DETAILED ACTION
MONITORING OF ACOUSTIC EVENTS ON A SUBSTRATE
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 .
Response to Amendment
The amendment filed 07-24-2026 has been entered. Claims 6,10-14 and 16-20 are currently pending and have been examined. The previous rejection has been updated due to applicant’s amendments.
Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after final rejection. Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on 08-18-2026 has been entered.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of the first paragraph of 35 U.S.C. 112(a):
(a) IN GENERAL.—The specification shall contain a written description of the invention, and of the manner and process of making and using it, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and use the same, and shall set forth the best mode contemplated by the inventor or joint inventor of carrying out the invention.
The following is a quotation of the first paragraph of pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112:
The specification shall contain a written description of the invention, and of the manner and process of making and using it, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and use the same, and shall set forth the best mode contemplated by the inventor of carrying out his invention.
Claims 6,10-14 and 16-20 rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(a) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), first paragraph, as failing to comply with the written description requirement. The claim(s) contains subject matter which was not described in the specification in such a way as to reasonably convey to one skilled in the relevant art that the inventor or a joint inventor, or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the inventor(s), at the time the application was filed, had possession of the claimed invention. In para 0068 of the specification it describes “beamforming is “scanned” across the all of the wafer”. However, claim 6 recites. There is no support for this limitation in this claim, and its dependent claims in the specification. In regard to claims 10-13,18-19, depend from claim 6, and is therefore rejected accordingly under 35 USC 112(a).
In para 0068 of the specification it describes “beamforming is “scanned” across the all of the wafer”. However, claim . There is no support for this limitation in this claim, and its dependent claims in the specification. In regard to claims 16-17,20, depend from claim 14, and is therefore rejected accordingly under 35 USC 112(a).
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 6,10-14 and 16-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Regarding claim 6, claim 6 recites the limitation “selectively represents acoustic activity” it is unclear what specifically selectively represented.
In regard to claims 10-13,18-19, depend from claim 6, and is therefore rejected accordingly under 35 USC 112(b).
Regarding claim 14, claim 14 recites the limitation “selectively represents acoustic activity” it is unclear what specifically selectively represented.
In regard to claims 16-17,20, depend from claim 14, and is therefore rejected accordingly under 35 USC 112(a).
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) 6,10-14 and 16,18 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Wang (US6488569B1) cited in IDS in view of Kuroki (JP2003156552A).
Regarding claim 6, Wang teaches
a platen (12, figure 1) to support a polishing pad (14, figure 1);
a carrier head (16, figure 1) to hold a surface of a substrate against the polishing pad;
a motor (32, figure 1; col 3 lines 44-47 and col 3 lines 49-52) to generate relative motion between the platen and the carrier head so as to polish an overlying layer on the substrate; an array of acoustic sensors (32, figure 1; col 3 lines 44-47 and col 3 lines 39-52) arranged within the carrier head to receive acoustic signals from the surface of the substrate; and a controller (40, figure 3) configured to detect a position on the substrate at which a polishing endpoint has been reached based on the plurality of summed signals (see col 5 lines 20-30 quantifies signals and see col 6 lines 62-64 discloses processing system which includes a computer that counts signals, and processing system can be used for end point detection.)
Wang fails to teach a controller configured to repeatedly scan a region across the substrate by varying over time respective phase shifts applied to the received acoustic signals received from respective acoustic sensors of the array of acoustic sensors, sum the phase-shifted received acoustic signals to generate a summed signal that selectively represents acoustic activity at the region on the substrate, the varying over time of the respective phase shifts thus generating a plurality of summed signals that represent acoustic activity at the region as the region scans across the substrate, and detect based on the plurality of summed signals.
Kuroki discloses a sound source and electromagnetic wave source (abstract) direction search method that includes to repeatedly scan a region across the substrate (see ST9-ST11; para 0014,0017-0019; figures 1-4 describes sound source process searches and sound source recognition processing is repeatedly performed) by varying over time respective phase shifts (discloses repeated for theta)applied to the received acoustic signals received from respective acoustic sensors of the array of acoustic sensors
sum (see para 0014,0019 and ST8 discloses phasing addition processing )the phase-shifted received acoustic signals to generate a summed signal that selectively represents acoustic activity at the region on the substrate, the varying over time of the respective phase shifts thus generating a plurality of summed signals that represent acoustic activity at the region as the region scans across the substrate, and detect based on the plurality of summed signals. (see para 0014,0019 and ST8 discloses phasing addition processing )
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Wang to include a controller a controller configured to repeatedly scan a region across the substrate by varying over time respective phase shifts applied to the received acoustic signals received from respective acoustic sensors of the array of acoustic sensors, sum the phase-shifted received acoustic signals to generate a summed signal that selectively represents acoustic activity at the region on the substrate, the varying over time of the respective phase shifts thus generating a plurality of summed signals that represent acoustic activity at the region as the region scans across the substrate, and detect based on the plurality of summed signals, based on the teachings of Wang. This modification would help to easily search the direction of a sound source existing on a plane as a specified state. (see abstract of Kuroki)
Regarding claim 10, modified Wang teaches wherein the controller is configured to, for each respective position of a plurality of positions of the region as region is repeatedly scanned across the substrate, monitor summed signals for a change that represents a polishing endpoint at the respective position corresponding to the respective summed signal. (see Kuroki see para 0014,0019 and ST8 discloses phasing addition processing; see Wang col 6 lines 62-64 discloses processing system which includes a computer that counts signals, and processing system can be used for end point detection)
Regarding claim 11, modified Wang teaches
wherein the polishing endpoint comprises removal of a layer being polished to expose an underlying layer (see Wang col 6 lines 55-64).
Regarding claim 12, modified Wang teaches
wherein the controller is further configured to, prior to detecting a polishing endpoint in a zone, denoise the received acoustic signals from the array of acoustic sensors (see Wang col 6 lines 27-40 discloses band pass filter to eliminate low frequency components related to background noise).
Regarding claim 13, modified Wang teaches
wherein the array of acoustic sensors includes five or more acoustic sensors (see Wang col 5 lines 60-65).
Regarding claim 14, Wang teaches holding a substrate (18, figure 1)with a carrier head (16, figure 1) and bringing the surface of a substrate into contact with a polishing pad (14, figure 1);
generating relative motion between the substrate and the polishing pad (col 3 lines 35-55); monitoring acoustic signals from the substrate from a plurality of acoustic sensors in the carrier head (col 3 lines 18-27, col 4 lines 9-30,col 4 lines 55-65);
detecting a position on the substrate at which a polishing endpoint has been reached based the on summed signals (see col 5 lines 20-30 quantifies signals and see col 6 lines 62-64 discloses processing system which includes a computer that counts signals, and processing system can be used for end point detection).
Wang fails to teach repeatedly scanning a region across the substrate by varying over time respective phase shifts applied to respective acoustic signals received from respective acoustic sensors of the plurality of acoustic sensors;
summing the phase-shifted acoustic signals to generate a summed signal that selectively represents acoustic activity at the region on the substrate, the varying over time of the respective phase shifts thus generating a plurality of summed signals that represent acoustic activity at the region as the region scans across the substrate;
detecting plurality of summed signals; and
modifying one or more polishing parameters to adjust the polishing operation based on a position on the substrate at which a polishing endpoint has been reached.
Kuroki discloses a sound source and electromagnetic wave source (abstract) direction search method that includes to repeatedly scan a region across the substrate (see ST9-ST11; para 0014,0017-0019; figures 1-4 describes sound source process searches and sound source recognition processing is repeatedly performed) by varying over time respective phase shifts (discloses repeated for theta) applied to respective acoustic signals received from respective acoustic sensors of the plurality of acoustic sensors;
summing (see para 0014,0019 and ST8 discloses phasing addition processing )
the phase-shifted acoustic signals to generate a summed signal that selectively represents acoustic activity at the region on the substrate, the varying over time of the respective phase shifts thus generating a plurality of summed signals that represent acoustic activity at the region as the region scans across the substrate (see para 0014,0019 and ST8 discloses phasing addition processing );
detecting plurality of summed signals (see para 0014,0019 and ST8 discloses phasing addition processing ); and
modifying one or more polishing parameters to adjust the polishing operation based on a position on the substrate (see para 0018-0019).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Wang to include a step of repeatedly scanning a region across the substrate by varying over time respective phase shifts applied to respective acoustic signals received from respective acoustic sensors of the plurality of acoustic sensors; summing the phase-shifted acoustic signals to generate a summed signal that selectively represents acoustic activity at the region on the substrate, the varying over time of the respective phase shifts thus generating a plurality of summed signals that represent acoustic activity at the region as the region scans across the substrate; detecting plurality of summed signals; and modifying one or more polishing parameters to adjust the polishing operation based on a position on the substrate at which a polishing endpoint has been reached, based on the teachings of Kuroki. This modification would help to easily search the direction of a sound source existing on a plane as a specified state. (see abstract of Kuroki)
Regarding claim 16, modified Wang teaches
wherein the plurality of sensors monitor acoustic signals in a frequency range from 10 kHz to 200 kHz (see Wang col 6 lines 35-40).
Regarding claim 18, modified Wang teaches wherein the array of acoustic sensors includes three or more acoustic sensors (see Wang col 5 lines 60-65).
Claim(s) 17 and 19-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Wang (US6488569B1) cited in IDS in view of Kuroki (JP2003156552A) further in view of Yavelberg (US 20150360343 A1)
Regarding claims 17 and 19, modified Wang teaches all limitations stated above, but fails to teach wherein the acoustic sensor is a passive acoustic sensor.
Yavekverg teaches chemical mechanical polishing carrier that has a passive acoustic sensor (para 0041).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before effective filing date of the claimed invention to have further modified Wang wherein the acoustic sensor is a passive acoustic sensor based on the teachings of Yavekverg. This modification would help ensure the sensor can perform in-situ detection/measurement. (see Yavekverg para 0041).
Regarding claim 20, modified Wang teaches wherein the controller is configured to monitor acoustic signals from the acoustic sensors in a frequency range from 10 kHz to 200 kHz. (see Wang col 6 lines 35-40)
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments filed 07-24-2026, with respect to the
rejection(s) of claim(s) 6 and 14 and their dependent claims under 35 U.S.C.103 have been fully considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection (as necessitated by amendment) relies on a different combination of prior art references, not applied in the prior rejection of record.
Conclusion
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/SARAH AKYAA FORDJOUR/ Examiner, Art Unit 3723
/MONICA S CARTER/ Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3723
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