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
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 (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) 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.
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.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1-4, 8-16, 18 and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Takata (US 2023/0005753 A).
Claims 1-4, 8-16, 18 and 20 rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Takata (US 2023/0005753 A).
The applied reference has a common applicant with the instant application. Based upon the earlier effectively filed date of the reference, it constitutes prior art under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2). This rejection under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) might be overcome by: (1) a showing under 37 CFR 1.130(a) that the subject matter disclosed in the reference was obtained directly or indirectly from the inventor or a joint inventor of this application and is thus not prior art in accordance with 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(A); (2) a showing under 37 CFR 1.130(b) of a prior public disclosure under 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(B) if the same invention is not being claimed; or (3) a statement pursuant to 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) establishing that, not later than the effective filing date of the claimed invention, the subject matter disclosed in the reference and the claimed invention were either owned by the same person or subject to an obligation of assignment to the same person or subject to a joint research agreement.
Takata discloses an etching method MT (Fig.3) comprising:
(a) providing a substrate W [0060] including a first region R2 having an opening R2a and a second region R1 located below the first region (as depicted in Fig. 5, [0061]),
the second region including a recess R1a communicating with the opening, when viewed from a direction perpendicular to a main surface of the substrate (as depicted in Fig. 5, [0061]),
the second region including a shoulder portion SH located in the opening (Fig.5, [0069])
the shoulder portion including an upper end of a side wall of the recess (as depicted in Fig. 5),
the second region containing silicon (silicon nitride, [0062]) and a material different from a material contained in the first region (silicon oxide formed by oxidizing silicon [0063], [0071]);
(b) forming a deposit DP (tungsten-containing deposit [0072], Fig. 6, which may contain carbon [0085]) on the shoulder portion with first plasma PL1 [0072] generated from a first process gas [0073] containing a gas containing carbon and oxygen (CO, [0074]); and
(c) etching a bottom portion of the recess with second plasma PL2 [0088] generated from a second process gas different from the first process gas [0089].
As to claim 2, Takata discloses that the first process gas further contains a hydrogen-containing gas (CH4, [0145]).
As to claims 3-4, Takata discloses that the first process gas further contains a carbon- and hydrogen-containing gas, a hydrocarbon (methane gas, CH4, [0145]).
As to claim 8, Takata discloses CO (see rejection of claim 1).
As to claim 9, Takata discloses that the first process gas further contains a noble gas [0077].
As to claim 10, Takata discloses that the second process gas contains a hydrogen-containing gas and a fluorine-containing gas [0089] (which is the same gas as in step ST2, such as a hydrofluorocarbon [0070]).
As to claim 11, Takata discloses to form the deposit in the first region (as depicted in Fig. 6).
As to claim 12, Takata discloses to repeat steps (b) and (c) [0093].
As to claim 13, Takata discloses cleaning after step ST4 (“washing” [0090]), which for the embodiment in which steps (b) and (c) are repeated (see rejection of claim 12), encompasses cleaning prior to step (b).
As to claim 14, broadly interpreted, a cleaning before step (b) (see rejection of claim 13) encompasses a cleaning after step (a).
As to claim 15, Takata discloses etching the first region (ST2 [0069]) as cited with a third plasma PL from a third process gas (a fluorocarbon gas, hydrofluorocarbon gas, [0070]) different from the first process gas (gas containing fluorine, tungsten, carbon, hydrogen [0073]) and the second process gas (may contain tungsten [0089]).
As to claim 16, Takata discloses that the second process gas may or may not contain tungsten, and a fluorine-containing gas [0089], [0070] which together do not contain an oxygen-containing gas.
As to claim 18, Takata discloses conducting the method MT in apparatus 1 [0060], which encompasses performing steps (b) and (c) in the same chamber.
As to claim 20, Takata discloses a plasma processing apparatus 1 (Fig. 2) comprising:
a chamber 10 [0048];
a substrate support 11 for supporting a substrate W in the chamber [0048];
a gas supply 20 [0048] configured to supply a first process gas [0055] that contains a gas containing carbon and oxygen [0074] and a second process gas [0089] different from the first process gas into the chamber (Fig. 3, method MT executed by apparatus 1 [0060], which includes step ST3 and ST4, corresponding to first plasma from first process gas ST3, and second plasma from second process gas ST4);
a plasma generator 12 configured to generate first plasma from the first process gas [0049] and generate second plasma from the second process gas (the same chamber is used for steps ST3 and ST4); and
a controller 2 [0050],
wherein the substrate W [0060] includes a first region R2 having an opening R2a and a second region R1 located below the first region (as depicted in Fig. 5, [0061]),
the second region including a recess R1a communicating with the opening, when viewed from a direction perpendicular to a main surface of the substrate (as depicted in Fig. 5, [0061]),
the second region including a shoulder portion SH located in the opening (Fig.5, [0069])
the shoulder portion including an upper end of a side wall of the recess (as depicted in Fig. 5),
the second region containing silicon (silicon nitride, [0062]) and a material different from a material contained in the first region (silicon oxide formed by oxidizing silicon [0063], [0071]), and
the controller is configured to control the gas supply and the plasma generator [0050] to
form a deposit DP (tungsten-containing deposit [0072], Fig. 6, which may contain carbon [0085]) on the shoulder portion with first plasma PL1 [0072]); and
etch a bottom portion of the recess with second plasma PL2 [0088].
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) 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.
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 5-7 and 19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Takata (US 2023/0005753 A).
As to claims 5-7, Takata fails to disclose the relative flow rates of the cited gases. In two examples, Takata discloses that CO has a larger flow rate ratio than methane gas [0163], [0167]. However, one of ordinary skill in the art would immediately recognize that the relative flow rates reflect a concentration of active species that affects how much deposit is formed. It would have been obvious to one with ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to vary the flow rates to those cited in order to optimize the formation of the deposit to that desired and because the concentration can be optimized for best results. See MPEP 2144.05, II. A.
As to claim 19, Takata fails to disclose to perform (b) and (c) in different chambers. It would have been obvious to one with ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to perform the steps in different chambers in order to have chambers with dedicated processes to reduce contamination and increase the yield of the final product.
Claim 17 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Takata (US 2023/0005753 A), as applied to claim 16, and further in view of Raley et al (US 2018/0323061 A1).
As to claim 17, Takata fails to disclose that the third process gas contains the oxygen-containing gas. The third process gas etches silicon oxide [0071] with a fluorine-containing gas such as a fluorocarbon or hydrofluorocarbon [0070]. Raley teaches that silicon oxide may be etched with a fluorocarbon etchant that contains oxygen to control polymerization [0020]. It would have been obvious to one with ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to include oxygen in the third process gas as cited because Raley teaches that it is a useful composition for etching silicon oxide and is useful for controlling polymerization during the etch.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Hatazaki et al (US 2019/0080917 A1) is cited to show etching regions and depositing shoulder material (Figures 12-15). Ishiharada et al (US 2021/0305057 A1) is cited to show forming openings and depositing material (Figures 6-7, [0062]). Miyajima (JP 2004/158538 A) is cited to show forming openings and depositing material (Figures 3(c), 4(d), 4(e)). Kim et al (US 2007/0293042 A1) is cited to show forming openings and depositing material (Figures 10-12). Wei et al (US 2006/0240654 A1) is cited to show forming openings and depositing material (Figures 1C-1D). Sun et al (US 2004/0253831 A1) is cited to show forming openings and depositing material (Figures 3(b)-3(f)).
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ANITA K ALANKO whose telephone number is (571)270-0297. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday, 9 am-5pm.
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/ANITA K ALANKO/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1713