DETAILED ACTION
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of species A, claims 1-3 and 7-20 in the reply filed on March 20, 2026 is acknowledged.
Claims 4-6 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected species, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on March 20, 2026.
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 1-3, 7 and 11-12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Shaikh (US 2017/0002465).
In regards to claims 1 and 12, Shaikh teaches a wafer processing system (100) comprising:
a chamber (102, thin-film deposition chamber) that provides plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition process (fig. 1; para. 4, 42-44);
a pedestal (140, wafer support) positioned within the chamber, where the pedestal supports a wafer (101) (fig. 1-2; para. 44);
a showerhead (150, top plate) is positioned above the pedestal, and supplies the gases to generate plasma during a deposition process (fig. 1-2; para. 44, 46-47);
a sensor (not shown) such has a flow meter along with other sensors such as pressure manometers, temperature sensors and/or other sensors are provided with the system (para. 78, 85);
a control module (110, control system) is connected to the sensors and receives sensor signals and control the gap between the showerhead (upper electrode) and the pedestal (lower electrode) (fig. 1; para. 35, 44, 46, 79).
In regards to claim 2, Shaikh teaches the control of the gap between the showerhead and the pedestal occurs processing of the wafer (para. 79).
In regards to claim 3, Shaikh teaches the sensor such as the flow meter provide flow rate of the gases supplied to the chamber (para. 78, 85).
In regards to claim 7, Shaikh teaches the control module connected to the sensors and control the gap between the showerhead and the pedestal (para. 79).
In regards to claim 11, Shaikh teaches the wafer processing system provides plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition process (para. 4, 42-43).
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.
Claim 8 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Shaikh as applied to claims 1-3, 7 and 11-12 above, and further in view of Van Selow (US 2020/0090968).
In regards to claim 8, Shaikh as discussed above to teach the control module receives the sensor signals. Shaikh does not explicitly teach control system causes the top plate to move.
However, Van Selow teaches an upper electrode assembly (104) comprising gas passageways. Van Selow teaches the upper electrode assembly is movable by a support (108) to control the gas pressure (fig. 1; para. 35, 38, 42).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to incorporate the movable upper electrode of Van Selow onto the showerhead of Shaikh because Van Selow teaches it will reduce substrate bowing (para. 42).
Claims 9-10, 14 and 17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Shaikh as applied to claims 1-3, 7 and 11-12 above, and further in view of Antolik (US 2013/0323860).
In regards to claims 9-10 and 14, Shaikh as discussed above to teach the control module receives the sensor signals.
Shaikh does not explicitly teach control system causes the wafer support to move, a gap sensor configured to determine the magnitude or relative size of a gap between the top plate and an upper surface of a wafer supported by the wafer support plate or an upper surface of a film on the wafer supported by the wafer support plate.
However, Antolik teaches a control system (145) which controls stepper motor (302) to change the positioning of semiconductor substrate support (200) (fig. 2-6; para. 17, 36, 43-44).
Antolik teaches sensor, such as a laser interferometer (164, gap sensor) which measures gap between a support surface (253) and an upper showerhead electrode assembly (350) (fig. 9; para. 43-44, 48).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to incorporate the laser interferometer, stepper motors and control system of Antolik onto the pedestal and control module of Shaikh because Antolik teaches it will improvise processing uniformity across the substrate (para. 4, 17).
In regards to claim 17, Shaikh teaches a wafer processing system (100) comprising:
a chamber (102, thin-film deposition chamber) that provides plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition process (fig. 1; para. 4, 42-44);
a pedestal (140, wafer support) positioned within the chamber, where the pedestal supports a wafer (101) (fig. 1-2; para. 44);
a showerhead (150, top plate) is positioned above the pedestal, and supplies the gases to generate plasma during a deposition process (fig. 1-2; para. 44, 46-47);
a sensor (not shown) such has a flow meter along with other sensors such as pressure manometers, temperature sensors and/or other sensors are provided with the system (para. 78, 85);
a control module (110, control system) is connected to the sensors and receives sensor signals and control the gap between the showerhead (upper electrode) and the pedestal (lower electrode) (fig. 1; para. 35, 44, 46, 79)
Shaikh does not explicitly teach, a gap sensor configured to determine the magnitude or relative size of a gap between the top plate and an upper surface of a wafer supported by the wafer support plate or an upper surface of a film on the wafer supported by the wafer support plate.
However, Antolik teaches a control system (145) which controls stepper motor (302) to change the positioning of semiconductor substrate support (200) (fig. 2-6; para. 17, 36, 43-44).
Antolik teaches sensor, such as a laser interferometer (164, gap sensor) which measures gap between a support surface (253) and an upper showerhead electrode assembly (350) (fig. 9; para. 43-44, 48).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to incorporate the laser interferometer, stepper motors and control system of Antolik onto the pedestal and control module of Shaikh because Antolik teaches it will improvise processing uniformity across the substrate (para. 4, 17).
Claim 13 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Shaikh as applied to claims 1-3, 7 and 11-12 above, and further in view of Cinar (US 2019/0109029).
In regards to claim 13, Shaikh as discussed above to teach the control module to control the gap between the showerhead and the pedestal (para. 79).
Shaikh does not explicitly teach train an analysis model of the control system with a machine learning process; analyze the received sensor signals with the analysis model; determine, with the analysis model, an adjustment to be made to a gap between the wafer support and the top plate based on the sensor signals.
However, Cinar teaches semiconductor device processing system (110) comprising a data analysis module (120) which reaches data, a memory units (125/127) which has process models (trained analysis model) that provide wafer process adjustments to processing tools (114) (fig. 1, 7; para. 33, 35, 37).
Cinar teaches training of an analysis module by analysis of different runs to determine process parameters (fig. 7; para. 66-68).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to incorporate the wafer control feedback loops in the semiconductor device processing system of Cinar onto the control module of Shaikh because Cinar teaches it will provide more consistent processing of the wafer (para. 21).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 15-16 and 18-20 are 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.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Binu Thomas whose telephone number is (571)270-7684. The examiner can normally be reached Monday to Thursday, 8:00AM-5:00PM PT.
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/Binu Thomas/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1717
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