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. 18/562363 by Suzuki et al.
Claims 16-35 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 § 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 16-35 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hirano et al. (US 2018/0239255 A1), herein referred to as Hirano, provided in Applicant’s IDS filed 1/9/2024.
Regarding claim 16, Hirano teaches [0024] a chemically amplified positive resist composition is comprising a base resin containing a polymer having a phenolic hydroxyl group substituted with an acid labile group and adapted to turn alkali soluble as a result of the acid labile group being eliminated under the action of acid, a photoacid generator (deprotecting agent), an organic solvent, and may further comprise [0105-0106] a carboxylic acid compound such as an aliphatic unsaturated carboxylic acid, for example maleic acid or fumaric acid, or an aromatic carboxylic acid, for example benzoic acid. The carboxylic acids taught by Hirano are examples of unsaturated hydrocarbons comprising 1, 2 or 3 carboxy groups.
Hirano further teaches [0124] the chemically amplified positive resist composition being configured to have a resist film thickness of 1 to 100 µm. The resist film thickness range taught by Hirano overlaps the claimed resist film thickness range recited in claim 16. MPEP Chapter 2144.05, Section I, states “In the case where the claimed ranges overlap or lie inside ranges disclosed by the prior art, a prima facie case of obviousness exists. In re Wertheim, 541 F.2d 257, 191 USPQ 90 (CCPA 1976); In re Woodruff, 919 F.2d 1575, 16 USPQ2d 1934 (Fed. Cir. 1990). Therefore, a prima facie case of obviousness has been established based on the teachings of Hirano and claim 16 would have been obvious at the time of the effective filing date of the present application.
Regarding claim 17, Hirano teaches [0105-0106] a carboxylic acid compound such as an aliphatic unsaturated carboxylic acid, for example maleic acid or fumaric acid, or an aromatic carboxylic acid, for example benzoic acid. The carboxylic acids taught by Hirano are examples of unsaturated hydrocarbons comprising 1, 2 or 3 carboxy groups and would satisfy the compositional limitations recited in claim 17.
Therefore, a prima facie case of obviousness has been established based on the teachings of Hirano and claim 17 would have been obvious at the time of the effective filing date of the present application.
Regarding claims 18 and 19, Hirano teaches [0087] a basic compound (quencher) that reduces the rate of acid diffusion within the resist film. The basic compound may include an amine compound or compounds having a carboxyl group (carboxylate). Therefore, a prima facie case of obviousness has been established based on the teachings of Hirano and claims 18 and 19 would have been obvious at the time of the effective filing date of the present application.
Regarding claim 20, Hirano teaches [0105-0106] a carboxylic acid compound such as an aliphatic unsaturated carboxylic acid, for example maleic acid or fumaric acid, or an aromatic carboxylic acid, for example benzoic acid. The carboxylic acids taught by Hirano are examples of unsaturated hydrocarbons comprising 1, 2 or 3 carboxy groups. The carboxylic acid compounds taught by Hirano therefore would be expected to have a pKa1 in the range of 1 to 6. Therefore, a prima facie case of obviousness has been established based on the teachings of Hirano and claim 20 would have been obvious at the time of the effective filing date of the present application.
Regarding claim 21, Hirano teaches [0083] the solvent for the chemically amplified positive resist composition may include alkyl ether compounds. Therefore, a prima facie case of obviousness has been established based on the teachings of Hirano and claim 21 would have been obvious at the time of the effective filing date of the present application.
Regarding claims 22 and 23, Hirano teaches [0025 and 0038] various polymers for the base resin of the chemically amplified positive resist composition. Therefore, a prima facie case of obviousness has been established based on the teachings of Hirano and claims 22 and 23 would have been obvious at the time of the effective filing date of the present application.
Regarding claims 24-27, Hirano teaches [0096] a surfactant may further be included in the chemically amplified positive resist composition, as well as [0108] other components (additives) such as sensitizers, crosslinkers, photobase generators and acid amplifiers. Therefore, a prima facie case of obviousness has been established based on the teachings of Hirano and claims 24-26 would have been obvious at the time of the effective filing date of the present application.
Regarding claims 28 and 29, Hirano teaches [0058, 0079, 0082, 0086, 0095, 0097 and 0107] the weight percentages (mass percentages) of the components discussed above can be adjusted to satisfy the mass percent ranges recited in claims 28 and 29. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, at the time of effective filing date of the present application, to adjust the weight percentages of the components taught by Hirano in order to devise a resist composition for a resist film with improved positive pattern formation without the need for silylation of the resist film, thereby reducing the possibility of contaminating the surface of the resist film. Therefore, a prima facie case of obviousness has been established based on the teachings of Hirano and claims 28 and 29 would have been obvious at the time of the effective filing date of the present application.
Regarding claim 30, Hirano teaches [0009] the resist film is a chemically amplified positive resist composition. Therefore, a prima facie case of obviousness has been established based on the teachings of Hirano and claim 30 would have been obvious at the time of the effective filing date of the present application.
Regarding claims 31-35, Hirano teaches [0010-0013, 0112-0131] a pattern forming process comprising the steps of applying the chemically amplified positive resist composition onto a substrate to form a resist film thereon, exposing the resist film to radiation, and dry etching the exposed resist film with an oxygen-containing gas for development for forming a circuit pattern (example of a wiring pattern) on a semiconductor substrate. Therefore, a prima facie case of obviousness has been established based on the teachings of Hirano and claims 31-35 would have been obvious at the time of the effective filing date of the present application.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Tsuchiya et al. (US 2020/0004142 A1) disclose a resist composition and a method of forming a resist pattern. The reference further discloses [0467-0475 and 0662] incorporating a carboxylic acid compound in the resist composition improves the resist pattern shape and the post exposure stability of resist pattern after exposure of the resist composition.
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.
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, 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.
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.
/STEWART A FRASER/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1724
Prosecution Insights