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 .
Claim Objections
Claims 4 and 7 are objected to because of the following informalities: The definitions of substituents in the claims are within parentheses, which should be deleted (claim 4, lines 2, 4, 6, and 9, and claim 7, lines 2 and 3). Appropriate correction is required.
Claims 1 and 14 are objected to because of the following informalities: The claims each recite “m1 represents an integer of 1 to 6”, however the m1 substituent is on a six-membered ring, wherein one carbon of the six is attached to the compound, leaving only five carbon atoms available for substitution. It appears as though the claims should read “1 to 5”. Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 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) 1-11, 13, and 14 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Aqad et al (10,495,968).
Aqad et al disclose a resist composition comprising a base polymer comprising a repeat unit having an iodine (halogen) and aromatic group(s). The general formula includes the following structure:
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In the formula, Ra (instant R0) is H, F, fluorinated alkyl, -CO-O- is the instant X1 (instant claim 2 and 3), L is instant Ar (and a phenylene group, column 7, lines 1-14), instant L1 is a single bond (instant claim 4), W is X01 and L01 wherein instant X01 is -O- and instant L01 is-CO- ( wherein -CH2- is replaced by -CO-, instant claims 6 and 7), G is the instant phenyl group, X is the instant R2 wherein it may be halogen, hydroxyl, alkyl, haloalkyl, and I is the instant R1 (wherein the halogen is iodine). Preferred examples include monomers having an aryl with two iodine atoms and a -OH group as preferred by the instant specification or only iodine atoms (see pages 55-57), wherein the alkyl linking group may be replaced by an aromatic ring and the monomer meets the limitations of the instant claims 1-7 and 14 (wherein X1 is -CO-O-, (X1-1) and (X1-1’)).
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The polymer further comprises units meeting the limitations of the instant claim8, wherein the unit comprises an acid-labile group having a tertiary carbon falling within the scope of the instant (a1-0), (a1-1), and (a1-2):
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The polymer may further comprises a base-soluble monomer having a structure meeting the limitations of the instant (a1-A) of instant claim 9, wherein Q1 :
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The resist composition comprising the polymer (instant claim 10), further comprises an acid generator having a structure meeting (B1) (instant claim 11).
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The method of patterning the resist includes the steps as instantly claimed as set forth by the instant claim 13, wherein examples include a post-exposure bake (heating; column 29):
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Given the teachings of the reference, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the instant invention to prepare the material of Aqad et al, choosing as the linking group L, an arylene group as taught by the reference. The resultant compound and polymer would meet the limitations of the instant claims.
Claim(s) 1-14 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kiriyama et al (2022/0413385).
Kiriyama et al disclose a resist composition comprising a polymer, wherein the resist polymer comprises a unit having a structure similar to that of the instant formula (I).
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In the formula, R1 (instant R0) is H, methyl, trifluoromethyl, L (instant X1 and L1) is a single bond, Ax-Ph-Ay (wherein Ax and Ay can be single bonds), or -CO-O-, Ar1 is an aromatic hydrocarbon, X (instant X01 and L01) may be -GO-, wherein G is a divalent aliphatic hydrocarbon group having 1 to 20 carbon atoms, Ar2 is preferably phenyl, an R3 is halogen, hydroxyl, or hydrocarbon.
Examples include those wherein the instant X1 is phenyl or -COO-, Ay is -O- (or S), L1 is a single bond -O-, -S-, -SO2-, Ar is phenyl, X01 is -COO-, L01 is alkyl, R1 is halogen and m2 is 0 to 4 and m1 is 1 to 5. Examples of the substituents meeting the instant R1 and R2 include F, I, alkyl, -COO-alkyl or cycloalkyl (with -OH or fluorine substitution), fluorinated alkyl.
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The reference structure meets the limitations of the instant formula in the instant claims 1, 2-7 (formulas (X1-1), (X1-3), (X1-9) of claim 2), and formulas (X1-1’), (X1-3’), (X1-9’) of claim 3), and 14.
The resist polymer further comprises a unit comprising an acid labile group meeting the limitations of the instant formulas (a1-0), (a1-1), (a1-2), as set forth by the instant claim 8.
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Regarding claim 9, the reference further includes a phenolic hydroxyl-containing monomer meeting the limitations of (a2-A), wherein Aa50 is a single bond or -COO-.
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The resist composition (instant claim 10) further includes a photoacid generator, wherein preferred compounds include those having a structure falling within the scope of the instant (B1) of instant claim 11.
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In the formula, each of np2 and np3 may be zero. Given the teachings of the reference and exemplified Rp1 and Rp2 groups, such as that below, when each of np2 and np3 are zero, the -SO3- group would be directly linker to the phenyl ring and the compound would meet the limitations of the instant (B2).
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The composition further comprises an acid diffusion control; agents, which are nitrogen-containing base compounds or a salt having an acidity lower than that of the acid of the acid generator ([0164]-[0170]; instant claim 12).
The method of patterning includes the steps as claimed, wherein the resist is coated onto a substrate, pre-barked to dry the composition, exposed, PEB (heated), then developed ([0290]) as required by the instant claim 14.
Given the teachings of the reference, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the instant invention to prepare the material of Kiriyama et al, preparing the monomer wherein the linking group X1 and L1 and as discussed above, wherein the resultant compound also meets the limitations of the instant claims.
Claim(s) 11 and 12 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Aqad et al in view of Kiriyama et al.
Both references have been discussed above. The Aqad et al reference teaches that a quencher is preferably added(see Table 3), and a photoacid generator having a sulfonate anion, however the non-limiting examples fail to teach the compounds as set forth by instant claim 11 for (B2) and claim 12.
Kiriyama et al teach a similar resist composition, and teaches that known sulfonate anions include those having a structure falling with in the scope of (B1), and that they may have a structure similar to the of (B2), and they may be interchanged. Furthermore, the reference teaches that known acid diffusion contollers (basic compounds, quenchers) include nitrogen-containing compounds such as that as disclosed by Aqad et al, and salts having weak acids.
Therefore, given the teachings of the references, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the instant invention to prepare the material of Aqad et al, choosing as the PAG anion, that as taught by Kiriyama et al as suitable for use in similar compositions, or choosing as the quencher, the weak acid salt as described by Kiriyama et al as known and suitable, wherein the resultant composition would meet the limitations of the instant claims 11 and 12.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Omatsu et al (2022/0119336) teach a similar resist having iodine (halogen) substituted phenyl groups and monomers meeting the limitations of the formulas on the instant claim 8. Inazaki et al (JP 2011-0338839) is cited for its teachings of various acid-labile group-containing monomers such as those of the instant claim 8. Adachi et al (JP2020-075903) is cited for its teaching of a PAG anion of (B2).
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to AMANDA C WALKE whose telephone number is (571)272-1337. The examiner can normally be reached Monday to Thursday 5:30am to 4pm.
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/AMANDA C. WALKE/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1722
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