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 .
Claims 1-19 are pending
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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
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.
Claims 1-9 and 11-19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ogiwara et al. (JP 2007-047580 A) in view of Kori et al. (US 2022/0179317 A1).
Regarding claim 1, Ogiwara teaches a patterning process comprising providing an organic underlayer film (A) on a substrate to be processed (forming organic flattening layer/resist underlayer film 11 on layer to be processed 10a of substrate 10; paragraphs [0078], [0089]). Ogiwara further teaches providing a silicon-containing hard mask (B) on the organic underlayer film (A) (forming first resist intermediate layer film 12 as a silicon-containing inorganic film, including silicon nitride or silicon oxynitride, on resist underlayer film 11, wherein the silicon-containing inorganic film functions as a hard mask; paragraphs [0038], [0079]). Ogiwara also teaches providing a silicon-containing antireflective film (C) on the silicon-containing hard mask (B) (forming second resist intermediate layer film 13 as a silicon resin film on first resist intermediate layer film 12, wherein the silicon resin film provides an antireflection function; paragraphs [0040], [0054], [0080]).
Ogiwara teaches providing a photoresist film (D) on the silicon-containing antireflective film (C), such that the organic underlayer film (A), the silicon-containing hard mask (B), the silicon-containing antireflective film (C), and the photoresist film (D) are provided in this order on the substrate to be processed (forming resist underlayer film 11, first resist intermediate layer film 12, second resist intermediate layer film 13, and photoresist/resist upper layer film 14 in this order; paragraphs [0078]-[0081]).
Ogiwara teaches subjecting a pattern circuit region of the photoresist film (D) to exposure to form an exposed pattern and then developing the exposed pattern with a developer to form a resist pattern in the photoresist film (D) (exposing resist upper layer film 14 in a pattern circuit region and subsequently performing development to obtain a resist pattern; paragraph [0082]). Ogiwara further teaches forming a hard mask middle layer film pattern by etching the silicon-containing antireflective film (C) and the silicon-containing hard mask (B) while using the obtained resist pattern as an etching mask (simultaneously etching second resist intermediate layer film 13 and first resist intermediate layer film 12 by fluorine-based dry etching using the resist pattern as an etching mask to transfer the resist pattern to the first and second resist intermediate layer films; paragraph [0083]). Ogiwara continues to teach forming an organic underlayer film pattern by etching the organic underlayer film (A) while using the obtained hard mask middle layer film pattern as an etching mask (etching resist underlayer film 11 while using the pattern transferred to the first and second resist
intermediate layer films as an etching mask, thereby transferring the pattern to resist underlayer film 11; paragraphs [0085]-[0086]). Ogiwara also teaches forming
a pattern in the substrate to be processed by etching the substrate to be processed while using the obtained organic underlayer film pattern as an etching mask (dry etching layer to be processed 10a of substrate 10 while using patterned resist underlayer film
11 as an etching mask to form a wiring trench in layer to be processed 10a; paragraphs [0087], [0089]).
Ogiwara does not expressly teach wherein the silicon-containing antireflective film (C) is formed using a composition for forming a silicon-containing antireflective film containing a crosslinking agent and a polysiloxane containing any one or more of a repeating unit represented by General Formula (Sx-1), a repeating unit represented by General Formula (Sx-2), and a partial structure represented by General Formula (Sx-3), wherein Ra, Rb, and Rc are each identical to or different from each other and represent a monovalent organic group having 1 to 30 carbon atoms.
For purposes of examination, the recited crosslinking agent is interpreted to encompass a compound containing an isocyanuric acid structure, consistent with paragraph [0149] of the instant specification, which identifies a compound containing an isocyanuric acid structure as a preferred crosslinking agent.
Kori teaches a composition for forming a silicon-containing film containing an isocyanuric-acid-containing compound and a thermally crosslinkable polysiloxane (Kori teaches blending a compound having an isocyanuric acid structure into the silicon-containing film-forming composition and teaches that the composition contains Kori’s compound represented by General Formula (A-1) together with a thermally crosslinkable polysiloxane; paragraphs [0049]-[0054]).
Kori further teaches the polysiloxane containing any one or more of a repeating unit represented by General Formula (Sx-1), a repeating unit represented by General Formula (Sx-2), and a partial structure represented by General Formula (Sx-3), wherein R4, R5, and R6 are identical to or different from one another and each represent a monovalent organic group having 1 to 30 carbon atoms (thermally crosslinkable polysiloxane (Sx) contains one or more of Sx-1, Sx-2, and Sx-3, with Kori’s R4, R5, and R6 corresponding to the claimed Ra, Rb, and Rc; paragraphs [0076]-[0077]; claim 2).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the composition used by Ogiwara to form the silicon-containing antireflective film (C) to include the isocyanuric-acid-containing compound and thermally crosslinkable polysiloxane taught by Kori because Ogiwara teaches that known silicon resins may be used for the second resist intermediate layer film 13 and that crosslinking of the silicon resin is desirable to prevent intermixing with the overlying photoresist film (paragraphs [0053]-[0055]), while Kori teaches that its silicon-containing film provides favorable adhesion to an overlying photoresist and high etching selectivity relative to the photoresist and an underlying organic film, thereby permitting successive pattern transfer while maintaining a favorable pattern profile (paragraph [0075]). Accordingly, use of Kori’s known silicon-containing film composition in Ogiwara’s similar multilayer patterning method would have been a use of a known technique to improve a similar method in the same way. Accordingly, use of Kori’s known silicon-containing film composition in Ogiwara’s similar multilayer patterning method would have been a use of a known technique to improve a similar method in the same way. See MPEP § 2143 I(C).
Regarding claim 2, modified Ogiwara teaches the limitations of claim 1 as discussed above. Modified Ogiwara further teaches wherein, as the silicon-containing hard mask (B), a layer selected from the group consisting of a silicon oxide film, a silicon nitride film, and a silicon oxynitride film is formed (forming first resist intermediate layer film 12 as an inorganic silicon oxide film, and further teaching that the silicon-containing inorganic film may be a silicon nitride film or a silicon oxynitride film; paragraphs [0050], [0061]).
Regarding claim 3, modified Ogiwara teaches the limitations of claim 1 as discussed above. Modified Ogiwara further teaches wherein at least one of Ra to Rc in General Formulae (Sx-1) to (Sx-3) is an organic group having one or more carbon-oxygen single bonds or carbon-oxygen double bonds (Kori teaches that R4, R5, and R6, which correspond to the claimed Ra, Rb, and Rc, may be organic groups having one or more carbon-oxygen single bonds or carbon-oxygen double bonds, including organic groups having an ether group, ester group, alkoxy group, or hydroxy group; paragraphs [0081]-[0082]).
Regarding claim 4, modified Ogiwara teaches the limitations of claim 2 as discussed above. Modified Ogiwara further teaches wherein at least one of Ra to Rc in General Formulae (Sx-1) to (Sx-3) is an organic group having one or more carbon-oxygen single bonds or carbon-oxygen double bonds (Kori teaches that R4, R5, and R6, which correspond to the claimed Ra, Rb, and Rc, may be organic groups having one or more carbon-oxygen single bonds or carbon-oxygen double bonds, including organic groups having an ether group, ester group, alkoxy group, or hydroxy group; paragraphs [0081]-[0082]).
Regarding claim 5, modified Ogiwara teaches the limitations of claim 1 as discussed above. Modified Ogiwara further teaches wherein the crosslinking agent is a compound containing an isocyanuric acid structure (Kori teaches that the composition contains the compound represented by General Formula (A-1) together with the thermally crosslinkable polysiloxane, and expressly identifies the General Formula (A-1) compound as a compound having an isocyanuric acid structure; paragraphs [0013]-[0017]).
Regarding claim 6, modified Ogiwara teaches the limitations of claim 2 as discussed above. Modified Ogiwara further teaches wherein the crosslinking agent is a compound containing an isocyanuric acid structure (Kori teaches a silicon-containing film-forming composition containing the compound represented by General Formula (A-1) together with a thermally crosslinkable polysiloxane, and identifies the General Formula (A-1) compound as having an isocyanuric acid structure; paragraphs [0016], [0054]).
Regarding claim 7, modified Ogiwara teaches the limitations of claim 3 as discussed above. Modified Ogiwara further teaches wherein the crosslinking agent is a compound containing an isocyanuric acid structure (Kori teaches a silicon-containing film-forming composition containing the compound represented by General Formula (A-1) together with a thermally crosslinkable polysiloxane, and identifies the General Formula (A-1) compound as having an isocyanuric acid structure; paragraphs [0016], [0054]).
Regarding claim 8, modified Ogiwara teaches the limitations of claim 4 as discussed above. Modified Ogiwara further teaches wherein the crosslinking agent is a compound containing an isocyanuric acid structure (Kori teaches a silicon-containing film-forming composition containing the compound represented by General Formula (A-1) together with a thermally crosslinkable polysiloxane, and identifies the General Formula (A-1) compound as having an isocyanuric acid structure; paragraphs [0016], [0054]).
Regarding claim 9, modified Ogiwara teaches the limitations of claim 1 as discussed above. Modified Ogiwara does not expressly teach wherein the organic underlayer film (A) is formed by a CVD method.
For purposes of examination, the recited organic underlayer film (A) is interpreted to encompass an organic hard mask formed by a CVD method, consistent with paragraph [0078] of the instant specification, which describes adopting an organic hard mask formed by a CVD method or an ALD method as the organic underlayer film and preferably forming the organic underlayer film by a CVD method.
Kori teaches wherein the organic underlayer film (A) is formed by a CVD method under the above interpretation (forming an organic hard mask mainly containing carbon by a CVD method on a body to be processed, with the silicon-containing film formed over the hard mask, and further teaching that a hard mask mainly containing carbon may be formed by a known CVD method; paragraphs [0153]-[0154], [0161]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to further modify modified Ogiwara to form the organic underlayer film (A) by a CVD method because Kori teaches forming a carbon-containing organic hard mask by CVD beneath a silicon-containing film in a multilayer resist patterning process and teaches that the resulting combination permits transfer of an ultrafine photoresist pattern to the substrate while suppressing pattern collapse and maintaining a favorable pattern profile (paragraphs [0153]-[0162]). It therefore would have been obvious to use Kori’s known CVD technique to form Ogiwara’s organic underlayer film (A), since use of a known technique to improve similar methods in the same way is obvious. See MPEP § 2143 I(C).
Regarding claim 11, modified Ogiwara teaches the limitations of claim 1 as discussed above. Modified Ogiwara further teaches wherein the silicon-containing hard mask (B) and the silicon-containing antireflective film (C) are formed in such a manner that a film thickness FTb of the silicon-containing hard mask (B) and a film thickness FTc of the silicon-containing antireflective film (C) satisfy a relationship FTb>FTc (forming first resist intermediate layer film 12, corresponding to the silicon-containing hard mask (B), as a silicon oxide film having a thickness of 200 nm, and forming second resist intermediate layer film 13, corresponding to the silicon-containing antireflective film (C), as a silicon resin film having a thickness of 90 nm, such that 200 nm > 90 nm and therefore FTb>FTc; paragraphs [0091]-[0092]).
Regarding claim 12, modified Ogiwara teaches the limitations of claim 2 as discussed above. Modified Ogiwara further teaches wherein the silicon-containing hard mask (B) and the silicon-containing antireflective film (C) are formed in such a manner that a film thickness FTb of the silicon-containing hard mask (B) and a film thickness FTc of the silicon-containing antireflective film (C) satisfy a relationship FTb>FTc (forming first resist intermediate layer film 12, corresponding to the silicon-containing hard mask (B), as a silicon oxide film having a thickness of 200 nm, and forming second resist intermediate layer film 13, corresponding to the silicon-containing antireflective film (C), as a silicon resin film having a thickness of 90 nm, such that 200 nm > 90 nm and therefore FTb>FTc; paragraphs [0091]-[0092]).
Regarding claim 13, modified Ogiwara teaches the limitations of claim 3 as discussed above. Modified Ogiwara further teaches wherein the silicon-containing hard mask (B) and the silicon-containing antireflective film (C) are formed in such a manner that a film thickness FTb of the silicon-containing hard mask (B) and a film thickness FTc of the silicon-containing antireflective film (C) satisfy a relationship FTb>FTc (forming first resist intermediate layer film 12, corresponding to the silicon-containing hard mask (B), as a silicon oxide film having a thickness of 200 nm, and forming second resist intermediate layer film 13, corresponding to the silicon-containing antireflective film (C), as a silicon resin film having a thickness of 90 nm, such that 200 nm > 90 nm and therefore FTb>FTc; paragraphs [0091]-[0092]).
Regarding claim 14, modified Ogiwara teaches the limitations of claim 4 as discussed above. Modified Ogiwara further teaches wherein the silicon-containing hard mask (B) and the silicon-containing antireflective film (C) are formed in such a manner that a film thickness FTb of the silicon-containing hard mask (B) and a film thickness FTc of the silicon-containing antireflective film (C) satisfy a relationship FTb>FTc (forming first resist intermediate layer film 12, corresponding to the silicon-containing hard mask (B), as a silicon oxide film having a thickness of 200 nm, and forming second resist intermediate layer film 13, corresponding to the silicon-containing antireflective film (C), as a silicon resin film having a thickness of 90 nm, such that 200 nm > 90 nm and therefore FTb>FTc; paragraphs [0091]-[0092]).
Regarding claim 15, modified Ogiwara teaches the limitations of claim 5 as discussed above. Modified Ogiwara further teaches wherein the silicon-containing hard mask (B) and the silicon-containing antireflective film (C) are formed in such a manner that a film thickness FTb of the silicon-containing hard mask (B) and a film thickness FTc of the silicon-containing antireflective film (C) satisfy a relationship FTb>FTc (forming first resist intermediate layer film 12, corresponding to the silicon-containing hard mask (B), as a silicon oxide film having a thickness of 200 nm, and forming second resist intermediate layer film 13, corresponding to the silicon-containing antireflective film (C), as a silicon resin film having a thickness of 90 nm, such that 200 nm > 90 nm and therefore FTb>FTc; paragraphs [0091]-[0092]).
Regarding claim 16, modified Ogiwara teaches the limitations of claim 6 as discussed above. Modified Ogiwara further teaches wherein the silicon-containing hard mask (B) and the silicon-containing antireflective film (C) are formed in such a manner that a film thickness FTb of the silicon-containing hard mask (B) and a film thickness FTc of the silicon-containing antireflective film (C) satisfy a relationship FTb>FTc (forming first resist intermediate layer film 12, corresponding to the silicon-containing hard mask (B), as a silicon oxide film having a thickness of 200 nm, and forming second resist intermediate layer film 13, corresponding to the silicon-containing antireflective film (C), as a silicon resin film having a thickness of 90 nm, such that 200 nm > 90 nm and therefore FTb>FTc; paragraphs [0091]-[0092]).
Regarding claim 17, modified Ogiwara teaches the limitations of claim 7 as discussed above. Modified Ogiwara further teaches wherein the silicon-containing hard mask (B) and the silicon-containing antireflective film (C) are formed in such a manner that a film thickness FTb of the silicon-containing hard mask (B) and a film thickness FTc of the silicon-containing antireflective film (C) satisfy a relationship FTb>FTc (forming first resist intermediate layer film 12, corresponding to the silicon-containing hard mask (B), as a silicon oxide film having a thickness of 200 nm, and forming second resist intermediate layer film 13, corresponding to the silicon-containing antireflective film (C), as a silicon resin film having a thickness of 90 nm, such that 200 nm > 90 nm and therefore FTb>FTc; paragraphs [0091]-[0092]).
Regarding claim 18, modified Ogiwara teaches the limitations of claim 8 as discussed above. Modified Ogiwara further teaches wherein the silicon-containing hard mask (B) and the silicon-containing antireflective film (C) are formed in such a manner that a film thickness FTb of the silicon-containing hard mask (B) and a film thickness FTc of the silicon-containing antireflective film (C) satisfy a relationship FTb>FTc (forming first resist intermediate layer film 12, corresponding to the silicon-containing hard mask (B), as a silicon oxide film having a thickness of 200 nm, and forming second resist intermediate layer film 13, corresponding to the silicon-containing antireflective film (C), as a silicon resin film having a thickness of 90 nm, such that 200 nm > 90 nm and therefore FTb>FTc; paragraphs [0091]-[0092]).
Regarding claim 19, modified Ogiwara teaches the limitations of claim 1 as discussed above.
Modified Ogiwara teaches that the silicon-containing antireflective film (C) may have a film thickness of 10 to 300 nm (second resist intermediate layer film 13, corresponding to the silicon-containing antireflective film (C), has a film thickness of 10 to 300 nm; paragraph [0066]), which overlaps the claimed film thickness of 15 nm or less over the range of 10 to 15 nm.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to select a film thickness FTc of 15 nm or less because Ogiwara teaches an overlapping film-thickness range of 10 to 300 nm, and a prima facie case of obviousness exists where the claimed range overlaps or lies within a range disclosed by the prior art. See MPEP § 2144.05.
Claim 10 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ogiwara et al. in view of Kori et al. as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Tachibana et al. (US 2016/0276152 A1).
Regarding claim 10, modified Ogiwara teaches the limitations of claim 1 as discussed above. Modified Ogiwara does not expressly teach wherein, as the organic underlayer film (A), a film including any of a graphene film, an amorphous carbon film, and a diamond-like carbon film is formed.
Tachibana teaches wherein, as the organic underlayer film (A), an amorphous carbon film is formed (teaching that an under layer film may be a CVD hard mask formed by a CVD method using an organic hard mask material mainly consisting of carbon, and that the CVD hard mask may be an amorphous carbon film; paragraph [0041]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to further modify modified Ogiwara to form the organic underlayer film (A) as an amorphous carbon film because Tachibana teaches amorphous carbon as a known carbon-containing hard mask material for use as an under layer film in a multilayer resist patterning process, and simple substitution of one known element for another to obtain predictable results is obvious. See MPEP § 2143, I(B).
Conclusion
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/JONATHAN L CARTER/Examiner, Art Unit 1713
/ERIN F BERGNER/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1713
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