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 without traverse of Invention I, Group 1-Species I, Figure 3, Group 2-Species A, Figure 4 in the reply filed on February 3, 2026 is acknowledged.
Claims 3, 7-16, and 19 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected inventions and species, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Note. Claims 3 and 7-17 are directed to the non-elected species of Group 1-Species II-III and Group 2-Species B-C.
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.
Claim(s) 1-2, 4-6 and 17-18 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Yokogawa et al. (U.S. 2015/0243486).
Referring to Figure 1 below and Figure 2, and paragraphs [0027]-[0044], Yokogawa et al. disclose a plasma processing apparatus comprising: a plasma processing chamber 10 (par.[0027]); a substrate support 2 disposed in the plasma processing chamber (par.[0028]), the substrate support including: a dielectric member 14, 22, 23, 25 having a substrate supporting surface (pars.[0037], [0042]-[0044]); a first filter 32 disposed in the dielectric member, the first filter having a first terminal and a second terminal (par.[0038]); and a first electrode 15 disposed in the dielectric member, the first electrode being electrically connected to the first terminal (par.[0037]); an RF generator 20 coupled to the plasma processing chamber and configured to generate an RF signal par. [0035]); and a first DC generator 17 electrically connected to the second terminal and configured to generate a DC signal (pars.[0037]-[0040]).
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With respect to claim 2, the plasma processing apparatus of Yokogawa et al. further includes wherein the first electrode includes an electrostatic chuck electrode 15 (par.[0037]).
With respect to claim 4, the plasma processing apparatus of Yokogawa et al. further includes wherein the first filter is a low pass filter 32 (pars.[0038]-[0040]).
With respect to claim 5, the plasma processing apparatus of Yokogawa et al. further includes wherein the first filter includes a first resistance element 32 (pars.[0038]-[0040]).
With respect to claim 6, the plasma processing apparatus of Yokogawa et al. further includes wherein the first resistance element 32 is disposed to be perpendicular to the substrate supporting surface (Fig. 1 above).
With respect to claim 17, the plasma processing apparatus of Yokogawa et al. further comprising: a second DC generator 17 configured to generate a DC signal, wherein the dielectric member 14, 22, 23, 25 has a ring supporting surface around the substrate supporting surface, the substrate support includes: a second filter 32 disposed in the dielectric member and having a fifth terminal and a sixth terminal; and a second electrode 15 disposed in the dielectric member and electrically connected to the fifth terminal, and the second DC generator is electrically connected to the sixth terminal (Fig. 1 above, pars.[0038]-[0040]).
With respect to claim 18, he plasma processing apparatus of Yokogawa et al. further includes further comprising: an RF electrode 2a electrically connected to the RF generator 20, wherein the RF electrode includes a metal member, and the metal member is bonded to the dielectric member 14, 22, 23, 25 (Fig. 1, par.[0035]).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Dhindsa et al.‘420, Sill et al.’018, Tsuji et al.’709, Kofuji et al.’823, Koshimizu’524, Yokogawa et al.’657, and Sakiyama et al.’625 teach a first electrode within a substrate support and connected to a first filter. Kapoor et al.’625 teach a filter within a dielectric. Ishikawa et al. teach an electrostatic chuck.
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/Michelle CROWELL/Examiner, Art Unit 1716
/SYLVIA MACARTHUR/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1716
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