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 .
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.
Claim 1 and 4 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Nakada; Takayuki et al. (US 20190019705 A1) in view of Cho; Kuei-Hsiung et al. (US 20180151397 A1). Nakada teaches a reactor comprising: a flange (20; Figure 1; [0016] - Applicant’s 170; Figure 1) disposed between an upper chamber (14; Figure 1) and a lower chamber (4; Figure 1) of a reaction chamber (14+4; Figure 1-Applicant’s 104; Figure 1); a substrate support (26c; Figure 1,2; [0017]) configured to support a substrate on a top side of the substrate support (26c; Figure 1,2; [0017]), the substrate support (26c; Figure 1,2; [0017]) additionally configured to be vertically actuated (32; Figure 1; [0019]) between an upper position and a lower position within the reaction chamber (14+4; Figure 1); a primary gas delivery apparatus (44a; Figure 1-Applicant’s 138; Figure 1) disposed within the upper chamber (14; Figure 1) and configured to deliver gas to an upper surface of the substrate; and an elongate gas delivery apparatus (76; Figure 1-3-Applicant’s 138; Figure 1) disposed within the lower chamber (4; Figure 1) and configured to partially surround the substrate support (26c; Figure 1,2; [0017]), the delivery apparatus (44a; Figure 1-Applicant’s 138; Figure 1) configured to allow gas to pass through an interior thereof and out a plurality of apertures (“supply holes”; [0021]) in fluid communication with the interior of the delivery apparatus (44a; Figure 1-Applicant’s 138; Figure 1) - claim 1
Nakada does not teach:
a primary gas delivery apparatus (44a; Figure 1-Applicant’s 138; Figure 1) comprising a showerhead (Applicant’s 138; Figure 1) – claim 1.
The reactor of Claim 1, wherein the showerhead (Applicant’s 138; Figure 1) comprising a circular bottom surface and a plurality of apertures in the circular bottom surface as claimed by claim 4
Cho also teaches a vertical processing chamber (Figure 1,5) for numerous processes ([0044]) under a showerhead (72; Figure 1,5) having a circular bottom surface and a plurality of apertures in the circular bottom surface.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention for Nakada to add Cho’s showerhead (72; Figure 1,5) as taught by Cho.
Motivation for Nakada to add Cho’s showerhead (72; Figure 1,5) as taught by Cho is for gas “..in a thin and even distribution around the reaction chamber” as taught by Cho ([0033]).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 2-3, and 5-13 allowed.
The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance: The Examiner’s expanded search confirms Nakada; Takayuki et al. (US 20190019705 A1) remains the closest prior art. Amended claim 2 is allowable at least because Nakada; Takayuki et al. (US 20190019705 A1) does not teach, alone or in combination Nakada’s elongate gas delivery apparatus (76; Figure 1-3-Applicant’s 138; Figure 1) comprising an arched segment with an angle greater than 180º, Nakada’s gas elongate delivery apparatus (76; Figure 1-Applicant’s 138; Figure 1) having an inner horizontal width (inner horizontal width of 44a; Figure 2) greater than a horizontal width of Nakada’s substrate support (26c; Figure 1,2; [0017]), and wherein Nakada’s plurality of apertures (76a; Figure 1-3) are disposed level with or above the top side of Nakada’s substrate support (26c; Figure 1,2; [0017]) when Nakada’s substrate support (26c; Figure 1,2; [0017]) is in the lower position - claim 2
Any comments considered necessary by applicant must be submitted no later than the payment of the issue fee and, to avoid processing delays, should preferably accompany the issue fee. Such submissions should be clearly labeled “Comments on Statement of Reasons for Allowance.”
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments, see pages 6-8, filed January 23, 2026, with respect to the rejection of claim 1 under §102 have been fully considered and are persuasive. Therefore, the rejection has been withdrawn. However, upon further consideration, a new ground(s) of rejection is made in view of Nakada; Takayuki et al. (US 20190019705 A1) in view of Cho; Kuei-Hsiung et al. (US 20180151397 A1).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and relied upon and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Arc shaped gas distribution pipe in multi-chamber systems include at least: US 20060213439 A1
US 6183564 B1
US 6409837 B1
US 20100075488 A1
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
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/Rudy Zervigon/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1716