Appeal No. 2006-0877
Application No. 09/894,230
Representative claim 16, as presented in the Brief, appears below:
16. A method for increasing a selectivity of a photoresist, comprising:
providing a substrate with a developed silicon-containing photoresist
layer disposed over a non-silicon containing photoresist layer, the developed
silicon-containing photoresist layer including polymer chains containing silicon;
exposing the substrate and the developed photoresist layer to an
ultraviolet (UV) light, the UV light emanating from a UV generating agent;
converting a top portion of the developed silicon-containing photoresist
layer to a hardened layer, the hardened layer being created by cross-linking the
polymer chains containing silicon, the cross-linking being activated by the UV
light; and
performing an etch using the hardened layer.
OPINION
Upon careful consideration of the entire record, we find that we are in agreement with
Appellants that the Examiner's rejections are not well founded. We will limit our consideration
to independent claims 16 and 37.
The Examiner determines that Sato discloses a method for improving etching resistance,
i.e., increasing selectivity of an organosilicon photoresist (Answer, pages 3 to 5). The
Examiner in discussing EXAMPLE 1 of Sato identifies the features that are similar to the
present invention. More specifically, Sato discloses the development of an organosilicon
underlying film (12) that contains hardened regions (16). Referring to Figure 1C, the Examiner
explains the resist pattern (14) and the electron beam hardened regions (16) function as etching
masks for dry etching of the unexposed/unhardened regions to form an underlying film pattern
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