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 .
Claims 1-4 are pending in this application.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments, see Remarks, filed 05/07/2026, with respect to claims 1-4 have been fully considered and are persuasive. The previous objections and rejections of claims 1-4 has been withdrawn.
On pages 5-6 of Remarks filed 05/07/2026, applicant argues
As such, a person of ordinary skill in the art would have considered the recessed portion of the female connector as corresponding to the claimed joint portion of the connector being electrically connected to a conductive member differing from the feeder member (i.e., the male connector). However, that person would have recognized that the portion of the power supply terminal 32 facing toward the flange 41 (electrode side terminal) and cylindrical portion 42 of the flange is a flat surface to which the connection line is connected (e.g., by brazing or welding) (see Kosakai, Fig. 1).
The above argument is persuasive, particularly the recessed portion is not explicitly taught in prior at Kosakai (JP 2016062999 A).
Applicant's arguments filed 05/07/2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
On page 5 of Remarks filed 05/07/2026, applicant argues
This understanding is supported by the fact that Kosakai discloses that, in an alternative embodiment, the connection terminal 40 may be divided into a male screw portion and a female screw portion, with the connection line sandwiched therebetween (i.e., the end face of the connection terminal would still be a flat surface). Therefore, Kosakai fails to teach or suggest an insert having a hole portion provided on a side opposite the joined portion, and a cable joined to the insert with one end being inserted into the hole portion of the insert, a recited in the third and last paragraphs of claim 1.
The above argument is not persuasive, as a female portion that receives male portion can be interpreted as hole portion.
Double Patenting
The nonstatutory double patenting rejection is based on a judicially created doctrine grounded in public policy (a policy reflected in the statute) so as to prevent the unjustified or improper timewise extension of the “right to exclude” granted by a patent and to prevent possible harassment by multiple assignees. A nonstatutory double patenting rejection is appropriate where the conflicting claims are not identical, but at least one examined application claim is not patentably distinct from the reference claim(s) because the examined application claim is either anticipated by, or would have been obvious over, the reference claim(s). See, e.g., In re Berg, 140 F.3d 1428, 46 USPQ2d 1226 (Fed. Cir. 1998); In re Goodman, 11 F.3d 1046, 29 USPQ2d 2010 (Fed. Cir. 1993); In re Longi, 759 F.2d 887, 225 USPQ 645 (Fed. Cir. 1985); In re Van Ornum, 686 F.2d 937, 214 USPQ 761 (CCPA 1982); In re Vogel, 422 F.2d 438, 164 USPQ 619 (CCPA 1970); In re Thorington, 418 F.2d 528, 163 USPQ 644 (CCPA 1969).
A timely filed terminal disclaimer in compliance with 37 CFR 1.321(c) or 1.321(d) may be used to overcome an actual or provisional rejection based on nonstatutory double patenting provided the reference application or patent either is shown to be commonly owned with the examined application, or claims an invention made as a result of activities undertaken within the scope of a joint research agreement. See MPEP § 717.02 for applications subject to examination under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA as explained in MPEP § 2159. See MPEP § 2146 et seq. for applications not subject to examination under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA . A terminal disclaimer must be signed in compliance with 37 CFR 1.321(b).
The filing of a terminal disclaimer by itself is not a complete reply to a nonstatutory double patenting (NSDP) rejection. A complete reply requires that the terminal disclaimer be accompanied by a reply requesting reconsideration of the prior Office action. Even where the NSDP rejection is provisional the reply must be complete. See MPEP § 804, subsection I.B.1. For a reply to a non-final Office action, see 37 CFR 1.111(a). For a reply to final Office action, see 37 CFR 1.113(c). A request for reconsideration while not provided for in 37 CFR 1.113(c) may be filed after final for consideration. See MPEP §§ 706.07(e) and 714.13.
The USPTO Internet website contains terminal disclaimer forms which may be used. Please visit www.uspto.gov/patent/patents-forms. The actual filing date of the application in which the form is filed determines what form (e.g., PTO/SB/25, PTO/SB/26, PTO/AIA /25, or PTO/AIA /26) should be used. A web-based eTerminal Disclaimer may be filled out completely online using web-screens. An eTerminal Disclaimer that meets all requirements is auto-processed and approved immediately upon submission. For more information about eTerminal Disclaimers, refer to www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/applying-online/eterminal-disclaimer.
Claims 1-4 are rejected on the ground of nonstatutory double patenting as being unpatentable over claims 1 and 4-6 respectively, of U.S. Patent No. 12451822. Although the claims at issue are not identical, they are not patentably distinct from each other because of the comparison of claim limitations shown below.
Instant application
US Patent 12451822
Claim 1
A feeder member that is used to supply electricity to an electrode embedded in a ceramic base, the feeder member comprising:
an electrode-side terminal that is made of a high-melting-point metal containing material, and that is joined to the electrode;
an insert that is made of a Cu containing material, and that has a joined portion and a hole portion, the joined portion being directly joined to the electrode-side terminal without using a brazing material, the hole portion being provided on a side opposite to the joined portion;
a connector that is made of a Cu containing material, and that has a joint portion and a recessed portion, the joint portion being electrically connected to a conductive member differing from the feeder member, the recessed portion being provided on a side opposite to the joint portion; and
a cable that is made of a Cu containing material, has one end joined to the insert with the one end being inserted in the hole portion of the insert, and has the other end joined to the connector with the other end being inserted in the recessed portion of the connector.
Claim 1
A feeder member that is used to supply electricity to an electrode embedded in a ceramic base, the feeder member comprising:
an electrode-side terminal that is made of a high-melting-point metal containing material and that is joined to the electrode;
an intermediate member that is made of a Cu containing material and directly joined to the electrode-side terminal without using a brazing material;
a cable support member that is made of a Cu containing material and joined to the intermediate member;
a cable that is made of a Cu containing material and that has one end whose end surface is welded to the cable support member.
Claim 2
The feeder member according to claim 1, wherein the electrode-side terminal is made of a Mo containing material.
Claim 4
The feeder member according to Claim 1, wherein the electrode-side terminal is made of a Mo containing material.
Claim 3
A wafer placement table comprising: a ceramic base that has, at a surface thereof, a wafer placement surface;
an electrode that is embedded in the ceramic base; and
a feeder member that is inserted into a surface of the ceramic base on a side opposite to the wafer placement surface, and that is joined to the electrode, wherein the feeder member is the feeder member according to claim 1, and the electrode-side terminal is joined to the electrode.
Claim 5
A wafer placement table comprising: a ceramic base that includes, at a surface thereof, a wafer placement portion;
an electrode embedded in the ceramic base; and
a feeder member that is inserted into a surface of the ceramic base on a side opposite to the wafer placement portion and joined to the electrode, wherein the feeder member is the feeder member according to Claim 1, and the electrode-side terminal is joined to the electrode.
Claim 4
The wafer placement table according to claim 3, wherein the ceramic base is made of an alumina containing material, and
wherein the electrode-side terminal is made of a Mo containing material.
Claim 6
The wafer placement table according to Claim 5, wherein the ceramic base is made of an alumina containing material, and
wherein the electrode-side terminal is made of a Mo containing material.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1-4 are allowed.
The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance:
Regarding claim 1, Kosakai (JP 2016062999 A) teaches a feeder member (abstract, a highly reliable terminal connection structure) that is used to supply electricity to an electrode embedded in a ceramic base (page 1, a terminal connection structure, a heating device, and an electrostatic chuck device), the feeder member comprising:
an electrode-side terminal (i.e. circular flange 41, fig.1) (page 7, connection terminal 40 includes a circular flange 41 provided on the facing surface 41 a side (+ Z side) joined to the heating member 7) that is made of a high-melting-point metal containing material (page 7, material of the connection terminal 40 is … preferably the same material as the material of the heating member 7) (pages 6-7, heating member 7 is preferably made of … a titanium (Ti) thin plate, a tungsten (W) thin plate, a molybdenum (Mo) thin plate), and that is joined to the electrode (page 7, connection terminal 40 includes a circular flange 41 provided on the facing surface 41 a side (+ Z side) joined to the heating member 7);
an insert (i.e. columnar portion 42, fig.1), and that has a joined portion (e.g. portion of 42 adjacent to 41, fig.1) and a hole portion (e.g. portion of 42 away from 41, fig.1), the joined portion being directly joined to the electrode-side terminal without using a brazing material (e.g. 41 and 42 appear to be an integral piece, figs.1, 4a, 9), the hole portion being provided on a side opposite to the joined portion (e.g. hole portion including 42a, is away from joined portion near 41b, fig.3);
a connector (i.e. power supply terminal 32, fig.1) that is made of a Cu containing material (page 6, material of the power supply terminal 32 is not limited as long as it is conductive), and that has a joint portion (e.g. portion of 32 adjacent to fixing plate 16, fig.1) and a portion (e.g. portion of 32 adjacent to connection line 33, fig.1), the joint portion being electrically connected to a conductive member differing from the feeder member (page 6, male connector (not shown) for supplying electricity to the electrostatic chuck device 100 from an external power source can be connected to the power supply terminal 32), the portion being provided on a side opposite to the joint portion (e.g. portion of 32 adjacent to 16, is on the opposite side of portion of 32 adjacent to 33, fig.1); and
a cable (i.e. connection line 33, fig.1), has one end joined to the insert (e.g. joining of 33 and 42, fig.1) with the one end being inserted in the hole portion of the insert (page 7, A connection line 33 is connected to the end face 42 a of the cylindrical portion 42), and has other end joined to the connector (e.g. joining of 33 and 32, fig.1) with the other end being inserted in the recessed portion of the connector (page 7, The connection line 33 is provided to electrically connect the connection terminal 40 and the power supply terminal 32).
Kosakai does not teach, an insert that is made of a Cu containing material, and a cable that is made of a Cu containing material. Kosakai also does not teach that the portion is a recessed portion.
Kuroiwa (JP 2006236896 A) teaches in a similar field of endeavor of connection terminal and heater electrode equipped with it, an insert (i.e. base 4, fig.1) that is made of a Cu containing material (page 4, connection terminal of the present invention is … normal conductive materials such as copper, aluminum, gold).
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have optionally included the insert that is made of a Cu containing material in Kosakai, as taught by Kuroiwa, as it provides the advantage of optimal design for an insert and does not require special material or manufacturing methods.
Kosakai and Kuroiwa do not teach, a cable that is made of a Cu containing material. Kosakai and Kuroiwa slo do not teach, the portion is a recessed portion.
Kunita (US 20200411357 A1) teaches in a similar field of endeavor of electrode terminal in an electrostatic chuck, and a cable (i.e. cable 46, fig.1) that is made of a Cu containing material ([0032], cable 46 is a twisted wire made of metal (for instance, copper)).
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have optionally included the cable that is made of a Cu containing material in Kosakai and Kuroiwa, as taught by Kunita, as it provides the advantage of providing a cable with good strength when force is applied in compression direction.
Kosakai, Kuroiwa and Kunita do not teach, the portion is a recessed portion.
Prior art Tsuchida (US 20180033668 A1) and Kida (US 20120250211 A1) have been found to be the closest prior art.
However, none of the prior art, taken singly or in combination, teach “a connector … that has a joint portion and a recessed portion”.
Claims 2-4 are allowed, as they depend on allowed claim 1.
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.”
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 SREEYA SREEVATSA whose telephone number is (571)272-8304. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8am-5pm ET.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Thienvu V Tran can be reached at (571) 270-1276. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/SREEYA SREEVATSA/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2838
05/28/2026
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