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 .
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 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.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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.
Claims 1-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over TAKAHASHI; Atsushi Yakkaich (US PGpub: 2022/0172957 A1), herein after TAKAHASHI, in view of TAKAHASHI; Atsushi (US PGpub: 2024/0234097 A1), herein after Atsushi.
Regarding claim 1, TAKAHASHI teaches an etching method, in FIG. 1A-1C, for an object to be processed having a recess, the recess having an inner wall surface, the etching method comprising;
forming a first film on the inner wall surface of the recess by supplying a precursor including silicon to the recess (G1);
oxidizing an upper region of the first film on the inner wall surface by an oxidation process, thereby forming an oxidized portion in the upper region gas (G2 including the hydrogen element. The gas G2 includes, for example, HCOOH (formic acid) gas. Note that O denotes oxygen).;
processing the oxidized portion to the recess (the sidewall film 11 is, for example, a fluorocarbon film including the carbon element and the fluorine element. While the sidewall film 11 functions as a protecting film for the process target film in etching,); and
etching the recess after supplying the agent to increase the depth of the recess (Paragraph [0022], silicon film is coming from the SIO2 layer. FIG. 1C).
TAKAHASHI does not explicitly teach precursor containing silicon and sylating oxidized portion.
However, Atsushi discloses (FIG. 10, Paragraph [0041]-[0047], [0133]-[0142]) and many more paragraphs, etching target film RE1 includes a silicon-containing film. The silicon-containing film may include at least one of a silicon film, a silicon germanium film, a silicon oxide film, and a silicon nitride film. The etching target film RE1 may be a silicon-containing film, may be selected from the group consisting of a silicon oxide film and a silicon nitride film, and may be a silicon oxide film… The reactive group may be a group that is bonded to a silicon atom in the silylating agent. the reaction may be promoted by first plasma generated from a first process gas including at least one selected from the group consisting of an inert gas and an oxygen-containing gas (Paragraph [0041]-[0047]. As in paragraph [0133], When the protective film PR includes a silicon-containing film, a silicon-containing gas is used as the precursor in the adsorption step. When the protective film PR includes a silicon oxide film, examples of the silicon-containing gas include an aminosilane gas, a SiCl.sub.4 gas, and a SiF.sub.4 gas. In the activation step, an oxygen-containing gas is used as the process gas. Examples of the oxygen-containing gas include an oxygen gas. When the protective film PR includes a silicon nitride film, examples of the silicon-containing gas include an aminosilane gas, a SiCl.sub.4 gas, a dichlorosilane gas, and a hexachlorodisilane gas. In the activation step, a nitrogen-containing gas is used as the process gas. As in Paragraph [0134], examples of the nitrogen-containing gas include a nitrogen gas and an ammonia gas. When the protective film PR includes an organic film, an organic gas is used as the precursor in the adsorption step.
Hence, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective fling date of the claimed invention to use TAKAHASHI’s etching method to modify with process step from Atsushi’s teaching such that the device improves the selectivity of etching and protecting against certain solvent to protect the film going thru etching.
Regarding claim 2, TAKAHASHI teaches (in view of Atsushi) the etching method according to claim 1, wherein the precursor is at least one of dichlorosilane (DCS), tetrachlorosilane (SiCl₄), bis (t-butylamino) silane (BTBAS), and bis (diethylamino) silane (BDEAS) (Paragraph [0133] in Atsushi).
Regarding claim 3, TAKAHASHI teaches (in view of Atsushi) the etching method according to claim 1, wherein the silylating agent includes silicon, hydrogen and carbon (Paragraph [0133], [0080]-[0085] in Atsushi).
Regarding claim 4, TAKAHASHI teaches the etching method according to claim 1, wherein the oxidation process does not oxidize a lower region of the first film on the inner wall surface, the lower region being below the upper region (Oxidation only done during first opening creation. The method further includes treating the second film by using the second film to second gas or second liquid, wherein the second film is treated without plasma ).
Regarding claim 5, TAKAHASHI teaches the etching method according to claim 1, wherein the oxidized portion is formed by the oxidation process using oxygen plasma (Paragraph [0032], first plasma generated from a first process gas containing at least one selected from the group consisting of an inert gas and an oxygen-containing gas.) .
Regarding claim 6, TAKAHASHI teaches the etching method according to claim 1, wherein the etching of the recess is performed using a fluoride gas represented by the composition formula C.sub.xH.sub.yF.sub.z (C represents carbon, H represents hydrogen, F represents fluorine, x represents an integer of 1 or more, y represents an integer of 0 or more, and z represents an integer of 2 or more) (Paragraph [0017]-[0018]).
Regarding claim 7, TAKAHASHI teaches the etching method according to claim 1, further comprising: forming a second film including carbon, fluorine, and nitrogen on the silylated oxidized portion (Paragraphs [0032]).
Regarding claim 8, TAKAHASHI teaches (in view of Atsushi) the etching method according to claim 1, wherein silylating the oxidized portion is performed after alternately repeating the formation of the first film and the oxidation (FIG. 10 and description. paragraph [0121]-[0133]).
Regarding claim 9, TAKAHASHI teaches the etching method according to claim 4, wherein the first film of the lower region is removed by the etching (paragraph [0037]).
Regarding claim 10, TAKAHASHI teaches (in view of Atsushi) the etching method according to claim 1, wherein the first film formation, the oxidation, the silylation, and the etching are performed continuously using a same apparatus without exposing the object to be processed to air outside the apparatus (See FIG. 3 and FIG 10. paragraph [0121]-[0133]).
Regarding claim 11, TAKAHASHI teaches a manufacturing method of a semiconductor memory device from an object that includes a semiconductor substrate having a recess, the recess having an inner wall surface, the manufacturing method comprising:
supplying a precursor including silicon to the recess to form a first film on the inner wall surface of the recess (using G1);
oxidizing an upper region of the first film on the inner wall surface by an oxidation process Using Plasma and G2);
supplying an agent to the recess; and
etching the recess to increase the depth of the recess.
TAKAHASHI does not explicitly teach precursor containing silicon and sylating oxidized portion.
However, Atsushi discloses (FIG. 10, Paragraph [0041]-[0047], [0133]-[0142]) and many more paragraphs, etching target film RE1 includes a silicon-containing film. The silicon-containing film may include at least one of a silicon film, a silicon germanium film, a silicon oxide film, and a silicon nitride film. The etching target film RE1 may be a silicon-containing film, may be selected from the group consisting of a silicon oxide film and a silicon nitride film, and may be a silicon oxide film… The reactive group may be a group that is bonded to a silicon atom in the silylating agent. the reaction may be promoted by first plasma generated from a first process gas including at least one selected from the group consisting of an inert gas and an oxygen-containing gas (Paragraph [0041]-[0047]. As in paragraph [0133], When the protective film PR includes a silicon-containing film, a silicon-containing gas is used as the precursor in the adsorption step. When the protective film PR includes a silicon oxide film, examples of the silicon-containing gas include an aminosilane gas, a SiCl.sub.4 gas, and a SiF.sub.4 gas. In the activation step, an oxygen-containing gas is used as the process gas. Examples of the oxygen-containing gas include an oxygen gas. When the protective film PR includes a silicon nitride film, examples of the silicon-containing gas include an aminosilane gas, a SiCl.sub.4 gas, a dichlorosilane gas, and a hexachlorodisilane gas. In the activation step, a nitrogen-containing gas is used as the process gas. As in Paragraph [0134], examples of the nitrogen-containing gas include a nitrogen gas and an ammonia gas. When the protective film PR includes an organic film, an organic gas is used as the precursor in the adsorption step.
Hence, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective fling date of the claimed invention to use TAKAHASHI’s etching method to modify with process step from Atsushi’s teaching such that the device improves the selectivity of etching and protecting against certain solvent to protect the film going thru etching.
Regarding claim 12, TAKAHASHI teaches (in view of Atsushi) the manufacturing method according to claim 11, wherein the precursor is at least one of dichlorosilane (DCS), tetrachlorosilane (SiCl.sub.4), bis(t-butylamino)silane (BTBAS), and bis(diethylamino)silane (BDEAS) (Paragraph [0133] in Atsushi).
Regarding claim 13, TAKAHASHI teaches (in view of Atsushi) the manufacturing method according to claim 11, wherein the silylating agent includes silicon, hydrogen and carbon (Paragraph [0133], [0080]-[0085] in Atsushi).
Regarding claim 14, TAKAHASHI teaches the manufacturing method according to claim 11, wherein the oxidation process does not oxidize a lower region of the first film on the inner wall surface, the lower region being below the upper region (Oxidation only done during first opening creation. The method further includes treating the second film by using the second film to second gas or second liquid, wherein the second film is treated without plasma ).
Regarding claim 15, TAKAHASHI teaches the manufacturing method according to claim 11, wherein the oxidation process is performed using oxygen plasma (Paragraph [0032], first plasma generated from a first process gas containing at least one selected from the group consisting of an inert gas and an oxygen-containing gas.).
Regarding claim 16, TAKAHASHI teaches the manufacturing method according to claim 11, wherein the recess is formed in a plurality of first layers and a plurality of second layers that are alternately stacked above the substrate (see FIG. 1A-1C), and the etching of the recess is performed using a fluoride gas represented by the composition formula C.sub.xH.sub.yF.sub.z (C represents carbon, H represents hydrogen, F represents fluorine, x represents an integer of 1 or more, y represents an integer of 0 or more, and z represents an integer of 2 or more) (Paragraph [0017]-[0018]).
Regarding claim 17, TAKAHASHI teaches (in view of Atsushi) the manufacturing method according to claim 11, wherein a silylated oxidized portion is formed by supplying the silylating agent, and the method further comprising: forming a second film including carbon, fluorine, and nitrogen on the silylated oxidized portion See FIG. 3 and FIG 10 paragraph [0121]-[0133] in Atushi).
Regarding claim 18, TAKAHASHI teaches (in view of Atsushi) the manufacturing method according to claim 11, wherein supplying the silylating agent is performed after alternately repeating the formation of the first film and the oxidation (See FIG. 3 and FIG 10 paragraph [0121]-[0133] in Atushi).
Regarding claim 19, TAKAHASHI teaches the manufacturing method according to claim 14, wherein the first film of the lower region is removed by the etching (paragraph [0037]).
Regarding claim 20, TAKAHASHI teaches (in view of Atsushi) the manufacturing method according to claim 11, wherein the first film formation, the oxidation, the silylation, and the etching are performed continuously using a same apparatus without exposing the object to be processed to air outside the apparatus (See FIG. 3 and FIG 10 paragraph [0121]-[0133] in Atsushi).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. See form PTO-892.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to SHEIKH MARUF whose telephone number is (571)270-1903. The examiner can normally be reached M-F, 8am-6pm EDT.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Chad Dicke can be reached at 571-270-7996. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/SHEIKH MARUF/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2897
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