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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
It is noted that an information disclosure statement (IDS) was not included in the electronic file wrapper of the instant application. Applicant is reminded of the duty to disclose information material to patentability as defined by 37 C.F.R. 1.56 (also see MPEP 2001).
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.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claim(s) 1-6,8-13 and15-16 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lin et al (US 2023/0386835).
Regarding claims 1 and 10, Lin et al disclose a process comprises forming an opening 45 having (resemble to the claimed trench defined by a first main side opposite a second main side and a first end opposite a second end) through a first and a second hard mask (30,40) over a target layer 20 formed over a substrate may comprises dielectric layer [0014], see also Figures 2B and 4A-4C; and the target layer 20 may comprises metallic conductive material (corresponds to the claimed metal line) [0015];
performing a plasma to the opening to remove a portion of the hard mask by directional etching process (500), wherein the substrate is inclined with respect to the incoming ion beams 500 to have the angle θ as shown in FIG. 2B and the substrate is scanned in the X/Y directions within the horizontal plane (perpendicular to the ion beam) (see, Figure 2A,2B) [0020][,[0022]); and aforesaid plasma etching reads on the claimed limitation of “the plasma etch comprises directing ions int the trenches at a non-zero angle relative to a perpendicular extending from the upper surface of the metal line”.
Lin et al fail to disclose forming a plurality of openings (corresponding to the claimed trenches).
However, in another embodiment, Lin et al disclose that a plurality of openings (145) being formed through first and second mask by directional etching 500 [0039];[0040] to enlarge the dimension of the opening 145.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to employ Lin et al's teaching of forming a plurality of openings for achieving the desired semiconductor device with proper dimension of the opening or the trenches as suggested by Lin et al.
Regarding claims 2 and 11, Lin et al disclose that during the directional plasma etching, substantially no etching occurs in the Y axis [0022]; Therefore, such etching does not remove the first or the second hard mask form the first main side and the second main side of each of the plurality of trenches or openings.
Regarding claim 3, Lin et al disclose that the opening or trenches are formed to the upper side of the metal line (target substrate 20) (shows in the Figure 4B; [0024]).
Regarding claims 4 and 12, Lin et al disclose that directing ions into the plurality of openings (trenches) into a sidewall of the first end or the second end of each of the plurality of openings (see Figure 13B; [0021]).
Regarding claims 5 and 13, Lin et al disclose that one or more conductive layers are formed in the opening 145 of the second ILD layer 120 to form via contacts 150 [0044].
Regarding claim 6, Lin et al appear to disclose that the first and the second hard mask layers being removed without removing the fill material.
Regarding claim 8, Lin et al disclose that the first hard mask layer 30 is formed over the target layer 20. In some embodiments, the first hard mask layer 30 includes a different material than the target layer 20. In some embodiments, the first hard mask layer 30 includes one or more of silicon oxide, SiON, silicon nitride, SiOC, SiOCN, SiCN, aluminum oxide, hafnium oxide, polysilicon, amorphous silicon, TiN or any other suitable material [0016].
Regarding claim 9, Lin et al disclose that in some embodiments, the ion beams include ions of Ar, Ne, Si or N. In certain embodiments, Ar ions are used. In some embodiments, an ion implantation apparatus or an ion milling apparatus are used provide the ion beams 500. In some embodiments, the substrate is inclined with respect to the incoming ion beams 500 to have the angle θ as shown in FIG. 2B and the substrate is scanned in the X/Y directions within the horizontal plane (perpendicular to the ion beam) [0020].
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 7 and 14 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Claims 17-20 are allowed.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: The prior art fails to teach or renders obvious to a process, including the step of forming a second plurality of trenches through the metal line after the first hardmask and the second hardmask are removed as the context of claims 7,14 and 17.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record, listed in the PTO-892 and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to SHAMIM AHMED whose telephone number is (571)272-1457. The examiner can normally be reached M-TH (8-5:30pm).
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SHAMIM AHMED
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 1713
/SHAMIM AHMED/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1713
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