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 .
Applicant’s election of Group I, including claims 1-4, 7-19 and 26 in the reply filed on 01/19/2026 is acknowledged. Because applicant did not distinctly and specifically point out the supposed errors in the restriction requirement, the election has been treated as an election without traverse (MPEP § 818.01(a)).
Applicant is therefore requested to cancel the non-elected claims 20-25.
Objected Informalities
The disclosure is objected to because of the following informalities:
In The Claims
Claim 7, line 2, “+/- 0,3µm, +/- 0,5µm, or +/- 0,8µm” should be -- +/- 0.3µm, +/- 0.5µm, or +/- 0.8µm --.
Claim 14, line 4, “the first and second energy filter” should be -- the first and second energy filters --.
Claim 17, line 6, “Overlapping” should be -- overlapping --.
Claim 18, lines 8-9, “the at least one support element” should be -- at least one support element --.
Claim 19, line 1, “Use of the method” should be -- A method --.
Claim 26, line 1, “Use of the method” should be -- A method --.
Appropriate correction is required.
Rejection under 35 U.S.C. 112, Second Paragraph
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 7, 18-19 and 26 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 pre-AIA the applicant regards as the invention.
Claim 7 is indefinite for reciting the limitation “the minimal width of the energy filter is +/- 0,3µm, +/- 0,5µm, or +/- 0,8µm”. What is the minimal width of the energy filter that includes +/- 0,3µm, +/- 0,5µm, or +/- 0,8µm?
Claim 18 recites the limitation "the at least one support element" in lines 8-9. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 19 recites the limitation "the method" in line 1. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 26 recites the limitation "the method" in line 1. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Rejection under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1)
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.
Claims 14-18 and 26 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Krippendorf et al. (2019/0122850).
Krippendorf et al. (2019/0122850) discloses, in figs. 1-59, an ion implantation device and/or method for manufacturing the same, the ion implantation device, which includes
Regarding claims 14, 17, 18,
a first energy filter having at least one filter layer, with a first orientation (see figs. 45, 47, 58);
a second energy filter having at least one filter layer, with a second orientation different to the first orientation of the first energy filter (see figs. 45, 47, 58); and
at least one support element (the filter frame) for supporting the first and second energy filters (see the filter frame, figs. 4-6),
wherein the at least one support element (the filter frame) is overlapping at least part of the first energy filter and at least part of second energy filter (the filters are inserted in the filter frame in figs. 5, 7-9, a filter mounted in a frame in [0271]), and
wherein the first orientation of the first energy filter is different from the second orientation of the second energy filter (see figs. 45, 47, 58).
Regarding claim 15, wherein the first energy filter and the second energy filter are arranged in one of a square composite arrangement, a rectangular composite arrangement, a hexagonal composite arrangement or a cross-network composite arrangement (see figs. 3, 5-9, 11, 17-19, 30, 42, 45, 47).
Regarding claim 16, wherein the at least one support element (the filter frame) has an absorption capacity equal or greater than the maximum absorption capacity of the first energy filter and the second energy filter (see fig. 1, the energy filter and the support element are made of the same or different materials in [0013], [0106]-[0110]).
Regarding claim 26, a method used for manufacturing an ion implantation device of claim 14 in one of a screen printing, multi-layer process, lithography patterning process and etching process sequence (see figs. 19, [0026], [0087], [0088], [0096], [0115], [0135], [0187]).
Claims 1-4, 7-13 and 19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by CSATO CONSTANTIN ET AL. "Energy filter for tailoring depth profiles in semiconductor doping application", NUCLEAR INSTRUMENTS & METHODS IN PHYSICS RESEARCH. SECTION B: BEAM INTERACTIONS WITH MATERIALS AND ATOMS, vol. 365, pages 182-186, XP029313812, ISSN: 0168-583X, DOI: 10.1016/J.NIMB.2015.07.102.
CSATO CONSTANTIN ET AL. discloses, in figs. 1-9, an ion implantation device and/or method for manufacturing the same, the ion implantation device, which includes
Regarding claim 1,
an energy filter with at least one filter layer (see figs. 1, 3-5); and
at least one support element (see Si bulk in figs. 4.3-4.6) for supporting the energy filter,
wherein the at least one support element overlaps at least part of the energy filter (see Si bulk supporting the energy filter in fig. 4.3-6),
wherein the at least one support element has a first height of 400 µm and a first width of 26 mm,
wherein the energy filter has a maximal height of 6 µm and a minimal width of 8 mm,
wherein the first height of 400 µm of the at least one support element is at least the same as the maximal height of 6 µm of the energy filter,
wherein the first width of 26 mm of the at least one support element is at least the same as the minimal width of 8 mm of the energy filter.
Regarding claim 2, wherein the at least one support element is a rear support element (see fig. 4).
Regarding claim 3, wherein the at least one support element is a front support element (see figs. 1, 4).
Regarding claim 4, wherein the at least one support element comprises at least one support layer (see fig. 4).
Regarding claim 7, wherein “the minimal width of the energy filter being +/- 0,3µm, +/- 0,5µm, or +/- 0,8µm” as recited in claim 7 is considered to be inherent in the CSATO CONSTANTIN ET AL. method for manufacturing the ion implantation device. Since, it is considered as the tolerant of making the semiconductor device because the tolerant is caused of the thermal expansion for manufacturing the semiconductor device.
Regarding claim 8, wherein the first width of 26 mm of the at least one support element is at least 10%, 20% or 50% larger than the minimal width 8 mm of the energy filter.
Regarding claim 9, wherein the first width of 26 mm of the at least one support element is at least two, five or ten times larger than the minimal width 8 mm of the energy filter.
Regarding claim 10, wherein the at least one support element is made of silicon carbide (see fig. 2).
Regarding claim 11, wherein the at least one support element is made of the same material as the energy filter (see fig. 4, 1st paragraph of right col. of page 183).
Regarding claim 12, wherein the at least one support element is made of a different material as the energy filter (see fig. 4).
Regarding claim 13, wherein the at least one support element has an absorption capacity equal or greater than the maximum absorption capacity of the energy filter (see figs. 2, 4, the support element and the energy filter use the same Si material in 1st paragraph of right col. of page 183).
Regarding claim 19, the method for manufacturing an ion implantation device of claim 1 using one of a screen printing, multi-layer process, lithography patterning process and etching process sequence (see Pattern transfer in abstract and summary, patterned and etching technics in section 3. Filter manufacturing and structure).
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
1) Horne et al. (5,861,226) and Rupp et al. (2017/0352519) disclose a method of fabricating energy filters having different orientations.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to KIET TUAN NGUYEN whose telephone number is (571)272-2479. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday-Friday 8-6.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Robert H. Kim can be reached on 571-272-2293. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 703-872-9306.
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/KIET T NGUYEN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2881