zhong).
Re claim 13, Zhong in view of Lee the method of claim 7, wherein the second etch process ([20], 116, Lee) comprises a dry plasma etch process ([20], Lee).
Claim(s) 10 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zhong et al. (2010/0173496) in view of Lee et al. (2017/0076957) as applied to claim 7 above and further in view of Ishikawa et al. (2017/0316940).
Re claim 10, Zhong in view of Lee teaches the method of claim 7.
Zhong in view of Lee does not explicitly teach wherein the patterned mandrel layer comprises a carbon containing material.
Ishikawa teaches removing oxide and nitride spacer layers form a carbon-containing mandrel [99-101].
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art as of the effective filling date of the claimed invention to modify Zhong in view of Lee as taught by Ishikawa since carbon-containing mandrels can be easily pattered with a high pattern density and may be selectively removed from nitride spacer layer ([99-101], Ishikawa).
Claim(s) 12 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zhong et al. (2010/0173496) in view of Lee et al. (2017/0076957) as applied to claim 7 above and further in view of Hsiung et al. (2022/0102219). Re claim 12, Zhong in view of Lee teaches the method of claim 7. Zhong in view of Lee does not explicitly teach wherein the fluorine containing etching gas comprises fluoromethane (CH3F). Hsiung teaches using CH₃F to etch oxide and nitride spacer layers [50]. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art as of the effective filling date of the claimed invention to modify Zhong in view of Lee as taught by Hsiung since CH3F an effective gas for etching oxide and nitride sidewalls and allow for etching selectivity to be tuned as needed ([50], Hsiung).
Claim(s) 14-16, 18 and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zhong et al. (2010/0173496) in view of Lee et al. (2017/0076957). Re claim 14, Zhong teaches a processing system (Figs. 4A-E), comprising: a processing chamber [26]; and a system controller [05] configured to cause the processing system [05] to: perform a deposition process [26], the deposition process [26] comprising conformally depositing an over layer (470) over a spacer layer (440) as deposited on top surfaces (Fig. 4B) of a patterned mandrel layer (430) and on sidewalls (Fig. 4B) of the patterned mandrel layer (430); perform a first etch process using a fluorine containing etching gas [29], the first etch process comprising: a post-deposition breakthrough process [26] removing the over layer (470) from the top surfaces of the patterned mandrel layer (430, Fig. 4C); and a main etch process [28-29] removing shoulder portions of the over layer (470) and shoulder portions of the spacer layer (440); and Zhong does not explicitly teach perform a second etch process, the second etch process comprising removing the patterned mandrel layer. Lee teaches a method (Figs. 1A-E) performing an etch process [20] comprising removing a patterned mandrel layer ([20], 116). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art as of the effective filling date of the claimed invention to modify Zhong as taught by Lee since all claimed elements were known in the prior art and one skilled in the art could have combined the elements as claimed by known methods with no change in their respective functions, and the combination would have yielded predictable results to a skilled artisan at the time the invention was made.
Re claim 15, Zhong in view of Lee teaches the processing system of claim 14, wherein the processing chamber is an inductively coupled plasma (ICP) etch chamber ([04, 15], Zhong), and the first etch process, and the second etch process are performed without vacuum break ([04, 15], Zhong). Re claim 16, Zhong in view of Lee teaches the processing system of claim 14, wherein the spacer layer (440, Zhong) comprises silicon nitride ([02, 13, 36], Zhong).
Re claim 18, Zhong in view of Lee teaches the processing system of claim 14, wherein the over layer (470, Zhong) comprises silicon oxide ([26], Zhong).
Re claim 20, Zhong in view of Lee teaches the processing system of claim 14, wherein the second etch process ([20], 116, Lee) comprises a dry plasma etch process ([20], Lee).
Claim(s) 17 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zhong et al. (2010/0173496) in view of Lee et al. (2017/0076957) as applied to claim 14 above and further in view of Ishikawa et al. (2017/0316940). Re claim 17, Zhong in view of Lee teaches the processing system of claim 14. Zhong in view of Lee does not explicitly teach wherein the patterned mandrel layer comprises a carbon containing material. Ishikawa teaches removing oxide and nitride spacer layers form a carbon-containing mandrel [99-101]. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art as of the effective filling date of the claimed invention to modify Zhong in view of Lee as taught by Ishikawa since carbon-containing mandrels can be easily pattered with a high pattern density and may be selectively removed from nitride spacer layer ([99-101], Ishikawa).
Claim(s) 19 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zhong et al. (2010/0173496) in view of Lee et al. (2017/0076957) as applied to claim 14 above and further in view of Hsiung et al. (2022/0102219).
Re claim 19, Zhong in view of Lee teaches the processing system of claim 14. Zhong in view of Lee does not explicitly teach wherein the fluorine containing etching gas comprises fluoromethane (CH3F).
Hsiung teaches using CH₃F to etch oxide and nitride spacer layers [50]. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art as of the effective filling date of the claimed invention to modify Zhong in view of Lee as taught by Hsiung since CH3F an effective gas for etching oxide and nitride sidewalls and allow for etching selectivity to be tuned as needed ([50], Hsiung).
Conclusion
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/FERNANDO L TOLEDO/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2897
/ADAM S BOWEN/Examiner, Art Unit 2897