DETAILED ACTION
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 § 102
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) 1-15, is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by U. S. Patent Application Publication No. 2017/0176861 (hereinafter referred to as Nam).
Nam in the abstract, in [0021], and [0035], discloses an organic layer composition for providing a hardmask layer i.e., a hardmask composition, and Nam in [0006]-[0007], discloses that the organic composition (hardmask composition) includes a polymer, and a solvent, wherein the polymer has the claimed structural unit of chemical formula 1, see below,
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wherein the “A” in the claimed structural unit of chemical formula 1, is the following,
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, and B is the -L-.
Nam, in [0011]-[0013], discloses that the -L- can include the following structure , see below,
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, and Y1 includes the following structure,
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, wherein M” includes CRaRb, and M includes -O-, i.e., Nam teaches the same claimed chemical formula 2 (claims 1-2).
Nam, in [0015], discloses the same claimed moiety, and includes the following, see below,
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, and
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wherein L is already discussed in the preceding sentence (claims 3-7). Nam, on page 8, left column, last structure, and in [0115], discloses that the polymer in the organic composition includes the following structural unit, see below,
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and is the same as the claimed structure in chemical formula 2-4, and the structural moiety of Nam in [0074], and [0113], discloses the following structure,
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i.e., Nam teaches the same claimed structure recited as chemical formula 1-6 (claims 8-9). Nam, in [0020], discloses that the polymer has the same claimed weight average molecular weight of about 200,000 (claim 10). Nam, in [0092], discloses that the polymer is included in an amount of at least 1 wt.% based on the total amount of the organic composition (hardmask composition) (claim 11). Nam, in [0091], discloses that the solvent in the organic composition includes propylene glycol, propylene glycol diacetate (claim 12). Nam, in [0099], discloses that the organic layer composition is coated onto the substrate and cured (the claimed cured product of the hard mask) (claim 13). Nam, in [0101]- [0110], discloses the formation of a material layer to finally patterned on the substrate, coating the organic layer composition (hard mask composition) on the material layer and heat treating the organic layer composition to about 500°C, followed by coating a photoresist layer on the organic composition layer, and exposing and developing the photoresist layer to form a photoresist pattern and etching the underlying hardmask layer using the photoresist pattern as the mask and etching the exposed underlying material layer (claims 14-15).
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 July 8, 2026
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