DETAILED ACTION
Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
1. 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
2. Applicant’s election without traverse of Group I (claims 1-18) in the reply filed on 03/30/2016 is acknowledged.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. Claims 1-2, 8, 11-13, 15-18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) and/or 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Kuo et al. (US 2022/0100088 A1).
As to claim 1, Kuo discloses a method for forming a photoresist stack, comprising:
forming a first photoresist layer over a substrate, wherein the first photoresist layer is formed with a first dry deposition process; and
forming a second photoresist layer over the first photoresist layer, wherein the second photoresist layer is formed with a second dry deposition process that is different than the first deposition process (paragraph 0021-0027, Fig 1A-1B, Fig 2B, Fig 3B, Fig 4, Fig 5).
As to claim 2, Kuo discloses a difference between the first dry deposition process and the second dry deposition process is a deposition temperature by controlling a temperature between 25 °C to 300 °C (See paragraph 0027, “In some embodiments, deposition processes 50-1-50-4 are different”).
As to claim 8, Kuo discloses the first dry deposition process is an atomic layer deposition (ALD) process, and the second dry deposition process is a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) process (See paragraph 0022).
As to claim 11, Kuo discloses the photoresist stack comprises a metal oxo (i.e. metal oxide) photoresist material that is configured to be exposed with an extreme ultraviolet (EUV) radiation (0017-0018).
As to claim 12, Kuo discloses the photoresist stack comprises a chemically amplified resist (CAR) (See paragraph 0015-0017)
As to claim 13, Kuo discloses A method of patterning a substrate, comprising:
depositing a first photoresist layer over the substrate (paragraph 0025-0026; Fig 1A-1B, Fig 2B, Fig 3B, Fig 4, Fig 5)
depositing a second photoresist layer over the first photoresist layer, wherein a cross-linking efficiency is different between the first photoresist layer and the second photoresist layer (paragraph 0026-0027, 0040, 0041, 0045, 0051-0052)
exposing the first photoresist layer and the second photoresist layer to electromagnetic radiation (paragraph 0036, 0040-0041, Fig 1A);
developing the first photoresist layer and the second photoresist layer to provide a patterned photoresist stack (Fig 1A; paragraph 0038-0041) and
transferring a pattern of the patterned photoresist stack into the substrate (i.e. etching using the photoresist as a mask; See paragraph 0053, 0058).
As to claim 15, Kuo discloses the first photoresist layer is deposited with a first dry deposition process, and the second photoresist layer is deposited with a second dry deposition process (paragraph 0022).
As to claim 16, Kuo discloses the first deposition process is different than the second deposition process in one of deposition temperature (See paragraph 0027).
As to claim 17, Kuo discloses the patterned photoresist stack comprises a metal oxo material (i.e. metal oxide; paragraph 0033, 0041-0042).
As to claim 18, Kuo discloses the patterned photoresist stack has substantially vertical sidewalls through an entire thickness of the photoresist stack (Fig 1A, 2A, 3A).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
6. 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.
7. This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
8. Claims 3-7, 9-10, 14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kuo (US 2022/0100088 A1) as applied to claims 1-2, 8, 11-13, 15-18 above, and further in view of Berney (US 2022/0308462 A1).
As to claim 3, Kuo fails to explicitly disclose the first dry deposition process has a first deposition temperature that is less than a second dry deposition temperature of the second deposition process. However, Kuo clearly discloses a first deposition process is different from the second deposition process, wherein a first temperature and second temperature is varied between 25 °C to 300 °C (See paragraph 0028). Berney discloses a plurality of dry deposition process having different temperature wherein the temperature is between 0 °C to 250 °C, including 23 °C to 150 °C using a controller to control temperature (paragraph 0014, 0030, 0040, 0062). Berney further disclose it is possible to use a heater to increase the temperature (paragraph 0035, 0040). Therefore, Berney discloses a first deposition temperature is less than a second deposition temperature. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify Kuo in view of Berney by having a first deposition temperature is less than a second deposition temperature because it helps to control the deposition process at different deposition temperature.
As to claim 4, Kuo discloses the first deposition temperature is between 25 °C to 300 °C (Note: 25 °C is within applicant’s range of “50 degrees Celsius or less”), and the second deposition temperature is between 25 °C to 300 °C (See paragraph 0027; Note: 300 °C is within applicant’s range of “50 degrees Celsius or greater”). Berney discloses a deposition temperature of 0 °C to 250 °C, including a range of 23 °C to 150 ° C (See paragraph 0029, Note: 0 °C or 23 °C is within applicant’s range of within applicant’s range “50 degrees Celsius or less”; and 150 °C or 250 °C is within applicant’s range of “50 degrees Celsius or greater”).
As to claim 5, Kuo fails to disclose wherein a difference between the first dry deposition process and the second dry deposition process is a deposition rate. However, Kuo clearly discloses a first dry deposition process and a second dry deposition process is different (paragraph 0028). Berney discloses a difference between the first dry deposition process and the second dry deposition process is a deposition rate (paragraph 0030, 0072, Fig 3). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify Kuo in view of Berney by having different deposition rate between the first dry deposition and second dry deposition because it helps to provide a thinner first photoresist layer as a seed layer and thicker second photoresist layer (paragraph 0072).
As to claim 6, Kuo fails to disclose a first deposition rate of the first photoresist layer is higher than a second deposition rate of the second photoresist layer. However, Kuo clearly discloses a first dry deposition process and a second dry deposition process is different (paragraph 0028). Berney discloses to control a temperature deposition during a first deposition and second deposition. Berney further discloses the deposition rate may occurs at rate inversely proportional to the substrate temperature (paragraph 0030). Therefore, Berney discloses the first deposition rate is higher than the second deposition rate if the first temperature is lower than the second temperature (i.e. inverse proportional). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify Kuo in view of Berney by having a first deposition rate of the first photoresist layer is higher than a second deposition rate of the second photoresist layer because it helps to control deposition process at different deposition temperature.
As to claim 7, Kuo fails to disclose wherein the first deposition rate and the second deposition rate are controlled by a flowrate of a precursor gas into a chamber. Berney discloses wherein the first deposition rate and the second deposition rate are controlled by a flowrate of a precursor gas into a chamber (Fig 3, paragraph 0034, 0053, 0063, 0077). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify Kuo in view of Berny by the first deposition rate and the second deposition rate are controlled by a flowrate of a precursor gas into a chamber because it helps to control the deposition process.
As to claim 9, Kuo fails to disclose wherein the first photoresist layer has a first thickness and the second photoresist layer has a second thickness, wherein the first thickness is smaller than the second thickness. However, Kuo clearly discloses the first photoresist layer has a first thickness and the second photoresist layer has a second thickness, wherein the first thickness is different from the second thickness (paragraph 0042, 0046). There are two possibilities that the first thickness is different from the second thickness: Possibility (1): the first thickness is smaller than the second thickness; Possibility (2) the first thickness is greater than the second thickness. Berney discloses the first photoresist layer has a first thickness, and the second photoresist layer has a second thickness, wherein the first thickness is smaller than the second thickness (paragraph 0072). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify Kuo in view of Berney by having the first thickness is smaller than the second thickness because it helps to form thinner seed sub-layer (paragraph 0072).
At to claim 10, Kuo fails to disclose the first thickness is up to 5 nm. Berney discloses the first thickness in 0.5 nm to 100 nm (paragraph 0031, within applicant’s range of “up to 5 nm”). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify Kuo in view of Berney by having a first thickness up to 5 nm because in the case where the claimed ranges "overlap or lie inside ranges disclosed by the prior art" a prima facie case of obviousness exists (See MPEP 2144.05(I)).
As to claim 14, Kuo fails to disclose the first photoresist is thinner than the second photoresist. However, Kuo clearly discloses the first photoresist layer and the second photoresist layer have different thickness (paragraph 0042, 0046). There are two possibilities that the first photoresist and second photoresist have different thickness. Possibility (1): the first photoresist is thinner than the second thickness; Possibility (2): the first photoresist is thicker than the second photoresist. Berney discloses the first photoresist is thinner than the second photoresist (paragraph 0072). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify Kuo in view of Berney by having the first thickness is thinner than the second thickness because it helps to form thinner seed sub-layer (paragraph 0072).
Conclusion
9. Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to BINH X TRAN whose telephone number is (571)272-1469. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Joshua Allen can be reached at 571-270-3176. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
BINH X. TRAN
Examiner
Art Unit 1713
/BINH X TRAN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1713
Prosecution Insights