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 § 103
The text of those sections of Title 35, U.S. Code not included in this action can be found in a prior Office action.
Claims 1, 3, 5-8, 11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Liu, Jingboa et al. (US 20030192645 A1) in view of Campbell; Gregor A. et al. (US 5122251 A). Liu teaches a plasma post-processing apparatus comprising: a chamber (51; Figure 6A; [0040]); a stage (52; Figure 6A; [0040]) disposed inside of the chamber (51; Figure 6A; [0040]), wherein a work substrate (53; Figure 6A; [0040]) is disposed on the stage (52; Figure 6A; [0040]); diffusers (56; Figure 4,5A,6A; [0040]-Applicant’s DF1-DF3; Figure 7) each of which increases in width in a direction away from the work substrate (53; Figure 6A; [0040]) and each of the diffusers (56; Figure 4,5A,6A; [0040]-Applicant’s DF1-DF3; Figure 7) having holes (31,41; Figure 4,5A; [0039]-[0040]), and disposed above the stage (52; Figure 6A; [0040]); transfer pipes (62; Figure 4, 5A, 6A; [0041]-Applicant’s DL1-DL3; DF1-DF3; Figure 7) respectively connected to the diffusers (56; Figure 4,5A,6A; [0040]-Applicant’s DF1-DF3; Figure 7) – claim 1. The above and below italicized claim text are considered intended use claim requirements in the pending apparatus claims. Further, 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); MPEP2115).
Liu further teaches:
diffusers (56; Figure 4,5A,6A; [0040]-Applicant’s DF1-DF3; Figure 7) with optimized hole (31,41; Figure 4,5A; [0039]-[0040]) dimensions and distributions [0018] – claim 1
The plasma post-processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein each of the diffusers (56; Figure 4,5A,6A; [0040]-Applicant’s DF1-DF3; Figure 7) includes an outer surface (outer surface of 56; Figure 4,5A,6A; [0040]), an inner surface (inner surface of 56; Figure 4,5A,6A; [0040]) opposite to the outer surface (outer surface of 56; Figure 4,5A,6A; [0040]), and a connecting surface (31,41; Figure 4,5A; [0039]-[0040]) disposed between the outer surface (outer surface of 56; Figure 4,5A,6A; [0040]) and the inner surface (inner surface of 56; Figure 4,5A,6A; [0040]), the holes (31,41; Figure 4,5A; [0039]-[0040]) are defined through the inner surface (inner surface of 56; Figure 4,5A,6A; [0040]) from the outer surface (outer surface of 56; Figure 4,5A,6A; [0040]), and an internal space is defined inwardly of the inner surface (inner surface of 56; Figure 4,5A,6A; [0040]), as claimed by claim 5
The plasma post-processing apparatus of claim 5, wherein each of the diffusers (56; Figure 4,5A,6A; [0040]-Applicant’s DF1-DF3; Figure 7) has a substantially hemispherical shape substantially convex in a direction toward the work substrate (53; Figure 6A; [0040]), as claimed by claim 6
The plasma post-processing apparatus of claim 5, wherein each of the diffusers (56; Figure 4,5A,6A; [0040]-Applicant’s DF1-DF3; Figure 7) has a substantially conical shape substantially convex in a direction toward the work substrate (53; Figure 6A; [0040]), as claimed by claim 7
The plasma post-processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the process gases provided to the pipes are at least one of water vapor (H2O), oxygen (O2), carbon tetrafluoride (CF4), argon (Ar), nitrogen (N2), and helium (He), as claimed by claim 8
The plasma post-processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least one of the diffusers (56; Figure 4,5A,6A; [0040]-Applicant’s DF1-DF3; Figure 7) includes a first portion (first portion 56 where 31,41 are; Figure 4,5A) where the holes (31,41; Figure 4,5A; [0039]-[0040]) are defined and a second portion (second portion 56 where 31,41 are not; Figure 4,5A) extending from the first portion (first portion 56 where 31,41 are; Figure 4,5A) and where the holes (31,41; Figure 4,5A; [0039]-[0040]) are not defined, and the second portion (second portion 56 where 31,41 are not; Figure 4,5A) is connected to a corresponding transfer pipe (62; Figure 4, 5A, 6A; [0041]-Applicant’s DL1-DL3; DF1-DF3; Figure 7), as claimed by claim 11
Liu does not teach:
plasma generators (Applicant’s RPG1-RPG3; Figure 7) respectively connected to pipes that supply process gases and are respectively connected to Liu’s transfer pipes (62; Figure 4, 5A, 6A; [0041]-Applicant’s DL1-DL3; DF1-DF3; Figure 7), wherein a diameter of Liu’s holes (31,41; Figure 4,5A; [0039]-[0040]) defined in a diffuser (56; Figure 4,5A,6A; [0040]-Applicant’s DF1-DF3; Figure 7) disposed at a center of Liu’s work substrate (53; Figure 6A; [0040]) among Liu’s diffusers (56; Figure 4,5A,6A; [0040]-Applicant’s DF1-DF3; Figure 7) is less than a diameter of the holes (31,41; Figure 4,5A; [0039]-[0040]) defined in each of remaining diffusers (56; Figure 4,5A,6A; [0040]-Applicant’s DF1-DF3; Figure 7) among Liu’s diffusers (56; Figure 4,5A,6A; [0040]-Applicant’s DF1-DF3; Figure 7) – claim 1
The plasma post-processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein a diameter of each of the holes (31,41; Figure 4,5A; [0039]-[0040]) increases gradually in the direction away from the work substrate (53; Figure 6A; [0040]), as claimed by claim 3
Campbell also teaches plasma generators (12’,18,19; Figure 3,4-Applicant’s RPG1-RPG3; Figure 7) respectively connected to pipes (10’, 11; Figure 3,4) that supply process gases.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention for Liu to add Campbell’s plasma generators (12’,18,19; Figure 3,4-Applicant’s RPG1-RPG3; Figure 7) to Liu’s connected pipes as taught by Campbell at optimized hole size/distribution as taught by Liu ([0018]).
Motivation for Liu to add Campbell’s plasma generators (12’,18,19; Figure 3,4-Applicant’s RPG1-RPG3; Figure 7) to Liu’s connected pipes as taught by Campbell at optimized hole size/distribution as taught by Liu ([0018]) is for using a “high density ionized plasma” to “..make the plasma as dense as possible” as taught by Campbell (column 1; lines 58-66; column 3; lines 1-23). Motivation for Liu to optimize the size/distribution of Liu’s hole (31,41; Figure 4,5A; [0039]-[0040]) is for “…achieving the results described for different processing schemes” as taught by Liu ([0018]-[0019]).
Claim 4 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Liu, Jingboa et al. (US 20030192645 A1) and Campbell; Gregor A. et al. (US 5122251 A) in view of McMillin; Brian et al. (US 6013155 A). Liu and Campbell are discussed above. Liu and Campbell do not teach the plasma post-processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein each of the diffusers (56; Figure 4,5A,6A; [0040]-Applicant’s DF1-DF3; Figure 7) contains an aluminum oxide.
McMillin also teaches diffusers (“injectors” 180; throughout) in a plasma reactor system (Figure 2A) made from “…any suitable material such as aluminum, anodized aluminum, quartz or ceramics such as Al.sub.2 O.sub.3.” (column 7; lines 5-10).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention for Liu to use McMillin’s material of construction for Liu’s diffusers (56; Figure 4,5A,6A; [0040]-Applicant’s DF1-DF3; Figure 7).
Motivation for Liu to use McMillin’s material of construction for Liu’s diffusers (56; Figure 4,5A,6A; [0040]-Applicant’s DF1-DF3; Figure 7) is for preferred materials in plasma environments as taught by McMillin (column 7; lines 5-10).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 9-10, and 12-17 are allowed.
The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance: See the Examiner’s December 8, 2025 office action pages 7-9 for prior, and current, reasons for allowance.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments, see pages 7-10, filed February 26, 2026, with respect to the rejections of claims 1, 3-8, 11 under IKEDA; Taro et al. (US 20160222516 A1) have been fully considered and are persuasive. Therefore, the rejection has been withdrawn. However, upon further consideration, a new grounds of rejection is made in view of Campbell; Gregor A. et al. (US 5122251 A).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Plasma systems utilizing nozzles for gas delivery include US 20070187363 A1; US 20020088545 A1; US 20220020563 A1; US 20070163996 A1; US 9663856 B2; US 5122251 A
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/Rudy Zervigon/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1716
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