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 .
Claims 1-3 and 5-16 are pending
Claims 12-16 are withdrawn
Claims 1 and 7 have been amended
Claim 4 has been canceled
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.
Claim(s) 1-3 and 5-11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Lee US 2006/0115970 (US’970).
Regarding claim 1, US’970 teaches a cleaning liquid (compositions and processes for removing photoresists, polymers, post etch residues, and post oxygen ashing residues from interconnect, wafer level packaging, and printed circuit board substrates, abstract), the cleaning liquid comprising: a compound (A) represented by General Formula (a1),
PNG
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105
242
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Greyscale
(chelating agent including carbazic acid, para. 62, the same compound recited in applications specification, see para 35 of applicants field specification) wherein the cleaning liquid has a pH of 6 or greater which is measured at 23°C (it is desirable for the pH to be maintained and/or modified to be above about 7, the process is performed at a temperature of 35°C or 55°C, para. 70-71, see table 17 and 19, since lowering the temperatures can raise the pH, the pH of the cleaning liquid of US’970 at 23°C would be maintained within the above about 7 range if the solution was at 23°C), wherein R represents a hydrogen atom, and wherein the cleaning liquid does not contain an alcohol other than an alkanolamine (the composition includes an oxammonium compound, an optional organic solvent including alkanolamines, water and can be substantially free of sugar alcohols, abstract, para. 57 and 72). US’970 does not explicitly teach the composition is for removing an etching residue containing a titanium component, however, it is noted that the applicant claimed configuration of the “cleaning liquid" recites the intended use of the composition. And a recitation of the intended use of the claimed invention must result in a structural difference between the claimed invention and the prior art in order to patentably distinguish the claimed invention from the prior art. If the prior art structure is capable of performing the intended use, then it meets the claim. The composition of US’970 teaches a composition for treating an etched substrate including metal layers that can include TiW (para. 72-73, 112), including all the limitations recited in claim 1 and therefore would be capable of cleaning/removing etching residue containing a titanium compound to the same degree as the cleaning liquid recited in claim 1. Therefore, one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made would have known that the structural limitations of the composition taught by the prior art and the composition claimed would have been the same and since the claim is directed towards a composition, the composition is independent of the intended use.
Regarding claim 2, US’970 teaches the cleaning liquid of claim 1. US’970 further teaches wherein the cleaning liquid has a pH of 7 to 13, which is measured at 23°C (it is desirable for the pH to be maintained and/or modified to be in a range from about 7 to about 12, for example from about 8 to about 11.5 or from about 9 to about 11, para. 71).
Regarding claims 3 and 5, US’970 teaches the cleaning liquid of claim 1. US’970 further teaches further comprising a base (alkanolamines, para. 57), with regard to claim 3, wherein the base is at least one selected from the group consisting of alkanolamine (alkanolamines, para. 57), with regard to claim 5.
Regarding claim 6, US’970 teaches the cleaning liquid of claim 1. US’970 further teaches wherein a content of the compound (A) is in a range of 0.01% to 30% by mass with respect to a total mass of the cleaning liquid (the amount of the optional chelating agent(s) present in the composition according to the invention can be varied, depending upon the chemical and/or physical nature of the photoresist/polymer and/or residue to be removed. When present, the composition can contain from about 0.1% by weight to about 10% by weight, preferably from about 0.2% by weight to about 8% by weight, para. 69).
Regarding claims 7-9, US’970 teaches the cleaning liquid of claim 3. US’970 further teaches the cleaning liquid further comprising a carboxylic acid, other than a component corresponding to the compound (A), with regard to claim 7, wherein the carboxylic acid is at least one selected from the group consisting of a hydroxy acid, with regard to claim 8 and wherein the carboxylic acid is at least one selected from the group consisting of citric acid, with regard to claim 9 (para. 70 a pH adjustor can include citric acid, which is a hydroxy acid).
Regarding claims 10-11, US’970 teaches the cleaning liquid of claim 1. US’970 does not explicitly teach the composition is used for cleaning a substrate that includes a titanium component-containing layer and has been subjected to dry etching, with regard to claim 10 and is used for cleaning the substrate that has been subjected to dry etching using a titanium component-containing hard mask by a wiring process, with regard to claim 11. However, it is noted that the applicant claimed configuration of the “cleaning liquid" recites the intended use of the composition. And a recitation of the intended use of the claimed invention must result in a structural difference between the claimed invention and the prior art in order to patentably distinguish the claimed invention from the prior art. If the prior art structure is capable of performing the intended use, then it meets the claim. The composition of US’970 teaches a composition for treating an etched substrate including metal layers that can include TiW (para. 72-73, 112) including all the limitations recited in claim 1 and therefore would be capable of cleaning/removing etching residue containing a titanium compound from a substrate to the same degree as the cleaning liquid recited in claim 1. Claims 10 and 11 do not further limit the composition ingredients and therefore do not structurally change the composition of claim 1. Therefore, one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made would have known that the structural limitations of the composition taught by the prior art and the composition claimed would have been the same and since the claim is directed towards a composition, the composition is independent of the intended use.
Response to Amendment
Applicant’s amendments to independent claim 1 to include subject matter regarding wherein the cleaning liquid does not contain an alcohol other than an alkanolamine has changed the scope of claim 1, and as a result, the 102 rejection of claim 1 as anticipated by US’819 as stated in the non-final office action mailed 9-26-25 is withdrawn. Upon further consideration, a new ground(s) of rejection is made under 102 as anticipated by US’970.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments, see pages 6-9, filed 11-18-25, with respect to the rejection of claim 1, with regard to amendments made to claim 1 have been fully considered but are moot, due to the new rejection applied in the above final office action not relying on the teachings of US’819.
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ERIN FLANAGAN BERGNER whose telephone number is (571)270-1133. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8:00-5:00.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Joshua Allen can be reached at 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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/ERIN F BERGNER/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1713