CTNF 18/403,927 CTNF 77255 DETAILED ACTION 07-03-aia AIA 15-10-aia The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA. Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112 07-30-02 AIA The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b): (b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention. The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA), second paragraph: The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention. 07-34-01 Claim 14, is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention. Claim 14, recites, at lines 1-2, “the amine-based compound has the following formula”, however, the body of the claim does not recite or illustrate what the formula is? The claim, as recited, does not disclose the structural formula of the amine compound, and renders the claim indefinite. Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102 07-07-aia AIA 07-07 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 – 07-08-aia AIA (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. 07-15-aia AIA Claim(s) 1-11, 13, and 15-20 , is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102 (a)(1) as being anticipated by U. S. Patent Application Publication No. 2017/0097570 (hereinafter referred to as Tagawa) . Tagawa, in the abstract, in [0001]-[0002], [0009], [0039], [0062], [0066]-[0067], and [0198]-[0199], discloses that the resist material used for the forming of the resist layer includes a base resin (photosensitive polymer), an acid generator i.e., photoacid generator (PAG) and a base generator i.e., a photobase generator (PAG), and is the same as the claimed photoactive compound (PAC) and a radical scavenger (includes the claimed radical quencher) that is a hindered phenol compound (monomer or monophenol compound) or a phenolic polymer such as polyhydroxy styrene (claimed a poly phenol compound) and inherently includes the claimed electron-donating group such as an aryl group, wherein the resist layer is patterned to form semiconductor devices (includes integrated circuits). Tagawa, in [0068], discloses that the base polymer resin in the resist is decomposed during the patterned exposure i.e., the irradiation of the resist to light results in the breaking of the polymer backbone (claimed main chain scission). Tagawa, in [0009], [0029], [0192] discloses that the resist layer is coated onto an underlayer (lower film) formed on the substrate , and that the resist layer is subjected to a patterned exposure (selective exposure through a mask or a selective exposure) wherein the base component (radical quencher) during exposure is deactivated i.e., decomposed and thus does not quench the acid produced by the photoacid generator in the exposed regions (reference 10a), at the same time (during the exposure), and Tagawa, in [0068], discloses that during the patterned exposure the base resin polymer in the exposed regions is decomposed (claimed main chain scission). Tagawa, discloses in [0088], and in figure 1D, that the exposed regions (in the exposed regions the polymer resin is decomposed/photodegraded) are developed away (removed/dissolved in the developer) to form a resist pattern that is used as a mask to transfer the pattern to the underlayer (to form finer patterns (see [0002]) (claimed processing the lower film) (claims 1-6, 8, 17-18). Tagawa, in [0075], discloses that the photobase generator can be either the nonionic or ionic type (claim 7). Tagawa, in [0073], discloses the PAG as the ionic type acid generator (claims 9, and 15). Tagawa, in [0065], and [0201], discloses that the radical scavenger component is less than the content of the PAG i.e., less than 40 parts by mass relative to 100 parts by mass of the base resin. Tagawa, in [0065], discloses the PAC content (PAG and PBG) and is greater than the content of the radical scavenger (radical quencher) and includes the claimed amount (claim 10). Tagawa, in [0009], [0015]-[0020], [0038], [0062], [0066]-0068], discloses that the resist material used for the forming of the resist layer includes a base resin (photosensitive polymer), an acid generator i.e., photoacid generator (PAG) and a base generator i.e., a photobase generator (PBG), and is the same as the claimed photoactive compound (PAC, can be an acid generator and/or a base generator) and a base component (the claimed radical quencher, quenches the acid ) that is an amine compound (monomer or compound, [0157]). Tagawa, in [0068], discloses that the base polymer resin in the resist is decomposed during the patterned exposure i.e., the irradiation of the resist to light results in the breaking of the polymer backbone (claimed main chain scission) (claims 11, 13, and 19). Tagawa, in [0156], discloses that the base component (radical quencher) content in the resist is at about 10 parts by mass, relative to 100 parts by mass of the base resin and the photoacid generator is less than 40 parts by mass, relative to 100 parts by mass of the base resin and is the same claimed content recited in claim 16. Tagawa, [0068], and [0080], discloses that resist layer is selectively exposed to either an EUV light or an electron beam or ArF excimer laser or KrF excimer laser, during the exposure process (claim 20) . Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103 07-20-aia AIA 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. 07-21-aia AIA Claim (s) 12 , is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over U. S. Patent Application Publication No. 2017/0097570 (hereinafter referred to as Tagawa) in view of U. S. Patent Application Publication No. 20210364916 (hereinafter referred to as Yang) . Tagawa is discussed in paragraph no. 5, above. Tagawa, discloses in [0157], that the base component (quencher) is an amine compound. The difference between the claim and Tagawa is that Tagawa does not disclose that the amine compound (quencher) includes the electron donating group recited in claim 12. Yang, in [0089], discloses that the nitrogenous compound that scavenges the acids include aryl ammonium salts of phenolates or aryl and alkyl sulfonamides. Therefore, it would be obvious to a skilled artisan to modify Tagawa by employing the electron donating groups in a quencher component as taught by Yang because Tagawa teaches that an amine can be used as the base component to quench the acid and Yang, in [0089], discloses that the nitrogenous compounds such as amines or aryl ammonium salts of phenolates assist in preventing the undesired diffusion of acids generated during the exposure of the photoresist. Conclusion Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Daborah Chacko-Davis whose telephone number is (571) 272-1380. The examiner can normally be reached on 9:30AM-6:00PM EST Mon-Fri. If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Sally A. Merkling can be reached on (571) 272-6297. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-272-8300. 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. /DABORAH CHACKO-DAVIS/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1737 June 11, 2026. Application/Control Number: 18/403,927 Page 2 Art Unit: 1737 Application/Control Number: 18/403,927 Page 3 Art Unit: 1737 Application/Control Number: 18/403,927 Page 4 Art Unit: 1737 Application/Control Number: 18/403,927 Page 5 Art Unit: 1737 Application/Control Number: 18/403,927 Page 6 Art Unit: 1737 Application/Control Number: 18/403,927 Page 7 Art Unit: 1737 Application/Control Number: 18/403,927 Page 8 Art Unit: 1737 Application/Control Number: 18/403,927 Page 9 Art Unit: 1737 Application/Control Number: 18/403,927 Page 10 Art Unit: 1737
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