+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 .
DETAILED ACTION
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of Group I, claim(s) 1-17, in the reply filed on 01/20/2026- is acknowledged.
2. Claim(s) 1-17 will be examined. Claim(s) 18-20 are withdrawn.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim(s) 2, 7, 10 and 15 is/are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Concerning claims 2 and 10, the search did not find or make obvious the plasma processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the residence time tuning assembly further comprises a bellows, arranged along a portion of the pumping duct.
Concerning claims 7 and 15, the search did not find or make obvious the plasma processing apparatus of claim 6, wherein the pumping duct comprises: a first elbow portion, directly connected to the plasma chamber; a bellows, connected to the first elbow portion; and a second elbow portion, connected to the bellows and to the process chamber.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 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 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.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 1, 3-4, 6, 8-9, 11-12, 14 and 16-17 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by BLOMBERG et al. (US 20210020468 A1).
Regarding claims 1, BLOMBERG discloses a plasma processing apparatus (figs. 1-2, 10), comprising:
a plasma chamber (in 10) [0027], to define a plasma therein [0027];
an extraction aperture (18) [0024], arranged along a first side (bottom side of 10) of the plasma chamber (10), the extraction aperture (18) to define an ion beam extracted [0038] therethrough (from 18 to 3); and
a residence time tuning assembly (pumps 9, and/or 38) [0024] [0026] [0028], coupled to a portion (right side of 10) of the plasma chamber (10), different from the first side (bottom side of 10),
wherein the residence time tuning assembly (pump 9) [0024] [0026] [0028] comprises a pumping duct (at 26, 38, 9), connected (at 20 to 26; and/or “fluid connection” at 38 to 9) to the plasma chamber (10) on a first end (right side/end of 10), and defining a pumping path for extracting a gaseous species directly (at 20 to 26) from the plasma chamber, separately from the extraction aperture (18)
(figs. 1-2, 10, 18, 26, 9, 4, 6)
[0024-0028].
Regarding claims 9, BLOMBERG discloses a plasma processing system, comprising:
a plasma chamber (in 10) [0027], to define a plasma therein [0027];
a process chamber (3), arranged along a side (bottom side of 10) of the plasma chamber (10);
an extraction aperture (18) [0024], arranged between the plasma chamber (10), and process chamber (3), the extraction aperture (18) to define an ion beam extracted [0038] therethrough (from 18 to 3); and
a residence time tuning assembly (pumps 9, 38) [0024] [0026] [0028], coupled to a portion (right side of 10) of the plasma chamber (10);
wherein the residence time tuning assembly (pump 9) [0024] [0026] [0028] comprises a pumping duct (26), connected (at 20 to 26) to the plasma chamber (10) on a first end (upper right side/end of 10), and defining a pumping path for extracting a gaseous species directly (at 20 to 26) from the plasma chamber, separately from the extraction aperture (18)
(figs. 1-2, 10, 18, 26, 9, 4, 6)
[0024-0028].
Regarding claims 3 and 11, BLOMBERG discloses that the residence time tuning assembly (pumps 9, and/or 38) [0024] [0026] [0028] further comprising a valve (at 26, 38) [0024] [0028], arranged between a first end of the pumping duct (26) and a second end of the pumping duct, and a valve controller (not illustrated) [0020] [0024] [0028], arranged to vary gas pressure in the plasma chamber (in 10) [0027] by adjusting the valve [0020] [0024] [0028].
Regarding claims 4 and 12, BLOMBERG discloses that the pumping duct (26) is a first pumping duct (fig. 2, 26 right side), defining a first pumping path, the residence time tuning assembly (pumps 9, and/or 38) [0024] [0026] [0028] further comprising a second pumping duct (fig. 2, 38 left side), having a near end connected to the plasma chamber (in 10) [0027], and defining a second pumping path for extracting the gaseous species directly from the plasma chamber (in 10) [0020] [0024] [0028]..
Regarding claim 6, BLOMBERG discloses that the extraction aperture (18) [0024] is arranged along a side (top side of 3, between 3 and 10) of a process chamber (3), and wherein the pumping duct (fig. 1; of 26 and/or 38 to 9) is directly connected to the process chamber (3) on a second end (38 at right bottom end of 3).
Regarding claims 8 and 16, BLOMBERG discloses that the pumping duct (fig. 1; of 26 to 9) is arranged along a portion (left side of 10) of the plasma chamber (10) [0027], opposite to the extraction aperture (18s opposite/on right side of 10) [0024].
Regarding claim 14, BLOMBERG discloses that the pumping duct (fig. 1; of 26 and/or 38 to 9) is connected to the process chamber (3) on a second end (38 at right bottom end of 3).
Regarding claim 17, BLOMBERG discloses that wherein the process chamber (3) further comprises a substrate platen (5/50 for 6) , arranged opposite to the extraction aperture (18 in 10) [0024], and defining a separation between the extraction aperture and a substrate (6), disposed on the substrate platen, wherein the substrate platen (5,/50) is movable [0035] to adjust the separation (fig. 7, 50 )
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.
2. Claim(s) 5 and 13 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103(a) as being unpatentable over BLOMBERG et al. (US 20210020468 A1) in view of HORSKY et al. (WO 2005059942 A2).
Regarding claims 5 and 13, BLOMBERG discloses the residence time tuning assembly (pumps 9, and/or 38) [0024] [0026] [0028] further comprising a
But BLOMBERG fails to disclose use of a back pump
HORSKY, however, discloses a vacuum system that utilizes a backing pump (422).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention (AIA applications) to combine/modify the invention of BLOMBERG, with use of a back pump, as taught by HORSKY, to use as a substitution of one known pump type (i.e. backing pump) for another (generic pump) to obtain predictable pressurization/vacuum level results.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Andrew Smyth whose telephone number is 571-270-1746. The examiner can normally be reached between 9:00AM - 6:00PM; Monday thru Friday.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Georgia Epps can be reached on (571) 272-2328. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/ANDREW SMYTH/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2878
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