DETAILED ACTION
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Claims 1-20 are pending.
The foreign priority application No.10-2023-0030203 filed on March 07, 2023 has been received and it is acknowledged.
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.
Claims 1, 4-7, 12, and 13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Komatsu et al. (WO 2023/017728 A1, with machine translation made of record on May 14, 2026).
With regard to claims 1, 4-7, and 12, Komatsu et al. teach a composition comprising only the polymer A-12 and solvents C-1 and C-3 (composition J-14 in Table 1, par.0233). The polymer A-12 is represented by the formula:
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(par.0193-0194), and it is a polymer of Formula 1 in claim 1, wherein R1 and R4 are hydrogen atoms, R2 is a single bond, R3 is a group of formula -CF2-CF2-CF2-CF3, R5 is a C6 aryl substituted with a C4 alkoxy group, l/(l+m)=0.4 and m/(l+m)=0.6.
The group -CF2-CF2-CF2-CF3 does not meet the limitations of claims 1 and 4 for a group R3.
However, Komatsu et al. teach that a repeating unit of formula:
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is functionally equivalent to repeating units of formulas:
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, wherein R11 is preferably a hydrogen atom or a methyl group (par.0026, par.0035).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the filing date of the claimed invention to replace the first repeating unit of the polymer A-12 of Komatsu et al. with a repeating unit of formula (1-9) or (1-10), because the units are functionally equivalent.
A polymer A-12 comprising a repeating unit of formula (1-9) wherein R11 is hydrogen or methyl as first repeating unit is a polymer of Formula 1 in claims 1 and 4, wherein R1 is a hydrogen atom or an unsubstituted C1 linear alkyl group, R4 is a hydrogen atoms, R2 is a single bond, R3 is a group of formula
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, R5 is a C6 aryl substituted with a C4 alkoxy group, l/(l+m)=0.4 and m/(l+m)=0.6.
A polymer A-12 comprising a repeating unit of formula (1-10) wherein R11 is hydrogen or methyl as first repeating unit is a polymer of Formula 1 in claims 1 and 4, wherein R1 is a hydrogen atom or an unsubstituted C1 linear alkyl group, R4 is a hydrogen atoms, R2 is a single bond, R3 is a group of formula
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, R5 is a C6 aryl substituted with a C4 alkoxy group, l/(l+m)=0.4 and m/(l+m)=0.6.
These polymers also meet the limitations of claim 5 for a polymer wherein R2 is
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, the limitations of claim 6 for a polymer wherein R5 is a phenyl group substituted with a C4 alkoxy group, and the limitations of claim 7 for a polymer wherein R5 is represented by the Formula 3-1 wherein R51 is a C4 alkoxy group and P1=1.
The composition does not comprise an acid generator, so it meets the limitations of claim 12.
The composition of Komatsu et al. comprises the same components as the nonionic non-chemically amplified photoresist composition in claims 1 and 12, so it may function as a nonionic non-chemically amplified photoresist composition.
With regard to claim 13, Komatsu et al. further teach that the compositions may comprise acid diffusion control agents (par.0109).
An acid diffusion control agent is a quencher, as evidenced in par.0709 of Kawaue et al. (US 2010/0081088).
6. Claim 14 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Komatsu et al. (WO 2023/017728 A1, with machine translation made of record on May 14, 2026) as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Lee et al. (2021/0324122).
With regard to claim 14, the composition of Komatsu et al. is equivalent to the photoresist composition in claim 1 (see paragraph 5 above).
Komatsu et al. teach that the composition is a resist underlayer film-forming composition (abstract) but fail to teach that the composition comprises a photobase generator.
Lee et al. teach an underlayer coating (abstract).
Lee et al. further teach that a photobase generator additive controls the basicity of the underlayer and can positively impact the pattern collapse margin (par.0007).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the filing date of the claimed invention to include a photobase generator in the underlayer composition of Komatsu et al. in order to positively impact the pattern collapse margin.
7. Claims 1, 2, 5-13, 15, 16, and 18-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Miyoshi et al. (WO 2022/220189 A1, with attached machine translation).
With regard to claims 1, 2, 12, and 13, Miyoshi et al. teach a composition comprising the resin A-25 (composition R-25 in Table 3, par.0470), and the resin A-25 comprises 20 mol% of the repeating unit derived from the monomer M-4, 15 mol% of the repeating unit derived from the monomer M-28, 30 mol% of the repeating unit derived from the monomer M-55, and 35 mol% of the repeating unit derived from the monomer M-8 (Table 1 in par.0448).
The monomers are:
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,
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.
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, and
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(par.0450-0455).
The resin A-25 is a polymer comprising the repeating units of Formula 1 in claims 1 and 2, wherein R1 and R4 are hydrogen atoms, R2 is a direct bond, R3 is an aryl group comprising a fluorine atom, R5 is a C6 aryl group comprising hydroxy groups, l/(l+m) is 0.6, and m/(l+m) is 0.4.
Miyoshi et al. fail to teach a nonionic non-chemically amplified photoresist composition comprising the resin A-25.
However, Miyoshi et al. teach that the resins may be used in combination only with non-ionic acid diffusion control agents, hydrophobic resins, and solvents in photoresist compositions (see par.0462-0468 and Table 3 in par.0470).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the filing date of the claimed invention to obtain a nonionic non-chemically amplified photoresist composition comprising the resin A-25 of Miyoshi et al., a non-ionic acid diffusion control agent, a hydrophobic resin, and solvents.
The acid diffusion control agents may be basic compounds (par.0399), as required in claim 13.
A nonionic non-chemically amplified photoresist composition comprising the resin A-25 of Miyoshi et al., a non-ionic acid diffusion control agent, a hydrophobic resin, and solvents meets the limitations of claims 1, 2, 12, and 13.
With regard to claim 5, the resin A-25 meets the limitations for a polymer comprising repeating units of Formula 1 wherein R2 is
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.
With regard to claim 6, the resin A-25 meets the limitations for a polymer comprising repeating units of Formula 1 wherein R5 comprises a phenyl group.
With regard to claim 7, the resin A-25 meets the limitations for a polymer comprising repeating units of Formula 1 wherein R5 is represented by the formula (3-1) wherein R51 is a hydroxyl group, and P1=3.
With regard to claim 8, the repeating unit derived from the monomer M-4 does not meet the claim limitations.
However, Miyoshi et al. teach that the monomer M-4 is functionally equivalent to the monomers:
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(par.0450).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the filing date of the claimed invention to replace the repeating unit derived from the monomer M-4 with a repeating unit derived from one of the monomers M-1 to M-3 in the resin A-25 of Miyoshi et al.
A repeating unit derived from one of the monomers M-1 to M-3 of Miyoshi et al. meets the limitations for a second repeating unit of the polymer of Formula 1 wherein R51 is represented by one of the formulas:
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With regard to claim 9, the resin A-25 meets the limitations for a polymer further comprising a repeating unit of Formula 4, wherein R6 is an unsubstituted C1 linear alkyl group and R7 is a substituted C10 alicyclic group.
With regard to claim 10, the resin A-25 meets the limitations for a polymer further comprising a repeating unit of Formula 4, wherein R7 is a hydroxy-containing alicyclic moiety.
With regard to claim 10, the resin A-25 meets the limitations for a polymer further comprising a repeating unit of Formula 4, wherein R7 is represented by the formula:
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.
With regard to claims 15 and 20, Miyoshi et al. teach a process comprising the steps of: coating the resist composition onto a wafer, drying on the hot plate to form a resist film, exposing the resist film, and developing the exposed film with a developer which may remove unexposed areas to form a pattern (par.0419-0428).
The formed pattern may be used as a mask to perform etching of the substrate (par.0436).
The exposure may be performed with a KrF excimer laser, ArF excimer laser, or F2 excimer laser (par.0425).
Miyoshi et al. teach a resist composition comprising the resin A-25 (composition R-25 in Table 3, par.0470). The resin A-25 comprises 20 mol% of the repeating unit derived from the monomer M-4, 15 mol% of the repeating unit derived from the monomer M-28, 30mol% of the repeating unit derived from the monomer M-55, and 35 mol% of the repeating unit derived from the monomer M-8 (Table 1 in par.0448).
The monomers are:
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,
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.
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, and
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(par.0450-0455).
The repeating unit derived from the monomer M-55 is a first repeating unit having a polarity inversion group in claim 15, and the repeating unit derived from the monomer M-4 is a second repeating unit having a sensitizing group in claim 15 (see the definitions in par.0013-0014 of the specification of the instant application).
Miyoshi et al. fail to teach a nonionic non-chemically amplified photoresist composition comprising the resin A-25.
However, Miyoshi et al. teach that the resins may be used in combination only with non-ionic acid diffusion control agents, hydrophobic resins, and solvents in photoresist compositions (see par.0462-0468 and Table 3 in par.0470).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the filing date of the claimed invention to use a nonionic non-chemically amplified photoresist composition comprising the resin A-25, a non-ionic acid diffusion control agent, a hydrophobic resin, and solvents in the method of forming a pattern of Miyoshi et al.
The acid diffusion control agents may be basic compounds (par.0399), as required in claim 20.
With regard to claim 16, the resin A-25 is a polymer comprising the repeating units of Formula 1, wherein R1 and R4 are hydrogen atoms, R2 is a direct bond, R3 is an aryl group comprising a fluorine atom, R5 is a C6 aryl group comprising hydroxy groups, l/(l+m) is 0.6, and m/(l+m) is 0.4.
With regard to claim 18, the resin A-25 meets the limitations for a polymer comprising repeating units of Formula 1 wherein R5 is represented by the formula (3-1) wherein R51 is a hydroxyl group, and P1=3.
With regard to claim 19, the resin A-25 meets the limitations for a polymer further comprising a repeating unit of Formula 4, wherein R6 is an unsubstituted C1 linear alkyl group and R7 is a substituted C10 alicyclic group.
Terminal Disclaimer
8. The terminal disclaimer filed on August 14, 2026 disclaiming the terminal portion of any patent granted on this application which would extend beyond the expiration date of U.S. Patent No.12,613,467 has been reviewed and is accepted. The terminal disclaimer has been recorded.
Allowable Subject Matter
9. Claims 3 and 17 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Komatsu et al. (WO 2023/017728 A1, with machine translation made of record on May 14, 2026) and Miyoshi et al. (WO 2022/220189 A1, with attached machine translation) fail to teach the photoresist composition in claim 3 and the method in claim 17.
There are no prior art teachings that would motivate one of ordinary skill to modify Komatsu et al. or Miyoshi et al. and obtain the photoresist composition in claim 3 and the method in claim 17 of the instant application.
Response to Arguments
10. Applicant’s arguments with respect to claims 1-20 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
The examiner would like to note that:
-the rejection of claims 3 and 17 under 35 U.S.C. 112(d) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, 4th paragraph is withdrawn after the applicant’s amendments to claims 1 and 16;
- the rejection of claims 1, 2, 4, 8, 12, and 13 on the ground of nonstatutory double patenting as being unpatentable over claims 6, 9, and 12 of U.S. Patent No.12,613,467 is withdrawn after the filing and approval of the Terminal Disclaimer;
- the rejection of claims 9 and 11 on the ground of nonstatutory double patenting as being unpatentable over claim 6 of U.S. Patent No. 12,613,467 in view of Sakakibara et al. (US 2013/0295506) is withdrawn after the filing and approval of the Terminal Disclaimer;
-the rejection of claims 1, 5-7, and 12 under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Komatsu et al. (WO 2023/017728 A1, with attached machine translation) is withdrawn after the applicant’s amendment to claim 1; and
-the rejection of claims 1, 2, 4-11, 13-16, and 18-20 under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as anticipated by or, in the alternative, under 35 U.S.C. 103 as obvious over Park et al. (US 2023/0296983) is withdrawn after the filing of the certified English translation of the foreign priority application No.10-2023-0030203 filed on March 07, 2023.
However, new grounds of rejection for claims 1, 2, 4-16, and 18-20 are shown in paragraphs 4-7 above.
Conclusion
11. Applicant's amendment necessitated the new grounds 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.
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/ANCA EOFF/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1722
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