DETAILED ACTION
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) 1-20, is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by U. S. Patent Application Publication No. 2020/0166833 (hereinafter referred to as Hashimoto).
Hashimoto, in the abstract, and in paragraph nos. [0014]-[0019], discloses a mask blank that includes a transparent substrate, and a light shielding film on the substrate wherein the light-shielding film comprises silicon and nitrogen, and the light shielding region includes an inner region that excludes the vicinity region (claimed back surface side region) which extends to a depth of 5nm and is the region that is closer to the transparent substrate surface, and excludes the surface layer region (claimed front surface side region) that extends to a depth of 5nm of the light shielding film and is a region that is opposite to the transparent substrate. Hashimoto, in figures 1-4, and in paragraph no. [0071], discloses that the maximum peak of photoelectron intensity of Si2p narrow spectrum acquired by performing an X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy in the inner region of the light-shielding film is greater than 97eV and less than 103eV and as illustrated in the figures includes the claimed range. Hashimoto, in [0041], and [0043], and in [0084], discloses that the mask blank can be a phase shift mask i.e., a phase shift layer between the transparent substrate and the light shielding film, and as disclosed in [0113] of Hashimoto, both the phase shift film (SiN based) and the light shielding film (SiN containing) are etchable with a fluorine based gas and discloses the patterning of the light shielding film on the mask blank stack (includes the phase shift film) (claims 1, 4-5, 10-11, 14-15). Hashimoto, in [0055], and [0062], discloses that the light shielding film is a material consisting of silicon and nitrogen and inherently suggests that the total content of silicon and nitrogen in the light shielding film (especially in the internal region) is at least about 95 at.%, (claims 2, 12). Hashimoto, in [0163], discloses that the nitrogen content in the light shielding film can be as low as approximately 29% and Hashimoto in [0061], discloses that the surface region of the light shielding film has more oxygen content, than the inner region and easily suggests that the light shielding film in the inner region can have nitrogen content of at least about 30 at.% (claims 3, 13). Hashimoto, in [0069], and [0071], discloses that binding energy can be measured by AlKα ray, and discloses the claimed range of less than 103eV and greater than 97 eV (claims 6, 16). Hashimoto, in the abstract, and in [0020] and [0021], and in [0048]-[0049], and in [0104]-[0106], discloses the same claimed total existence ratio of the Si3N4 bonds and SiaNb bonds to the total existence ratio of the Si3N4 bonds and SiaNb bonds and Si-Si bond , the total existence ratio of the SiaNb bonds to the total existence ratio of the Si3N4 bonds and SiaNb bonds and the Si-Si bond, and the total existence ratio of the Si3N4 bonds to the total existence ratio of the Si3N4 bonds and SiaNb bonds and Si-Si bond (claims 7-9, 17-19). Hashimoto, in [0030], and [0084], discloses that the mask blank can be a phase shift mask, and that the mask can be used as a transfer mask to perform exposure-transfer of a transfer pattern to a resist film on a semiconductor substrate (claim 20).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Daborah Chacko-Davis whose telephone number is (571) 272-1380. The examiner can normally be reached on 9:30AM-6:00PM EST Mon-Fri. If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Sally A. Merkling can be reached on (571) 272-6297. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-272-8300. 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.
/DABORAH CHACKO-DAVIS/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1737 September 23, 2026.
