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 .
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) 1-3, 5-8 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Chiba (US 2017/0256450 A1) in view of Peng (US 2019/0103485 A1) in view of Clendenning (US 2018/0130707 A1).
Claims 1, 7-8:
Chiba teaches a method for filling a recess with germanium based film (abstract).
Claimed step 1: preparing a substrate with a plurality of recesses (Fig. 4A).
Claimed step 2: depositing a silicon-containing film along surfaces of the plurality of recesses (Fig. 2B). Film 203 is amorphous silicon [0021].
Claimed step 4: The amorphous silicon film is etched to leave a U-shaped portion (Fig. 2C) [0024].
Thereafter, the trench is filled with the germanium based film (Fig. 2D) [0027].
Chiba does not teach a substrate having a plurality of recesses each having an opening with a different width or claimed step 3 utilizing a carbon hard mask.
However, Peng teaches a method for depositing a liner and fill including a substrate with trenches having different widths (Fig. 1B-1D).
Additionally, Clendenning teaches a method for forming a U-shaped film portion that includes using a carbon hard mask by filling with carbon hard-mask material 208 by spin-on deposition [0031]. Thereafter, the carbon hard mask and liner film are etched in the thickness direction (Fig. 2A (b)), preferably by partially removing recessed fill material prior to removing the film 206 from the field 203 and exposed sidewalls 201 [0034]. This partial removal of fill material in a trench is anisotropic etching in the thickness direction (the material to be removed is in thickness direction, no undercutting).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to practice the method of Chiba using different width trenches and a carbon hard mask for etching the liner into a U-shape. Peng establishes different width trenches are desired and can be lined and filled and Clendenning establishes a carbon hard mask can be used to form a liner layer into the U-shape.
Claims 2-3:
Clendenning teaches the carbon covers the entirety of the liner film on the substrate and completely fills the recesses (Fig. 2A(a)).
Claim 5:
Chiba teaches the etching gas for etching the amorphous silicon film can be fluorine [0026].
Claim 6:
Clendenning does teach that the carbon hard mask is ultimately removed (Fig. 2A(c)) prior to final fill (Fig. 2A(d)). As noted above, Chiba teaches filling the recesses with germanium based film.
Claim(s) 4 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Chiba (US 2017/0256450 A1) in view of Peng (US 2019/0103485 A1) in view of Clendenning (US 2018/0130707 A1) in view of Subramonium (US 8435608 B1).
Previously cited prior art is discussed above but does not teach oxygen plasma etching the carbon containing film. However, Subramonium teaches that carbon hard masks are typically removed by plasma ashing, a process that includes supplying oxygen plasma (col. 2, lines 31-51). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to further supply and oxygen plasma for the purpose of removing the carbon hard mask because Subramonium teaches that doing so is the conventional manner for accomplishing this task.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ALEX A ROLLAND whose telephone number is (571)270-5355. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 10-6:30.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Curtis Mayes can be reached at 5712721234. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/ALEX A ROLLAND/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1759
