DETAILED ACTION
The present application, filed on (12/26/2023), is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA . Claims (1-20) are pending. Claims 11-20 were elected in response to an election requirement on 12/01/2025 and are being examined.
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 11-16 and 18-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hidenori Inui (JP H 1041277) in view of Lim et al (US 20190244840).
Hidenori Inui discloses a plasma chamber to process a wafer mounted on a support unit (Fig 2);
A temperature control system for controlling a temperature of a chamber (Abstract);
A RF power source positioned within the chamber (RF 25 and electrodes 21 and 23):
a chiller configured to supply fluid to or retrieve fluid from the support unit (37);
chiller temperature sensors (41a and 41b);
a plurality of chamber temperature sensors attached to the chamber (33 attached directly and 41a and 41b through fluid) and configured to each measure a temperature at a specific point in the chamber;
and a processor (35) configured to determine set temperatures to be compared with reference temperatures of the chamber; and chamber heater attached to chamber wall (31).
Hidenori does not explicitly disclose chiller temperature sensor attached to the chiller to measure temperature of the fluid.
Lim et al disclose a plasma chamber to process a wafer mounted on a support unit (Fig 1);
A temperature control system for controlling a temperature of a chamber (Abstract);
A RF power source positioned within the chamber (RF 250 and electrodes 220 and 210):
a chiller configured to supply fluid to or retrieve fluid from the support unit (100);
chiller temperature sensors (135 and 137) attached to the chiller;
chamber heater (230) and temperature sensor (240) and PID controller to control temperature.
a plurality of chamber temperature sensors attached to the chamber (33 attached directly and 41a and 41b through fluid) and configured to each measure a temperature at a specific point in the chamber;
and a processor (Hidenori-35 and Lim 129) configured to determine set temperatures to be compared with reference temperatures of the chamber by determining whether the RF power source is operating.
It would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of this application to have chiller temperature sensors to estimate heat load and therefore control chiller flow and temperature using the controller to bring setpoint temperature equal to reference temperature measured by the disclosed sensors.
Regarding claim 12 chamber temperature sensor attached to side wall is disclosed by Hidenori (31) and Lim et al (240). Additionally upper and lower electrode temperature sensors are disclosed by Hidenori (41a and 41b). To have all of them directly attached to other chamber walls similar to sensor 31 in Hidenori would be only a duplication of parts.
Regarding claim 13 the temperature sensors are connected to controller to transmit signals is disclosed (Lim Para 42 and 50 and Hidenori Fig 2).
Regarding claim 14, PID controller is more explicitly disclosed in Lim (Fig 2 131 and 132).
Regarding claims 15 and 16 the heaters are connected to inside of chamber as is disclosed (Lim 230 and Hidenori 31, 39a and 39b). Additionally, more heaters for other locations would only be a duplication of parts.
Hidenori discloses plurality of independent heat exchangers as below and discloses at least three heat regulation systems.
Although one heat exchanger is commonly used in the temperature control means for the upper electrode and the lower electrode, they may be used independently. In addition, the upper electrode, the lower electrode, and the temperature control means in the vacuum processing chamber (Para 40).
Hidenori discloses at least three heat regulation systems (claim 2).
Similarly, Lim discloses independent controllers for upper chamber (Fig 1-120) and lower chamber (Fig 1-110).
Claims 18,19 and 20 include limitations already addressed as above through discussions of claims 12-16 and are therefore rejected similarly.
Claim 17 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hidenori Inui (JP H 1041277) in view of Lim et al (US 20190244840) as applied to claim 11 and further in view of Silveira et al (US 20210351021).
Regarding claim 17 Hidenori Inui in view of Lim et al do not particularly disclose the type of fluid used for cooling through the chiller.
Silveira et al disclose inert medium as being inert polyethers (Para 19).
It would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art before the filing date of this application to have used inert material as temperature control medium for prevention of contamination and long life of the cooling apparatus.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Takeomi Numata (US 20040134612) disclose a plasma chamber with heaters and temperature sensors installed inside the chamber on walls (Para 6) and also include chiller (Para 47) and temperature controller (82).
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