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.
Claims 1, 3, 4, 6 and 8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lim et al. (US Pub. No. 2019/0035666) and further in view of Saeki et al. (USP 5,557,215)
Regarding claim 1, Lim et al. discloses an electrostatic chuck assembly comprising: an electrostatic chuck (130) comprising a body and an electrostatic electrode (135) at least partially embedded within the body (figure 1); an electrostatic chuck power supply (152) electrically coupled to the electrostatic electrode (135) (figure 1, paragraph 27); a filter (155) interposed between the electrostatic chuck (130) and the electrostatic chuck power supply (152) and electrically coupled to the electrostatic chuck (130) and the electrostatic chuck power supply (152); and a current detector (160). Lim fails to disclose the current detector (160) being electrically coupled in series between the electrostatic chuck power supply (152) and the filter (155). Saeki discloses an electrostatic-chucking apparatus in which ammeter (44) is electrically coupled in the direct-current circuit between variable DC power source (46) and a high-pass filter formed by coil (42) and capacitor (48) (Fig. 1). The ammeter detects current flowing in the direct-current circuit and outputs a current-detection signal to control section (50) for controlling or adjusting the electrostatic-chucking force. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Lim such that its current detector (160) is positioned in series between chuck power supply (152) and filter (155), as taught by Saeki for the purpose of detecting current flowing in the chuck-power circuit and provide the detected-current information for monitoring and controlling the electrostatic-chucking operation, thereby obtaining predictable current monitoring and chuck-force control.
Regarding claim 3, the modified device of Lim et al. discloses a heater (137) at least partially embedded in the body (figure 1).
Regarding claim 4, the modified device of Lim et al. discloses a current protection device (160) (figure 1 and paragraph 35).
Regarding claim 6, the modified device of Lim et al. discloses a power management system (150) (figure 1).
Regarding claim 8, the modified device of Lim et al. discloses a plasma-enhanced deposition system comprising the electrostatic chuck (abstract & paragraphs 2 and 3).
Claims 2 and 7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lim et al. (US Pub. No. 2019/0035666) and further in view of Saeki et al. (USP 5,557,215) and Parkhe et al. (USP 5,886,865).
The modified device of Lim et al. discloses the claimed subject matter as set forth in the rejection above. Lim et al. is silent about its current detector detecting current leakage. Parkhe discloses an electrostatic chuck assembly comprising: an electrostatic chuck (110) comprising a body and an electrostatic electrode (112/114) at least partially embedded within the body (figure 1); an electrostatic chuck power supply (108) electrically coupled to the electrostatic electrode (112/114) (figure 1, col. 3, lines 54-56); a current detector (120) electrically coupled to the electrostatic chuck power supply (108) and a current detector (122: col. 4, lines 11-20) and a controller to detect current leakage between the electrostatic electrode and the current detector prior to a process cycle (figures 1-4 and abstract & col. 2 lines 24-42). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have the current detector measure current leakage using a controller, as taught by Parkhe for the purpose of having the tool to alert the operator when it was time to clean the chuck thus have the advantage of detecting contamination of the chuck and prevent chuck failure ) col. 2 lines 24-42 and col. 6, line 66 through col. 7, line 5).
Claim 5 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lim et al. (US Pub. No. 2019/0035666) and further in view of Saeki et al. (USP 5,557,215) and as evidenced by Milesi et al. (US Pub. No. 2018/0262297) and Chen (US Pub. No. 2008/0136442).
The modified device of Lim et al. discloses the claimed subject matter as set forth in the rejection above. Lim et al. is silent about the type of isolator used. Examiner takes Official Notice that it is old and well known in the electrostatic chucks art to employ a digital isolator/signal isolator between control circuitry and chuck related components to improve noise, to enhance system safety and improve overall system reliability. This is evidenced by Milesi et al. (US Pub. No. 2018/0262297) which recites using digital isolator/signal isolator for the purpose of “transferring information without a physical connection” (paragraph 3) and Chen (US Pub. No. 2008/0136442) which discloses “This genus of digital isolators shows dramatic improvements over traditional opto-isolators in terms of speed, power, edge symmetry and cost” (paragraph 50).
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim 1 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference 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 SARA ADDISU at (571) 272-6082. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday - Friday 9:00 am - 5:00 pm (Mondays and Wednesday-Friday).
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Sunil K. Singh can be reached on (571) 272-3460. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/SARA ADDISU/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3722 9/17/26
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