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 .
Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after final rejection. Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on January 14, 2026 has been entered.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
The text of those sections of Title 35, U.S. Code not included in this action can be found in a prior Office action.
Claims 1 and 4 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hanawa; Hiroji et al. (US 7244474 B2) in view of Tai; King L. et al. (US 4496448 A). Hanawa teaches a plasma processing apparatus (Figure 11-14, 20) comprising: a chamber (100; Figure 14); an upper electrode (104; Figure 14-Applicant’s 12; Figure 2); a shower head (108d; Figure 13A,14-Applicant’s 14; Figure 2) disposed below the upper electrode (104; Figure 14-Applicant’s 12; Figure 2), an inner space of the chamber (100; Figure 14) being divided into a first space (110; Figure 14) between the upper electrode (104; Figure 14-Applicant’s 12; Figure 2) and the shower head (108d; Figure 13A,14-Applicant’s 14; Figure 2) and a second space (112; Figure 14) disposed below the shower head (108d; Figure 13A,14-Applicant’s 14; Figure 2), the shower head (108d; Figure 13A,14-Applicant’s 14; Figure 2) having a plurality of openings (openings in 108d; Figure 13A,14, not numbered) formed therethrough to allow the first space (110; Figure 14) and the second space (112; Figure 14) to communicate with each other; a substrate support (120; Figure 11,14) configured to support a substrate in the second space (112; Figure 14); a shielding part (108a-c; Figure 11-14 - Applicant’s 18; Figure 2) disposed between the upper electrode (104; Figure 14-Applicant’s 12; Figure 2) and the shower head (108d; Figure 13A,14-Applicant’s 14; Figure 2), the shielding part (108a-c; Figure 11-14 - Applicant’s 18; Figure 2) including a first shielding plate (108a; Figure 11-14; 10V; Figure 13B) and a second shielding plate (108b; Figure 11-14; 500V; Figure 13C) arranged in parallel along the shower head (108d; Figure 13A,14-Applicant’s 14; Figure 2), the second shielding plate (108b; Figure 11-14; 500V; Figure 13C) being disposed over the shower head (108d; Figure 13A,14-Applicant’s 14; Figure 2), the first shielding plate (108a; Figure 11-14; 10V; Figure 13B) being disposed over the second shielding plate (108b; Figure 11-14; 500V; Figure 13C), each of the first shielding plate (108a; Figure 11-14; 10V; Figure 13B) and the second shielding plate (108b; Figure 11-14; 500V; Figure 13C) having a plurality of through-holes (through-holes in 108a-b; Figure 14; not numbered) arranged to be aligned (Figure 13A) with the openings (openings in 108d; Figure 13A,14, not numbered) of the shower head (108d; Figure 13A,14-Applicant’s 14; Figure 2); a gas supply device (114; Figure 11, 14) configured to supply a gas to a region between the upper electrode (104; Figure 14-Applicant’s 12; Figure 2) and the shielding part (108a-c; Figure 11-14 - Applicant’s 18; Figure 2) in the first space (110; Figure 14); a radio frequency (RF) power supply (134; Figure 11, 14) configured to output an RF voltage to generate plasma of the gas; a voltage applying part (180a-d; Figure 11-14-Applicant’s 4; Figure 2) configured to select ions or radicals (column 15; line 55 – column 16, line 9) passing through the through-holes (through-holes in 108a-b; Figure 14; not numbered) in the plasma by applying a control voltage (Figure 12, 13) to the shielding part (108a-c; Figure 11-14 - Applicant’s 18; Figure 2); and a controller (“multiple tap voltage divider network”; Figure 11; column 15 - column 16, line 9-Applicant’s 40; Figure 1) configured to control the voltage applying part (180a-d; Figure 11-14-Applicant’s 4; Figure 2); wherein the voltage applying part (180a-d; Figure 11-14-Applicant’s 4; Figure 2) is configured to allow radicals (“neutrals”; column 7; lines 10-20; throughout) in the plasma to pass through (“…ion/neutral population ratio..”; column 7; lines 10-20) the through-holes (through-holes in 108a-b; Figure 14; not numbered) by independently applying a control voltage (Figure 12, 13) to each of the first shielding plate (108a; Figure 11-14; 10V; Figure 13B) and the second shielding plate (108b; Figure 11-14) depending on control from the controller (“multiple tap voltage divider network”; Figure 11; column 15 - column 16, line 9-Applicant’s 40; Figure 1), the plasma processing apparatus (Figure 11-14, 20) further comprising: an electric circuit (“voltage divider”; Figure 5,6) electrically connected to the RF power supply (134; Figure 11, 14), wherein the RF power supply (134; Figure 11, 14) is electrically connected to the upper electrode (104; Figure 14-Applicant’s 12; Figure 2) and generates plasma of the gas by applying an RF voltage to the upper electrode (104; Figure 14-Applicant’s 12; Figure 2) - claim 1
Hanawa further teaches:
The plasma processing apparatus (Figure 11-14, 20) of claim 1, wherein the controller (“multiple tap voltage divider network”; Figure 11; column 15 - column 16, line 9-Applicant’s 40; Figure 1) controls the voltage applying part (180a-d; Figure 11-14-Applicant’s 4; Figure 2) such that an absolute value of the control voltage (Figure 12, 13) applied to the second shielding plate (108b; Figure 11-14; 500V; Figure 13C) is greater than or equal to an absolute value of the control voltage (Figure 12, 13) applied to the first shielding plate (108a; Figure 11-14; 10V; Figure 13B), as claimed by claim 4
Hanawa does not teach wherein the electric circuit (“voltage divider”; Figure 5,6) has a diode electrically connected between the RF power supply (134; Figure 11, 14) and the ground, and wherein an anode of the diode is electrically connected between the RF power supply (134; Figure 11, 14) and the upper electrode (104; Figure 14-Applicant’s 12; Figure 2), and a cathode of the diode is electrically connected to the ground – claim 1.
Taj also teaches a capacitive plasma system (Figure 2) including electric circuit (30; Figure 2) has a diode (34) electrically connected between the RF power supply (24; Figure 2) and the ground, and wherein an anode of the diode is electrically connected between the RF power supply (24; Figure 2) and the upper electrode (104; Figure 14-Applicant’s 12; Figure 2), and a cathode of the diode is electrically connected to the ground – claim 1.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention for Hanawa to add Taj’s electric circuit (30; Figure 2) with a diode (34) to Hanawa’s reactor system (Figure 14).
Motivation for Hanawa to add Taj’s electric circuit (30; Figure 2) with a diode (34) to Hanawa’s reactor system (Figure 14) is for eleminating or reducing DC bias in RF powered eletrodes resulting in “…the degree of the anisotropic etching (the smaller the magnitude of the DC bias, the lower the degree of anisotropic etching)…” as taught by Taj (column 2; lines 3-10).
Claim 2 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hanawa; Hiroji et al. (US 7244474 B2) and Tai; King L. et al. (US 4496448 A) in view of Cobler; Patrick J. et al. (US 9072169 B1).
Hanawa further teaches:
the plasma processing apparatus (Figure 11-14, 20) of claim 1, wherein each of the first shielding plate (108a; Figure 11-14; 10V; Figure 13B) and the second shielding plate (108b; Figure 11-14; 500V; Figure 13C) includes a metal plate (column 13; lines 3-9) having insulating coating (column 13; lines 3-9), the voltage applying part (180a-d; Figure 11-14-Applicant’s 4; Figure 2) includes a first pulse generator (180a; Figure 11-14-Applicant’s Pa; Figure 2), a second pulse generator (180b; Figure 11-14-Applicant’s Pb; Figure 2), a first variable DC power supply (180a; Figure 11-13; column 16; lines 43-45), and a second variable DC power supply (180b; Figure 11-13; column 16; lines 43-45), wherein the first pulse generator (180a; Figure 11-14-Applicant’s Pa; Figure 2) and the second pulse generator (180b; Figure 11-14-Applicant’s Pb; Figure 2) are configured to output rectangular-wave (Figure 12-13) control voltages (Figure 12, 13), and the controller (“multiple tap voltage divider network”; Figure 11; column 15 - column 16, line 9-Applicant’s 40; Figure 1) controls the voltage applying part (180a-d; Figure 11-14-Applicant’s 4; Figure 2) to apply rectangular-wave (Figure 12-13) control voltages (Figure 12, 13) having opposite phases to the first shielding plate (108a; Figure 11-14; 10V; Figure 13B) and the second shielding plate (108b; Figure 11-14; 500V; Figure 13C) – claim 2.
Hanawa further teaches, in another embodiment, a power supply (124; Figure 1-4) “may include a pulse generator and/or an RF power generator 126 and an impedance match device 128” (column 10; lines 34-36) – claim 2
Hanawa and Taj do no teach pulse generators in series with power supplies. As a result, Hanawa does not teach:
Hanawa’s first shielding plate (108a; Figure 11-14; 10V; Figure 13B), Hanawa’s first pulse generator (180a; Figure 11-14-Applicant’s Pa; Figure 2), and Hanawa’s first variable DC power supply (180a; Figure 11-13; column 16; lines 43-45) are electrically connected in series in that order, Hanawa’s second shielding plate (108b; Figure 11-14; 500V; Figure 13C), Hanawa’s second pulse generator (180b; Figure 11-14-Applicant’s Pb; Figure 2), and Hanawa’s second variable DC power supply (180b; Figure 11-13; column 16; lines 43-45) are electrically connected in series in that order – claim 2
Cobler teaches circuitry for plasma reactor electrodes (column 1; lines 19-25; column 4; lines 24-35) including electrodes (112,114; Figure 1) fed pulsed power with a DC source (“DC power”; Figure 1) in series with Cobler’s pulse generator (110; Figure 1). Cobler also utilizes specialized circuitry pulse generators (Figure 4) including diodes (Figure 4).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention for Hanawa to replace Hanawa’s power supply and pulse generator with Cobler’s.
Motivation for Hanawa to replace Hanawa’s power supply and pulse generator with Cobler’s is at least for EMI shileding as taught by Cobler (column 12; line 59 – column 13; line 5).
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments, see pages 8-12, filed January 14, 2026, with respect to the rejections of claims §102 under Hanawa; Hiroji et al. (US 7244474 B2) have been fully considered and are persuasive. Therefore, the rejection has been withdrawn. However, upon further consideration, a new grounds of rejection is made in view of Hanawa; Hiroji et al. (US 7244474 B2) in view of Tai; King L. et al. (US 4496448 A).
Applicant states:
“
Claims 1 and 4 were rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102 as allegedly being anticipated by U.S. Patent No. 7,244,474 ("Hanawa"). However, amended claim 1 now includes the limitations of original claim 5 which is novel over Hanawa. Accordingly, amended claim 1 is not anticipated by Hanawa. Also, claim 4 depending from amended claim 1 is not anticipated by Hanawa.
“
And..
“
Claims 2 and 5 were rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as allegedly being obvious over Hanawa in view of U.S. Patent No. 9,072,169 ("Cobler"). However, amended claim 1 now incorporates the limitations of original claim 5, particularly with respect to the configuration of the electric circuit. In addition, amended claim 1 further includes a specific structural limitation in which the anode of the diode in the electric circuit is electrically connected between the RF power supply and the upper electrode. Specifically, amended claim 1 recites the following technical features: "the plasma processing apparatus further comprises an electric circuit electrically connected to the RF power supply, wherein the RF power supply is electrically connected to the upper electrode and generates plasma of the gas by applying an RF voltage to the upper electrode,
“
In response, the Examiner agrees and notes the new ground of rejection as necesitated by the amendment.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Capacitive plasma reactors utilizing individually controlled power of plural electrodes include - US 20130181629 A1; US 20160211153 A1; US 20250166966 A1; US 20220165552 A1; US 20150371876 A1; US 20090134128 A1; US 20110133651 A1; US 6124003 A; US 7392759 B2; US 7695590 B2; US 5518572 A; US 6320321 B1; US 6511575 B1; US 5811820 A; US 10014192 B2; US 7329608 B2
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/Rudy Zervigon/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1716