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
Claim1 and 2 are objected to because of the following informalities: In the claims, the formulas do not appear, and instead a black box appears where the formulas should be.
Formula (1) of claim 1:
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Formulas (II)-1 to (II)-6:
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Specification
The disclosure is objected to because of the following informalities: On page 79, (I)-3, the “N” is missing a negative charge, and (II)-10 on page 80, the “N” is missing a negative charge.
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, 2, 5-9, 13, 15, 17, and 20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Inabe et al (7,803,511).
Inabe et al disclose a resist composition comprising a resin (A) having an acid-labile group (decomposed by acid), a PAG (B) compound capable of generating an acid upon exposure, a compound (C) other than (B) generating an acid, and (D) a surfactant.
Compound (B) includes a compound (X) or (Y), wherein (X) is similar to the instant Formula (1), and (Y) is similar to the instant (II):
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Preferred compounds used in the examples ((B43) and (B4), TABLE 2, examples 8, 9,), have a structure meeting the limitations of the instant Formula (1), when Rx is -COO-R (instant claims 1, 5, 6, 7, 17, and 20).
Additional compounds B ((B2), (B3), (B5), (B6)) are similar to the instant Formula (1), with the exception of the (Rx) group. While the examples include alkyl, Rx is taught by the reference to be selected from six types of compounds, including -OR, -SO2R, and -SO3R, -COOR, which are taught ad Rs by the instant claims. In the formula, n2 (instant n) may be 1 to 4), with examples having 1 and 2 n2 group (instant claim 5, 14).
Therefore, 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 Inabe et al, choosing as the compound B, at least a PAG meeting the structural limitations of the instant Formula (1) as set forth by the instant claim 1.
The reference further teaches the compound (B) may be of formula (Y), wherein the compound includes a structure falling within the scope of the instant formula (II-2) (instant claims 1 and 2):
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Reference examples include
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and
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, used in examples in combination with those of formula X), therefore the reference teaches the use of the compounds of (X) and (Y), instant (1) and (II), in combination, with example 8 and 9 including compounds meeting the limitations of each, and examples 10, 12, 27, and 28, when the Rx group of the compound is replaced with -COOR, -OR, -SO2R, or -SO3R. Therefore, the references teaches the use of a compound of the instant formula (1) in combination with the formula (II) as set forth by the instant claim 1.
Additionally, the reference teaches a polymer having an acid decomposable group-containing unit, which is included in the inventive polymers in the examples (see resins 8 and 9 below).
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The composition is coated onto a substrate to form a resist film in the method of forming a device (instant claim 8), wherein the pattern forming method further comprises an exposure step and developing step (claim 9; instant claim 9 and 10).
Claim(s) 1-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kojima et al (2021/0356862) in view of Inabe et al.
Kojima et al disclose a resist composition, patterning method, and method of forming an electronic device, wherein the resist comprises an acid decomposable resin, and a salt compound of formula (I) (instant onium salt(II)):
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In the formula, the compound includes anionic groups meeting the limitations of the instant (II)-1, (II)-2, and (II)-6 (instant claims 2-4).
The resist further includes an additional PAG having a structure similar to formula (1), wherein the anion would release an acid having a structure similar to that of formula (1)
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In the formula, Xf (instant Rf) is fluorine or fluorinated alkyl, o (instant m) is 1 to 3, p may be zero, L may be -SO2-, instant Y is a single bond, and W is aryl, which may be substituted with groups meeting instant Rs, such as alkoxy, ester, sulfonic acid ester, and preferably a carbonyl group ([0511]). One exemplified compound includes L as a -SO2- group, but fails to specifically teach W as a group meeting the instant Ar-Rs, despite the broad definition including groups as claimed.
Inabe et al has been discussed above. The reference teaches compounds which have a similar general structure to that of Kojima shown above, and provides examples wherein the instant Ar-Rs is met with structures meeting the limitations of the instant claims 1, 5-7, and 14-20, thus teaching that compounds of the structure having an end group meeting the instant Ar-Rs is known in the art and equivalent to that of Kojima et al.
Therefore, given the teachings of the references, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to prepare the material of Kojima et al, choosing as the PAG having a structure falling within the scope of the reference formula (3) as taught by Inabe et al as a known and preferred compound structure equivalent to that of Kojima et al, wherein the resultant material would also meet the limitations of the instant claims.
The reference further teaches a film, device, and method of patterning including the steps as set forth by the instant claims 9-12, wherein EUV and solvent development using n-butyl acetate is used in an example (instant claims 8-13).
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Claim(s) 1-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Marumo (WO 2020/261753 and its machine translation).
Marumo teaches a resist composition, patterning method, and method of forming an electronic device, wherein the resist composition comprises a resin having an acid decomposable group, and a PAG having a multivalent salt (abstract), and a photoacid generator (C).
The salt includes anionic structures meeting the limitations of the instant (II)-1 to (II)-6 (B-1, B-3, B-5, B-4, B-6, and B-7 to B-9, respectively), and also may broadly comprise a compound generating an acid of formula (1) (instant claims 2,7, 14-20.
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The reference further includes an acid generator having a general structure below:
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Wherein exemplified compounds include a structure which also generally meets the anionic portions of (II)-1, (II)-5 and (II)-6 (C-1, C-4, and C-2, C-3, C-5, C-6, C-7).
Examples demonstrate the use of a combination of compounds, and one such combination includes a compound B-20 which includes groups which when an acid is generated would include the compound of formula (1), wherein instant m is 3, instant Y is a oxygen atom, Ar is aryl with two (n2=2) Rs groups, -COO-Rs and -SO3-(CF2)3SO3-Rs, and C-20 of (II), wherein the anionic portion is -O-CO-(CF2)3CF3 (instant claims 2-7 and 14-20).
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Therefore, 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 Marumo, choosing as the PAGs, those as described by the reference and used in example Re-20, wherein the combination of the resin, and two onium salts would meet the limitations of the instant claims.
The composition is used in a method of patterning including the steps as set forth by the instant claims 8-13, forming a film on a substrate, exposing to EUV, developing which may include a solvent developer such as n-butyl acetate ([0357], [0364], [0367]-[0375],[0437], [0452]; instant claims 8-13).
Claim(s) 1-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Marumo in view of Inabe et al.
Both references have been discussed above. Marumo teaches the inclusion of a combination of PAGs, which each have structures falling within the general structures of the instant formula (1) and onium salt (II), with overlap in structure. While the reference includes one example having structures of each, the reference more broadly teaches that formula (Ia) may equate to (II) and formula (1) to the instant formula 1.
Formula (1) include La which may be a divalent linking group, and Ra which is H or a monovalent group, broadly. L is preferably selected from the group consisting of -CO-, -NH-, -O-, -S-, -SO-, -SO2-, and alkyl ([0114]), with Ra being fluoroalkyl, alicyclic, or aryl ([0115], [0116]), and may be substituted with alkyl, cycloalkyl, aryl, -OH, alkoxy, ester, sulfonic acid ester, and preferably carbonyl (including -ORs, CO-R, COO-R, SO3R; instant claims 1, 6, 7, and 17-20).
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One exemplified compound includes L as a -SO2- group, but fails to specifically teach W as a group meeting the instant Ar-Rs, despite the broad definition including groups as claimed.
Inabe et al has been discussed above. The reference teaches compounds which have a similar general structure to that of Kojima shown above, and provides examples wherein the instant Ar-Rs is met with structures meeting the limitations of the instant claims 1, 5-7, and 14-20, thus teaching that compounds of the structure having an end group meeting the instant Ar-Rs is known in the art and equivalent to that of Marumo.
Therefore, given the teachings of the references, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to prepare the material of Marumo, choosing as the PAG having a structure falling within the scope of the reference formula (3) as taught by Inabe et al as a known and preferred compound structure equivalent to that of Marumo, wherein the resultant material would also meet the limitations of the instant claims.
As discussed above, the patterning forming method and method of forming a device meets the limitations of the instant claims 8-13.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Tomeba et al (JP 2011-209660) , as cited by a foreign search report and submitted by applicant, is cited for its teaching of a combination of onium salts having structures similar to that of the instant formula (1) and (II), however, the reference fails to fairly tech a compound generating an acid which would have the formula of instant formula (1). Additional references are cited demonstrating similar onium salt compounds.
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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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Niki Bakhtiari can be reached at 571-272-3433. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/AMANDA C. WALKE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1722
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