Detailed Correspondence
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 .
Election/Restrictions
Applicants submitted preliminary amendment cancelling claims 19-20 and adding new claim 21-22.
Applicant’s election without traverse of Invention Group I, claims 1-18 and 21-22, in the reply filed on 09/25/2025 is acknowledged.
As a result of preliminary amendment, no claims are withdrawn.
Drawings
The drawings are objected to because blacken marking of the focus ring 70 hinders the reading of various labels of its parts in Figs. 2 and 4.
Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. The figure or figure number of an amended drawing should not be labeled as “amended.” If a drawing figure is to be canceled, the appropriate figure must be removed from the replacement sheet, and where necessary, the remaining figures must be renumbered and appropriate changes made to the brief description of the several views of the drawings for consistency. Additional replacement sheets may be necessary to show the renumbering of the remaining figures. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
Claim Interpretations
The “An edge assembly used for a plasma etching system“, an edge assembly that is capable of performing plasma etching is considered read into this portion of claim 1.
It has been held that claim language that simply specifies an intended use or field of use for the invention generally will not limit the scope of a claim (Walter, 618 F.2d at 769, 205 USPQ at 409; MPEP 2106). Additionally, in apparatus claims, intended use must result in a structural difference between the claimed invention and the prior art in order to patentably distinguish the claimed invention from the prior art. If the prior art structure is capable of performing the intended use, then it meets the claim (In re Casey, 152 USPQ 235 (CCPA 1967); In re Otto, 136 USPQ 458, 459 (CCPA 1963); MPEP2111.02). When the structure recited in the reference is substantially identical to that of the claims, claimed properties or functions are presumed to be inherent (In re Best, 562 F.2d 1252, 1255, 195 USPQ 430, 433 (CCPA 1977); MPEP 2112.01).
The “a lower step portion proximate to the edge portion of the mounting platform” and “an upper step portion distal to the edge portion of the mounting platform” is considered a comparison between the lower step and the upper step, therefore, it is not rejected by 112(b) as being relative terms.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 1-9, 14-18, and 21 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Lin et al. (US 20210249232, hereafter ‘232).
‘232 teaches all limitations of:
Claim 1: the apparatus for etching 100 further includes at least a ring assembly 128 disposed in the chamber 102 and an edge ring 130 disposed over the ring assembly 128 and the pedestal 106 (Fig. 1, [0028], includes the claimed “An edge assembly used for a plasma etching system, the edge assembly comprising: a focus ring peripherally surrounding an edge portion of a mounting platform mounted in the plasma etching system, the focus ring comprising”):
the edge ring 130 includes a first portion 132a and a second portion 132b coupled to the first portion 132a (Fig. 2, [0029], includes the claimed “a lower step portion proximate to the edge portion of the mounting platform, the lower step portion extending vertically from a bottom surface of the focus ring to a lower step top surface; and an upper step portion distal to the edge portion of the mounting platform, the upper step portion extending vertically from the bottom surface of the focus ring to an upper step top surface and extending radially from an upper step inner side to an upper step outer side, wherein the lower step portion and the upper step portion are connected at the upper step inner side”);
FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of the edge ring 130 according to aspects of one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. In some embodiments, the edge ring 130 further includes a third portion 132c received in the recess … the third portion 132c can include air matter … ([0034], includes the claimed “and wherein the focus ring is characterized by an air gap located in the upper step portion, the air gap extending peripherally along a circumference of the focus ring”, see also Fig. 6A).
Claims 2-4: Fig. 4 shows the claimed “wherein the air gap is characterized by an air gap bottom surface coplanar with the bottom surface of the focus ring” of claim 2, “wherein the air gap extends radially from an air gap inner side to an air gap outer side “ of claim 4, “wherein the air gap inner side and the air gap outer side are perpendicular to the air gap bottom surface” of claim 4).
Claim 5: FIG. 5 is an enlarged view of the third portion of the edge ring according to aspects of one or more embodiments of the present disclosure (includes the claimed “wherein the air gap is characterized by a rectangular cross section in a radial plane”).
Claims 6-7: the third portion 132c can include air matter … ([0034], last sentence, includes the claimed “wherein the air gap is filled with a gas” of claim 6 and “wherein the gas is air” of claim 7).
Claims 8-9: FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of the edge ring 130 according to aspects of one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. In some embodiments, the edge ring 130 further includes a seal member 137. Further, the seal member 137 seals the recess. As a result, a third portion 132c, such as a hollow portion, is sealed within the first portion 132a and the seal member 137 … the third portion 132c can include a vacuumed pressure ([0032], includes the claimed “wherein the focus ring further comprises a back cover coplanar with the bottom surface of the focus ring and enclosing the air gap” of claim 8 and “wherein the air gap is enclosed to form a vacuumed cavity”).
Claim 14: the apparatus for etching 100 further includes at least a ring assembly 128 disposed in the chamber 102 and an edge ring 130 disposed over the ring assembly 128 and the pedestal 106 (Fig. 1, [0028], includes the claimed “An edge assembly used for a plasma etching system, the edge assembly comprising: a focus ring peripherally surrounding an edge portion of a mounting platform mounted in the plasma etching system, the focus ring comprising”):
the edge ring 130 includes a first portion 132a and a second portion 132b coupled to the first portion 132a (Fig. 2, [0029]), FIG. 6A is a top view of an edge ring 130 according to aspects of one or more embodiments of the present disclosure ([0037], Fig. 6A shows the edge ring 130 is annular, includes the claimed “an upper step portion, wherein the upper step portion is annular and extends vertically from a bottom surface of the focus ring to an upper step top surface”),
FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of the edge ring 130 according to aspects of one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. In some embodiments, the edge ring 130 further includes a third portion 132c received in the recess … the third portion 132c can include air matter … ([0034], includes the claimed “and wherein the upper step portion is characterized by a cavity extending peripherally along a circumstance of the upper step portion, and wherein the cavity is characterized by a cavity bottom surface coplanar with the bottom surface of the focus ring”, see also Fig. 6A).
Claim 15: Fig. 3 or 4 shows the claimed “wherein the cavity extends radially from a cavity inner side perpendicular to the cavity bottom surface to a cavity outer side perpendicular to the cavity bottom surface”.
Claim 16: FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of the edge ring 130 according to aspects of one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. In some embodiments, the edge ring 130 further includes a seal member 137. Further, the seal member 137 seals the recess. As a result, a third portion 132c, such as a hollow portion, is sealed within the first portion 132a and the seal member 137 … the third portion 132c can include a vacuumed pressure ([0032], includes the claimed “wherein the focus ring further comprises a back cover coplanar with the bottom surface of the focus ring and enclosing the cavity”).
Claim 17: the edge ring 130 includes a first portion 132a and a second portion 132b coupled to the first portion 132a (Fig. 2, [0029], includes the claimed “wherein the focus ring further comprises: a lower step portion peripherally surrounding and proximate to the edge portion of the mounting platform, wherein the lower step portion extends vertically from the bottom surface of the focus ring to a lower step top surface, and wherein the lower step portion is attached to the upper step portion”).
Claim 18: the first portion 132a and the second portion 132b of the edge ring 130 can be made from relatively high-conductive electrode materials such as silicon carbide and silicon ([0030], 2nd sentence, includes the claimed “wherein the focus ring comprises silicon”).
Claim 21: The apparatus for etching 100 includes a chamber 102 (Fig. 1, [0019], 2nd sentence, includes the claimed “A plasma etching system, comprising: an etching chamber”);
the apparatus for etching 100 further includes at least a ring assembly 128 disposed in the chamber 102 and an edge ring 130 disposed over the ring assembly 128 and the pedestal 106 (Fig. 1, [0028], includes the claimed “a mounting platform within the etching chamber; and an edge assembly peripherally surrounding the mounting platform, the edge assembly comprising: a focus ring having a body”),
the edge ring 130 includes a first portion 132a and a second portion 132b coupled to the first portion 132a (Fig. 2, [0029], includes the claimed “comprising an upper step portion and a lower step portion”),
FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of the edge ring 130 according to aspects of one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. In some embodiments, the edge ring 130 further includes a third portion 132c received in the recess … the third portion 132c can include air matter … ([0034], includes the claimed “wherein the upper step portion defines a hollow channel extending circumferentially therein”, see also Fig. 6A).
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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
Claims 10-11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over ‘232.
‘232 states that various features are not drawn to scale. ‘232 does not teach the limitations of:
Claim 10: wherein the air gap is characterized by a radial dimension between the air gap inner side and the air gap outer side, and the radial dimension is between 30% and 90% of a first width of the upper step portion of the focus ring.
Claim 11: wherein the air gap is characterized by a vertical dimension between the air gap bottom surface and an air gap top surface, and the vertical dimension is between 20% and 70% of a first thickness of the upper step portion of the focus ring.
All Figures show the width of the recess 132c is about 50% of the width of first portion 132a and the height d of the recess 132c is slightly smaller than 50% of the height of the first portion 132a.
Before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art to have adopted the width and height relationship of the recess to the first portion 132a, as a starting point of setting up the edge ring 130 in the etching system.
Claims 12-13 and 22 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over ‘232, as being applied to claims 1 and 21 rejection above, in view of Dhindsa et al. (US 20090071938, hereafter ‘938).
‘232 further teaches some limitations of:
Claims 12 and 22: the apparatus for etching 100 further includes at least a ring assembly 128 disposed in the chamber 102 and an edge ring 130 disposed over the ring assembly 128 and the pedestal 106 (Fig. 1, [0028], the ring assembly 128 reads into the claimed “further comprising: a support ring under the focus ring, wherein the focus ring is attached to the support ring” of claim 12 and “further comprising a support ring disposed under the focus ring” of claim 22).
‘232 does not teach the other limitations of:
Claim 12: and an enclosure ring under the support ring, wherein the enclosure ring peripherally surrounds the mounting platform.
Claim 13: further comprising: a cover ring on the enclosure ring, wherein the cover ring peripherally surrounds the focus ring.
Claim 22: and an enclosure ring disposed under the support ring.
‘938 is analogous art in the field of APPARATUS FOR SUBSTRATE PROCESSING (title), A method for processing a substrate in a plasma processing chamber is provided. The substrate is disposed above a chuck and surrounded by an edge ring. The edge ring is electrically isolated from the chuck (abstract). ‘938 teaches that Hot edge ring 212 may further sit on coupling ring 220 ([0009], 2nd sentence, Fig. 2 also shows an unlabeled enclosure ring surrounding the ESC 208 and another unlabeled cover ring surrounding the hot edge ring 212 and on top of the enclosure ring.
Before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art to have added extra rings as shown in Fig. 2 of ‘938, to support the edge ring 130 and the ring assembly 128 of ‘232, for its suitability with predictable results. The selection of something based on its known suitability for its intended use has been held to support a prima facie case of obviousness. MPEP 2144.07.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. US 10777392 is cited for support ring and enclosure ring (Fig. 2A). US 20210358725 is cited for annular recess 300a with permittivity adjuster 500 (Fig. 2, [0036]). US 20210296096 is cited for annular enclosed space with edge rings (Figs. 2-4).
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to KEATH T CHEN whose telephone number is (571)270-1870. The examiner can normally be reached 8:30am-5:00 pm.
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/KEATH T CHEN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1716