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 .
DETAILED ACTION
Claims 1-20 are pending in this application, which is a CON of PCT/JP2023/025767.
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of claims 1-19 in the reply filed on 03/12/2026 is acknowledged.
Claim 20 is withdrawn from consideration as being directed to a nonelected invention.
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Specification
The title of the invention is not descriptive. A new title is required that is clearly indicative of the invention to which the claims are directed.
It is noted that the claimed invention is directed solely to a method. The examiner suggests amending the title to reflect same.
The lengthy specification has not been checked to the extent necessary to determine the presence of all possible minor errors. Applicant’s cooperation is requested in correcting any errors of which applicant may become aware in the specification.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 11-13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
In claim 11 line 3, from which claims 12-13 depend, the term “at least one” is deemed confusing as to what one is referring to. Specifically, the examiner questions at least one what?
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, 9-10, 18-19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ueda et al. (2019/0333753) in view of Mayorga et al. (2015/0024608).
Ueda teaches plasma enhanced atomic layer deposition of silicon nitride using silicon-hydrohalide precursors (title) having high side wall conformality (abstract, Figure 1). Specifically, a SiN deposition phase 312 comprises exposure to silicon precursor 370 and purge 380 followed by exposure to nitrogen plasma 390 and purge 392 (0010 and Figure 3). While the reference teaches the use of a plasma in the second reactant such as helium (0041-0043), the reference fails to teach a helium plasma with the supplying of the silicon and the nitrogen.
Mayorga teaches a method of depositing films using organoaminodisilane precursors (title) in which silicon nitride films are deposited via PEALD (0120). Specifically, a helium plasma is used (0151, claim 32). It would have been obvious to utilize a helium plasma in the process of Ueda with the expectation of success because Mayorga teaches of using a helium plasma to form silicon nitride films by PEALD.
With respect to changing conditions as cycles are increased, it is noted that Mayorga teaches that the PEALD process uses a helium plasma (0151) and affects the thickness as the number of cycles are increased (Figure 4).
Regarding claim 9, Mayorga teaches helium and nitrogen (0086).
Regarding claim 10, Mayorga teaches a nitrogen plasma (0085).
Regarding claim 18, Mayorga teaches aminosilane (0003).
Regarding claim 19, Mayorga teaches a nitrogen plasma (0085).
Claims 2, 11-13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ueda et al. (2019/0333753) and Mayorga et al. (2015/0024608) and further in view of Kang et al. (2017/0263442). The combination of Ueda/Mayorga fails to teaches stepwise increasing or decreasing a specific parameter.
Kang teaches a deposition method using plasma stabilization (title) in a PEALD process using a plasma to active a reactive gas and a source gas (0005). Specifically, the levels of plasma power may increase stepwise (0012). It would have been obvious to one skilled in the art to increase stepwise the plasma power in the combination because Kang teaches of stepwise increasing plasma power in a PEALD process.
Regarding claim 11, Mayorga teaches a nitrogen plasma (0085) and Kang teaches increasing power stepwise (0012).
Regarding claims 12-13, Mayorga teaches nitrogen and an inert gas such as argon (0086).
Claims 14-15, 17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ueda et al. (2019/0333753) and Mayorga et al. (2015/0024608) and further in view of Hausmann et al. (9,670,579). The combination of Ueda/Mayorga fails to teach a halogen plasma.
Hausmann teaches of forming conformal SiN film (title) in which a plasma is utilized (col.4 lines 29-044, Figure 4). In one embodiment, an HF plasma is utilized (col.14 lines 37-63). It would have been obvious to incorporate an HF plasma in the combination with the expectation of success because Hausmann teaches of using an HF plasma to form a SiN film.
Regarding claim 15, Hausmann teaches HF (col.14 lines 37-63).
Regarding claim 17, Ueda teaches nitrogen (0011) and Hausmann teaches HF (col.14 lines 37-63).
Claim 16 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ueda et al. (2019/0333753) and Mayorga et al. (2015/0024608) and Hausmann et al. (9,670,579) and further in view of Kang et al. (2017/0263442). The combination of Ueda/Mayorga/Hausmann fails to teaches stepwise increasing or decreasing a specific parameter.
Kang teaches a deposition method using plasma stabilization (title) in a PEALD process using a plasma to active a reactive gas and a source gas (0005). Specifically, the levels of plasma power may increase stepwise (0012). It would have been obvious to one skilled in the art to increase stepwise the plasma power in the combination because Kang teaches of stepwise increasing plasma power in a PEALD process.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 3-8 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.
The prior art references fail to teach reducing a number of adsorption sites for a silicon precursor as recited in claim 3, from which claims 4-8 depend.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to BRET CHEN whose telephone number is (571)272-1417. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8:30-8:30 MT.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Gordon Baldwin can be reached at (571) 272-5166. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/BRET P CHEN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1718 03/27/2026