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 § 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) 1-2,4,6-16 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102 a1 as being anticipated by Degai (20190371609) cited on ids.
a. As to claim 1, Degai teaches A method of processing a substrate, comprising: (a) supplying a second-metal-containing gas, which contains a second metal, to the substrate including a first metal film, which contains a first metal, and an insulating film to form a first film containing the second metal on the first metal film (see claim 1).
Claim 1 recites: (a) forming a second metal film on a substrate with a first metal film and an insulating film formed on a surface thereof by alternately supplying a metal-containing gas and a reactive gas onto the substrate
Degai further teaches
and (b) supplying the second-metal-containing gas to the substrate to form a second film containing the second metal on the first film and the insulating film (see figure 4C shows cycle 1 see also figures 5-10 which show the deposition of multiple W layers).
b. As to claims 2 and 4, In the embodiment of figure 10 Degai forms a W nucleus layer (nth cycle of each cycle) and then a bulk tungsten ( the final W deposition step of each cycle). Thus, comparing the final W deposition cycle to the 1 cycle to the 2nd cycle ( nucleus forming step of the second). Thus, the amount of W supplied in greater in the 1 step than the second and in view of figure 10 the time that W is supplied is longer in the first step than the second. Thus, Degai wherein a supply amount of the second-metal-containing gas in (a) is set to be larger than a supply amount of the second-metal-containing gas in (b) and wherein a supply time of the second-metal-containing gas in (a) is set to be larger than a supply time of the second-metal-containing gas in (b).
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c. As to claim 6,8,9,10 Degai teaches further comprising: (c) supplying a modifying gas before (b) which is B2H6 see figure 10. B2H6 is Hydrogen with a group 13 element (Boron).
d. As to claim 7 Degai teaches wherein in (a) and (b), a reducing gas is supplied, and the modifying gas is a compound different from the reducing gas (paragraph 34 both B2H6 and H2 can be supplied) B2H6 is the modifying gas H2 is the reducing gas).
e. As to claim 11, Degai teaches the first metal is Ti paragraph 59 and the second metal is W (see figure 10 W deposition).
f. As to claim 12, Degai teaches wherein (a) includes: (a1) supplying the second-metal-containing gas to the substrate; and (a2) supplying a first reducing gas to the substrate (each cycle comprises flowing B2H6 then WF6) since the steps are arbitrary any cycle that supplies both can be treated as step a).
g. As to claim 13 Degai teaches wherein (b) includes: (b1) supplying the second-metal-containing gas to the substrate; and (b2) supplying a second reducing gas to the substrate (each cycle comprises flowing B2H6 then WF6) since the steps are arbitrary any cycle that supplies both can be treated as step b).
h. As to claim 14, Degai teaches A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device, comprising the method of Claim 1 (paragraph 3 MOSFET comprise semiconductor materials).
i. As to claim 15, A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium storing a program that cause, by a computer, a substrate processing apparatus to perform a process comprising (paragraph 2):
(a) supplying a second-metal-containing gas, which contains a second metal, to the substrate including a first metal film, which contains a first metal, and an insulating film to form a first film containing the second metal on the first metal film (see claim 1).
Claim 1 recites: (a) forming a second metal film on a substrate with a first metal film and an insulating film formed on a surface thereof by alternately supplying a metal-containing gas and a reactive gas onto the substrate
Degai further teaches
and (b) supplying the second-metal-containing gas to the substrate to form a second film containing the second metal on the first film and the insulating film (see figure 4C shows cycle 1 see also figures 5-10 which show the deposition of multiple W layers).
j. As to claim 16, Degai teaches A substrate processing apparatus, comprising: a gas supply system (paragraph 39) configured to supply:
(a) supplying a second-metal-containing gas, which contains a second metal, to the substrate including a first metal film, which contains a first metal, and an insulating film to form a first film containing the second metal on the first metal film (see claim 1).
Claim 1 recites: (a) forming a second metal film on a substrate with a first metal film and an insulating film formed on a surface thereof by alternately supplying a metal-containing gas and a reactive gas onto the substrate
Degai further teaches
and (b) supplying the second-metal-containing gas to the substrate to form a second film containing the second metal on the first film and the insulating film (see figure 4C shows cycle 1 see also figures 5-10 which show the deposition of multiple W layers).
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.
Claim(s) 3 and 5 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Degai.
Degai paragraph 138 states in reference to figure 10:
In the H.sub.2 gas and WF.sub.6 gas supplying step, the APC valve 243 is appropriately controlled to adjust the inner pressure of the process chamber 201 to a predetermined pressure. For example, the predetermined pressure of the process chamber 201 may range from 10 Pa to 3,990 Pa. The flow rate of the H.sub.2 gas supplied into the process chamber 201 is adjusted by the MFC 312 to a predetermined flow rate. For example, the predetermined flow rate of the H.sub.2 gas may range from 100 sccm to 20,000 sccm. The flow rate of the WF.sub.6 gas supplied into the process chamber 201 is adjusted by the MFC 322 to a predetermined flow rate. For example, the predetermined flow rate of the WF.sub.6 gas may range from 10 sccm to 1,000 sccm. The flow rates of the N.sub.2 gas supplied into the process chamber 201 are adjusted by the MFCs 512, 522, 532 and 542 to predetermined flow rates, respectively. For example, the predetermined flow rates of the N.sub.2 gas supplied into the process chamber 201 may range from 10 sccm to 10,000 sccm, respectively. For example, the time duration of supplying the H.sub.2 gas and the WF.sub.6 gas onto the wafer 200 (that is, the gas supply time or the irradiation time), may be set to a predetermined time ranging from 1 second to 1,000 seconds. The temperature of the heater 207 is adjusted such that the temperature of the wafer 200 may become a predetermined temperature. For example, the predetermined temperature of the wafer 200 may range from 100° C. to 600° C. In the H.sub.2 gas and WF.sub.6 gas supplying step, only the H.sub.2 gas and the WF.sub.6 gas are supplied into the process chamber 201. By supplying the WF.sub.6 gas into the process chamber 201, a tungsten bulk layer having a thickness of, for example, from 10 nm to 30 nm, is formed on the tungsten nucleus layer on the wafer 200.
Degai does not explicitly teach wherein a supply flow rate of the second-metal-containing gas in (a) is set to be larger than a supply flow rate of the second-metal-containing gas in (b).
The claim does not limit which is the first step and second step in the cycle.
To optimize growth the W films properties sometimes the flow rate will be greater for example if one desired a fast deposition of the Bulk W in figure 10.
Thus, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of filing to optimized the W supply rate during Bulk W deposition in figure 10 to be larger than the nucleus flow rate for the desired growth rate a while maintaining good film quality and faster through put.
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As to claim 5, Degai paragraph 138 states in reference to figure 10:
:
In the H.sub.2 gas and WF.sub.6 gas supplying step, the APC valve 243 is appropriately controlled to adjust the inner pressure of the process chamber 201 to a predetermined pressure. For example, the predetermined pressure of the process chamber 201 may range from 10 Pa to 3,990 Pa. The flow rate of the H.sub.2 gas supplied into the process chamber 201 is adjusted by the MFC 312 to a predetermined flow rate. For example, the predetermined flow rate of the H.sub.2 gas may range from 100 sccm to 20,000 sccm. The flow rate of the WF.sub.6 gas supplied into the process chamber 201 is adjusted by the MFC 322 to a predetermined flow rate. For example, the predetermined flow rate of the WF.sub.6 gas may range from 10 sccm to 1,000 sccm. The flow rates of the N.sub.2 gas supplied into the process chamber 201 are adjusted by the MFCs 512, 522, 532 and 542 to predetermined flow rates, respectively. For example, the predetermined flow rates of the N.sub.2 gas supplied into the process chamber 201 may range from 10 sccm to 10,000 sccm, respectively. For example, the time duration of supplying the H.sub.2 gas and the WF.sub.6 gas onto the wafer 200 (that is, the gas supply time or the irradiation time), may be set to a predetermined time ranging from 1 second to 1,000 seconds. The temperature of the heater 207 is adjusted such that the temperature of the wafer 200 may become a predetermined temperature. For example, the predetermined temperature of the wafer 200 may range from 100° C. to 600° C. In the H.sub.2 gas and WF.sub.6 gas supplying step, only the H.sub.2 gas and the WF.sub.6 gas are supplied into the process chamber 201. By supplying the WF.sub.6 gas into the process chamber 201, a tungsten bulk layer having a thickness of, for example, from 10 nm to 30 nm, is formed on the tungsten nucleus layer on the wafer 200.
Degai does not explicitly teach wherein a pressure in a space in which the substrate exists in (a) is set to be larger than a pressure in the space in which the substrate exists in (b).
Further it was known to use low pressure deposition of W for high quality W films and high pressure for faster deposition rates.
Thus, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of filing for the Bulk Deposition step to increase the pressure for faster deposition rates while the nucleus layers are formed at low pressure for good quality films.
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Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MATTHEW L REAMES whose telephone number is (571)272-2408. The examiner can normally be reached M-Th 6:00 am-4:00 pm EST.
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/MATTHEW L. REAMES/
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2896
/MATTHEW L REAMES/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2896