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 .
Rejections - 35 USC § 103
1. 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:
2. 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.
3. Claims 1-8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Waller et al. (United States Patent Publication No. US 2018/0046086 A1), hereinafter Waller.
4. Regarding Claims 1-8, Waller teaches (Paragraph [0014]) a metal-containing photoresist developer composition, therein a rinse solution. Waller teaches (Paragraph [0014]) an organic solvent. Waller teaches (Paragraph [0014]) an acid compound. Waller teaches (Paragraph [0019]) a conjugate base compound of the acid compound. Waller teaches (Paragraph [0019]) the acid compound is about 0.1 wt % to about 25 wt % based on a total wt % of the metal-containing photoresist developer composition, which significantly overlaps with the claimed range of 0.01 wt % to about 10 wt % based on a total wt % of the metal-containing photoresist developer composition. Waller teaches (Paragraph [0019]) the conjugate base compound is about 0.1 wt % to about 25 wt % based on a total wt % of the metal-containing photoresist developer composition, which significantly overlaps with the claimed range of about 0.001 wt % to about 1 wt % based on a total wt % of the metal-containing photoresist developer composition. Waller teaches (Paragraph [0019]) the acid compound and the conjugate base compound have a weight ratio of about 1:0.01 to about 1:1, given that both the acid compound and the conjugate base compound are taught as additives by Waller which all are taught to have the same wt% range. Waller teaches (Paragraph [0019]) the conjugate base compound is derived from an ammonium salt. Waller teaches (Paragraphs [0016-0018]) a metal-containing photoresist comprising a metal compound comprising at least one of an organic tin oxo group or an organic tin carboxyl group. Waller teaches (Paragraphs [0016-0018]) the metal compound is represented by Chemical Formula 1 of the present application. Waller teaches (Paragraphs [0016-0018]) Rc and Rd of Chemical Formula 1 of the present application are each independently a substituted or unsubstituted C1 to C20 alkyl group.
8. A person having ordinary skill in the art would understand that each element of the metal-containing photoresist developer composition and the metal-containing photoresist claimed herein, although not necessarily in a single experimental example, principally the conjugate base and its wt% in the composition. One of ordinary skill in the art could simply substitute a conjugate base within the scope of the present application in one of the experimental examples of Waller by known methods and the result of this simple substitution were predictable.
9. Claim 9 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Waller et al. (United States Patent Publication No. US 2018/0046086 A1), hereinafter Waller; in view of Imaizumi et al. (United States Patent Publication No. US 2017/0102614 A1), hereinafter Imaizumi.
10. Regarding Claim 9, Waller teaches all limitations of Claim 1 above. Furthermore, Waller teaches (Claim 10) coating a metal-containing photoresist composition over a substrate. However, Waller fails to explicitly teach a method of forming patterns. Furthermore, Waller fails to explicitly teach drying and heating the metal-containing photoresist composition to form a metal-containing photoresist film over the substrate. Furthermore, Waller fails to explicitly teach exposing the metal-containing photoresist film to light. Furthermore, Waller fails to explicitly teach developing the metal-containing photoresist film using the metal-containing photoresist developer composition.
11. Waller teaches (Paragraph [0003]) a photoresist composition utilized for the production of semiconductor circuits. Imaizumi teaches (Paragraph [0012]) a photoresist composition utilized for the production of semiconductor circuits. Imaizumi teaches (Paragraphs [0079-0085]) a method of forming patterns. Imaizumi teaches (Paragraph [0080]) drying and heating the photoresist composition to form a photoresist film over the substrate. Imaizumi teaches (Paragraph [0080]) exposing the photoresist film to light. Imaizumi teaches (Paragraph [0081]) developing the photoresist film using the photoresist developer composition. Imaizumi teaches (Paragraph [0035]) said method step produce materials having high resolution, sensitivity and excellent adhesion to the substrate.
12. It would have been prima facie obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Waller to incorporate the teachings of Imaizumi to teach a method of forming patterns; drying and heating the photoresist composition to form a photoresist film over the substrate; exposing the photoresist film to light; and developing the photoresist film using the photoresist developer composition. Doing so would allow the fabrication of a photoresist with high resolution, sensitivity and excellent adhesion to the substrate, as recognized by Imaizumi.
Conclusion
13. Any inquiry concerning this communication should be directed to RICHARD D CHAMPION at telephone number (571) 272-0750. The examiner can normally be reached on 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. Mon-Fri EST.
14. If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, KEITH D HENDRICKS can be reached at (571) 272-1401. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/Keith D. Hendricks/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 1733
/R.D.C./Examiner, Art Unit 1737
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