DETAILED ACTION
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and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114.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 12/23/2025 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 1-10 and 12-16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ueda in view of Suzuki (WO2015/0334939).
Ueda teaches a holding apparatus for holding multiple substrates comprising:
- carrier inner plates parallel to each other for holding substrates on either side – see the two inner supports 53 of Figs. 1-3 and
- carrier outer plats parallel to inner plates for supporting a substrate on its inner surface and not on its outer surface, see outer plates 53 facing 17, and
- shielding plates space apart from the outer plates and shade the outer plates from a plan view – see shielding plates 17.
The requirement of “in a plasma assisted deposition” is merely an intended use but in any case Ueda teaches the same type of system, see electrodes 12.
Ueda does not teach the shield plates connected to the carrier plates. Suzuki, however, teaches an analogous substrate carrier. The carrier, as presented per Figs.16 and 17 includes a moveable substrate carrier 11 that includes a support base comprising shielding plates (heat insulating plates 213). The carrier moves the substrate holder in and therefore the shielding plates are connected to the analogous carrier plates of Suzuki [0052]. It would have been obvious at the effective date of the invention to provide the shielding plates of Ueda alternatively with the carrier plates as Suzuki teaches that such a configuration is operable in a system with a multiple substrate carrier and shielding plates. The arrangement includes either the (additional) shielding plates of Suzuki in addition to those of Ueda or in alternative. The rearrangement is further a routine rearrangement of parts, which is obvious without a showing of criticality as per MPEP 2144.04 VI. C. In this case, the parts are reasonably rearranged based on routine obviousness of doing so but further the prior art teachings of Suzuki provide support for usefulness and operability.
Regarding claim 2, all plates of Ueda are arranged in the claimed manner parallel and spaced apart.
Regarding claim 3, the width and/or length of the shielding plates as depicted is necessarily shorter than the outer plates.
Regarding claim 4, the shielding plates are free from electrical contact – see insulators 15 around the electrodes otherwise connected to the chamber.
Regarding claim 5, the shielding plates have cooling structures in that they are set apart by unnamed parts that hold them from the side, it would be understood that this would allow gas/airflow compared to if they were connected directly to the chamber.
Regarding claim 6, as per the Fig. 5 embodiment, the shield plates have rib-like structure. While the intended us of the structure includes heaters as the rib-shape, the apparatus as claimed does not require any specific use and the shape of the structures meets the claimed structure and would function as a cooling structure, if, for example, heated by external means or in the event it is turned off.
Further, as per MPEP 2144.04 IV. B. a selection of shape is not patentable without a showing of criticality. To form the shielding plate of Ueda with ribs or wave shaped would be obvious without such a showing.
Regarding claims 7-9 and 12, Ueda is silent on the composition of the plates, but as per MPEP 2144.07, the selection of a particular material for its intended use is obvious without a showing of criticality. In this case, to form the plates of one or more materials, including the materials such as graphite and/or metal, would have been obvious without a showing of criticality of using multiple materials and including graphite in the parts.
Regarding claim 10, the shields are free of holes/cut outs.
Regarding claims 13 and 14, the teachings do not include the exact relative dimensions as claimed, but as per MPEP 2144 IV. A. a change of size is obvious without a showing of criticality. Therefore the claimed sizes dimensions would have been obvious since there is no demonstrating of criticality.
Regarding claim 15, per the combined art, the shielding plates are understood to be indirectly connected to the carrier plates.
Regarding claim 16, initially the Office holds that the supports 53 meet the requirements of the claimed ‘rods’, which indirectly connect the carrier to the shielding plates. Further/in alternative, the use of any connection part such as a “rod” is obvious for the matter of routine combination of the parts. A rod is a known connecting part (see both Ueda and Suzuki and therefore in combination to use the same would have been obvious for the sake of effective combination. One of ordinary skill can use his or her ordinary skill, creativity, and common sense to make the necessary adjustments and further modifications to result in a properly functioning device. See KSR Int’l Co. v. Teleflex Inc., 550 U.S. 398, 418 (2007) (“a court can take into account the inferences and creative steps that a person of ordinary skill in the art would employ”).
Claim 10 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ueda and Suzuki in view of Brooks (2020/0211828).
The teachings of Ueda are described above – the teachings are silent on any cutout to hold the substrate. But Brooks teaches that in a system using plates (see 7 in Fig. 1) to hold the substrates, it is useful to have cut-outs to hold the substrates [0038]. It would have been obvious at the effective date of the invention to apply the cut-outs of Brooks to hold the substrates in the apparatus of Ueda as Ueda is silent on such features of the plates and Brooks teaches that cut-outs are effective.
Claims 7-9 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ueda and Suzuki in view of Sane (2005/0064247).
The teachings of Ueda are described above – they are silent on the materials as noted. Sane, however, teaches that components in semiconductor apparatus’ are operably formed of materials such as graphite with metal (PBN) coatings [0048]. It would have been obvious at the effective date of the invention to form any components in the apparatus of Ueda of such materials as claimed because they would be well understood for heat resistance etc. to be useful materials, further see MPEP 2144.07 as noted above, wherein Sane particularly points out the use of such materials.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 12/23/2025 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive in view of the further applied prior art.
Applicants have amended to require a connection to the shieling plates. The further teachings of Suzuki are applied to support connecting the shielding plates to the transfer mechanism 5 of Ueda (the arguments include the shielding plates of Ueda or those alternatively of Suzuki). This combination also overcomes the arguments that the holding apparatus does not comprise the process chamber.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JOSEPH A MILLER, JR whose number is (571)270-5825 and fax is (571)270-6825. If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner's supervisor, Michael Cleveland, can be reached on 571-272-1418. The fax number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/JOSEPH A MILLER, JR/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1712