Claim 2 is objected to because of the following informalities: “wherein the surface modification step such that a pretreatment is carried out” is grammatically incorrect. Appropriate correction is required.
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 Objections
Claim 2 is objected to because of the following informalities: “wherein the surface modification step such that a pretreatment is carried out” is grammatically incorrect. It appear it should read, “wherein the surface modification step is carried out such that a pretreatment is carried out” Appropriate correction is required.
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.
(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 1-12 and 14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1)/(a)(2) as being anticipated by Hashizume (US 20120187083 A1).
As to claim 1, Hashizume discloses a substrate processing method [Abstract; Fig. 4] comprising:
a preparation step of preparing a substrate in which at least a first surface containing silicon oxide and a second surface containing silicon or a silicon compound other than silicon oxide are exposed [Fig. 4(a); para. 0080, “a substrate W having an SiO.sub.2 film and an SiN film respectively formed as an exemplary oxide film and an exemplary nitride film on a front surface thereof”];
a surface modification step of forming an etching selectivity imparting film on at least a part of the first surface and at least a part of the second surface by a silylation treatment of bringing a silylating agent into contact with the first surface and the second surface [Fig. 4(a); para. 0082, “HMDS vapor is supplied as an exemplary silylation agent to a front surface of the substrate W”]; and
an etching step of selectively carrying out an etching treatment on the second surface with respect to the first surface using an etching agent after the surface modification step [Fig. 4(b); para. 0083, “a liquid mixture containing hydrofluoric acid and ethylene glycol is supplied as an exemplary etching agent onto the front surface of the substrate W […] SiN film formed on the front surface of the substrate W is selectively removed”].
As to claim 2, Hashizume discloses the substrate processing method according to claim 1,
wherein the surface modification step such that a pretreatment is carried out before the silylation treatment [Fig. 25, para. 0176], and
wherein the pretreatment includes a treatment of increasing a difference between a first water contact angle on the etching selectivity imparting film on the first surface and a second water contact angle on the etching selectivity imparting film on the second surface [Fig. 25, para. 0176].
As to claim 3, Hashizume discloses the substrate processing method according to claim 1,
wherein in the preparation step, the substrate contains a silicon compound having an N element on the second surface [para. 0080, “a substrate W having an SiO.sub.2 film and an SiN film respectively formed as an exemplary oxide film and an exemplary nitride film on a front surface thereof”], and
wherein the etching step is carried out, after the surface modification step, without carrying out an oxidation treatment of bringing an oxidizing agent into contact with the second surface [para. 0083, “a liquid mixture containing hydrofluoric acid and ethylene glycol is supplied as an exemplary etching agent onto the front surface of the substrate W […] SiN film formed on the front surface of the substrate W is selectively removed”].
As to claim 4, Hashizume discloses the substrate processing method according to claim 1,
wherein in the preparation step, the substrate contains, on the second surface, a silicon compound having at least one element selected from the group consisting of an N element, a C element, and a metal element, or contains silicon on the second surface [para. 0080, “a substrate W having an SiO.sub.2 film and an SiN film respectively formed as an exemplary oxide film and an exemplary nitride film on a front surface thereof”], and
wherein the etching step is a step of carrying out, after the surface modification step, an oxidation treatment of bringing an oxidizing agent into contact with the second surface and then carrying out the etching treatment [para. 0181, “internal oxygen concentration of the chamber 608 is 1 to 10%”; Fig. 25, “Exemplary Process 6-8”].
As to claim 5, Hashizume discloses the substrate processing method according to claim 1,
wherein in the surface modification step, a first water contact angle on the etching selectivity imparting film on the first surface has a value larger than a value of a second water contact angle on the etching selectivity imparting film on the second surface [Fig. 4(a); para. 0082, “HMDS vapor is supplied as an exemplary silylation agent to a front surface of the substrate W”; Hashizume discloses a substantially identical process, and therefore substantially identical results are expected.].
As to claim 6, Hashizume discloses the substrate processing method according to claim 1, wherein a difference between the first water contact angle and the second water contact angle is 5° or more [Fig. 4(a); para. 0082, “HMDS vapor is supplied as an exemplary silylation agent to a front surface of the substrate W” ; Hashizume discloses a substantially identical process, and therefore substantially identical results are expected.].
As to claim 7, Hashizume discloses the substrate processing method according to claim 1, further comprising:
a cleaning step of subjecting the first surface and the second surface to a cleaning treatment using a cleaning agent, between the surface modification step and the etching step [Fig. 25, “Exemplary Process 6-7”, “Exemplary Process 6-8”, para. 0112].
As to claim 8, Hashizume discloses the substrate processing method according to claim 1, wherein a liquid temperature of the cleaning agent is 60°C or lower [para. 0112; Here, Hashizume does not specify a temperature of the rinse liquid and therefore room temperature can be inferred, i.e., 25°C, which anticipates the claimed range.].
As to claim 9, Hashizume discloses the substrate processing method according to claim 1, wherein the cleaning agent includes an aqueous cleaning solution and/or a rinsing solution [para. 0112].
As to claim 10, Hashizume discloses the substrate processing method according to claim 1, wherein a cycle including at least the surface modification step, the cleaning step, and the etching step in this order is carried out two or more times [Fig. 25, “Exemplary Process 6-7”, “Exemplary Process 6-8”].
As to claim 11, Hashizume discloses the substrate processing method according to claim 1, further comprising:
a removal treatment of removing at least a part of the etching selectivity imparting film on the first surface, after the etching step [Fig. 25, para. 0187, “UV process (post-silylation UV irradiation step) […] the silylation agent (e.g., HMDS) is removed from the substrate W”].
As to claim 12, Hashizume discloses the substrate processing method according to claim 1, wherein a cycle including at least the surface modification step and the etching step in this order is carried out two or more times [para. 0146, “a repeating step to perform a sequence cycle including the silylation process and the etching process a plurality of times”].
As to claim 14, Hashizume discloses a substrate manufacturing method comprising:
each step in the substrate processing method according to Claim 1 [Abstract; Fig. 4; para. 0080-83].
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.
Claim 13 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hashizume (US 20120187083 A1), as applied to claims 1-12 and 14 above, and further in view of Fukui et al. (US 20220020582 A1).
As to claim 13, Hashizume discloses the substrate processing method according to claim 1, but fails to explicitly disclose:
wherein in the silylation treatment, the etching selectivity imparting film is formed using a silylation composition containing the silylating agent and a catalytic compound.
However, Fukui teaches a silylation treatment on a wafer portion [Abstract] that uses a silylation agent with an accelerator (catalyst) [para. 0084; claims 1 and 6], comprising
wherein in the silylation treatment, the etching selectivity imparting film is formed using a silylation composition containing the silylating agent and a catalytic compound [para. 0084].
Therefore, it would have been prima facie obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the method of performing a silylation treatment on a wafer, of Hashizume, to include an accelerator (catalyst) with the silylating agent, of the method of performing silylation treatment on a wafer of Fukui, in order to improve the rate of forming a silylation layer, as taught by Fukui [para. 0084, claims 1 and 6].
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure: The additionally cited references are cited to show method of processing a wafer, having a silicon oxide and silicon nitride surface, with a silylation treatment and an etching process [Abstracts].
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/CHRISTOPHER REMAVEGE/Examiner, Art Unit 1713
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