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 .
A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after final rejection. Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on 09/01/26 has been entered.
Claims 16-20 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR
1.142(b), as being drawn to a nonelected Group II, there being no allowable generic or
linking claim. Applicant timely traversed the restriction (election) requirement in the reply
filed on 03/11/26.
Applicant's election with traverse of Group I in the reply filed on 03/11/26 is
acknowledged. The traversal is on the ground(s) that claims 16-20 belongs to same
Group(I). This is not found persuasive because claims 16-20 related to device and
belong to different class/subclass 711/100.
The requirement is still deemed proper and is therefore made FINAL.
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 1, 3-5, 6-9, 11, and 13-15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Toshiya Suzuki et al (U. S. Patent Application: 2017/0140925, here after Suzuki), further in view of Kang-Hun Moon et al (U. S. Patent Application: 2017/0186603, here after Moon).
Claims 1 and 11 are rejected. Suzuki teaches a method of depositing a film comprising:
Flowing hydrogen and a silicon containing precursor over a substrate surface [0069, 0070];
exposing the substrate to a reactant to react with silicon containing precursor (NH3) [0181] and form a barrier (etch stop) layer comprising SiOCN on surface of the substrate [abstract, 0064], and exposing substrate to a plasma (PEALD)[0180].
Suzuki does not teach the silicon precursor is dimethylmethoxysilane. Moon teaches a method of forming SiOCN by PEALD [0014] where the silicon precursor is dimethylmethoxysilane [0057]. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in art at the time of the invention was made to have a method of making SiOCN of Suzuki where the silicon precursor is dimethylmethoxysilane, because it is a suitable silicon precursor for depositing SiOCN layer by PEALD. Suzuki and Moon also teach exposing the substrate surface to silicon containing precursor and hydrogen and subsequently exposing to reactant(ammonia) [Suzuki 0019-0020, Moon 0079, 0082].
Claim 3 is rejected as Suzuki teaches hydrogen is flowed at rate of 100sccm [0234].
Claim 4 is rejected as Suzuki teaches the plasma is a remote plasma [0091].
Claim 5 is rejected as Suzuki teaches the plasma is hydrogen plasma [0091].
Claim 6 is rejected as Suzuki teaches silicon containing precursor and hydrogen are followed simultaneously [0092].
Claim 7 is rejected as Suzuki and Moon teaches silicon containing precursor and hydrogen are followed sequentially [Suzuki 0019-0020, Moon 0082].
Claim 8 is rejected as Suzuki teaches thickness of the barrier layer is 50A [0147].
Claim 9 is rejected as Suzuki teaches the film is deposited at 100C [0104-0105].
Claims 13-15 are rejected. Suzuki and Moon both teach purging the substrate surface by flowing a purge gas such as nitrogen over substrate surface of the silicon-containing precursor, hydrogen (H₂), and the reactant [Suzuki 0083-0084, and 0090, Moon 0078, 0089].
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 08/20/26 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive. The applicant argues Hamm does not teach sequence of flowing precursors; however Suzuki and Moon teach PEALD deposition of SiOCN and teach this limitation (see claim rejection above). Suzuki and Moon both teach flowing hydrogen on surface of substrate and applicant argument regarding Moon is not persuasive as hydrogen flowing for one cycle would be prior to second cycle and consider as flowing hydrogen and silicon containing precursor.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to TABASSOM TADAYYON ESLAMI whose telephone number is (571)270-1885. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9:30-6.
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/TABASSOM TADAYYON ESLAMI/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1718
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