CTNF 18/532,873 CTNF 79362 DETAILED ACTION Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status 07-03-aia AIA 15-10-aia The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA. Specification 06-11 AIA The title of the invention is not descriptive. A new title is required that is clearly indicative of the invention to which the claims are directed. 06-11-01 AIA The following title is suggested: Method of patterning a substrate comprising forming fully self-aligned vias using a hardmask and antispacers . Claim Objections 07-29-01 AIA Claim s 3 and 8 are objected to because of the following informalities: In claim 3, line 6, “to form antispacer trenches” should be --to form the antispacer trenches--. In claim 8, line 2, “a substrate” should be --the substrate-- since “a substrate” already defined on line 1 . Appropriate correction is required. Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102 07-07-aia AIA 07-07 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 – 07-08-aia AIA (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. 07-15-aia AIA Claim(s) 1, 2, 8, and 10 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102 (a)(1) as being anticipated by Kim et al. (U.S. Pub. 2014/0162461) . In re claim 1, Kim discloses a method of patterning a substrate, the method comprising: forming a hardmask 62 over an underlying layer 20 supported by a substrate 10, the hardmask 62 comprising hardmask line features defining hardmask trenches extending in a first direction (x-direction) (see paragraphs [0058], [0060] and fig. 4); forming antispacer trenches over the hardmask 62, the antispacer trenches extending in a second direction (y-direction) nonparallel to the first direction (see paragraphs [0073], [0074] and fig. 5, note that, the antispacer trenches are created by the second line mask patterns 92 ); and forming fully self-aligned vias (FSAVs) extending from the hardmask 62 into the underlying layer 20 at intersections of the hardmask trenches and the antispacer trenches, the FSAVs being self-aligned on two sides by sidewalls of the hardmask trenches and self-aligned on the remaining sides by sidewalls of the antispacer trenches (see paragraphs [0060], [0073] and figs. 5, 15, 17, and 18). PNG media_image1.png 607 598 media_image1.png Greyscale In re claim 2, as applied to claim 1 above, Kim discloses wherein the hardmask comprises a hardmask pitch and the antispacer trenches comprise an antispacer pitch substantially equal to the hardmask pitch (see paragraph [0074] and figs. 5, 15, 17, and 18). In re claim 8, Kim discloses a method of patterning a substrate 10, the method comprising forming a hardmask 62 over an underlying layer 20 supported by a substrate 20 (see paragraphs [0058], [0060] and fig. 4), the hardmask 62 comprising hardmask line features defining hardmask trenches extending in a first direction (x-direction); forming antispacer trenches over the hardmask, the antispacer trenches extending in a second direction (y-direction) nonparallel to the first direction direction (see paragraphs [0073], [0074] and fig. 5, note that, the antispacer trenches are created by the second line mask patterns 92 ); forming fully self-aligned vias (FSAVs) extending from the hardmask 62 through the underlying layer 20 to the substrate 10 at intersections of the hardmask trenches and the antispacer trenches, the FSAVs being self-aligned on two sides by sidewalls of the hardmask trenches and self-aligned on the remaining sides by sidewalls of the antispacer trenches; and forming fully self-aligned contacts electrically coupled to the substrate 20 by forming a conductive layer P1 in the hardmask trenches and the FSAVs (see paragraphs [0060], [0073], [0118] and figs. 5, 15, 16, 17, and 18). In re claim 10, as applied to claim 8 above, Kim discloses wherein the hardmask comprises a hardmask pitch and the antispacer trenches comprise an antispacer pitch substantially equal to the hardmask pitch (see paragraph [0074] and figs. 5, 15, 17, and 18) . Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103 07-20-aia AIA 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. 07-21-aia AIA Claim (s) 7, 14, and 15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kim et al. (U.S. Pub. 2014/0162461) in view of Mignot et al. (U.S. Pub. 2020/0357686) . In re claims 7 and 14 as applied to claims 1 and 8 above, Kim discloses wherein the hardmask 62 may be formed of any one of silicon oxynitride, silicon oxide, silicon nitride, silicon-carbon nitride, silicon carbide, and poly-silicon (see paragraph [0064] and the underlying layer 20 comprises a dielectric layer such as silicon oxide, silicon nitride, silicon oxynitride, or low-k dielectric material having a low dielectric constant (see paragraph [0055]). However, Kim is silent to wherein the hardmask comprises a metal. However, Mignot discloses in a same field of endeavor, a method of patterning a substrate, including, inter-alia, wherein the hardmask comprises a metal such as titanium nitride (see paragraph [0089]). Therefore, it is respectfully submitted that it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to be motivated to incorporate the technique as taught by Mignot into the method of patterning a substrate of Kim in order to enable the hardmask to comprise a metal in Kim to be formed because it has been held to be within the general skill of a worker in the art to select a known material on the basis of it suitability for the intended use as a matter of obvious design choice. In re Leshin, 125 USPQ 416. In re claim 15, as applied to claim 14 above, Kim in combination with Mignot discloses wherein the hardmask is a titanium nitride (TiN) hardmask (see paragraph [0089] of Mignot), the dielectric layer comprises tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS) (see paragraphs [0055], [0104] of Kim), the substrate comprises silicon (see paragraph [0055] of Kim , note that Kim discloses that the substrate can be a semiconductor substrate, it is well-kwon in the art that the semiconductor substrate comprises of silicon ), and the fully self-aligned contacts comprise copper (see paragraph [0089] of Mignot) . 07-22-aia AIA Claim (s) 9 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kim et al. (U.S. Pub. 2014/0162461) , as applied to claim 8 above, and further in view of Mignot et al. (U.S. Pub. 2020/0357686) and Zhang et al. (U.S. Pub. 2014/0217588) . In re claim 9, as applied to claim 8 above, Kim is silent to wherein the hardmask is a titanium nitride (TiN) hardmask, wherein the conductive layer comprises copper, and wherein forming the conductive layer comprises: forming a TiN liner in the hardmask trenches and over the TiN hardmask; forming the copper of the conductive layer using the TiN liner as a seed layer; and planarizing the conductive layer to expose the underlying layer using the TiN hardmask as an etch stop. However, Mignot discloses in a same field of endeavor, a method of patterning a substrate, wherein the hardmask is a titanium nitride hardmask (see paragraph [0089]). Therefore, it is respectfully submitted that it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to be motivated to incorporate the technique as taught by Mignot into the method of patterning a substrate of Kim in order to enable the hardmask to be a titanium nitride hardmask in Kim to be formed because it has been held to be within the general skill of a worker in the art to select a known material on the basis of it suitability for the intended use as a matter of obvious design choice. In re Leshin, 125 USPQ 416. Kim and Mignot are silent to wherein forming the conductive layer comprises forming a TiN liner in the hardmask trenches and over the TiN hardmask; forming the copper of the conductive layer using the TiN liner as a seed layer; and planarizing the conductive layer to expose the underlying layer using the TiN hardmask as an etch stop. However, Zhang discloses in a same field of endeavor, a method of patterning a substrate, including, inter-alia, wherein forming the conductive layer comprises forming a TiN liner 16 in the hardmask trenches and over the TiN hardmask 12; forming the copper 24 of the conductive layer using the TiN liner as a seed layer; and planarizing the conductive layer 24 to expose the underlying layer 10 using the TiN hardmask 12 as an etch stop (see paragraphs [0027], [0028] and figs. 1E and 1F). Therefore, it is respectfully submitted that it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to be motivated to incorporate the technique as taught by Zhang into the method of patterning a substrate of Kim in order to enable wherein forming the conductive layer comprises: forming a TiN liner in the hardmask trenches and over the TiN hardmask; forming the copper of the conductive layer using the TiN liner as a seed layer; and planarizing the conductive layer to expose the underlying layer using the TiN hardmask as an etch stop in Kim to be performed in order to define a copper-based conductive structure (see Abstract of Zhang) and further to improve functionality and performance of the semiconductor device (see paragraph [0006] of Zhang) . Allowable Subject Matter Claims 16-20 are allowed over prior art of record. 12-151-08 AIA 07-43 12-51-08 Claim s 3-6 and 11-13 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. Reasons For Allowance The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance: It is determined that the prior art of record neither anticipates nor renders obvious the claimed subject matter of independent claim 16 as a whole taken alone or in combination, in particular, prior art of record does not teach “fully self-aligned vias (FSAVs) etched into the dielectric layer using the hardmask, the patterned photoresist, and the overcoat as an etch mask", as recited in independent claim 16. Claims 17-20 also allowed as being directly or indirectly dependent of the allowed independent base claim. Conclusion 07-96 AIA The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Jeong et al. (U.S. Pub. 2012/0322224 discloses a method of patterning a substrate, the method comprising: forming a hardmask 156 over an underlying layer 120 supported by a substrate 110 (see paragraph [0046] and fig. 2B), the hardmask 156 comprising hardmask line features defining hardmask trenches extending in a first direction (see paragraph [0051] and fig. 3B); and forming vias 190 extending from the hardmask 156 into the underlying layer 120 (see paragraph [0069] and fig. 10C). Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to KHIEM D NGUYEN whose telephone number is (571)272-1865. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 8:00 AM - 6:00 PM. 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, N. Drew Richards can be reached at (571) 272-1736. 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. /KHIEM D NGUYEN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2892 Application/Control Number: 18/532,873 Page 2 Art Unit: 2892 Application/Control Number: 18/532,873 Page 4 Art Unit: 2892 Application/Control Number: 18/532,873 Page 6 Art Unit: 2892 Application/Control Number: 18/532,873 Page 7 Art Unit: 2892 Application/Control Number: 18/532,873 Page 8 Art Unit: 2892
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