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 .
Election/Restrictions
Applicant's election with traverse of Group I claims 1-8 in the reply filed on 15 December 2025 is acknowledged. The traversal is on the ground(s) that Group III is sufficiently linked to Group I as being a product and process of use of said product and thus examined without burden. This is not found persuasive for the following because the restriction is performed as a lack of unity restriction lacking contribution over the prior art in accordance with MPEP 1893.03(d) in which burden is not a basis to not insist on restriction. Furthermore, both groups I and III are drawn towards apparatus and NOT a product and method of using said product as asserted by Applicant. Rather, if anything these two groups could be linked as combination-subcombination, yet such a distinction is not germane to the restriction practice under unity of invention of MPEP 1893.03(d).
The requirement is still deemed proper and is therefore made FINAL.
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 1-8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Banik et al (US 2019/0338440 A1).
As to claim 1, Banik discloses An electroplating apparatus for depositing a metal layer on a substrate (Title “plating cells”, Abstract “electroplating apparatus” among other passages), the electroplating apparatus comprising:
a plating cell to receive a plating solution (#101 in Figure 2A among other Figures);
an electrode (#104 as defined in the instant specification at [40]) ;
a counter electrode([0100] “The substrate 102 acts as a cathode when power is supplied to the electroplating cell 101 during electroplating” in order for the cathode to be supplied power it necessarily is contacted by an electrode to enable carrying the power supplied which satisfied the specific electrode as claimed provided the broadest reasonable interpretation as provided in the instant specification at [40[ as filed);
a substrate holding fixture (#103);
a resistive element (#107); and
a de-bubbler device adjacent the resistive element to generate or direct a flow of plating solution through the resistive element (#700 as shown in Fig. 7A [0130] “the substrate 700 is used to focus the flow of the electrolyte as shown in FIG. 7B to remove the air bubbles. Accordingly, the substrate 700 may also be called a flow focusing substrate.”).
As to claim 2, Banik further discloses wherein the de-bubbler device is rotatable in use to generate an upward flow of plating solution through the resistive element to remove bubbles trapped thereunder (See Fig. 7B arrows of flow up through the resistive element’s channels 112 [0133]).
As to claim 3, Banik further discloses wherein the de-bubbler device is mountable in the substrate holding fixture ([0132] “that the substrate 700 is placed in the substrate holder 103”).
As to claim 4, Banik further discloses wherein the de-bubbler device includes a wafer-shaped plate. (See Fig. 9B showing wafer shaped de-bubblers 700-1-700-4).
As to instant claims 5 and 6, Banik further discloses wherein the de-bubbler device includes a flow generation element and wherein the flow generation element includes an impeller. (Fig. 9D jagged lines or serpentine lines which satisfy an impeller shape as disclosed at instant Fig. 2 of a curved impeller 206).
As to claims 7 and 8, Banik further discloses wherein de-bubbler device includes a flow control element, wherein the flow control element includes a cross-rib (#702 protuberances).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to LOUIS J RUFO whose telephone number is (571)270-7716. The examiner can normally be reached Monday to Friday, 9 am to 5 pm.
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/LOUIS J RUFO/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1795