DETAILED ACTION
The present application, filed on (7/17/2023), is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA . Claims (1-11) are pending and being examined.
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 10 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 pre-AIA the applicant regards as the invention.
Claim 10 recites antenna units. Claim 10 depends upon claim 1. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
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 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.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1-4, 6-7, 9 and 11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102 (a)(1) as being anticipated by Gary S. Ash (US 20130220794).
Gary S. Ash discloses a plasma processing apparatus (since source could be CVD, magnetron sputtering, ion beam or e-beam) comprising:
a stage (136) disposed in a processing container and configured to mount thereon a substrate (106);
a rotary driving mechanism configured to rotatably drive the stage (abstract, para 9, 12-13, 15, 32); and
a plurality of plasma sources provided on an upper wall of the processing container facing the stage, the plurality of plasma sources (110, 112, 114) being not arranged axially symmetrically with respect to a rotation axis of the stage (Fig 2, 4A and 4B and Para 64).
Regarding claim 2 density distribution would determine the deposition profile. Gary discloses this as emission pattern (Abstract, Para 10, 15, 52, 76-77, 79).
Regarding claims 3-4 and 6 sources are provided at different positions as disclosed above (Fig 2).
Regarding claim 7 sources are not arranged at rotation axis.
Regarding claim 9, number of sources could be more or less than three shown (Para 64).
Claim 11 is rejected with claim 1.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 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 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.
Claims 2, 5 and 10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Gary S. Ash (US 20130220794) in view of Fujino et al (US 20120247676).
Regarding claim 5 arrangement density is understood to be the number of sources with respect to the distance to rotation axis. Gary is not specific in this regard.
Fujino et al appear to disclose more sources farther away from rotation axis which would be normal for uniformity of process (Fig 7).
It would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of this application to have such source distribution for the sake of uniformity.
Regarding claim 10 as best understood showerhead is disclosed in Fujino (Fig 7 16a).
Regarding claim 2 additionally, plasma density distribution is disclosed in Fig 10.
It would be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art that having more than one source would modify the plasma density distribution for unform processing.
Claim 8 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Gary S. Ash (US 20130220794) in view of Hua et al (US 20140187045).
Regarding claim 8 Gary S. Ash does not disclose remote plasma source at the axis of rotation.
One of ordinary skill in the art would know that remote plasma source would generally provide cleaning plasma which would be useful before deposition.
For example, Hua et al disclose a remote plasma disposed in the center of the upper wall to enable uniform cleaning of the substrate (Fig 2A, 1050).
It would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of this application to have a remote plasma source for substrate cleaning before the process of deposition using plurality of sources.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Obinata et al (US 6290826) disclose a plasma deposition system where plurality of sources are disposed at different radial position of the substrate stage.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to RAM N KACKAR whose telephone number is (571)272-1436. The examiner can normally be reached 09:00 AM-05:00 PM.
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RAM N. KACKAR
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 1716
/RAM N KACKAR/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1716
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