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 .
This is the initial office action for US Patent Application No. 18/510814 by Terahigashi et al.
Claims 1-12 are currently pending and have been fully considered.
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
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)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1-12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Uehara (US 2024/0377734 A1).
Regarding claims 1, 7 and 8, Uehara teaches [0015, 0042-0045] a resist composition that generates an acid upon exposure and exhibits changed solubility in a developing solution under an action of the acid, the resist composition containing a base material component (A) that exhibits changed solubility in a developing solution under the action of the acid and an acid diffusion control agent component (D) that controls the diffusion of the acid generated upon exposure, in which the acid diffusion control agent component (D) contains a compound (D0) represented by General Formula (d0):
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Uehara further teaches [0042-0045] component (A) may generate acid and another acid generator (B) may be included in the resist composition and may also generated acid.
With regard to the carboxylate chemical compound in formulas (I) and (5a) recited in claim 1, Uehara teaches ([0410] and Chemical Structure (d0-an-3) listed on page 44) a carboxylate composition that satisfies the compositional limitations recited in claim 1:
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Therefore claims 1, 7 and 8 are anticipated by Uehara.
Regarding claims 2-6, Uehara teaches ([0410] and Chemical Structure (d0-an-3) listed on page 44) the carboxylate composition shown above that satisfies the compositional limitations recited in claims 2-6. Therefore, claims 2-6 are anticipated by Uehara.
Regarding claim 9, Uehara teaches [0121-0122] the resist composition may further include a compound comprising an acid dissociable group (acid-labile group) having the following chemical formula:
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The acid dissociable group shown above anticipates chemical formula (a1-0) recited in claim 9.
Regarding claim 10, Uehara teaches [0172] the resist composition may further include an aromatic hydrocarbon containing compound having the following chemical formula:
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The aromatic hydrocarbon containing compound shown above anticipates chemical formula (a2-A) recited in claim 10.
Regarding claim 11, Uehara teaches [0192] the resist composition may further include a compound comprising an acid dissociable group (acid-labile group) having the following chemical formula:
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The acid dissociable group shown above anticipates chemical formula (a3-2) recited in claim 11.
Regarding claim 12, Uehara teaches [0017,0641 and 0755] a resist pattern forming method, including a step of forming a resist film on a wafer comprising the resist composition above, drying the resist film, subsequently exposing the resist film, performing a post exposure bake (step of heating) and then performing a step of developing the exposed resist film to form a resist pattern.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to STEWART A FRASER whose telephone number is (571)270-5126. The examiner can normally be reached M-F, 7am-4pm, EST.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Miriam Stagg can be reached at 571-270-5256. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/STEWART A FRASER/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1724
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