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 .
Drawings
The drawings are objected to as failing to comply with 37 CFR 1.84(p)(5) because they include the following reference character(s) not mentioned in the description: 104.
Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d), or amendment to the specification to add the reference character(s) in the description in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(b) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
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.
Claims 1-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Chen et al (US 20200130130 A1) in view of Huang et al (US 20180071889 A1).
Chen et al disclose a chemical mechanical polishing apparatus (e.g. 20), and method of monitoring a conditioner disk (e.g. Fig. 6), comprising: a platen (e.g. 110) to support a polishing pad (e.g. 120); a conditioner head (e.g. 153) to hold a conditioner disk (e.g. 154) in contact with the polishing pad; a motor (e.g. Para. [0023], Ln. 17-23) to generate relative motion between the polishing pad and the conditioner disk so as to condition the polishing pad; an in-situ monitoring system (e.g. Para. [0070]) having a sensor (e.g. 170) to receive signals from the conditioner disk; and a controller (e.g. 400: 410, 420) configured to analyze an output signal from the acoustic sensor and determine a characteristic of the conditioner disk or conditioner head based on the output signal. Chen et al do not explicitly teach an in-situ acoustic monitoring system having an acoustic sensor to receive acoustic signals from the conditioner disk.
Huang et al teach a chemical mechanical polishing apparatus (e.g. Fig. 1) including an in-situ acoustic monitoring system (e.g. Figs. 2A, 4; Paras. [0027], [0035],) having an acoustic sensor (e.g. 201) to receive acoustic signals for monitoring changes to operational characteristics indicating endpoints, abnormal conditions, and other diagnostic information.
Chen et al and Huang et al all seek to provide a chemical mechanical polishing apparatus capable of monitoring operational characteristics including abnormal conditions, thus it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to modify the system of Chen et al such that the sensor of the in-situ monitoring system is an acoustic sensor, as taught by Huang et al, for the purpose of monitoring changes to operational characteristics of the conditioner disk based on acoustic signals.
Regarding Claims 2-14 & 16-20, Chen et al, as modified, further disclose the acoustic sensor is housed within the platen (e.g. 170b); the acoustic sensor contacts a bottom surface of the polishing pad (e.g. Para. [0023], Ln. 23-31); the controller is configured to identify a portion of the signal that corresponds to the acoustic sensor being is positioned below the conditioner disk (e.g. 410, 414); and the controller is configured to use only the portion of the signal that corresponds to the acoustic sensor being is positioned below the conditioner disk to determine the characteristic of the conditioner disk or conditioner head (e.g. 410, 416). The acoustic sensor is attached to the conditioner head (e.g. 170f); the controller is configured to detect acoustic events that result from friction of the conditioner disk against the polishing surface (e.g. Para. [0070]); the controller is configured to at least one of generate an alert, halt polishing, or change a conditioning parameter based on the determined characteristic of the conditioner disk or conditioner head (e.g. 614); the controller is configured to detect that the conditioner disk is sufficiently worn to need replacement (e.g. Para. [0083]); the controller is configured to detect that the conditioner disk is improperly installed in the conditioner head (e.g. Para. [0083]); and the controller is configured to detect that a pressure of the conditioner disk on the polishing pad does not match a desired pressure (e.g. Para. [0083]; 170g). Wherein the controller is configured to generate a measured spectrum of the output signal (e.g. 604, 606); the controller is configured to compare the measured spectrum to a reference spectrum (e.g. 608); and the controller is configured to detect a signal strength in a band in the measured spectrum and compare the signal strength to a threshold (e.g. 608).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Additional references listed on form PTO-892 are cited for their relevance to the disclosed invention and demonstration of the state of the art.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MICHAEL LESLIE whose telephone number is (571)272-4819. The examiner can normally be reached M - F 8 am - 4-30pm.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Nathaniel Wiehe can be reached at (571)272-8648. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/MICHAEL LESLIE/
Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3745
February 21, 2026
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