DETAILED ACTION
Claims 1, 4-18, and 20 are pending. Claims 1, 4, and 20 have been amended, and claims 2, 3, and 19 have been canceled.
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
Claim 20 is objected to because of the following informalities: Claim 20 is objected to under 37 CFR 1.75 as being a substantial duplicate of claim 4. When two claims in an application are duplicates or else are so close in content that they both cover the same thing, despite a slight difference in wording, it is proper after allowing one claim to object to the other as being a substantial duplicate of the allowed claim. See MPEP § 608.01(m).
Appropriate correction is required.
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.
Claims 1, 4-9, 12, 13, 16-18, and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Nihashi et al. (U.S. 2018/00178872).
Nihashi et al. teaches in Example 25, a resist composition comprising 43 parts by mass of resin A-15, 6 parts by mass of acid generator B-2, 1 part by mass of basic compound C-3, and 2,220 and 250 parts by mass of solvents SL-1 and SL-2 respectively [0592] wherein resin A-15 is the following:
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[page 54] which is equivalent to a resin in which solubility in an alkali developer is improved by action of acid (claim 7) wherein the repeating unit second from the right is equivalent to a repeating unit (a) represented by General Formula (1-2) of instant claims 1, 4, and 20 when A is a group constituting a main chain consisting of hydrogen atoms and carbon atoms, L is a divalent linking group consisting of hydrogen atoms and carbon atoms, R1 and R2 are organic groups, n is 1, and R3 is an organic group which generates an acid having a pka of -0.48 (claim 5) and a molecular weight when the leaving group is replaced with a hydrogen atom is 184 (claims 1 and 6); the repeating unit on the left is equivalent to General Formula (A2) of instant claim 8 when R101-R103 are hydrogen atoms, LA is a single bond, ArA is an aromatic ring group, and k is 1; and the repeating unit second from the left is equivalent to a repeating unit having an acid-decomposable group to generate an aromatic hydroxyl group of instant claim 9. The total molar amount of the repeating unit (a) and the compound which generates an acid by irradiation with an actinic ray or a radiation is 1.00 mmol/g or more with respect to the total solid content of the compositions (claims 1, 12, and 13). Compound C-3 is the following:
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[0560] which is equivalent to a basic compound of instant claim 1 having a pka of 4.197. Nihashi et al. also teaches an organic antireflection film ARC29SR (manufactured by Nissan Chemical Industries, Ltd.) was applied onto a silicon wafer, and baking was carried out at 205° C for 60 seconds to form an antireflection film having a film thickness of 86 nm. Each of the resist compositions prepared above was applied thereonto, and baking (PB) was carried out at 120° C for 60 seconds to form a resist film having a film thickness of 50 nm. The wafer having the resist film applied thereon was subjected to pattern exposure with an exposure mask (line/space=1/1), using an EUV exposure device (Micro Exposure Tool manufactured by Exitech, NA 0.3, Quadrupole, outer sigma 0.68, inner sigma 0.36). After irradiation, heating was carried out at 120° C for 60 seconds, development was then carried out by paddling for 30 seconds using a developer on a hot plate, the wafer was rotated at a rotation speed of 2,000 rpm for 30 seconds, and baking was carried out at 100° C for 60 seconds to obtain a 1:1 line-and-space pattern having a line width of 20 nm [0591] (claims 16-18).
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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
Claims 10, 11, 14, and 15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Nihashi et al. (U.S. 2018/00178872).
With regard to claims 10 and 11, Nihashi et al. teaches in Example 25, resin A-15 including a repeating unit having an acid-decomposable group.
Nihashi et al. does not teach the repeating unit having an acid-decomposable group is represented by any of general formulae (3) to (7), more specifically (6) or (7).
However, Nihashi et al. teaches he resin (A) may have a repeating unit having a group capable of decomposing by the action of an acid to generate a polar group, in addition to the repeating unit (a), and examples thereof include a repeating unit represented by General Formula (VI) [0072]:
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[0072] wherein R61, R62, and R63 each independently represent a hydrogen atom, an alkyl group, a cycloalkyl group, a halogen atom, a cyano group, or an alkoxycarbonyl group. However, R62 may be bonded to Ar6 to form a ring, and R62 in this case represents a single bond or an alkylene group. X6 represents a single bond, —COO—, or —CONR64—, and R.sub.64 represents a hydrogen atom or an alkyl group. L6 represents a single bond or an alkylene group. Ar6 represents an (n+1)-valent aromatic cyclic group, and in a case of being bonded to R62 to form a ring, represents an (n+2)-valent aromatic cyclic group. In a case of n z 2, Y2's each independently represent a hydrogen atom or a group capable of leaving by the action of an acid. However, at least one of Y2's represents a group capable of leaving by the action of an acid. n represents an integer of 1 to 4 [0074-0079] and examples of the group capable of leaving by an action of an acid include —C(R)(R37)(R38), —C(R36R37)(OR39), —C(R01)(R02)(OR39), —C(═O)—O—C(R36)(R37)(R38), —C(R01)(R02)—C(═O)—O—C(R36)(R37)(R38), and —CH(R36)(Ar). In the formulae, R36 to R39 each independently represent an alkyl group, a cycloalkyl group, an aryl group, a group formed by combining an alkylene group with an aryl group, or an alkenyl group. R36 and R37 may be bonded to each other to form a ring. R01 and R02 each independently represent a hydrogen atom, an alkyl group, a cycloalkyl group, an aryl group, a group formed by combining an alkylene group with an aryl group, or an alkenyl group. Ar represents an aryl group [0061-0064]. When R61-R63 are hydrogen atoms, X6 is a single bond, L6 is a single bond, Ar6 is (n+1)-valent aromatic cyclic group, n is 1, and Y2 is -C(R01)(R02)(OR39) where R01 and R02 are hydrogen atoms or alkyl groups and R39 is an alkyl group it is equivalent to general formula (6) of instant claims 10 and 11 when R5-R7 are hydrogen atoms, L4 is a single bond, Ar1 is an aromatic ring group, and R25 and R26 are hydrogen atoms or alkyl groups, and R27 is an alkyl group. Nihashi et al. also teaches although the present invention has been described with reference to detailed and specific aspects, it is obvious to those skilled in the art that various changes or modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention [0605] and it is possible to provide a pattern forming method having excellent performance of resolution and line width roughness as well as reduction in film shrinkage (PEB shrinkage) in a PEB process, particularly in the formation of an ultrafine pattern (for example, a pattern having a line width of 20 nm hp or less) [0604].
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the specific teachings of Nihashi et al. to include additional compositions comprising the above defined components and arrive at the instant claims through routine experimentation of substituting equally suitable components for the sought invention with a reasonable expectation of success.
With regard to claims 14 and 15, Nihashi et al. teaches in Example 25, basic compound C-3.
Nihashi et al. does not teach the basic compound having an aromatic ring group or that it is non-ionic.
However, Nihashi et al. teaches other suitable basic compounds include the following compound C-1 seen in the Examples [092]:
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[0560] which is equivalent to a non-ionic compound having aromatic ring groups of instant claims 14 and 15. Nihashi et al. also teaches although the present invention has been described with reference to detailed and specific aspects, it is obvious to those skilled in the art that various changes or modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention [0605] and it is possible to provide a pattern forming method having excellent performance of resolution and line width roughness as well as reduction in film shrinkage (PEB shrinkage) in a PEB process, particularly in the formation of an ultrafine pattern (for example, a pattern having a line width of 20 nm hp or less) [0604].
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the specific teachings of Nihashi et al. to include additional compositions comprising resin A-15 with basic compound C-1 and arrive at the instant claims through routine experimentation of substituting equally suitable components for the sought invention with a reasonable expectation of success.
Response to Arguments
Due to the amendment filed July 10, 2026 of instant claim 1, the 102(a)(1) rejections over Lee, Takizawa, and Iwato, and the 103 rejections over Takizawa and Iwato have been withdrawn. Applicant’s arguments with regard to these rejections have been considered but are moot due to the amendment of instant claim 1.
Due to the amendment of the abstract, the objection to the specification has been withdrawn.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. U.S. 2016/0011517, U.S. 2018/0044459, U.S. 6,576,392, JPH10221852, JP2015025879, JP2013007037, JP2013007036, and JP2018124475.
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ANNA E MALLOY whose telephone number is (571)270-5849. The examiner can normally be reached 6:30-3:00 EST M-F.
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/Anna Malloy/Examiner, Art Unit 1737
/KEITH WALKER/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 1735
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