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.
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) were submitted on 02/06/2023 and 08/02/2024. The submission is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Claim Objections
Claim 1 is objected to because of the following informalities:
Claim 1 line 7, “a Cu containing material” should be –a Copper (Cu) containing material--.
Claim 1 line 20, “has the other end” should be –has other end--.
Appropriate correction is required.
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.
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 1-4 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kosakai (JP 2016062999 A), and further in view of Kuroiwa (JP 2006236896 A) and Kunita (KR 20200121350 A).
Regarding claim 1, Kosakai 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 recessed 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 recessed 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.
Kuroiwa 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.
Kunita 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 (page 3, stranded wire made of metal (for example, 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.
Regarding claim 2, Kosakai, Kuroiwa and Kunita teach the feeder member according to claim 1, wherein the electrode-side terminal is made of a Mo containing material (Kosakai, page 7, material of the connection terminal 40 is … preferably the same material as the material of the heating member 7) (Kosakai, 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).
Regarding claim 3, Kosakai, Kuroiwa and Kunita teach a wafer placement table (Kosakai, i.e. electrostatic chuck device 100, fig.1) comprising:
a ceramic base (Kosakai, i.e. mounting plate 21, support plate 22, resin layer 80, fig.1) that has, at a surface thereof, a wafer placement surface (Kosakai, i.e. first surface 20a, fig.1);
an electrode (Kosakai, i.e. heating member 7, fig.1) that is embedded in the ceramic base (Kosakai, e.g. 7 is embedded in 80, fig.1); and
a feeder member (Kosakai, e.g. structure comprising connection terminal 40, insulating tube 15, fig.1) that is inserted into a surface of the ceramic base on a side opposite to the wafer placement surface (Kosakai, e.g. surface 50b is opposite to wafer placement surface 21a, fig.1), and that is joined to the electrode (Kosakai, e.g. 40 and 7 are joined, fig.1), wherein the feeder member is the feeder member according to claim 1 (see rejection of claim 1 above), and the electrode-side terminal is joined to the electrode (Kosakai, page 3, connection terminal 40 is joined to the heating member 7 by welding).
Regarding claim 4, Kosakai, Kuroiwa and Kunita teach the wafer placement table according to claim 3, wherein the ceramic base is made of an alumina containing material (Kosakai, page 3, an aluminum oxide-silicon carbide (Al .sub.2 O .sub.3 —SiC) composite sintered body, aluminum oxide (Al .sub.2)), and wherein the electrode-side terminal is made of a Mo containing material (Kosakai, page 7, material of the connection terminal 40 is … preferably the same material as the material of the heating member 7) (Kosakai, 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).
Conclusion
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/SREEYA SREEVATSA/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2838 02/02/2026