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 § 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 3, 9, and 11 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.
Claims 3, 9, and 11 (each dependent on amended claim 1) recites the limitation "the plurality of emission regions". There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in each claim since claim 1 now recites throughout “plurality of fan-shaped emission regions” (emphasis added).
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.
Claims 1-3, 9, and 11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Dubs et al (US 6,123,814) in view of Inao (JP No. 06322538, machine translation cited below), Takigawa (JP No. 05001373, machine translation cited below), and Pavloff et al (US 7,767,064).
With respect to claim 1, Dubs discloses a “sputter coating station” (e.g. claimed “apparatus”) [1] configured for planar magnetron sputtering onto a substrate (Abstract; col. 3, lines 23-64), wherein fig. 1 depicts the apparatus [1] comprises: a processing container configured to accommodate plural substrates [13] (col. 3, lines 30-64); a “planetary system” of “planets” (e.g. claimed “stages”) [11] provided inside the processing container that each have a single substrate [13] of the plural substrates [13] and arranged along a circle surrounding a preset center position of axis [As] (col. 3, lines 30-64); and a “sputter source” (e.g. claimed “target”) disposed at a position above the stages [11] to cause target particles emitted by plasma formed inside the processing container to adhere to the plural substrates [13] on the planets [11] (col. 3, lines 23-30; claim 1).
However Dubs is limited in that while a side view is shown in fig. 1, a top-down view (e.g. claimed “plan view from above the target”) is not suggested.
Inao teaches in fig. 1 a side view of an apparatus configured for planar magnetron sputtering comprising: a vacuum chamber (i.e. processing container) [7] containing a target [2], plural substrates [6] each on a respective plate (i.e. stage) [9] and arranged “at equal pitches on a circumference coaxial with the target” (e.g. along a circle surrounding a preset center position), such that target particles emitted from the target [2] adhere to the plural substrates [6] (para 0003 and 0009-0010), similar to the apparatus of Dubs. Inao further teaches that fig. 2 is a top-down view (i.e. plan view) of fig. 1 (para 0009), wherein fig. 2 depicts the plural substrates [6] each on the respective stage [9] are arranged such that when viewed from the plan view: overlapping regions, in each of which a single substrate [6] of the plural substrates [6] overlaps with a single fan-shaped emission region among plural fan-shaped emission regions of the target [2], are arranged at positions that are rotationally symmetrical around the preset center position, wherein the plural fan-shaped emission regions spaced apart from each other in a circumferential direction of the circle surrounding the preset center position are formed in the target [2] (para 0009-0010). The cropped figures below of Inao’s fig. 2 and Applicant’s fig. 10 serve to clarify the single fan-shaped emission region for each single substrate [6] of the plural substrates [6] as compared with Applicant’s fig. 10 fan-shaped emission regions [D].
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Inao cites the advantage of arranging the plural substrates [6] each on the respective stage [9] to overlap with respect to the target [2] as improving uniformity of film thickness distribution on each substrate [6] and film deposition efficiency (para 0001).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to arrange the plural substrates [13] and target [3] of Dubs to overlap as taught by Inao in fig. 2 to gain the advantages of improving uniformity of film thickness distribution on each of the plural substrates [13] and film deposition efficiency.
However the combination of references Dubs and Inao is further limited in that while the apparatus is configured for planar magnetron sputtering (Dubs, col. 1, lines 23-25; Inao, para 0009), specifics of the planar magnetron are not suggested.
Takigawa teaches in fig. 1 an apparatus configured for planar magnetron sputtering comprising: a target [4] having “magnet pairs” (i.e. singular magnet pairs) [19] behind the target [4] and a substrate [3] in front of the target [4], wherein each of the singular magnet pairs [19] rotate (para 0011-0013), similar to the apparatus of both Dubs and Inao. Takigawa further depicts in fig. 1-2 each of the singular magnet pairs [19] extend to an outer periphery of the target [4], wherein each of the singular magnet pairs [19] totals four singular magnet pairs [19] as shown in a plan view of fig. 2; each of the four singular magnet pairs [19] forms a respective emission region (e.g. plural emission regions as shown in fig. 1, also similar to Inao’s fig. 2) on the target [4] based on a shape of each of the four singular magnet pairs [19]. Takigawa cites the advantage of the four singular magnet pairs [19] as enabling expansion of an erosion region in a radial direction of the target [4] to improve target utilization (para 0005).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to incorporate the four singular magnet pairs of Takigawa as the planar magnetron of the combination of references to gain the advantage of improving target utilization.
However the combination of references Dubs, Inao, and Takigawa is further limited in that while the four singular magnet pairs [19] of Takigawa are rotated (Takigawa para 0011-0013) in addition to rotating the planar magnetron of Inao (para 0003 and 0009), a controller programmed to control the magnet moving mechanism to repeatedly and alternatively rotate each of the singular magnet pairs [19] in clockwise and counter-clockwise directions is not specifically suggested.
Pavloff teaches in fig. 1 a position controlled magnet [60] that rotates behind target [18] in an apparatus for a sputter process (Abstract; col. 3, lines 56-59), similar to the apparatus and magnet [4] that rotates behind the target [2] of Sasaki. Pavloff further teaches in fig. 1 the magnet [60] includes magnetrons [62],[64] that are configured to move repeatedly and alternately in radial directions via “computer-controlled motor” in both “clockwise” and “counter clockwise” directions (col. 7, lines 22-67; col. 8, lines 1-25). Pavloff cites the advantages of the magnetron [60] configured to move the magnetrons [62],[64] via the computer-controlled motor [96] as allowing for advanced sputtering and efficient target cleaning (col. 9, lines 33-36).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to incorporate the computer-controlled motor of Pavloff to control each of the singular magnet pairs [19] of the combination of references to gain the advantages of advanced sputtering and efficient target cleaning.
In summary, the combination of references Dubs, Inao, Takigawa, and Pavloff has: Dubs showing in fig. 1 four stages [11] overlapping the target [3] (as suggested by Inao’s fig. 2) in the plan view from above the target [3]; and Takigawa showing in figs. 1-2 each of the four singular magnet pairs [19] extend to an outer periphery of the target [4] (and thus also an outer periphery of each of Dubs’ target [3] and Inao’s target [2]), with the plan view of Takigawa’s fig. 2 showing the four singular magnet pairs [19] rotatable about the outer periphery of the target [4] (para 0011-0013). Thus the combination of Dubs, Inao, and Takigawa teaches that each of the four singular magnet pairs [19] of Takigawa (incorporated as the planar magnetron of each of Dubs and Inao) would overlap with the corresponding one stage [11] of the four stages [11] of Dubs in the plan view from above the target [3] (as suggested by Inao’s fig. 2). The cropped figures below of Inao’s fig. 2 and Takigawa’s fig. 2 serve to clarify the structural arrangement of Dubs having the four singular magnet pairs [19] with respect to the plural fan-shaped emission regions of the plural substrates [6] each on the respective stage [9] of Inao, with the plural fan-shaped emission regions spaced apart from each other in a circumferential direction of the circle surrounding the preset center position.
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In addition, the four singular magnet pairs [19] of Takigawa (incorporated as the planar magnetron of Dubs) are rotationally symmetrical around the preset center position of axis [As]; thus the plural fan-shaped emission regions formed by the four singular magnet pairs [19] are also rotationally symmetrical around the preset center position of axis [As] in the plan view from above the target [3]. The computer-controlled motor [96] of Pavloff is then configured (e.g. programmed via computer) to repeatedly and alternately rotate the four singular magnet pairs [19] of Takigawa (and thus plural emission regions of the four singular magnet pairs [19]) in both clockwise and counter clockwise directions (Pavloff col. 7, lines 22-67; col. 8, lines 1-25).
With respect to claim 2, modified Dubs further discloses in fig. 1 that each of the stages [11] includes the planetary system (i.e. claimed “rotation mechanism”) configured to rotate each of the stages [11] around a vertical axis [Ap] passing through a center of the substrate [13] placed on each of the stages [11] (col. 3, lines 30-56); similarly, Inao’s figs. 1-2 also show the stages [9] having a rotation mechanism configured to rotate each of the stages [9] around a vertical axis of each of the plural substrates [6] placed on each of the stages [9] (para 0009-0010).
With respect to claims 3 and 9, Inao (as included with Dubs) further depicts in figs. 1-2 the circle surrounding the preset center position has a diameter that is set to a dimension in which the circle encloses the plural fan-shaped emission regions when viewed in the plan view (e.g. when viewed from the plan view from above the target [3] of Dubs).
With respect to claim 11, Inao (as included with Dubs) further depicts in figs. 1-2 each of the plural fan-shaped emission regions (e.g. each single fan-shaped emission region) as a whole is a partial region of the target [2] exposed inside the processing container [7] (para 0003 and 0009-0010).
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s Remarks on p. 6-12 filed 6/22/2026 are addressed below.
112 Rejections
Claim 1 has been amended by deleting the negative limitation “without”; the previous 112(a) rejection has been withdrawn.
Claim 11 has been amended to clarify “the plurality of emission regions”; the previous 112(b) rejection has been withdrawn.
103 Rejections
On p. 10-12, Applicant argues that Inao does not teach the limitation “plural fan-shaped emission regions” as recited by amended claim 1.
The Examiner respectfully disagrees since while Inao’s target [2] itself is uniformly sputtered as argued by Applicant on p. 11, the emission regions onto each of the substrates [6] formed in the target [2] are not uniform but fan-shaped, similar to Applicant’s fig. 10 and as shown above by the cropped figures for the rejection of claim 1. In addition Takigawa is cited to teach benefits of having four magnets, one for each of the fan-shaped emission regions, rather than the conventional magnetron of Inao. As such, Inao, with or without Takigawa, teaches the claimed “plural fan-shaped emission regions”.
All other arguments on p. 12 to claims 2-3, 9, and 11 are directed towards the subject matter addressed in the 102 Rejections above and therefore have been addressed accordingly.
Rejoinder Request
The request on p. 12 is noted.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. US 10,053,771 is relevant for teaching singular fan-shaped magnets that alternately rotate in clockwise/counterclockwise directions behind a target, thereby forming plural fan-shaped emission regions in the target.
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MICHAEL A BAND whose telephone number is (571)272-9815. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Fri, 9am-5pm EST.
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/MICHAEL A BAND/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1794
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