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 claims 1-7, 9-10 in the reply filed on January 20, 2026 is acknowledged.
Drawings
The drawings are objected to as failing to comply with 37 CFR 1.84(p)(4) because reference character “36” has been used to designate both “process gas nozzles (Applicant’s 33,36; Figure 4; [0027]-[0028])” and “noble gas nozzle (Applicant’s 36; Figure 4; [0050])”. Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
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 1-4, 6, 7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Young; Lydia J. et al. (US 5851294 A). Young teaches a substrate (22; Figure 1; column 2; line 65- column 3; line 15) processing apparatus (14; Figure 1; column 2; line 65- column 3; line 15) comprising: a processing chamber (12; Figure 1; column 2; line 65- column 3; line 15) configured to process a substrate (22; Figure 1; column 2; line 65- column 3; line 15) ; a substrate support (20; Figure 1; column 2; line 65- column 3; line 15) provided in the processing chamber (12; Figure 1; column 2; line 65- column 3; line 15) and configured to support a substrate (22; Figure 1; column 2; line 65- column 3; line 15) ; a plasma source (24; Figure 1; column 2; line 65- column 3; line 15) configured to generate an electric field in a plasma processing region between a surface (18; Figure 1) facing the substrate support (20; Figure 1; column 2; line 65- column 3; line 15) and the substrate support (20; Figure 1; column 2; line 65- column 3; line 15) , the electric field causing formation of a plasma; and process gas nozzles (34b-42b, 34c-42c; Figure 4,5; “However, various other gaseous substances may be used.”- column 6; lines 59-63; Applicant’s 33,36; Figure 4; [0027]-[0028]) via which a gas is delivered to the plasma processing region, the process gas nozzles (34b-42b, 34c-42c; Figure 4,5; “However, various other gaseous substances may be used.”- column 6; lines 59-63; Applicant’s 33,36; Figure 4; [0027]-[0028]) including a gas mixture nozzle (34b-42b; Figure 4,5; “However, various other gaseous substances may be used.”- column 6; lines 59-63-Applicant’s 33; Figure 4) via which a gas mixture of an additive gas and a noble gas for forming the plasma is delivered, and a noble gas nozzle (34a-42a; Figure 4,5; “argon and silane”; column 6; lines 59-63; “However, various other gaseous substances may be used”-Applicant’s 36; Figure 4; [0050]) via which the noble gas, which is not mixed with the additive gas, is delivered to flow along the facing surface (18; Figure 1), the noble gas nozzle (34a-42a; Figure 4,5; “argon and silane”; column 6; lines 59-63; “However, various other gaseous substances may be used”-Applicant’s 36; Figure 4; [0050]) being provided at a location closer to the facing surface (18; Figure 1) than the gas mixture nozzle (34b-42b; Figure 4,5; “However, various other gaseous substances may be used.”- column 6; lines 59-63-Applicant’s 33; Figure 4) is, as claimed by claim 1. The above and below italicized text are considered claim requirements of intended use in the pending apparatus claims. The gas(es) used by the claimed apparatus are not considered to further limit the claimed structure for the pending apparatus claims. Further, it has been held that claim language that simply specifies an intended use or field of use for the invention generally will not limit the scope of a claim (Walter , 618 F.2d at 769, 205 USPQ at 409; MPEP 2106). Additionally, in apparatus claims, intended use must result in a structural difference between the claimed invention and the prior art in order to patentably distinguish the claimed invention from the prior art. If the prior art structure is capable of performing the intended use, then it meets the claim (In re Casey,152 USPQ 235 (CCPA 1967); In re Otto , 136 USPQ 458, 459 (CCPA 1963); MPEP2115).
Young further teaches:
The substrate (22; Figure 1; column 2; line 65- column 3; line 15) processing apparatus (14; Figure 1; column 2; line 65- column 3; line 15) according to claim 1, wherein the noble gas nozzle (34a-42a; Figure 4,5; “argon and silane”; column 6; lines 59-63; “However, various other gaseous substances may be used”-Applicant’s 36; Figure 4; [0050]) has a gas hole (34; Figure 4) through which the noble gas is delivered in a direction parallel (alpha, 62; Figure 4) to the facing surface (18; Figure 1), as claimed by claim 2
The substrate (22; Figure 1; column 2; line 65- column 3; line 15) processing apparatus (14; Figure 1; column 2; line 65- column 3; line 15) according to claim 2, wherein the gas mixture nozzle (34b-42b; Figure 4,5; “However, various other gaseous substances may be used.”- column 6; lines 59-63-Applicant’s 33; Figure 4) and the noble gas nozzle (34a-42a; Figure 4,5; “argon and silane”; column 6; lines 59-63; “However, various other gaseous substances may be used”-Applicant’s 36; Figure 4; [0050]) extend in parallel (alpha, 62; Figure 4) to each other to be along a planar direction of the facing surface (18; Figure 1), as claimed by claim 3
The substrate (22; Figure 1; column 2; line 65- column 3; line 15) processing apparatus (14; Figure 1; column 2; line 65- column 3; line 15) according to claim 1, wherein a flow rate of the noble gas that is delivered via the noble gas nozzle (34a-42a; Figure 4,5; “argon and silane”; column 6; lines 59-63; “However, various other gaseous substances may be used”-Applicant’s 36; Figure 4; [0050]) is greater than a flow rate of the gas mixture that is delivered via the gas mixture nozzle (34b-42b; Figure 4,5; “However, various other gaseous substances may be used.”- column 6; lines 59-63-Applicant’s 33; Figure 4), as claimed by claim 4. Further, Young discusses variable flow rates in at least column 4; lines 1-11.
The substrate (22; Figure 1; column 2; line 65- column 3; line 15) processing apparatus (14; Figure 1; column 2; line 65- column 3; line 15) according to claim 1, wherein the noble gas includes argon gas or helium gas, as claimed by claim 6
The substrate (22; Figure 1; column 2; line 65- column 3; line 15) processing apparatus (14; Figure 1; column 2; line 65- column 3; line 15) according to claim 1, wherein the additive gas includes at least one of ammonia gas, oxygen gas (column 6; lines 59-63), or hydrogen gas, as claimed by claim 7
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 5 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Young; Lydia J. et al. (US 5851294 A) in view of Strang; Eric J. (US 7740704 B2). Young is discussed above and only discusses the control of process gas flow rates. As a result, Young does not teach the substrate (22; Figure 1; column 2; line 65- column 3; line 15) processing apparatus (14; Figure 1; column 2; line 65- column 3; line 15) according to claim 1, further comprising a controller, the controller being configured to control delivery of the gas from each of the process gas nozzles (34b-42b, 34c-42c; Figure 4,5; “However, various other gaseous substances may be used.”- column 6; lines 59-63; Applicant’s 33,36; Figure 4; [0027]-[0028]), set a first timing at which the noble gas is delivered via the noble gas nozzle (34a-42a; Figure 4,5; “argon and silane”; column 6; lines 59-63; “However, various other gaseous substances may be used”-Applicant’s 36; Figure 4; [0050]) to be before a second timing at which the gas mixture is delivered via the gas mixture nozzle (34b-42b; Figure 4,5; “However, various other gaseous substances may be used.”- column 6; lines 59-63-Applicant’s 33; Figure 4), and cause the noble gas to be continuously delivered via the noble gas nozzle (34a-42a; Figure 4,5; “argon and silane”; column 6; lines 59-63; “However, various other gaseous substances may be used”-Applicant’s 36; Figure 4; [0050]) during a period in which the gas mixture is delivered via the gas mixture nozzle (34b-42b; Figure 4,5; “However, various other gaseous substances may be used.”- column 6; lines 59-63-Applicant’s 33; Figure 4).
Strang teaches a similar wafer processing apparatus (Figure 1) including a controller (150) for controlling gas injection timing (Figure 3) for nozzles (144A-C; Figure 5,6).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention for Young to add Strang’s nozzle gas injection controller (150) at optimized timing.
Motivation for Young to add Strang’s nozzle gas injection controller (150) at optimized timing is for improving deposition characteristics as taught by Strang (column 2; line 53 – column 3; line 5).
Claims 9-10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Young; Lydia J. et al. (US 5851294 A) in view of Kato; Hitoshi et al.( US 20190360093 A1). Young is discussed above. Young does not teach
The substrate (22; Figure 1; column 2; line 65- column 3; line 15) processing apparatus (14; Figure 1; column 2; line 65- column 3; line 15) according to claim 1, wherein the facing surface (18; Figure 1) in the plasma source (24; Figure 1; column 2; line 65- column 3; line 15) is formed of quartz, as claimed by claim 9
Young’s substrate (22; Figure 1; column 2; line 65- column 3; line 15) processing apparatus (14; Figure 1; column 2; line 65- column 3; line 15) according to claim 1, wherein Young’s substrate support (20; Figure 1; column 2; line 65- column 3; line 15) includes recesses in which respective substrates (22; Figure 1; column 2; line 65- column 3; line 15) are accommodated in Young’s processing chamber (12; Figure 1; column 2; line 65- column 3; line 15) , and a rotary table configured to revolve Young’s respective substrates (22; Figure 1; column 2; line 65- column 3; line 15) accommodated in the recesses, and wherein Young’s processing chamber (12; Figure 1; column 2; line 65- column 3; line 15) includes Young’s plasma source (24; Figure 1; column 2; line 65- column 3; line 15) above a region where the recesses pass, Young’s gas mixture nozzle (34b-42b; Figure 4,5; “However, various other gaseous substances may be used.”- column 6; lines 59-63-Applicant’s 33; Figure 4), and Young’s noble gas nozzle (34a-42a; Figure 4,5; “argon and silane”; column 6; lines 59-63; “However, various other gaseous substances may be used”-Applicant’s 36; Figure 4; [0050]), as claimed by claim 10
Kato also teaches a plasma processing apparatus (Figure 1) including a rotatable and recessed substrate support (2; Figure 1,3; [0042]) and quartz facing surface (710; Figure 1; [0063]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention for Young to replace Young’s substrate support (20; Figure 1; column 2; line 65- column 3; line 15) with Kato’s substrate support (2; Figure 1,3; [0042]) and use quartz as a facing surface as taught by Kato.
Motivation for Young to replace Young’s substrate support (20; Figure 1; column 2; line 65- column 3; line 15) with Kato’s substrate support (2; Figure 1,3; [0042]) and use quartz as a facing surface as taught by Kato is for “improving in-plane uniformity” as taught by Kato ([0087]) and for “little dust and high heat resistance” as taught by Kato ([0123]).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Plasma reactors with tubular gas injection include at least US 20080115728 A1; US 7806078 B2; US 20030000924 A1; US 20160083844 A1
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/Rudy Zervigon/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1716