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 § 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 1-2 and 4-5 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Noujaim et al. (US. 2021/0375599 A1).
In Regards to Claim 1:
Noujaim teaches an electrical connector (138), comprising:
a first interface body (300A) comprising:
a connector cover (See Reproduced Drawing 1); and a plurality of first electrical terminals (315/320); a second interface body (300B) sealingly coupled to the first interface body (300A), comprising:
a plurality of electrical pathways (See Reproduced Drawing 1); a plurality of second electrical terminals (320) disposed in a plurality of sockets (235/240); and a recess (See Reproduced Drawing 1) disposed within the second interface body (300B); wherein the plurality of first electrical terminals (315) and second electrical terminals (320) are connected by the plurality of electrical pathways (See Reproduced Drawing 1); an adhesive that sealingly couples the first interface body (300A) and the second interface body (300B) (Paragraph 40, A seal groove 312, for receiving the seal 210 (shown in FIG. 2), is formed in a lower surface 314 of the third interface body 305. Each of the first interface body 300A and the second interface body 300B may be brazed, potted or otherwise coupled to the third interface body 305); and a bus bar (Paragraph 44, the first electrical terminals 315 and the second electrical terminals 320 may be coupled to the connecting tab 325 by brazing, or by a threaded connection 330) disposed in the recess (See Reproduced Drawing 1), connecting at least two of the plurality of first electrical terminals (315) to at least a one of the plurality of second electrical terminals (320).
In Regards to Claim 2:
Noujaim teaches the electrical connector of claim 1 further comprising a power return bar coupled to at least one of the second electrical terminals (320) disposed in sockets (235/240) of the second interface body (300B).
In Regards to Claim 4:
Noujaim teaches the electrical connector of claim 1, further comprising an index hole (220) disposed passing through the second interface body (300B).
In Regards to Claim 5:
Noujaim teaches the electrical connector of claim 1, wherein the adhesive insulates the plurality of electrical pathways from the first interface body (300A) and second interface body (300B) (Paragraph 32, The base fluid is generally dielectric or electrically insulative so that an electrical path is not formed through the base fluid when circulated through the substrate support assembly 101).
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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.
Claim 6 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Noujaim et al. (US. 2021/0375599 A1).
In Regards to Claim 6:
All claim limitations are discussed with respect to Claim 5, Noujaim does not teach wherein the adhesive electrically insulates at temperatures from about -200° Celsius to about 3500 Celsius.
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date, to have the adhesive electrically insulates at temperatures from about -200° Celsius to about 3500 Celsius, since it has been held that where the general conditions of a claim are disclosed in the prior art, discovering the optimum or workable ranges involves only routine skill in the art. In re Aller, 105 USPQ 233. To provided a substrate support assembly which enables a cryogenic temperature operation of an electrostatic chuck (ESC) so that a substrate disposed thereon is maintained at a cryogenic processing temperature suitable for processing while other surfaces of a processing chamber are maintained at a different temperature. (Noujaim, Paragraph 18)
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 3 and 7-9 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.
The prior art of record fails to teach or fairly suggest these limitation as substantially described in claims 3 and 7-9, these limitations, in combination with remaining limitations of claims 3 and 7-9, are neither taught nor suggested by the prior art of record.
Claims 10-20 are allowed.
REASONS FOR ALLOWANCE
The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance with regard to claim 10 Noujaim et al. (US. 2021/0375599 A1) teaches “An electrostatic chuck for semiconductor manufacturing, the electrostatic chuck comprising:
a first plate; a second plate; and an electrical connector disposed between the first plate and the second plate, the electrical connector comprising: a first interface body comprising:
a connector cover an outer face; and a plurality of first electrical terminals; a second interface body coupled to the first interface body, the second interface body comprising:
a plurality of electrical pathways; a plurality of second electrical terminals disposed in a plurality of sockets; and a bus bar disposed in the recess, connecting at least two of the plurality of first electrical terminals to at least a one of the plurality of second electrical terminals.” (Electrical connector 138, first interface body 300A, second interface body 300B, first and second terminals 315/320, an sockets 235/240)
Noujaim et al. (US. 2021/0375599 A1) does not teach “a recess disposed within the second interface body, the recess comprising a first vertical face, the first vertical face disposed adjacent the outer face of the first interface body; an adhesive sealingly securing the first vertical face and the outer face, a space defined between the first vertical face and the outer face is filled void free with the adhesive.”
The prior art of record fails to teach or fairly suggest these limitation as substantially described in claim 10, these limitations, in combination with remaining limitations of claim 10, are neither taught nor suggested by the prior art of record, therefore claim 10 is allowable.
Claims 11-15 are dependent on claim 10 and are therefore allowable for the same reasons.
REASONS FOR ALLOWANCE
The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance with regard to claim 16 Noujaim et al. (US. 2021/0375599 A1) teaches “An substrate support assembly for semiconductor manufacturing, the substrate support assembly comprising:
an electrostatic chuck (ESC); an ESC base assembly disposed between the ESC and a facility plate; and an electrical connector disposed between and partially within the ESC base assembly and the facility plate, the electrical connector comprising:
a first interface body comprising: a connector cover; an outer face; and a plurality of first electrical terminals; a second interface body coupled to the first interface body, the second interface body comprising:
a plurality of electrical pathways; a plurality of second electrical terminals disposed in a plurality of sockets; and a bus bar disposed in the recess, connecting at least two of the plurality of first electrical terminals to at least a one of the plurality of second electrical terminals.” (Electrical connector 138, first interface body 300A, second interface body 300B, first and second terminals 315/320, an sockets 235/240)
Noujaim et al. (US. 2021/0375599 A1) does not teach “a recess disposed within the second interface body, the recess comprising a first vertical face, the first vertical face disposed adjacent the outer face of the first interface body; an adhesive sealingly securing between the first vertical face and the outer face, a space defined between the first vertical face and the outer face is filled void free with the adhesive.”
The prior art of record fails to teach or fairly suggest these limitation as substantially described in claim 16, these limitations, in combination with remaining limitations of claim 16, are neither taught nor suggested by the prior art of record, therefore claim 16 is allowable.
Claims 17-20 are dependent on claim 16 and are therefore allowable for the same reasons.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to NADER J ALHAWAMDEH whose telephone number is (571)270-0571. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 9Am - 6Pm EST.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Abdullah A Riyami can be reached at (571)270-3119. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/NADER J ALHAWAMDEH/Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2831 /ABDULLAH A RIYAMI/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2831