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 .
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
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.
Claim(s) 1, 2 and 7 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lin et al (US 2004/0222210) in view of Goto et al (US 2005/0258160; hereinafter Goto ‘160) and Kataigi et al (US 2009/0235866).
With respect to claim 1, Lin discloses the substrate support assembly claimed including a laminate heater plate comprising a plurality of layers having a first layer (34), a second layer (32) having a first resistance temperature detector (38), a third layer (28) having a heating element (44) wherein the first, second, and third layers are arranged horizontally and stacked, and a shaft (18) coupled to the laminate layer. But, Lin does not show the first layer with an RF electrode, a firs channel extending vertically through the plurality of layers, and the shaft having a sidewall with a second channel disposed within the sidewall and fluidly connected to the first channel as claimed.
Goto ‘160 discloses it is known to provide a substrate support assembly having an RF electrode (20; see Figure 6) that is known for generating plasma for heat processing a semiconductor substrate supported on the substrate support assembly. Also, see para 0063 and 0064.
Kataigi discloses it is known to provide a substrate support assembly having a first channel (24) that passes through a heater plate, a second channel (31) arranged horizontal and in fluid connection with the first channel, and a shaft (36) coupled to the assembly wherein the shaft is provided with a hollow center and a sidewall wherein the sidewall is further provided with a third channel (36) within the sidewall that is fluidly connected to a first channel as illustrated in Figure 2.
In view of Goto ‘160, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to adapt Lin with an RF electrode provided in the plurality of layers including the first layer which is close to an upper surface of the heater plate wherein the RF electrode can be effectively used to generate plasma which is known to enhance thermal processing of a semiconductor substrate supported on the heater plate as known in the art; and in view of Kataigi, it would have obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to adapt Lin, as modified by Goto ‘160, with the heater plate having a first channel which can be provided through the heater plate, a horizontal second channel connected to the first channel, and the shaft with a third channel disposed within the sidewall of the shaft that is fluidly connected to the first channel via the second channel wherein a heat transfer gas or purge gas is applied to the backside of a semiconductor substrate supported on the heater plate which would predicably enhance thermal/heating process with the supplied fluid which would further provide uniform heating of a semiconductor substate supported on the heater plate as known in the art.
With respect to claim 2, Lin discloses that each of the plurality of layers is formed of a ceramic material including aluminum nitride (AlN). Also, see para 0034.
With respect to claim 7, Lin discloses the second layer (32) disposed between the first layer (34) and the third layer (28).
Claim(s) 3 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lin in view of Goto ‘160 and Kataigi as applied to claims 1, 2 and 7 above, and further in view of Ramanan et al (US 2002/0186967).
Lin in view of Goto ‘160 and Kataigi discloses the substrate support assembly claimed including the second layer with a first plurality of RTDs but does not show that the RTDs form concentric circles.
Ramanan discloses it is known to provide a plurality of resistance temperature detectors (RTDs) formed in concentric circles that measures temperatures of each region associated with its respective RTD (also, see Figure 1e; also, see para 0101-0103).
In view of Ramanan, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to adapt Lin, as modified by Goto ‘160 and Kataigi, with the second layer having a first plurality of RTDs forming concentric circles wherein each of the plurality of RTDs can measure temperatures of regions associated with each of the RTDs which would provide more accurate temperature distribution measurements for more accurate temperature control of the heater plate as desired.
Claim(s) 4-6 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lin in view of Goto ‘160 and Kataigi as applied to claims 1, 2 and 7 above, and further in view of Iwata et al (US 2010/0170884).
Lin in view of Goto ‘160 and Kataigi discloses the substrate support assembly claimed including the third layer having a plurality of heating elements (28A and 28B) but does not show a third heating element.
Iwata shows it is known to provide a heater plate having a plurality of heating elements including a first heat element (e.g., 5a), a second heating element (e.g., 5b), and a third heating element (e.g., 5c) as illustrated in Figure 6 wherein each of the heating elements are individually controlled to heat its respective region of the heating plate to minimize temperature difference across the heater plate. Also, see para 0123
In view of Iwata, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to adapt Lin, as modified by Goto ‘160 and Kataigi, with the third layer having a plurality of heating elements that can be more than two so that the temperature difference across the heater plate can be minimized via more precise temperature control with the plurality of heating elements.
With respect to claim 5, Iwata discloses the first heating element disposed at a first distance from a center point of the heater plate, the second element at a second distance from the center point, and the third heating element at a third distance wherein the second distance is greater than the first distance, and the third distance is greater than the second distance (see Figure 6).
With respect to claim 6, Iwata discloses the first, second, and third heating elements are electrically isolated from each other as each of the heating element is spaced from each other.
Claim(s) 8 and 9 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lin in view of Goto ‘160 and Kataigi as applied to claims 1, 2 and 7 above, and further in view of Goto et al (US 6,080,969; hereinafter Goto ‘969).
Lin in view of Goto ‘160 and Kataigi discloses the substrate support assembly claimed including a fourth layer (30) disposed between the second layer (32) and the third layer (28) but does not show the fourth layer with a second plurality of RTDs.
Goto ‘969 discloses it is known to provide a plurality of temperature sensors (40 and 41) which are disposed at different layers in a vertical directions of a heater plate wherein the temperature along the vertical direction of the heater plate is sensed and is used to equalize heat transmission from a heating portion/layer to the supporting stage/surface of the heater plate to maintain the desired set temperature. Also, see column 3, lines 9-20 and 44-50.
In view of Goto, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to adapt Lin, as modified by Goto ‘160 and Kataigi, with the fourth layer that is provided with a second plurality of temperature sensors or RTDs so that heat transmission from the heating portion as shown by the third layer with the heating elements can be sensed by the first and second plurality of temperature sensors/RTDs wherein heat transmission from the heating portion/heating layer can be further controlled to be equalized to predictably maintain the desired heating temperature at the top surface of the heater plate where a heated object or substrate is placed thereto.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 10-15 and 18-20 are allowed over the prior art of record.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on the combination of references applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
Conclusion
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.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to SANG Y PAIK whose telephone number is (571)272-4783. The examiner can normally be reached 9:00-5:30; M-F.
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/SANG Y PAIK/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3761
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