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 .
Election/Restrictions
Applicant's election with traverse of Species I in the reply filed on 6/30/26 is acknowledged. The traversal is on the ground(s) that 3A and 3B belong in the same species. Applicant does not discuss 1A and 1B belonging to separate species. Therefore the election/restriction requirement is amended to include Figure 3B but not Figure 1B. Claims 1-23 read on the elected species.
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.
Claim(s) 1-23 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Blachut et al. WO 2021/046572.
Claim 1: Blachut teaches (Claim 1, [0002, 0033]) a method comprising: providing a substrate with an SRP film thereon, wherein the SRP film comprises a stimulus responsive polymer (SRP), the SRP characterized by a ceiling temperature (Tc) at which the SRP is in thermal equilibrium with its monomers, the Tc being between -80°C and 400°C [0029]; and baking the SRP film at a baking temperature, wherein the baking temperature is below a degradation temperature of the SRP and above a glass transition temperature of the SRP film. Blachut teaches the same materials as those mentioned in the instant application and therefore would have the same characteristics [0032].
Claim 2: Blachut teaches the SRP is amorphous. Blachut teaches the same materials as those mentioned in the instant application and therefore would have the same characteristics [0032].
Claim 3: Blachut teaches the SRP is semi-crystalline or crystalline and the baking temperature is above a melting temperature of the SRP film. Blachut teaches the same materials as those mentioned in the instant application and therefore would have the same characteristics [0032].
Claim 4: Blachut teaches [0023-0024] the substrate has a high aspect ratio (HAR) structure having gaps formed between features and wherein the SRP film is provided in the gaps.
Claim 5: Blachut teaches [0023-0024] baking the SRP film straightens the HAR structure.
Claim 6: Blachut teaches [0043] providing the substrate with the SRP film comprises spin coating an SRP formulation on the substrate.
Claim 7: Blachut teaches [0023-0024, 0043] the substrate has a high aspect ratio (HAR) structure, the HAR structure comprising gaps between features, and wherein spin coating the SRP formulation on the substrate comprises filling the gaps with the SRP film and bending the features of the HAR structure.
Claim 8: Blachut teaches [0023-0024, 0043] baking the SRP film straightens the features of the HAR structure.
Claim 9: Blachut teaches [0045] the SRP film comprises a plasticizer.
Claim 10: Blachut teaches [0050] the (mass of plasticizer/mass of SRP)* 100 is between 1 and 35.
Claim 11: Blachut teaches [0032] the SRP comprises a poly(phthalaldehyde) or a derivative thereof as a homopolymer or as one of the constituent polymers of a copolymer.
Claim 12: Blachut teaches [0050] the SRP film comprises a phthalate plasticizer.
Claim 13: Blachut teaches [0027] comprising removing the SRP film.
Claim 14. The method of claim 13, wherein removing the SRP film comprises exposing the SRP film to a stimulus depolymerize the SRP.
Claim 15: Blachut teaches [0027, 0077] wherein the stimulus comprises heat.
Claim 16: Blachut teaches [0027, 0077] the stimulus comprises UV radiation.
Claim 17. (Original) The method of claim 14, wherein the stimulus comprises acidic vapor.
Claim 18: Blachut teaches [0027, 0077] the stimulus comprises a noble gas plasma.
Claim 19: Blachut teaches [0048] the SRP film comprises an organic weak acid.
Claim 20: Blachut teaches [0083] providing a substrate with an SRP film thereon comprises depositing the SRP film by chemical vapor deposition.
Claim 21: Blachut teaches [0050] the SRP film does not comprise a plasticizer.
Claim 22: Blachut teaches (Claim 1, [0002, 0023-0024, 0027, 0033]) an apparatus comprising: a chamber for housing a substrate with an SRP film thereon, wherein the SRP film comprises a stimulus responsive polymer (SRP), the SRP characterized by a ceiling temperature (Tc) at which the SRP is in thermal equilibrium with its monomers, the Tc being between -800C and 4000C; and a controller comprising instructions for baking the SRP film at a baking temperature, wherein the baking temperature is below a degradation temperature of the SRP and above a glass transition temperature of the SRP film.
Claim 23: Blachut teaches (Claim 1, [0002, 0023-0024, 0027, 0033]) the instructions further comprise instructions for depositing the SRP film.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to SARAH KATE SALERNO whose telephone number is (571)270-1266. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 6:30am-2:30pm.
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/SARAH K SALERNO/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2814
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