DETAILED ACTION
The present application, filed on (9/29/2023), is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA . Claims (1-25) are pending. Claims 16-25 were elected and claims 1-15 were withdrawn in response to an election requirement dated 9/16/2025. Claims 16-25 are being examined.
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 16-18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102 (a)(1) as being anticipated by Tandou et al (US 20170278730).
Tandou et al disclose a plasma etching apparatus (Fig 1) comprising:
a plasma chamber (33);
a plasma generation device (39);
a controller (abstract);
a substrate support (101), wherein the substrate support comprises an electrostatic chuck (203) the electrostatic chuck comprising at least two electrodes (203-1a and 203-1b);
a power supply (207-1 and 207-2);
a layer of dielectric material covering the at least two electrodes and forming a substrate support surface (203),
wherein the controller is configured to switch the ESC between a first bipolar mode of operation (Fig 5 para 110), wherein the first bipolar mode of operation comprises applying a positive voltage to one of the electrodes (207-1 to 2031b) and a negative voltage to another of the electrodes (207-2 to 2031a) before generation of plasma (Fig 5-t1).
a monopolar mode of operation (Fig 5-t5) wherein the monopolar mode of operation comprises applying the same voltage (Positive voltage) to each of the at least two electrodes during the generation of a plasma within the plasma chamber;
and a second bipolar mode of operation (Fig 5-t6), the second bipolar mode of operation comprises applying a positive voltage to one of the electrodes and a negative voltage to another of the electrodes before or at the end of plasma (Para 119).
Claims 16-18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102 (a)(1) as being anticipated by Koya Kamide (JP H06310589).
Koya Kamide disclose a plasma etching apparatus (Fig 4 and abstract) comprising:
a plasma chamber (abstract and Fig 4 discloses plasma);
a plasma generation device (Para 11, 14 and 35);
a controller is disclosed indirectly, since switching of chuck power polarity is disclosed in relation to plasma generation in abstract;
a substrate support (24), wherein the substrate support comprises an electrostatic chuck (22A and 22B) the electrostatic chuck comprising at least two electrodes;
a power supply (25, 26 and 27);
a layer of dielectric material covering the at least two electrodes and forming a substrate support surface (23),
wherein the controller is configured to switch the ESC between a first bipolar mode of operation (Para 11), wherein the first bipolar mode of operation comprises applying a positive voltage to one of the electrodes (switched to 26) and a negative voltage to another of the electrodes (25) before generation of plasma.
a monopolar mode of operation wherein the monopolar mode of operation comprises applying the same voltage (negative) to each of the at least two electrodes during the generation of a plasma within the plasma chamber; This is done by switching to (27) or keeping only 25
and a second bipolar mode of operation (), the second bipolar mode of operation comprises applying a positive voltage to one of the electrodes and a negative voltage to another of the electrodes before or at the end of plasma (Para 11).
Koya Kamide teaches that unipolar mode is preferred when plasma is on and bipolar mode preferred when plasma is not on (Para 2, 4, 5 and 9) and teaches that bipolar mode helps to chuck before plasma processing for pre-cool (Par 5). Koya Kamide further teaches that bipolar mode when plasma is ON makes chucking weak (Para 5). This fact helps to speed up discharge after plasma processing is terminated just before or after.
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 19-25 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Tandou et al (US 20170278730) or Koya Kamide (JP H06310589) in view of CUI et al (US 20220367158).
Regarding these claim Tandou et al or Koya Kamide do not disclose the thickness of the dielectric material and other limitations of these claims.
Regarding claims 19 and 22, CUI et al disclose an electrostatic chuck where the dielectric is made of ceramic and could be Al2O3 or Aluminum Nitride (AlN) (Para 38) and the thickness could be 0.1-1.00 mm (Para 41).
Regarding claims 20-21, voltage of +/- 10000V is disclosed at (Para 39).
Regarding claims 23-25 the claimed resistivity would be obvious in the prior art since claimed materials are disclosed as above.
Therefore, having recited materials and specifications from CUI in to the electrostatic chuck of Tandou et al or Koya Kamide would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the application.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Udo et al (US 20040173469) teaches both unipolar and monopolar electrostatic chucks and teaches that a monopolar chuck needs plasma for chucking and bipolar chuck does not need (Para 4 and 22).
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