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 .
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of Invention I, claims 1-14, in the reply filed on August 31, 2026 is acknowledged. Claims 15-18 have been withdrawn. Action on the merits is as follows:
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) 1-14 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hashimoto et al. (Hashimoto) (US 2018/0179628 A1) in view of Azuma (US 6,231,690 B1)[See Chinese First Office Action].
In regards to claim 1, Hashimoto (Figs. 1-8 and associated text and items) discloses a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device, comprising: (a) vaporizing a source material stored in a tank (item 501) by introducing an inert gas (equivalent to inactive gas) through a primary piping (item 512) of the tank (item 501), and supplying a vaporized gas generated by vaporizing the source material (item 550, paragraph 34) into a process chamber (item 201) through a secondary piping (item 503) of the tank (item 501); and (b) supplying a gas to the secondary piping (item 503) through which the vaporized gas has passed via a bypass line (item 524) connecting the primary piping (item 512) and the secondary side piping (item 503) such that the gas is supplied without passing through the tank (item 501), but does not specifically disclose supplying an oxygen-containing gas.
Azuma (col. 4, line 22 to col. 10, line 65, Fig. 1 and associated text) discloses supplying and oxygen-containing gas (oxidizing gas).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to incorporate the teachings of Azuma for the purpose of inhibiting corrosion.
In regards to claim 2, Hashimoto (Figs. 1-8 and associated text and items) as modified by Azuma (col. 4, line 22 to col. 10, line 65, Fig. 1 and associated text) discloses wherein, in (b), by opening a tank valve (items 507 or 525) provided at the secondary piping (item 503) between a connection portion of the secondary piping (item 503) with the bypass line (item 524) and the tank (item 501), the oxygen-containing gas (oxidizing gas, Azuma) is supplied to a portion of the secondary piping (item 503) closer to the tank (item 501) than the tank valve (items 507 or 525) through the tank valve (items 507 or 525) of the secondary piping (item 503).
In regards to claim 3, Hashimoto (Figs. 1-8 and associated text and items) as modified by Azuma discloses wherein the secondary piping (item 503) is provided with a plurality of tank valves (items 505, 527, 507, 524), and a coating film of a fluorine-based resin is provided on an inner portion of a piping between a portion of the secondary piping item 503) connected to the tank (item 501) and a tank valve (items 505, 527, 507, 524) installed closest to the tank (item 501) among the plurality of tank valves (items 505, 527, 507, 524). “As shown in Figure 5, a precursor supply pipe 503 as a supply pipe for supplying the precursor is connected to the gas supply pipe 232a, a pressure sensor 504 and a valve 507 are installed in the precursor supply pipe 503, a hand valve 509 is installed via a pipe between the connection portion 508 and the liquid precursor tank 501, and a valve 527 is installed in the exhaust line 526 (shown in connection with figure 5, corresponding to a plurality of tank valves being provided in the secondary side pipe). Furthermore, according to practical needs, in a pipe of the secondary side pipe from a portion connected to the tank to a tank valve disposed closest to the tank side among the plurality of tank valves, forming a coating film based on a fluorine-based resin, and specifically disposing the material of the fluorine-based resin, is an alternative to those skilled in the art for a corrosion-resistant material, and is customary in the art.”
In regards to claim 4, Hashimoto (Figs. 1-8 and associated text and items) as modified by Azuma (col. 4, line 22 to col. 10, line 65, Fig. 1 and associated text) discloses wherein the secondary piping is made of a metal material containing at least chromium (Cr). Azuma discloses “wherein a Cr oxide film is efficiently formed on the inner surface of a ferritic stainless steel pipe used as pipe or pipe member (equivalent to said side pipe being composed of at least chromium-containing metal), so that the Cr content and the film thickness of the Cr oxide film are uniform over the entire length of the pipe.”
In regards to claim 5, Hashimoto (Figs. 1-8 and associated text and items) as modified by Azuma (col. 4, line 22 to col. 10, line 65, Fig. 1 and associated text) discloses wherein, in (b), the oxygen-containing gas is exhausted through an exhauster (item 526) connected to the secondary piping (item 503) such that the oxygen-containing gas (oxidizing gas, Azuma) is exhausted without passing through the process chamber (item 201).
In regards to claim 6, Hashimoto (Figs. 1-8 and associated text and items) as modified by Azuma (col. 4, line 22 to col. 10, line 65, Fig. 1 and associated text) discloses wherein (b) is performed in a state where there is no substrate in the process chamber (item 201).
In regards to claim 7, Hashimoto (Figs. 1-8 and associated text and items) discloses as further comprising (c) adjusting an inner atmosphere of the secondary piping (item 503) to an inert gas atmosphere by supplying the inert gas to the secondary piping (item 503) through the bypass line (item 524). Hashimoto discloses “after the purification process inside the liquid precursor tank 501 has been completed, the hand valves 509 and 510 are closed (S102); subsequently, the interior of the pipe around the liquid precursor tank 501 is purged (S104). In this step, an interior of the inert gas supply pipe 512, the interior of the connecting tube 524 and the interior of the precursor supply tube 503 are heated by alternately repeating Hot ", which is a heated inert gas. N2 is purged by a step of supplying and discharging the inert gas supply tube 512 as the first supply tube, the connection tube 524, and the precursor supply tube 503 as the second supply tube via a purge gas supply tube 519 as the third supply tube (Hot-N2 supply step); and a step of vacuuming the inside of the inert gas supply tube 512, the inside of the connection tube 524, and the inside of the precursor supply tube 503 (vacuuming step); then, the interior of the inert gas supply pipe 512, the interior of the connecting pipe 524 and the interior of the precursor supply pipe 503 are purged by alternately repeating the Hot-N2 (equivalent to an inactive gas) supply step and the vacuuming step (equivalent to also (c) flowing inactive gas to the secondary side pipe via the bypass line, a step of bringing an inert gas atmosphere into the secondary side pipe; at this time, similar to the step of purging the interior of the liquid precursor tank 501, Hot-N2 may be discharged in the Hot-N2 supply step; that is, when the wafer 200 is located in the processing chamber 201, hot-N2 may be exhausted from exhaust line 526 without passing through the process chamber 201 during the Hot-N2 supply step, and when the wafer 200 is not located in the process chamber 201, Hot-N2 may be exhausted from exhaust line 231 through the process chamber 201 during the Hot-N2 supply step (equivalent to the process also having (d) exhausting the inactive gases within the secondary side conduit, depressurizing the pressure within the secondary side conduit).”
In regards to claim 8, Hashimoto (Figs. 1-8 and associated text and items) discloses further comprising (d) adjusting an inner pressure of the secondary piping (item 503) to a reduced pressure by vacuum-exhausting the inert gas in the secondary piping (item 503), wherein (c) and (d) are performed at least once to adjust the inner atmosphere of the secondary piping (item 503) to the inert gas atmosphere. Hashimoto discloses “after the purification process inside the liquid precursor tank 501 has been completed, the hand valves 509 and 510 are closed (S102); subsequently, the interior of the pipe around the liquid precursor tank 501 is purged (S104). In this step, an interior of the inert gas supply pipe 512, the interior of the connecting tube 524 and the interior of the precursor supply tube 503 are heated by alternately repeating Hot ", which is a heated inert gas. N2 is purged by a step of supplying and discharging the inert gas supply tube 512 as the first supply tube, the connection tube 524, and the precursor supply tube 503 as the second supply tube via a purge gas supply tube 519 as the third supply tube (Hot-N2 supply step); and a step of vacuuming the inside of the inert gas supply tube 512, the inside of the connection tube 524, and the inside of the precursor supply tube 503 (vacuuming step); then, the interior of the inert gas supply pipe 512, the interior of the connecting pipe 524 and the interior of the precursor supply pipe 503 are purged by alternately repeating the Hot-N2 (equivalent to an inactive gas) supply step and the vacuuming step (equivalent to also (c) flowing inactive gas to the secondary side pipe via the bypass line, a step of bringing an inert gas atmosphere into the secondary side pipe; at this time, similar to the step of purging the interior of the liquid precursor tank 501, Hot-N2 may be discharged in the Hot-N2 supply step; that is, when the wafer 200 is located in the processing chamber 201, hot-N2 may be exhausted from exhaust line 526 without passing through the process chamber 201 during the Hot-N2 supply step, and when the wafer 200 is not located in the process chamber 201, Hot-N2 may be exhausted from exhaust line 231 through the process chamber 201 during the Hot-N2 supply step (equivalent to the process also having (d) exhausting the inactive gases within the secondary side conduit, depressurizing the pressure within the secondary side conduit).”
In regards to claim 9, Hashimoto (Figs. 1-8 and associated text and items) as modified by Azuma (col. 4, line 22 to col. 10, line 65, Fig. 1 and associated text) does not specifically disclose wherein the fluorine-based resin is at least one resin selected from the group consisting of polytetrafluoroethylene, perfluoroalkoxy alkane, ethylene-tetrafluoroethylene copolymer, perfluoroethylene-propene copolymer, polyvinylidene fluoride, polychlorotrifluoroethylene and ethylene-chlorotrifluoroethylene copolymer. Examiner notes “according to practical needs, in a pipe of the secondary side pipe from a portion connected to the tank to a tank valve disposed closest to the tank side among the plurality of tank valves, forming a coating film based on a fluorine-based resin, and specifically disposing the material of the fluorine-based resin, is an alternative to those skilled in the art for a corrosion-resistant material, and is customary in the art.”
It would have been obvious to modify the invention to include a fluorine-based resin being at least one resin selected from the group consisting of polytetrafluoroethylene, perfluoroalkoxy alkane, ethylene-tetrafluoroethylene copolymer, perfluoroethylene-propene copolymer, polyvinylidene fluoride, polychlorotrifluoroethylene and ethylene-chlorotrifluoroethylene copolymer, since it has been held to be within the general skill of a worker in the art to select a known material on the basis of its suitability for the intended use (In re Leshin, 125 USPQ 416).
In regards to claim 10, Hashimoto (Figs. 1-8 and associated text and items) as modified by Azuma (col. 4, line 22 to col. 10, line 65, Fig. 1 and associated text) does not specifically disclose wherein the oxygen-containing gas is at least one gas selected from the group of oxygen gas, ozone gas, carbon dioxide gas, nitric oxide gas and nitrous oxide gas.
It would have been obvious to modify the invention to include an oxygen-containing gas being at least one gas selected from the group of oxygen gas, ozone gas, carbon dioxide gas, nitric oxide gas and nitrous oxide gas, since it has been held to be within the general skill of a worker in the art to select a known material on the basis of its suitability for the intended use (In re Leshin, 125 USPQ 416).
In regards to claim 11, Hashimoto (Figs. 1-8 and associated text and items) as modified by Azuma (col. 4, line 22 to col. 10, line 65, Fig. 1 and associated text) discloses wherein the atmosphere serves as the oxygen-containing gas.
In regards to claim 12, Hashimoto (Figs. 1-8 and associated text and items) as modified by Azuma (col. 4, line 22 to col. 10, line 65, Fig. 1 and associated text) discloses wherein (b) is performed after (a) is performed a predetermined number of times. Examiner notes is customary in the art to arrange the order of execution of the various steps in a semiconductor processing process, according to practical needs.
In regards to claim 13, Hashimoto (Figs. 1-8 and associated text and items) as modified by Azuma (col. 4, line 22 to col. 10, line 65, Fig. 1 and associated text) discloses wherein (a) and (b) are performed alternately a plurality of times. Examiner notes is customary in the art to arrange the order of execution of the various steps in a semiconductor processing process, according to practical needs.
In regards to claim 14, Hashimoto (Figs. 1-8 and associated text and items) as modified by Azuma (col. 4, line 22 to col. 10, line 65, Fig. 1 and associated text) discloses wherein (b) is performed after (a). Examiner notes is customary in the art to arrange the order of execution of the various steps in a semiconductor processing process, according to practical needs.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. All references listed in the 892 could have been used as the primary reference except Ohashi et al. (US 2018/0286727 A1).
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to TELLY D GREEN whose telephone number is (571)270-3204. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8am-5pm.
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TELLY D. GREEN
Examiner
Art Unit 2898
/TELLY D GREEN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2898 September 17, 2026
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