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 .
Specification
The disclosure is objected to because of the following informalities:
Paragraph [0032] recites that the bottom wall or floor is reference number 20c; however, the bottom wall or floor should be reference number 20b. Appropriate correction is required.
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(s) 1-4, 6-12, 14, and 16-18 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lin et al. (U.S. 2015/0325417) in view of Yokogawa et al. (U.S. 2006/0236932).
Referring to Figures 2 and 5 and paragraphs [0012]-[0018], [0023]-[0025], Lin et al. disclose a tool for processing a semiconductor wafer, said tool comprising: a process chamber 12 (par.[0013]); a mounting platform 16 configured to have the semiconductor wafer selectively secured thereto, said mounting platform being housed in the process chamber (par.[0013]); an inlet port through which a process gas is introduced into the process chamber (par.[0023], i.e. etching gas introduced); and an annular plate 18 having a plurality of perforations 20 therein, said annular plate 18 being housed within the process chamber; wherein: the annular plate 18 encircles an outer edge of the semiconductor wafer when the semiconductor wafer is secured to the mounting platform; the annular plate 18 has a first edge at a first end thereof and a second edge at a second end thereof, said first end being opposite the second end; the first end resides in a first plane and the second end resides in a second plane different from the first plane, said first plane being located above the second plane and below or coplanar with the semiconductor wafer when the semiconductor wafer is secured to the mounting platform; and the first edge has a first radius measured from a central axis of the annular plate and the second edge has a second radius measured from the central axis, said second radius being greater than the first radius (Fig. 2 below, pars.[0017]-[0018]).
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In paragraph [0024], Lin et al. disclose that the process chamber generates plasma; however, Lin et al. is silent that a first electrode is selectively energized to excite the process gas within the process chamber into a plasma.
Referring to Figure 1 and paragraphs [0024]-[0027], Yokogawa et al. teach that it is conventional in the plasma generating art for a first electrode to be selectively energized to excite the process gas within the process chamber into a plasma. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to have modified the apparatus of Lin et al. to include a first electrode is selectively energized to excite the process gas within the process chamber into a plasma as taught by Yokogawa et al. since it a conventionally known and suitable means to generate plasma.
With respect to claim 2, the tool of Lin et al. in view of Yokogawa et al. further comprising: a vacuum pump 14 operatively coupled to the process chamber on a side of the annular plate opposite the semiconductor wafer when the semiconductor wafer is secured to the mounting platform (Lin et al.-Fig. 2, par.[0013]).
With respect to claim 3, the tool of Lin et al. in view of Yokogawa et al. further comprising: a second electrode 4 that is selectively energizable, said first electrode and said second electrode being on opposite sides of the annular plate with respect to one another (par.[0027]).
With respect to claim 4, the tool of Lin et al. in view of Yokogawa et al. further includes wherein the annular plate 18 has a surface that extends between the first and second edges thereof, said surface being inclined away from the first plane by an angle in a range of between greater than 0 degrees and less than 90 degrees (Lin et al.-Fig.2).
With respect to claim 6, the tool of Lin et al. in view of Yokogawa et al. further includes wherein a difference between the second radius and the first radius is in a range of between greater than or equal to 0.1 cm and less than or equal to 550 cm (Lin et al.-par.[0017], i.e. 14 cm-17 cm).
With respect to claim 7, the tool of Lin et al. in view of Yokogawa et al. further includes wherein a distance between the first plane and the second plane is greater than or equal to 0.1 cm (Lin et al.-par.[0017]-i.e. the distance between the first plane and the second plane is bigger than the annular plate’s thickness (0.5-1.5 cm).
With respect to claim 8, the tool of Lin et al. in view of Yokogawa et al. further includes wherein: the semiconductor wafer has a device side on which semiconductor device structures are formed and a back side opposite the device side, said back side facing the mounting platform when secured thereto; and when the semiconductor wafer is secured to the mounting platform, the back side is offset from the first plane by a distance (Note. The type of wafer having a device is not given patentable weight in apparatus claims since the inclusion of material or article worked upon by a structure being claimed does not impart patentability to the claims. In re Young, 75 F.2d 966, 25 USPQ 69 (CCPA 1935) (as restated in In re Otto, 312
F.2d 937, 136 USPQ 458, 459 (CCPA 1963)).
With respect to claim 9, the tool of Lin et al. in view of Yokogawa et al. further includes wherein the perforations of the annular plate comprise circular through holes 20 (Lin et al.-Fig 2, pars.[0014]-[0015]).
With respect to claim 10, the tool of Lin et al. in view of Yokogawa et al. further includes wherein the perforations of the annular plate comprise radially elongated slits 22 (Yokogawa et al.-par.[0049]).
With respect to claim 11, the tool of Lin et al. in view of Yokogawa et al. further includes wherein the perforations 20, 22 of the annular plate have radial symmetry with respect to a vertical axis of the annular plate (Lin et al.-Fig.3, Yokogawa et al.-Figs 5 & 7).
With respect to claim 12, referring to Figures 2 and 5 and paragraphs [0012]-[0018], [0023]-[0025], Lin et al. disclose a system for exposing a semiconductor wafer to a plasma, said system comprising: a process chamber 12 in which the semiconductor wafer is held 16 while it is exposed to the plasma (par.[0013]); a delivery system that provides a process gas to the process chamber, said process gas being selectively excited into the plasma to which the semiconductor wafer is exposed (par.[0023]); and a control ring 18 that surrounds a region within the process chamber where the semiconductor wafer is held, said control ring 18 comprising a perforated annular surface 20 extending between a first edge and a second edge; wherein: the first edge resides in a first plane and the second edge resides in a second plane different from and not co-planar with the first plane; and the annular surface is inclined between the first and second planes. (Fig. 2 above, pars.[0017]-[0018]).
In paragraph [0024], Lin et al. disclose that the process chamber generates plasma; however, Lin et al. is silent on a radio frequency generator that selectively energizes an electrode to selectively excite the process gas within the process chamber
Referring to Figure 1 and paragraphs [0024]-[0027], Yokogawa et al. teach that it is conventional in the plasma generating art for a radio frequency generator that selectively energizes an electrode to selectively excite the process gas within the process chamber. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to have modified the apparatus of Lin et al. to include a radio frequency generator that selectively energizes an electrode to selectively excite the process gas within the process chamber as taught by Yokogawa et al. since it a conventionally known and suitable means to generate plasma.
With respect to claim 14, the system of Lin et al. in view of Yokogawa et al. further includes wherein the control ring 18 has a surface that extends between the first and second edges thereof, said surface being inclined away from the first plane by an angle in a range of between greater than 0 degrees and less than 90 degrees (Lin et al.-Fig. 2).
With respect to claim 16, the system of Lin et al. in view of Yokogawa et al. further includes wherein the perforations of the control ring comprise circular through holes 20 (Lin et al.-Fig. 2, pars.[0014]-[0015]).
With respect to claim 17, the system of Lin et al. in view of Yokogawa et al. further includes wherein the perforations of the control ring comprise radially elongated slits 22 (Yokogawa et al.-par.[0049]).
With respect to claim 18, the system of Lin et al. in view of Yokogawa et al. further includes wherein the perforations 20, 22 of the control ring have radial symmetry with respect to a vertical axis of the control ring (Lin et al.-Fig.3, Yokogawa et al.-Figs 5 & 7).
Claim(s) 5, 15, and 19-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lin et al. (U.S. 2015/0325417) in view of Yokogawa et al. (U.S. 2006/0236932) as applied to claims 1-4, 6-12, 14, and 16-18 above, and further in view of Lee et al. (KR100635217B1).
The teachings of Lin et al. in view of Yokogawa et al. have been discussed above.
With respect to claims 5, 15, and 19, Lin et al. in view of Yokogawa et al. fail to teach wherein the annular plate (i.e. control ring and exhaust ring) has a surface that extends between the first and second edges thereof, said surface being inclined away from the first plane by an angle in a range of between greater than about 30 degrees and less than about 60 degrees.
Referring to Figure 3 and page 3, Lee et al. teach a processing apparatus wherein the annular plate (i.e. control ring and exhaust ring) has a surface that extends between the first and second edges thereof, said surface being inclined away from the first plane by an angle in a range of between greater than about 30 degrees and less than about 60 degrees (i.e. adjustable acute angle) in order to improve process uniformity. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to have modified the apparatus of Lin et al. in view of Yokogawa et al. with an annular plate (i.e. control ring and exhaust ring) that has a surface that extends between the first and second edges thereof, said surface being inclined away from the first plane by an angle in a range of between greater than about 30 degrees and less than about 60 degrees as taught by Lee et al. in order to improve process uniformity.
With respect to claim 20, the plasma etching system of Lin et al. in view of Yokogawa et al. and Sasaki et al. further includes wherein the perforations of the exhaust ring comprise circular 20 or radially elongated 22 through holes (Lin et al.-Fig.3, Yokogawa et al.-Figs 5 & 7).
Claim(s) 13 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lin et al. (U.S. 2015/0325417) in view of Yokogawa et al. (U.S. 2006/0236932) as applied to claims 1-4, 6-12, 14, and 16-18 above, and further in view of Sasaki et al. (U.S. 2017/0025256).
The teachings of Lin et al. in view of Yokogawa et al. have been discussed above.
Lin et al. in view of Yokogawa et al. fail to teach a controller which at least one of regulates and coordinates operation of at least one of the delivery system and the radio frequency generator.
Referring to paragraphs [0048]-[0052], Sasaki et al. teach it is conventional known in the plasma art for a controller which at least one of regulates and coordinates operation of at least one of the delivery system and the radio frequency generator in order to perform the desired processing. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to have modified the apparatus of Lin et al. in view of Yokogawa et al. a controller which at least one of regulates and coordinates operation of at least one of the delivery system and the radio frequency generator as taught by Sasaki et al. in order to perform the desired processing.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Kawada et al.’826, Kim et al.’240, Lee et al.’009, and Saigusa et al.’333 teach an annular plate that is inclined. Park et al.’040, Fink’114, Fink’045, Sato et al.’440, Takahashi et al.’218, and Sugiyama et al.’620 teach an annular plate having a circular hole or elongated slit.
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/Michelle CROWELL/Examiner, Art Unit 1716
/SYLVIA MACARTHUR/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1716
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