DETAILED ACTION
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 § 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 applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Claim 10 recites the limitation “the polishing liquid distribution grooves” in line 1. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim. It appears claim 10 should depend from claim 8.
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 (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) 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 1-18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zhang et al. (US 20200282509 A1) in view of Wu et al. (US 20200331114 A1).
As to claim 1, Zhang discloses a method for chemical mechanical polishing [Abstract, claim 1], the method comprising:
rotating a polishing pad about an axis of rotation [claim 1];
positioning a substrate against the polishing pad, the polishing pad having a polishing-rate adjustment groove that is concentric with the axis of rotation [claim 1];
dispensing a polishing liquid onto the polishing pad [claim 1];
oscillating the substrate laterally across the polishing pad such that for a first duration a central portion of the substrate and an edge portion of the substrate are positioned over the central zone of the polishing pad such that the central portion of the substrate and the edge portion of the substrate are polished for the first duration by the central zone of the polishing pad [claim 1], and
for a second duration holding the central portion of the substrate is positioned over the central zone of the polishing pad and an angularly extending section of the edge portion of the substrate is positioned over the annular zone such that the central portion of the substrate is polished for the second duration by the central zone of the polishing pad and the edge portion of the substrate is polished for the second duration by both the central zone of the polishing pad and the annular zone so as to reduce a polishing rate of the edge portion [claim 1; Fig. 3C].
Zhang fails to explicitly disclose:
dispensing a coolant, a dilutant, or both, into the polishing-rate adjustment groove such that a polishing rate is reduced in an annular zone of the polishing pad that is positioned radially inward of the polishing-rate adjustment groove, and wherein the annular zone surrounds a central zone of the polishing pad in which a polishing rate is not substantially affected by the coolant, dilutant, or both.
However, Wu discloses a chemical mechanical polishing apparatus and method of independently controlling temperatures of a plurality of zones on a polishing pad [Abstract] in order to control the polishing rate of the zone [para. 0054], comprising:
dispensing a coolant, a dilutant, or both, into the polishing-rate adjustment groove such that a polishing rate is reduced in an annular zone of the polishing pad that is positioned radially inward of the polishing-rate adjustment groove, and wherein the annular zone surrounds a central zone of the polishing pad in which a polishing rate is not substantially affected by the coolant, dilutant, or both [para. 0042].
Therefore, it would have been prima facie obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the step of reducing a polishing rate of an edge portion of a substrate by positioning the substrate over a polishing-rate adjustment groove, of Zhang, to further include dispensing a cooling fluid to the zone contacting an edge portion of the substrate, of Wu, in order to reduce the polishing rate of the edge portion of the substrate, as taught by Wu [para. 0042, 0054].
Here, the combination of Zhang’s polishing groove and Wu’s dispensing a fluid to reduce the polishing rate in an annular zone would result in the dispensed fluid of Wu [para. 0042], entering the polishing groove of Zhang and have the predictable result of reducing the polishing rate at the annular zone, as taught by Wu [para. 0042, 0054].
As to claim 2, modified Zhang discloses the method of claim 1, wherein the dispensing a coolant, a dilutant, or both comprises dispensing the coolant [Wu, para. 0042].
As to claim 3, modified Zhang discloses the method of claim 2, wherein the coolant comprises chilled polishing liquid [Wu, para. 0042].
As to claim 4, modified Zhang discloses the method of claim 2, wherein the coolant is purified deionized water [Wu, para. 0042].
As to claim 5, modified Zhang discloses the method of claim 1, wherein the dispensing a coolant, a dilutant, or both comprises dispensing the dilutant [Wu, para. 0042].
As to claim 6, modified Zhang discloses the method of claim 5, wherein the dilutant is purified deionized water [Wu, para. 0042].
As to claim 7, modified Zhang discloses the method of claim 1, comprising holding the substate in a laterally fixed position for the second duration [Zhang, claim 1].
As to claim 8, modified Zhang discloses the method of claim 1, wherein the polishing pad further comprises polishing liquid distribution grooves [Zhang, claim 3].
As to claim 9, modified Zhang discloses the method of claim 8, wherein the polishing liquid distribution grooves are concentric with the polishing-rate adjustment groove [Zhang, claim 4].
As to claim 10, modified Zhang discloses the method of claim 3, wherein the polishing liquid distribution grooves are narrower than the polishing-rate adjustment groove [Zhang, claim 5].
As to claim 11, modified Zhang discloses the method of claim 1, wherein the polishing pad has a single polishing-rate adjustment groove [Zhang, claim 6].
As to claim 12, Zhang discloses a polishing system [Abstract, Fig. 1, claim 14], comprising:
a rotatable platen to support a polishing pad that has a polishing-rate adjustment groove that is concentric with an axis of rotation of the platen [claim 14];
a first dispenser 92 to deliver a polishing liquid onto the polishing pad [Fig. 1];
a carrier head to hold a substrate against the polishing pad, the carrier head laterally movable across the polishing pad [claim 14];
an actuator to move the carrier head [claim 14]; and
a controller coupled to the actuator and configured to cause the actuator to oscillate the carrier head and substrate laterally across the polishing pad [claim 14] such that
for a first duration cause the actuator to position a central portion of the substrate and an edge portion of the substrate over the central zone of the polishing pad such that the central portion of the substrate and the edge portion of the substrate are polished for the first duration by the central zone of the polishing pad [claim 14], and
for a second duration cause the actuator to position the central portion of the substrate over the central zone of the polishing pad and an angularly extending section of the edge portion of the substrate over the annular zone such that the central portion of the substrate is polished for the second duration by the central zone of the polishing pad and the edge portion of the substrate is polished for the second duration by both the central zone of the polishing pad and the annular zone so as to reduce a polishing rate of the edge portion [claim 14].
Zhang fails to explicitly disclose:
a second dispenser to deliver a coolant, a dilutant, or both, into the polishing-rate adjustment groove such that a polishing rate is reduced in an annular zone of the polishing pad that is positioned radially inward of the polishing-rate adjustment groove, and wherein the annular zone surrounds a central zone of the polishing pad in which a polishing rate is not substantially affected by the coolant, dilutant, or both.
However, Wu discloses a chemical mechanical polishing apparatus and method of independently controlling temperatures of a plurality of zones on a polishing pad [Abstract, Fig. 1] in order to control the polishing rate of the zone [para. 0054], comprising:
a second dispenser to deliver a coolant, a dilutant, or both, into the polishing-rate adjustment groove such that a polishing rate is reduced in an annular zone of the polishing pad that is positioned radially inward of the polishing-rate adjustment groove [Fig. 1], and wherein the annular zone surrounds a central zone of the polishing pad in which a polishing rate is not substantially affected by the coolant, dilutant, or both [Fig. 1, para. 0042].
Therefore, it would have been prima facie obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the apparatus for reducing a polishing rate of an edge portion of a substrate by positioning the substrate over a polishing-rate adjustment groove, of Zhang, to further include a dispensing nozzle for a cooling fluid to the zone contacting an edge portion of the substrate, of Wu, in order to reduce the polishing rate of the edge portion of the substrate, as taught by Wu [Fig. 1, para. 0042, 0054].
Here, the combination of Zhang’s polishing groove and Wu’s dispensing a fluid to reduce the polishing rate in an annular zone would result in the dispensed fluid of Wu [para. 0042], entering the polishing groove of Zhang and have the predictable result of reducing the polishing rate at the annular zone, as taught by Wu [para. 0042, 0054].
As to claim 13, modified Zhang discloses the system of claim 12, wherein the controller is configured to cause the actuator to hold the substate in a laterally fixed position for the second duration Zhang, claim 14].
As to claim 14, modified Zhang discloses the system of claim 12, wherein the second dispenser is configured to dispense the coolant [Wu, Fig. 1, para. 0042].
As to claim 15, modified Zhang discloses the system of claim 13, wherein the coolant comprises chilled polishing liquid [Wu, Fig. 1, para. 0042].
As to claim 16, modified Zhang discloses the system of claim 13, wherein the coolant is purified deionized water [Wu, Fig. 1, para. 0042].
As to claim 17, modified Zhang discloses the system of claim 12, wherein the second dispenser is configured to dispense the dilutant [Wu, Fig. 1, para. 0042].
As to claim 18, modified Zhang discloses the system of claim 17, wherein the dilutant is purified deionized water [Wu, Fig. 1, para. 0042].
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure: The additionally cited references are cited to show CMP methods and apparatus comprising polishing pads having grooves and/or temperature controlled zones [Abstracts].
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to CHRISTOPHER M REMAVEGE whose telephone number is (571)270-5511. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 10:00 AM - 3:30 PM.
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/CHRISTOPHER REMAVEGE/Examiner, Art Unit 1713