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 .
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
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.
Claims 1 and 5-8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Cui et al. (US20190214230).
Regarding claim 1, Cui discloses a method of pre-treating metal surfaces prior to etching in 3D NAND structures (abstract and paragraph 0026), the method comprising: providing an oxygen-containing precursor to a semiconductor processing chamber, wherein a substrate is positioned within the semiconductor processing chamber (paragraph 0050), wherein the substrate comprises: a trench formed between columns (trench 505, columns 510, paragraph 0048 and Fig. 5A); and a metal formed in at least one of the columns (tungsten reads on a metal, paragraph 0048 and Fig. 5A); contacting the metal with the oxygen-containing precursor to form an oxidized portion of the metal (tungsten oxide layer 555 reads on an oxidized portion of the metal, paragraph 0050 and Fig. 5B); providing a halide precursor to the semiconductor processing chamber (paragraph 0059); and contacting the oxidized portion of the metal with the halide precursor to remove the oxidized portion of the metal from a sidewall of the trench (paragraph 0059 and Fig. 5B).
Regarding claim 5, Cui discloses wherein the oxygen-containing precursor comprises one or more of atomic oxygen, molecular oxygen (O2), N2O, NO, NO2, CO2, or ozone (O3) (paragraph 0051).
Regarding claim 6, Cui discloses wherein the oxidized portion of the metal is about 100 Å (paragraph 0053).
Regarding claim 7, Cui discloses wherein the halide precursor comprises WF6 (tungsten hexafluoride, paragraph 0059), and contacting the oxidized portion of the metal with the halide precursor is performed without a plasma with a temperature between about 250° C and about 400° C (paragraph 0065).
Regarding claim 8, Cui discloses after contacting the oxidized portion of the metal with the halide precursor, treating the metal with hydrogen to remove residual metal oxide on a surface of the metal, wherein treating the metal with hydrogen does not substantially etch the metal (paragraphs 0074 and 0069).
Claims 9 and 11-14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Wang et al. (US20230290647).
Regarding claim 9, Wang discloses a method of etching memory holes in 3D NAND structures (claim 12), the method comprising: priming an exposed metal within a high aspect-ratio structure defined on a substrate, wherein the priming comprises oxidizing the exposed metal to form a layer of metal oxide, etching the metal oxide with a halide precursor, and treating the exposed metal with hydrogen to remove residual halide material (claim 12 and paragraph 0057); depositing a material along surfaces of the exposed metal within a high aspect-ratio structure defined on a substrate, wherein the material is formed thicker along surfaces near an opening of the high aspect-ratio structure than along surfaces deeper within the high aspect-ratio structure (paragraph 0047 and Fig. 5A); and repeatedly oxidizing a surface of the exposed metal and etching an oxidized portion of the exposed metal to conformally etch the exposed metal uniformly throughout the high aspect-ratio structure (paragraphs 0011 and 0054).
Regarding claim 11, Wang discloses wherein priming the exposed metal further comprises, after contacting the oxidized portion of the exposed metal with the halide precursor, treating the exposed metal with hydrogen to remove residual metal oxide on a surface of the exposed metal, wherein treating the exposed metal with hydrogen does not substantially etch the exposed metal (paragraph 0057 and Fig. 4).
Regarding claim 12, Wang discloses wherein oxidizing the surface of the exposed metal comprise: flowing a first fluorine-containing precursor and a secondary gas into a processing region of a semiconductor processing chamber (paragraph 0010); and contacting the exposed metal with the first fluorine-containing precursor and the secondary gas (paragraph 0010).
Regarding claim 13, Wang discloses wherein the secondary gas may be a protective gas comprising oxygen or nitrogen (paragraph 0010).
Regarding claim 14, Wang discloses after repeatedly oxidizing the surface of the exposed metal and etching the oxidized portion of the exposed metal, performing a post-treatment of the high aspect-ratio structure using a fluorine-containing precursor (paragraph 0006 and Fig. 4).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 2-4, 10 and 15 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.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
Regarding claim 2, the cited prior art of record, taken either alone or in combination, fails to disclose or render obvious a method comprising: prior to providing the oxygen-containing precursor to the semiconductor processing chamber, providing a helium treatment to the metal to bombard a surface of the metal and remove residue on the surface of the metal, in the context of the instant claim. The closest cited prior art of Cui does not require a helium bombardment step to remove residue on the surface of the metal.
Regarding claims 3-4, they are dependent on claim 2.
Regarding claim 10, the cited prior art of record, taken either alone or in combination, fails to disclose or render obvious a method comprising: prior to oxidizing the exposed metal, providing a helium treatment to the exposed metal to bombard a surface of the exposed metal and remove residue on the surface of the exposed metal, in the context of the instant claim. The closest cited prior art of Wang does not require a helium bombardment step to remove residue on the surface of the metal.
Regarding claim 15, the cited prior art of record, taken either alone or in combination, fails to disclose or render obvious a method comprising: forming a plasma from the fluorine-containing precursor to remove any residual fluorine, in the context of the instant claim. The closest cited prior art of Wang discloses forming a plasma from a chlorine-containing precursor to remove any residual fluorine (claim 10).
Claims 16-20 are allowed.
The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance:
Regarding claim 16, the cited prior art of record, taken either alone or in combination, fails to disclose or render obvious a method comprising: providing a helium precursor to a semiconductor processing chamber, wherein a substrate is positioned within the semiconductor processing chamber, the substrate comprises a memory hole for a 3D NAND and the helium precursor treats a metal in the memory hole to bombard a surface of the metal and remove residue on the surface of the metal, in in the context of the instant claim. The closest cited prior art of Cui does not require a helium bombardment step to remove residue on the surface of the metal.
Regarding claims 17-20, they are dependent on claim 16.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JIONG-PING LU whose telephone number is (571) 270-1135. The examiner can normally be reached on M-F: 9:00am – 5:00pm. If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Joshua L Allen, can be reached at telephone number (571)270-3176. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/JIONG-PING LU/
Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1713
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