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 .
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election of claims 1-7 (Figure 3A) in the reply filed on March 5, 2026 is acknowledged. Because applicant did not distinctly and specifically point out the supposed errors in the restriction requirement, the election has been treated as an election without traverse (MPEP § 818.01(a)).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
The following is a quotation of the appropriate paragraphs of 35 U.S.C. 102 that form the basis for the rejections under this section made in this Office action:
A person shall be entitled to a patent unless –
(a)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale, or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1-2 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Lee; Chih-Tsung et al. (US 9982340 B2). Lee teaches a showerhead (200; Figure 1,2) for a processing chamber (102; Figure 1), the showerhead (200; Figure 1,2) comprising: a body (116+114; Figure 2) having upper, lower, and side surfaces defining a plenum (115; Figure 2);a plurality of through holes (112; Figure 2) provided on the lower surface (114; Figure 2) of the body (116+114; Figure 2), the plurality of through holes (112; Figure 2) being in fluid communication with the plenum (115; Figure 2) and the processing chamber (102; Figure 1);an inlet (110/116 interface; Figure 2) provided on one of the upper and side surfaces of the body (116+114; Figure 2);a first passage (110 in 116; Figure 2-Applicant’s 362; Figure 3A) provided in the body (116+114; Figure 2), the first passage (110 in 116; Figure 2-Applicant’s 362; Figure 3A) connecting the inlet (110/116 interface; Figure 2) to the plenum (115; Figure 2);an outlet (120-4/116 interface; Figure 2-Applicant’s 368; Figure 3A) provided on one of the upper and side surfaces of the body (116+114; Figure 2); and a second passage (120-4 inside 116; Figure 2-Applicant’s 370; Figure 3A) provided in the body (116+114; Figure 2), the second passage (120-4 inside 116; Figure 2-Applicant’s 370; Figure 3A) connecting the outlet (120-4/116 interface; Figure 2-Applicant’s 368; Figure 3A) to the plenum (115; Figure 2), as claimed by claim 1
Lee further teaches:
The showerhead (200; Figure 1,2) of claim 1 wherein the outlet (120-4/116 interface; Figure 2-Applicant’s 368; Figure 3A) is downstream relative to the inlet (110/116 interface; Figure 2) and is in fluid communication with the inlet (110/116 interface; Figure 2), as claimed by claim 2
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 3-7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lee; Chih-Tsung et al. (US 9982340 B2) in view of Kao; Chien-Teh et al. (US 10964533 B2). Lee is discussed above. Lee does not teach:
Lee’s showerhead (200; Figure 1,2) of claim 1 wherein Lee’s inlet (110/116 interface; Figure 2) and Lee’s outlet (120-4/116 interface; Figure 2-Applicant’s 368; Figure 3A) are located on opposite ends of Lee’s showerhead (200; Figure 1,2), as claimed by claim 3
Lee’s showerhead (200; Figure 1,2) of claim 1 wherein Lee’s inlet (110/116 interface; Figure 2) and Lee’s outlet (120-4/116 interface; Figure 2-Applicant’s 368; Figure 3A) are connected to opposite ends of Lee’s plenum (115; Figure 2), as claimed by claim 4
Lee’s showerhead (200; Figure 1,2) of claim 1 wherein Lee’s inlet (110/116 interface; Figure 2) and Lee’s outlet (120-4/116 interface; Figure 2-Applicant’s 368; Figure 3A) are located on opposite ends of Lee’s showerhead (200; Figure 1,2) and are connected to opposite ends of Lee’s plenum (115; Figure 2), as claimed by claim 5
A system comprising: Lee’s showerhead (200; Figure 1,2) of claim 1; and a first and Lee’s second (121; Figure 1) valves respectively connected to Lee’s inlet (110/116 interface; Figure 2) and Lee’s outlet (120-4/116 interface; Figure 2-Applicant’s 368; Figure 3A);wherein the first valve is connected to a gas supply; and wherein Lee’s second valve (121; Figure 1) is connected to an exhaust of Lee’s processing chamber (102; Figure 1), as claimed by claim 6
Lee’s system of claim 6 further comprising Lee’s controller (“processor”; not shown; column 4; lines 13-19) configured to: close Lee’s second valve (121; Figure 1) and open the first valve to supply a first gas from the gas supply to Lee’s inlet (110/116 interface; Figure 2);open Lee’s second valve (121; Figure 1) when subsequently supplying a second gas instead of Lee’s first gas from the gas supply to Lee’s inlet (110/116 interface; Figure 2) via Lee’s first valve; and close Lee’s second valve (121; Figure 1) after a predetermined time, as claimed by claim 7
Kao also teaches a deposition ALD apparatus (Figure 1) including:
Kao’s showerhead (104; Figure 1) of claim 1 wherein Kao’s inlet (105; Figure 1) and Kao’s outlet (124; Figure 1-Applicant’s 368; Figure 3A) are located on opposite ends of Kao’s showerhead (104; Figure 1), as claimed by claim 3
Kao’s showerhead (104; Figure 1) of claim 1 wherein Kao’s inlet (105; Figure 1) and Kao’s outlet (124; Figure 1-Applicant’s 368; Figure 3A) are connected to opposite ends of Kao’s plenum (120; Figure 1), as claimed by claim 4
Kao’s showerhead (104; Figure 1) of claim 1 wherein Kao’s inlet (105; Figure 1) and Kao’s outlet (124; Figure 1-Applicant’s 368; Figure 3A) are located on opposite ends of Kao’s showerhead (104; Figure 1) and are connected to opposite ends of Kao’s plenum (120; Figure 1), as claimed by claim 5
A system comprising: Kao’s showerhead (104; Figure 1) of claim 1; and a first (119,123, 121; Figure 1) and Kao’s second (140; Figure 1) valves respectively connected to Kao’s inlet (105; Figure 1) and Kao’s outlet (124; Figure 1-Applicant’s 368; Figure 3A);wherein Kao’s first valve (119; Figure 1) is connected to a gas supply (125; Figure 1); and wherein Kao’s second valve (140; Figure 1) is connected to an exhaust of Kao’s processing chamber (102; Figure 1), as claimed by claim 6
Kao’s system of claim 6 further comprising Kao’s controller (136; Figure 1, 5) configured to: close Kao’s second valve (140; Figure 1) and open the first valve (119; Figure 1) to supply a first gas from the gas supply to Kao’s inlet (105; Figure 1);open Kao’s second valve (140; Figure 1) when subsequently supplying a second gas (129; Figure 1) instead of Kao’s first gas (125; Figure 1) from the gas supply to Kao’s inlet (105; Figure 1) via Kao’s first valve (119; Figure 1); and close Kao’s second valve (140; Figure 1) after a predetermined time, as claimed by claim 7
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention for Lee to add an additional gas inlet, gas source(s), and valves to Lee’s showerhead (200; Figure 1,2) as taught by Kao at optimized operation as taught by Kao.
Motivation for Lee to add an additional gas inlet, gas source(s), and valves to Lee’s showerhead (200; Figure 1,2) as taught by Kao at optimized operation as taught by Kao is for adding Kao’s precursors to deposit Kao’s ALD films as taught by Kao in at least column 5; lines 47-65.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Process gas delivery similar to the claimed invention include US 10697062 B2, US 20150368798 A1, US 20090081360 A1
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/Rudy Zervigon/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1716
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