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 .
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
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.
Claim 20 is 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.
Claim 20 recites that the second power is applied to the top electrode of the chamber. However, para 26, 29 in the specification describe the second power include a DC bias voltage applied to the bottom electrode BC. For the purpose of examination, claim 20 is interpreted as the second power, including a DC bias signal, is applied to the bottom electrode. Clarification is required.
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 (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 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.
Claim(s) 1-8, 17, 19, 20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102a1 as being anticipated by Dorf et al. (TW 202221756A).
With respect to claims 1, 17, 20 Dorf describes a manufacturing process of a semiconductor device comprising: providing a substrate in a plasma chamber (abs.), the chamber includes a plasma power generator assembly 160 containing RF generator 118 providing a sinusoidal RF waveform applied to the top or bottom electrode or claimed first power generator (page 7, 12, 15; fig. 1A, 1C, 2), and a PV waveform generator 150 including DC power supply that provide DC bias to the bottom electrode to accelerate plasma ions toward the wafer (page 8-10; fig 1C, 2) or claimed second power generator includes a DC bias signal
PNG
media_image1.png
624
436
media_image1.png
Greyscale
PNG
media_image2.png
532
868
media_image2.png
Greyscale
; fig. 6C shows sinusoidal RF waveform 601 having steady an on state and a steady off state and DC bias signal having pulses 615, 625, 635 that is in non-sinusoidal waveform and in an on state and a steady off state, wherein short pulses 625 contains “the delay period T .sub.DE is provided such that the onset of each short pulse 625 occurs at a time after at least a portion of each RF pulse within the pulsed RF waveform 602 is delivered, also referred to herein as positive delay period” or is offset from the RF signal waveform 601 or claimed the RF signal and the DC bias signal are applied at the same time in the chamber and are offset from each other (page 23, 24)
PNG
media_image3.png
598
424
media_image3.png
Greyscale
; performing a plasma process on a layer on the substrate using the RF signal and DC bias signal above (abs.; page 15).
With respect to claims 2, 3, 5, 19 fig. 6C above shows the RF signal 601 and pulsed DC bias signal 625 are offset from each other, in which the turning on and off of the RF signal and DC bias signal are different from each other.
With respect to claim 4, fig. 6C above shows the RF signal 601 is on while the DC bias signal 615 is in an on duty and the RF signal 601 is off while the DC bias signal is in an off duty.
With respect to claims 6 and 7, pulsed voltage waveform that provide the DC bias pulses 615, 625, 635 including a combination of negative and positive waverform (page 21-23), which would include generating a voltage less than and a voltage less than a reference voltage as the pulses include negative and positive waveform.
With respect to claim 8, fig. 6C above shows the RF signal 601 is while the DC bias signal 635 is in an on duty and the RF signal 601 is an off duty while the DC bias signal is in an off duty.
Allowable Subject Matter
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
Claims 9-16 are allowed because prior art Dorf doesn’t teach generating a first reference voltage in a first time section and first power in a second time section and applying the first reference voltage and first power to the bottom electrode; and generating a second reference voltage in a third time section and second power in a fourth time section and applying the second reference voltage and the second power to the bottom electrode, wherein: the first and second time sections arrive alternately and repeatedly, and form a first steady signal alternating with an RF signal; the third and fourth time sections arrive alternately and repeatedly, overlap the first and second time sections, and form a second steady signal alternating with a periodic signal; the second power is generated as a signal having a non-sinusoidal waveform, and the second reference voltage in the third time section and second power in the fourth time section form a direct current (DC) bias signal, and the first reference voltage in the first time section and first power in the second time section form a radio frequency (RF) signal, and the RF signal and the DC bias signal are offset from each other.
Claim 18 is 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.
Claim 18 is allowable because the prior art Dorf doesn’t teach the generating of the second power comprises generating a square wave to provide a voltage level determined based on a target size of the ion energy; generating a variable waveform determined based on a target distribution of the ion energy; and providing the second power having a set waveform by combining the square wave and the variable waveform.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to DUY VU NGUYEN DEO whose telephone number is (571)272-1462. The examiner can normally be reached 9-5 M-F.
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, Joshua Allen can be reached at 571-272-3176. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/DUY VU N DEO/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1713
4/7/2026
Prosecution Insights