DETAILED ACTION
This is in response to communication received on 4/30/26.
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Election/Restrictions
Claims 19 and 20 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected Group II and II, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on 4/30/26.
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.
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.
Claim(s) 1-18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kamakura et al. US PGPub 2018/0204732 hereinafter KAMAKURA in view of Nguyen et al. US Patent Number 11028478 hereinafter NGUYEN.
As for claim 1, KAMAKURA teaches “At the film-forming step illustrated in FIG. 4A, a silicon oxycarbide film (SiOC film) as a film containing Si, O and C is formed on the wafer 200 by performing a cycle a predetermined number of times (once or more), the cycle including non-simultaneously, i.e., non-synchronously, and alternately performing: a step I of supplying a BTCSM gas as a precursor gas and a pyridine gas as a catalyst gas to the wafer 200; and a step 2 of supplying an H2O gas as a reaction gas and a pyridine gas as a catalyst gas to the wafer 200 is implemented” (paragraph 56) and as an example “As the alkylene chlorosilane precursor gas, it may be possible to use, for example, a bis (trichlorosilyl) methane ((SiCl3) 2CH2 , abbreviation: BTCSM)” (paragraph 27, lines 9-11), i.e. wherein a method of processing a substrate, comprising: forming a film containing a first element, a second element, carbon, and a halogen on the substrate by performing a cycle a predetermined number of times, the cycle including: (a) supplying a source containing the first element, carbon, and the halogen…. and (b) supplying a reactant containing the second element different from the first element to the substrate.
KAMAKURA is silent on the source not containing a chemical bond between carbon and hydrogen to the substrate as KAMAKURA specifically shows that the linking CH2 group having a hydrogen bonded to the carbon.
However, KAMAKURA does teach “By supplying the BTCSM gas to the wafer 200 under the aforementioned conditions, it may be possible to form an Si-containing layer containing C and Cl having a thickness of, for example, about less than one atomic layer to several atomic layers, as the first layer on the wafer 200 (a base film on the surface)” (paragraph 72, lines 1-6) and “modifying at least a surface of the film by supplying a carbon-free fluorine-based gas to the substrate under a condition in which etching of the film does not occur” (paragraph 5, lines 6-8), i.e. wherein the fluorine is provided to the layer as separate gas and not a part of the silicon.
NGUYEN teaches “One or more of the methods described above may be an atomic layer deposition (ALD) process” (column 11, lines 8-9), and further describes how to adjust the compositions of the source gases such that the necessary elements are pleasant (column 1, 66- column 2, line 10; column 4, lines 16-25), which establishes precursors for applying SiCN and how N must be present to apply a nitride. Specifically, NGUYEN illustrates that providing nitrogen either as a part of the silicon precursor or as a separate source gas still results in an atomic layer containing those materials, specifically in paragraph column 5, lines 8-10, NGUYEN establishes that incorporating N into the final later can be accomplished by replacing a hydrogen on the carbon atom.
NGUYEN further teaches “In some embodiments, the silicon precursor is silanebased, such as halogenated silane (SiH4), disilane (Si2H6), trisilane (Si3H8 ) , etc. The silane-based silicon precursors may features one or more, and up to all, of the hydrogen atoms replaced with halogen atoms” (column 5, lines 53-57), wherein the term halogenated refers to not just the replacement of H-Si groups, but also C-H groups.
NGUYEN further teaches “In one or more embodiments, the silicon precursor comprises a halogenated carbosilane. Suitable halogenated carbosilanes include, but are not limited to, those based on 1,4-disilabutane, 1,3-disilabutane, 1,3,5-trisilapentane, 1,3- disilacyclobutane and 1,3,5-trisilacyclohexane, etc” (paragraph 5, lines 61-65), i.e. wherein a halogenated precursor includes those wherein all the H-C groups are replaced with halogen such that not containing a chemical bond between carbon and hydrogen.
NGUYEN goes on to provide the example of “BTCSM may be utilized as a source of Si and C atoms source. In BTCSM molecules, the methylene group (-CH2-) is sandwiched between two -SiCl3 groups” (column 6, lines 28-30).
Examiner notes that fluorine and chlorine are halogens.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to have the hydrogens of KAMAKURA’s carbosilane replaced with halogen such that is does not containing a chemical bond between carbon and hydrogen to the substrate because NGUYEN teaches that such fully halogenated precursors were well known in atomic layer deposition of silicon and carbon containing layers with halogens added, and further illustrates that it was well within the skill of the ordinary artisan to provide the desired atomic materials as either part of a specific precursor chemical structure or as a separate gas to be applied layer, as they were known equivalents in the art. In this case, providing the desired halogen of KAMAKURA as a substituted group on the precursor instead of as a separate densifying gas.
As for claim 2, KAMAKURA teaches “As the alkylene chlorosilane precursor gas, it may be possible to use, for example, a bis (trichlorosilyl) methane ((SiCl3) 2CH2 , abbreviation: BTCSM)” (paragraph 27, lines 9-11), i.e. wherine the source contains a chemical bond between the first element and carbon.
KAMAKURA is silent on a chemical bond between the halogen and carbon.
However, as illustrated in the rejection of claim 1, NGUYEN renders the substitution of the hydrogen atoms of the precursor with a desired halogen such that it includes a chemical bond between the halogen and carbon obvious, as it establishes such halogenated precursors were well known and known equivalents to providing a halogen separately as a part of a different source as taught by KAMAKURA.
As for claim 3, KAMAKURA teaches “As the alkylene chlorosilane precursor gas, it may be possible to use, for example, a bis (trichlorosilyl) methane ((SiCl3) 2CH2 , abbreviation: BTCSM)” (paragraph 27, lines 9-11), i.e. wherein the source contains a chemical bond between the first element and carbon.
KAMAKURA is specifically silent on wherein a molecule of the source includes a partial structure in which an atom of the halogen is bonded to each of at least two bonds among four bonds of a carbon atom, and an atom of the first element is bonded to each of the remaining bonds.
However, as illustrated in the rejection of claim 1, NGUYEN renders the substitution of the hydrogen atoms of the precursor with a desired halogen such that it includes wherein a molecule of the source includes a partial structure in which an atom of the halogen is bonded to each of at least two bonds among four bonds of a carbon atom, and an atom of the first element is bonded to each of the remaining bonds obvious, as it establishes such halogenated precursors were well known and known equivalents to providing a halogen separately as a part of a different source as taught by KAMAKURA.
As for claim 4, KAMAKURA teaches “As the alkylene chlorosilane precursor gas, it may be possible to use, for example, a bis (trichlorosilyl) methane ((SiCl3) 2CH2 , abbreviation: BTCSM)” (paragraph 27, lines 9-11), i.e. wherein the source contains a chemical bond between the first element and carbon.
KAMAKURA is specifically silent on wherein a molecule of the source includes a partial structure in which an atom of the halogen is bonded to each of at least two bonds among four bonds of a carbon atom, and an atom of the first element is bonded to each of the remaining bonds.
However, as illustrated in the rejection of claim 1, NGUYEN renders the substitution of the hydrogen atoms of the precursor with a desired halogen such that it includes wherein a molecule of the source includes a partial structure in which an atom of the halogen is bonded to each of at least two bonds among four bonds of a carbon atom, and an atom of the first element is bonded to each of the remaining bonds obvious, as it establishes such halogenated precursors were well known and known equivalents to providing a halogen separately as a part of a different source as taught by KAMAKURA.
As for claim 5, KAMAKURA teaches “The precursor gas refers to a gaseous precursor, for example, a gas obtained by vaporizing a liquid precursor which remains in a liquid state under room temperature and atmospheric pressure, or a precursor which remains in a gas state under room temperature and atmospheric pressure. The halosilane precursor is a silane precursor having a halogen group. The halogen group includes a chloro group, a fluoro group, a bromo group, an iodo group, and the like. That is, the halogen group contains a halogen element such as chlorine (Cl), fluorine (F), bromine (Br), iodine (I) or the like” (paragraph 26, lines 1-12), and “As the alkylene chlorosilane precursor gas, it may be possible to use, for example, a bis (trichlorosilyl) methane ((SiCl3) 2CH2 , abbreviation: BTCSM)” (paragraph 27, lines 9-11), i.e. wherein when combined with NGUYEN’s teachings about substitution to provide a doping element to an atomic layer deposition as shown in the rejection of claim 1, wherein the first element contains silicon (Si), the halogen contains fluorine (F), and the partial structure contains Si-CF2- Si.
As for claim 6, KAMAKURA teaches “The precursor gas refers to a gaseous precursor, for example, a gas obtained by vaporizing a liquid precursor which remains in a liquid state under room temperature and atmospheric pressure, or a precursor which remains in a gas state under room temperature and atmospheric pressure. The halosilane precursor is a silane precursor having a halogen group. The halogen group includes a chloro group, a fluoro group, a bromo group, an iodo group, and the like. That is, the halogen group contains a halogen element such as chlorine (Cl), fluorine (F), bromine (Br), iodine (I) or the like” (paragraph 26, lines 1-12), and “As the alkylene chlorosilane precursor gas, it may be possible to use, for example, a bis (trichlorosilyl) methane ((SiCl3) 2CH2 , abbreviation: BTCSM)” (paragraph 27, lines 9-11), i.e. wherein when combined with NGUYEN’s teaching about substitution to provide a doping element to an atomic layer deposition as shown in the rejection of claim 1, wherein the first element contains silicon (Si), the halogen contains fluorine (F), and the partial structure contains Si-CF2- Si.
As for claim 7, KAMAKURA teaches “The alkylchlorosilane precursor gas may also be referred to as an alkylhalosilane precursor gas. As the alkylchlorosilane precursor gas, it may be possible to use, for example, a 1,1,2,2-tetrachloro-l ,2-dimethyldisilane (CH3 )2Si2Cl4 , abbreviation: TCDMDS) gas” (paragraph 28), i.e. an atom of the first element is bonded to the remaining one bond of the carbon.
KAMAKURA is specifically silent on wherein a molecule of the source includes a partial structure in which an atom of the halogen is bonded to each of three bonds among four bonds of a carbon atom.
However, as illustrated in the rejection of claim 1, NGUYEN renders the substitution of the hydrogen atoms of the precursor with a desired halogen such that it includes wherein a molecule of the source includes a partial structure in which an atom of the halogen is bonded to each of three bonds among four bonds of a carbon atom obvious, as it establishes such halogenated precursors were well known and known equivalents to providing a halogen separately as a part of a different source as taught by KAMAKURA.
As for claim 8, KAMAKURA teaches “The precursor gas refers to a gaseous precursor, for example, a gas obtained by vaporizing a liquid precursor which remains in a liquid state under room temperature and atmospheric pressure, or a precursor which remains in a gas state under room temperature and atmospheric pressure. The halosilane precursor is a silane precursor having a halogen group. The halogen group includes a chloro group, a fluoro group, a bromo group, an iodo group, and the like. That is, the halogen group contains a halogen element such as chlorine (Cl), fluorine (F), bromine (Br), iodine (I) or the like” (paragraph 26, lines 1-12), and “The alkylchlorosilane precursor gas may also be referred to as an alkylhalosilane precursor gas. As the alkylchlorosilane precursor gas, it may be possible to use, for example, a 1,1,2,2-tetrachloro-l ,2-dimethyldisilane (CH3 )2Si2Cl4, abbreviation: TCDMDS) gas” (paragraph 28), i.e. wherein when combined with NGUYEN’s teachings about substitution to provide a doping element to an atomic layer deposition as shown in the rejection of claim 1, wherein the first element contains silicon (Si), the halogen contains fluorine (F), and the partial structure contains Si-CF3.
As for claim 9, KAMAKURA teaches “The precursor gas refers to a gaseous precursor, for example, a gas obtained by vaporizing a liquid precursor which remains in a liquid state under room temperature and atmospheric pressure, or a precursor which remains in a gas state under room temperature and atmospheric pressure. The halosilane precursor is a silane precursor having a halogen group. The halogen group includes a chloro group, a fluoro group, a bromo group, an iodo group, and the like. That is, the halogen group contains a halogen element such as chlorine (Cl), fluorine (F), bromine (Br), iodine (I) or the like” (paragraph 26, lines 1-12), and “The alkylchlorosilane precursor gas may also be referred to as an alkylhalosilane precursor gas. As the alkylchlorosilane precursor gas, it may be possible to use, for example, a 1,1,2,2-tetrachloro-l ,2-dimethyldisilane (CH3 )2Si2Cl4, abbreviation: TCDMDS) gas” (paragraph 28), i.e. wherein when combined with NGUYEN’s teachings about substitution to provide a doping element to an atomic layer deposition as shown in the rejection of claim 1, wherein the first element contains silicon (Si), the halogen contains chlorine (Cl), and the partial structure contains SiCCls.
As for claim 10, KAMAKURA teaches “At the film-forming step illustrated in FIG. 4A, a silicon oxycarbide film (SiOC film) as a film containing Si, O and C is formed on the wafer 200 by performing a cycle a predetermined number of times (once or more), the cycle including non-simultaneously, i.e., non-synchronously, and alternately performing: a step I of supplying a BTCSM gas as a precursor gas and a pyridine gas as a catalyst gas to the wafer 200; and a step 2 of supplying an H2O gas as a reaction gas and a pyridine gas as a catalyst gas to the wafer 200 is implemented” (paragraph 56), i.e. wherein the second element contains oxygen.
As for claim 11, KAMAKURA teaches “At the film-forming step illustrated in FIG. 4A, a silicon oxycarbide film (SiOC film) as a film containing Si, O and C is formed on the wafer 200 by performing a cycle a predetermined number of times (once or more), the cycle including non-simultaneously, i.e., non-synchronously, and alternately performing: a step I of supplying a BTCSM gas as a precursor gas and a pyridine gas as a catalyst gas to the wafer 200; and a step 2 of supplying an H2O gas as a reaction gas and a pyridine gas as a catalyst gas to the wafer 200 is implemented” (paragraph 56), i.e. wherein the reactant is an oxidant.
As for claim 12, KAMAKURA teaches “catalyst gas for promoting a film formation reaction with the aforementioned precursor gas or reaction gas is supplied from the gas supply pipe” (paragraph 32, lines 1-3).
As for claim 13, Examiner notes that based upon the language of the independent claim and this claim, it is not required the ‘source’ reacts in any way to form the film. It only requires its presence. As it is an open-ended claim, (see ‘comprising’), it can contain other unrecited elements. As such the scope of the claim encompasses an embodiment in which the ‘source’ is the portion of the reactive gas that goes unreacted and is removed afterwards such that wherein (a) and (b) are performed under a condition that a chemical bond between the first element and carbon and a chemical bond between the halogen and carbon in the source are held without being broken.
With that in mind, KAMAKURA teaches “After the modification step is completed, the N2 gas is supplied from each of the gas supply pipes 232d to 232f into the process chamber 201 and is exhausted from the exhaust pipe 231. The N2 gas acts as a purge gas. Thus, the interior of the process chamber 201 is purged, and the gas or the reaction byproduct, which remains within the process chamber 201, is removed from the interior of the process chamber 201 (after purge)” (paragraph 108, lines 1-8) and “At this time, the supply of the N2 gas into the process chamber 201 is maintained while opening the valves 243d to 243f. The N2 gas acts as a purge gas. This makes it possible to enhance the effect of removing the BTCSM gas and pyridine gas unreacted or contributed to the formation of the first layer, which remain within the process chamber 201, from the interior of the process chamber 201” (paragraph 80, lines 10-16), i.e. wherein some reactant is unreacted such that wherein (a) and (b) are performed under a condition that a chemical bond between the first element and carbon and a chemical bond between the halogen and carbon in the source are held without being broken.
As for claim 14, KAMAKURA teaches “Thus, the SiOC film may be modified (fluorinated) into a film containing Si, O, C and F, i.e., an SiOCF film” (paragraph 105, lines 3-5), i.e. wherein the film contains the chemical bond between the first element and carbon and the chemical bond between the halogen and carbon.
As for claim 15, Examiner notes that based upon the language of the independent claim and this claim, it is not required the ‘source’ reacts in any way to form the film. It only requires its presence. As it is an open-ended claim, (see ‘comprising’), it can contain other unrecited elements. As such the scope of the claim encompasses an embodiment in which the ‘source’ is the portion of the reactive gas that goes unreacted and is removed afterwards such that wherein (a) and (b) are performed under a condition that a chemical bond between the first element and carbon and a chemical bond between the halogen and carbon in the source are held without being broken.
With that in mind, KAMAKURA teaches “After the modification step is completed, the N2 gas is supplied from each of the gas supply pipes 232d to 232f into the process chamber 201 and is exhausted from the exhaust pipe 231. The N2 gas acts as a purge gas. Thus, the interior of the process chamber 201 is purged, and the gas or the reaction byproduct, which remains within the process chamber 201, is removed from the interior of the process chamber 201 (after purge)” (paragraph 108, lines 1-8) and “At this time, the supply of the N2 gas into the process chamber 201 is maintained while opening the valves 243d to 243f. The N2 gas acts as a purge gas. This makes it possible to enhance the effect of removing the BTCSM gas and pyridine gas unreacted or contributed to the formation of the first layer, which remain within the process chamber 201, from the interior of the process chamber 201” (paragraph 80, lines 10-16), i.e. wherein some reactant is unreacted such that wherein (a) and (b) are performed under a condition that a chemical bond between the first element and carbon and a chemical bond between the halogen and carbon in the source are held without being broken.
As for claim 16, KAMAKURA teaches “Thus, the SiOC film may be modified (fluorinated) into a film containing Si, O, C and F, i.e., an SiOCF film” (paragraph 105, lines 3-5), i.e. wherein the film includes the partial structure.
As for claim 17, KAMAKURA teaches “Thus, the SiOC film may be modified (fluorinated) into a film containing Si, O, C and F, i.e., an SiOCF film” (paragraph 105, lines 3-5), i.e. wherein the film does not contain a chemical bond between carbon and hydrogen.
As for claim 18, KAMAKURA teaches “The present disclosure relates to a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device, a substrate processing apparatus, and a recording medium” (paragraph 2), and as combined with NGUYEN in the rejection of claim 1, i.e. a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device, comprising the method of processing a substrate according to claim 1.
Conclusion
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/KRISTEN A DAGENAIS/Examiner, Art Unit 1717
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