DETAILED ACTION
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 .
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)(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.
Claim(s) 1-4 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Kinoshita (US 2021/0284773; IDS, 12/29/2023).
Kinoshita discloses a radiation sensitive resin composition and method of forming a patterning using the composition. Kinoshita discloses the radiation-sensitive resin composition according to the present embodiment contains a resin, a radiation-sensitive acid generator, and a solvent as well as other optional component as long as the effects of the present invention are not impaired. (Para, 0040). Kinoshita discloses the resin is an assembly of polymers containing a structural unit A (hereinafter, this resin is also referred to as a “base resin”). (Para, 0041). Kinoshita discloses the base resin may contain, in addition to the structural unit A, a structural unit B derived from a (meth)acrylic ester-based monomer, a structural unit C having a phenolic hydroxyl group, a structural unit D having a polar group, a structural unit E containing a lactone structure, and the like. (Para, 0041). These disclosures teach the limitation of claim 1, ‘ A resist composition which generates an acid upon light exposure and whose solubility in a developing solution is changed due to an action of an acid, the resist composition comprising: a resin component (Al) whose solubility in a developing solution is changed due to an action of an acid…’ and the limitation of claim 2.
Kinoshita discloses each of the structural units of the resin in greater detail. Kinoshita discloses and illustrates examples of structural unit A. (Para, 0044-0086; Formula(s) A-1 to A-39). Kinoshita also discloses structural unit B, which is a structural unit derived from a (meth)acrylic ester-based monomer. (Para, 0097). Kinoshita discloses when the base resin contains the structural unit B, the sensitivity, CDU performance, and resolution of a resist film of the radiation-sensitive resin composition can further be improved, and excellent pattern-forming performance can be achieved. (Para, 0097). Kinoshita discloses the structural unit B is preferably represented by the following formula (4). (Para, 0098).
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Kinoshita discloses in formula (4), R7 is a hydrogen atom, a fluorine atom, a methyl group, or a trifluoromethyl group, and R31 is an acid-dissociable group or a non-acid-dissociable group. (Para, 0099). Kinoshita explains that depending on the structure of R31 in the above formula (4), the structural unit B may be a structural unit B1 having an acid-dissociable group or a structural unit B2 having a non-acid-dissociable group. (Para, 0100). Kinoshita discloses when being an acid-dissociable group, R31 is preferably an acid-dissociable group represented by the above formula (2) and when R31 is a non-acid-dissociable group, a preferred example of R31 is a non-acid-dissociable group represented by R3 in the above formula (1). (Para, 0100). Kinoshita also discloses examples of the structural unit B1 having an acid-dissociable group include structural units represented by the following formulas (4-1) to (4-6), (hereinafter, also referred to as “structural units (B1-1) to (B1-6)”). (Para, 0101). Kinoshita discloses in formulas (4-1) to (4-6), R7 has the same meaning as in formula (4), R8 to R10 have the same meaning as in formula (2), with i and j are each independently an integer of 1 to 4. k and 1 are 0 or 1. (Para, 0102). Kinoshita discloses i and j are preferably 1, R8 is preferably a methyl group, an ethyl group, or an isopropyl group and R9 and R10 are each preferably a methyl group or an ethyl group. (Para, 0103). Kinoshita also discloses the resin may contain, as the structural unit B1, structural units represented by the following formulas (4-7) to (4-9) (hereinafter, also referred to as “structural units (B1-7) to (B1-9)”) in addition to or instead of the above structural units. (Para, 0104). These disclosures and the illustrations of example structural units teach the limitation of claim 1, ‘ a resist composition which generates an acid upon light exposure and whose solubility in a developing solution is changed due to an action of an acid, the resist composition comprising: … wherein the resin component (Al) has a constitutional unit (a0) represented by General Formula (a0-1)
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wherein R° represents a hydrogen atom, an alkyl group having 1 to 5 carbon atoms, a halogen atom, or a halogenated alkyl group having 1 to 5 carbon atoms, Vao represents a single bond or a divalent linking group, Wa represents a divalent aromatic hydrocarbon group which may have a substituent, Va° represents a divalent hydrocarbon group which may have an ether bond, nao represents an integer of 0 to 2, and Ra00 represents an acid dissociable group.
Kinoshita also describes and illustrates structural unit (C) in greater detail. (Para, 0112-0127; structural unit C1-1 to C1-10). Kinoshita discloses the resin preferably further contains the structural unit C represented by the following formula (5):
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Kinoshita discloses in structural unit (C) Rα is a hydrogen atom, a fluorine atom, a methyl group, or a trifluoromethyl group, LCA is a single bond, —COO—*, or —O—*, wherein * represents a hand bonding to an aromatic ring, R42 and R52 have the same meaning as R41 and R51 in the above formula (1), respectively, and n3 is an integer of 0 to 2, m3 is an integer of 1 to 8, and m4 is an integer of 0 to 8, provided that n3, m3, and m4 satisfy 1≤m3+m4≤2n3+5). (Para, 0015-0018). Kinoshita explains structural unit C is a structural unit that is different from the structural unit A and that contains a phenolic hydroxyl group or gives a phenolic hydroxyl group by the action of an acid. (Para, 0119). Kinoshita explains, if necessary, the resin may contain the structural unit C or another structural unit to more appropriately adjust its solubility in a developer, which as a result makes it possible to further improve the sensitivity etc. of the radiation-sensitive resin composition. (Para, 0119). Kinoshita further discloses, when KrF excimer laser light, EUV, an electron beam, or the like is used as a radioactive ray for irradiation in an exposure step in a method for forming a resist pattern, the structural unit C contributes to improved etching resistance and improved difference in solubility in a developer between an exposed part and a non-exposed part (dissolution contrast). (Para, 0119). Kinoshita explains, structural unit C is suitably used when a pattern is formed by exposure using a radioactive ray having a wavelength of 50 nm or less such as an electron beam or EUV. (Para, 0119). Kinoshita also illustrates preferred examples of structural unit C. (Para, 0127). These disclosures and illustrations teach the limitations of claim 3.
Kinoshita also discloses, If necessary, the radiation-sensitive resin composition may contain an acid diffusion controlling agent, which has the effect of controlling a phenomenon in which an acid generated from the radiation-sensitive acid generator by exposure diffuses in a resist film to prevent an undesired chemical reaction in an unexposed part. (Para, 0264). Kinoshita discloses the radiation-sensitive acid controlling agent improves the storage stability of a resulting radiation-sensitive resin composition, improves the resolution of a resist pattern while also decreasing line width change of a resist pattern due to variation in post exposure delay time between exposure and development treatment can be prevented, and a radiation-sensitive resin composition excellent in process stability is also obtained. (Para, 0264). Kinoshita discloses as the acid diffusion controlling agent, an onium salt compound may appropriately be used which generates an acid having a pKa higher than that of an acid generated from the above-described radiation-sensitive acid generator (hereinafter, also referred to as a “radiation-sensitive weak acid generator” for the sake of expediency). An acid generated from the radiation-sensitive weak acid generator is a weak acid that does not induce dissociation of the acid-dissociable group under conditions where the acid-dissociable group in the resin is dissociated. It is to be noted that in this description, the term “dissociation” of the acid-dissociable group means that the acid-dissociable group is dissociated by post-exposure bake at 110° C. for 60 seconds. (Para, 0274).
Kinoshita discloses examples of the radiation-sensitive weak acid generator include a sulfonium salt compound represented by the following formula (8-1) and a iodonium salt compound represented by the following formula (8-2). J+ E− (8-1) and U+ Q− (8-2). (Para, 0275). Kinoshita discloses in formulas (8-1) and (8-2), J+ is a sulfonium cation, and U+ is a iodonium cation and examples of the sulfonium cation include sulfonium cations represented by formulas (X-1) to (X-4) and examples of the iodonium cation represented by U+ include iodonium cations represented by the above formulas (X-5) to (X-6). (Para, 0276). Kinoshita discloses E− and Q− are each independently an anion represented by OH−, Rαα—COO−, or —N−—, wherein Rαα is an alkyl group, an aryl group, or an aralkyl group. (Para, 0276). Kinoshita discloses the hydrogen atom of the alkyl group represented by Rαα or the hydrogen atom of aromatic ring of the aryl group or the aralkyl group may be substituted by a halogen atom, a hydroxyl group, a nitro group, a halogen atom-substituted or unsubstituted alkyl group having 1 to 12 carbon atoms, or a halogen atom-substituted or unsubstituted alkoxy group having 1 to 12 carbon atoms. (Para, 0276). Kinoshita also illustrates examples of the radiation-sensitive weak acid generator include compounds represented by the following formulas. (Para, 0276).
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These disclosures and the formulas illustrated teach the limitation of claim 1, ‘ A resist composition which generates an acid upon light exposure and whose solubility in a developing solution is changed due to an action of an acid, the resist composition comprising: …a compound (DO) represented by General Formula (d0-1)…’ These
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wherein X0 represents a bromine atom or an iodine atom, R'" represents a hydroxy group, an alkyl group, a fluorine atom, or a chlorine atom, ndl represents an integer of 1 to 5, nd2 represents an integer of 0 to 4, where 1 < ndl + nd2 < 5 is satisfied, Yd represents a divalent linking group or a singel bond, Mm+ represents an m-valent organic cation and m representes an interger of 1 or greater…’
Kinoshita also discloses a method for forming a pattern. Kinoshita discloses the method comprises the steps of: (1) applying the radiation-sensitive resin composition directly or indirectly onto a substrate to form a resist film (hereinafter, also referred to as a “resist film-forming step”); (2) exposing the resist film (hereinafter, also referred to as an “exposure step”); and (3) developing the exposed resist film (hereinafter, also referred to as a “development step”). (Para, 0328-0332). Kinoshita also discloses the method for forming a pattern uses the above-described radiation-sensitive resin composition excellent in sensitivity in the exposure step, CDU performance, and resolution, and therefore a high-quality resist pattern can be formed. Hereinbelow, each of the steps will be described. (Para, 0333). These disclosures teach the limitations of claim 4.
Therefore, the recitations of claims 1-4 are anticipated the disclosures and illustrations of Kinoshita as discussed above.
Conclusion
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/CALEEN O SULLIVAN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2899
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