Appeal No. 2002-1144
Application No. 09/422,633
polymer, and a photoinitiator which generates a strong acid upon
radiolysis to remove the acid labile groups from the functional
groups in the polymer upon exposure to radiation, wherein said
acid labile groups inhibiting alkaline solubility represent about
15 to 50% of the total of (a) functional groups contributing to
alkaline solubility and (b) acid labile groups inhibiting
alkaline solubility.
The examiner relies upon the following references as
evidence of obviousness:
Ito et al. (Ito) 4,491,628 Jan. 1, 1985
Hiroshi Ito (Ito (JPS)), "Solid-State Thermolysis of Poly(p-t-
Butoxylcarbonyl-oxystyrene)Catalyzed by Polymeric Phenol: Effect
of Phase Separation," 24 Journal of Polymer Science: Part A:
Polymer Chemistry Edition 2971-2980 (1986)
The present application is a continuation of U.S.
Application No. 07/933,432, filed August 20, 1992. An appeal was
taken in the parent application and in a decision dated
October 31, 1996, the Board sustained the examiner's rejection
under 35 U.S.C. § 103 over the same prior art presently applied
by the examiner (Appeal No. 94-4423).
Appellants' claimed invention is directed to a positive
working resist composition comprising a polymer whose functional
groups are, in part, substituted with acid labile groups which
inhibit the alkaline solubility of the polymer. Appealed claim 1
is narrower in scope than representative claim 1 of the prior
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