DETAILED ACTION
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, 5-7, 9-11, and 15-18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Saly et al. (Saly, US 2017/0114459 A1).
Regarding claims 1 and 5, Saly shows a method, comprising: providing a substrate (substrate 310 in FGI. 6A-6C and [0068]) having a structure including a gap ( [0068] i.e. gap) to be filled in a process chamber (chamber 100 as shown in FIG. 1 and [0031]); and performing one or more cycles of: (a) exposing the substrate to a plasma ([0029]) comprising a first gas to inhibit deposition ([0070]) on a portion of the gap, wherein the pressure of the process chamber during (a) is at least about 3 Torr and at least 15 Torr ([0057]); and (b) after (a), depositing dielectric material ([0091]) in the gap.
Regarding claims 6 and 7, Saly shows a method, comprising: providing a substrate (substrate 310 in FGI. 6A-6C and [0068]), wherein a duration of (a) is less than about 30 seconds and a duration of (a) is less than about 15 seconds ([0057]).
Regarding claims 9-11, Saly shows a method, comprising: providing a substrate (substrate 310 in FGI. 6A-6C and [0068]), wherein the first gas comprises a non-halogen- containing species, wherein the first gas comprises a nitrogen- containing species wherein the nitrogen-containing species is N2 and wherein the first gas comprises a halogen-containing species ([0059-0060]).
Regarding claim 15, Saly shows a method, comprising: providing a substrate (substrate 310 in FGI. 6A-6C and [0068]), wherein the first gas comprises an amine-containing species ([0060]).
Regarding claim 16, Saly shows a method, comprising: providing a substrate (substrate 310 in FGI. 6A-6C and [0068]), wherein the first gas comprises a hydrogen-containing species ([0023]).
Regarding claim 17, Saly shows a method, comprising: providing a substrate (substrate 310 in FGI. 6A-6C and [0068]), wherein depositing dielectric material during (b) comprises an atomic layer deposition (ALD) process ([0025-0026]).
Regarding claim 18, Saly shows a method, comprising: providing a substrate (substrate 310 in FGI. 6A-6C and [0068]), wherein the dielectric material comprises silicon, carbon, aluminum, lanthanum, hafnium, strontium, zirconium, or any combinations thereof ([0087]).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 2-4 and 19 and are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Saly et al. (Saly, US 2017/0114459 A1).
Regarding claims 2-4 and 19, Saly teaches a method, comprising: providing a substrate (substrate 310 in FGI. 6A-6C and [0068]) having a structure including a gap ( [0068] i.e. gap) to be filled in a process chamber ([0007]), and performing one or more cycles of: (a) exposing the substrate to a plasma comprising N2 ([0057]) to inhibit deposition on a portion of the gap, wherein the pressure of the process chamber during (a) is at least about 3 Torr ([0057]), and wherein a duration of (a) is less than about 30 seconds ([0057]); and (b) after (a), depositing dielectric material ([0091]) in the gap.
However Saly teaches general ratio of the gap ([0067]), but fails to teach expressly wherein the gap has an aspect ratio between about 3:1 and about 7:1 and at least about 150:1. The differences in processing parameters or concentration or temperature or ratio will not support the patentability of subject matter encompassed by the prior art unless there is evidence indicating such ratio or temperature is critical. Where there general conditions of a claim are disclosed in the prior art, it is not inventive to discover the opium or workable ranges by routine experimentation see MPEP 2144.05
Claims 12-14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Saly et al. (Saly, US 2017/0114459 A1) in view of Stewart et al. (US 2011/0136286 A1).
Regarding claims 12-14, Saly teaches halogen containing species, but fails to tech halogen containing species is a fluorine containing species, a chlorine-containing species and halogen-containing species is nitrogen trifluoride (NF3).
Stewart teaches halogen containing species, but fails to tech halogen containing species is a fluorine containing species, a chlorine-containing species and halogen-containing species is nitrogen trifluoride (NF3) ([0066]). At the time the invention was made, it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art to use halogen containing species is a fluorine containing species, a chlorine-containing species and halogen-containing species is nitrogen trifluoride (NF3), because it would have desirable to purge the process chamber as taught by Stewart.
Conclusion
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/ELIAS ULLAH/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2893
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