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 .
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) 1-12 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yamato et al (EP 2539316, English equivalent of TW201139351 as cited by applicant).
Yamato et al disclose an acid generator having the following structure:
PNG
media_image1.png
222
526
media_image1.png
Greyscale
Wherein R1 is C3 to C30 cycloalkyl, Y may include NR4-C(=O)O or NR4-C(=S)O (instant NR2-C(=X3)X1), X is CH2 (instant X2), and Rf1is H, with Rf2-Rf4 being F as required by the instant claim 1 (formula (1) and (2)), with a sulfonium or iodononium cation ([0006]).
PNG
media_image2.png
78
120
media_image2.png
Greyscale
PNG
media_image3.png
70
150
media_image3.png
Greyscale
With respect to the instant claim 2, the reference teaches that cycloalkenyl groups may be present and in examples includes an aryl group (example compound 14), therefore R1 may be a cycloalkenyl, wherein the cycloalkenyl (unsaturated) group is aryl/ phenyl. The reference also demonstrate in the example that the ring may be substituted, and include a methyl group. However, the reference teaches that the R1 rings may be substituted by Z (instant R1, when m1 is 1-5), wherein Z includes halogen and in further examples, alkyl groups may generally be substituted by halogen atoms ([0006]
The resist is a positive or negative ([0113], [0128]-[0130]; instant claims 5 and 7) chemically amplified resist (instant claim 5) comprising a base polymer (instant claim 3; [0114]), wherein the resin may be a crosslinkable resin free of acid labile groups ([0156]), or wherein acid labile groups are present and the resin changes solubility in developer [0130], [0131]; (instant claim 3, 5, 6).
PNG
media_image4.png
104
660
media_image4.png
Greyscale
The reference discloses acid labile groups such as t-butyl esters and other tertiary carbon-containing esters groups, acetal groups, and more ([0137]-[0142]), wherein polymer backbones include t-butyl (meth)acrylates having a structure of (a1) of claim 4, wherein RA is H or alkyl, Y1 is a single bond and instant R11 is t-butyl, and styrenes having acetal blocking acid labile groups, wherein the instant (a2) is met with RA being H or alkyl, Y2, R14, Y3 each single bonds, and R12 forming an acetal group with -O- ([0144]-[0148]; instant claim 4).
Additional additives ([0214], [0219]) may be included, such as basic compounds (quencher; [0221]-[0225]; instant claim 9), a solvent ([0237]; instant claim 8), and a surfactant ([0238]; instant claim 10).
The reference material is used in a patterning forming method including steps as instantly claimed with exposure radiation within the claimed range including DUV, EUV, and ebeam ([0287]; instant claims 11 and 12):
PNG
media_image5.png
170
632
media_image5.png
Greyscale
Given the teachings of the reference, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the instant invention to prepare the material of Yamato et al., choosing as the PAG, that as discussed above wherein the compound includes - NR4-C(=O)O or NR4-C(=S)O, wherein the resultant compound, composition, and method also meet the limitations of the instant claims.
Claim(s) 1 and 3-12 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Maruyama (WO2012/018097).
Maruyama et al disclose a resist composition comprising a polymer (base resin; instant claim 3) and an acid-generator (PAG) for DUV, EUV, and ebeam lithography (abstract, [0002]; instant claim 12).
The PAG compound has a structure similar to that as claimed, wherein
PNG
media_image6.png
120
482
media_image6.png
Greyscale
R2 is a monovalent organic group including alkyl, cycloalkyl, either may have a hetero atom ([0007],[0008], [0013]-[0020]), R1 is preferably C=O.
Wherein examples include the following structure, wherein the instant R is cycloalkyl, R2 is H, X3 is O, X1 is O, X2 is alkyl, Rf1 is H and Rf2 to Rf4 is F.
PNG
media_image7.png
74
198
media_image7.png
Greyscale
The cations are sulfonium or iodonium, and the structure meets the limitations of the instant (1) and (2) when m1 is 0 (instant claim 1).
The resist may be positive or negative ([0260]; instant claims 5 and 7) and have a polymer B1 or B2, respectively ([0075]), wherein B1 changes solubility in developer and comprises an acid-labile group-containing resin, and B2 comprises a crosslinking resin having a phenolic -OH group and is free of acid labile groups (instant claims 5-7). .
The polymer preferably includes a compound having an acid-labile group of the instant formula (a1), wherein the instant R11 is a tertiary alkyl group, wherein two may join to form a ring ([0010], claim 4; instant claim 4).
PNG
media_image8.png
294
1198
media_image8.png
Greyscale
PNG
media_image9.png
198
228
media_image9.png
Greyscale
PNG
media_image10.png
176
106
media_image10.png
Greyscale
The resist further comprises a qunecher (basic compound; [0215]-[0221]; instant claim 9), a surfactant ([0244]-[0247; instant claim 10), and a solvent [0252]-[0256]; instant claim 8).
The method of patterning includes the steps as claimed, wherein the composition is applied to a substrate, dried/ pre-baked to form a film, exposed to radiation (DUV, EUV, ebeam), then developed ([0257]-[0261]; instant claims 11 and 12).
Given the teachings of the reference, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the instant invention to prepare the material of Maruyama, choosing as the PAG, that as discussed above wherein the compound includes – NR2-C(=O)O, wherein the resultant compound, composition, and method also meet the limitations of the instant claims.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to AMANDA C WALKE whose telephone number is (571)272-1337. The examiner can normally be reached Monday to Thursday 5:30am to 4pm.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Niki Bakhtiari can be reached at 571-272-3433. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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.
/AMANDA C. WALKE/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1722
Prosecution Insights