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 .
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Drawings
The drawings are objected to under 37 CFR 1.83(a). The drawings must show every feature of the invention specified in the claims. Therefore,
the “a deionized water supply unit" and "a slurry supply unit" as claimed in claim 1;
“wherein a pressure sensor is provided in a supply tube connected to the slurry supply unit… a control room.” as claimed in claim 17
must be shown or the feature(s) canceled from the claim(s). No new matter should be entered.
Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. The figure or figure number of an amended drawing should not be labeled as “amended.” If a drawing figure is to be canceled, the appropriate figure must be removed from the replacement sheet, and where necessary, the remaining figures must be renumbered and appropriate changes made to the brief description of the several views of the drawings for consistency. Additional replacement sheets may be necessary to show the renumbering of the remaining figures. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
Claim Objections
The claims are objected to because they include reference characters which are not enclosed within parentheses.
Reference characters corresponding to elements recited in the detailed description of the drawings and used in conjunction with the recitation of the same element or group of elements in the claims should be enclosed within parentheses so as to avoid confusion with other numbers or characters which may appear in the claims. See MPEP § 608.01(m).
Claim 1 is objected to because of the following informalities:
Claim 1, line 1, “Multi-nozzle” should read --A multi-nozzle--.
Appropriate correction is required.
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.
Claims 7-15, 17 are 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.
Applicant’s claims are repleted with language issues pertaining to established pluralities of structures (tubes, nozzles, discharge lines) while referring back to these structures in the singular (the tube, the nozzle, the discharge line) which makes the claims ambiguous as to which of the plurality of structures is being referred to.
Claim 7 recites “wherein the second discharge line is arranged in a circular shape around the horizontal axis of the distribution housing”. It is unclear which of the “plurality of second discharge lines” established in claim 5 this is referring to. It is further unclear how a single second discharge line” is capable of being arranged in a circular shape around the horizontal axis of the distribution housing. As best understood, the plurality of second discharge lines is arranged in a circular shape around the horizontal axis of the distribution housing as seen in applicant’s Fig. 7a (applicant’s second discharge lines 223).
Claim 8, line 1 and line 2 recites “the tube” and “the second discharge line”. It is unclear which of the plurality of tubes established claim 1 and plurality of second discharge lines established in claim 5 that these recitations are referring to.
Claim 9, last line recites “the tube”. It is unclear which of the plurality of tubes established in claim 1 this recitation is referring to.
Claim 9 recites "the tip of the connection plate". There is a lack of antecedent basis for this limitation in the claims.
Claim 10 recites “a spray nozzle coupled to the nozzle block and connected to the tube”. It is unclear which of the plurality of tubes established in claim 1 this recitation is referring to.
Claim 11 line 2 recites “the tube”. It is unclear which of the plurality of tubes this recitation is referring to.
Claim 12 recites “wherein the spray nozzle is formed in eight pieces”. It is unclear whether this means there are 8 spray nozzles, or if each spray nozzle is formed from 8 individual components. As best understood, this limitation means that there are 8 spray nozzles that form the spray nozzle unit 400 as seen in Fig. 9.
Claim 13 recites “wherein on the side of the base plate a bumper groove is recessed, and on the side of the rotation block member, in the process of rotating the rotation block member around the hinge portion, when the maximum rotation of the rotation block member is achieved, a bumper stopper is formed to be inserted into the bumper groove”. There is a lack of antecedent basis for “the side” of the base plate and the rotation block member. This claim structure is written in a choppy manner and is unclear what the language “on the side of the rotation block member” is modifying. As best understood, this limitation means --wherein on a side of the base plate a bumper groove is recessed, and a bumper stopper is formed on a side of the rotation block member and is formed to be inserted into the bumper groove when the maximum rotation of the rotation block member is achieved during the process of rotating the rotation block member around the hinge portion--
Claim 15 line 2 recites “the tube”. It is unclear which of the plurality of tubes this recitation is referring to.
Claim 17 line 3 recites “the tube”. It is unclear which of the plurality of tubes this recitation is referring to.
Claim 17 recites “a pressure sensor is provided in a supply tube connected to the slurry supply unit, and when any one of the fitting unit, the buffer tank unit, the tube, or the spray nozzle unit is clogged due to hardened slurry or foreign substances, the pressure sensor detects pressure deviation and transmits a detection signal to a control room.” It is unclear what is or is not required in the claims as the preamble is directed towards a nozzle while the limitations are directed to structures outside of the nozzle.
Dependent claim 14 is indefinite because they depend from indefinite claim 10.
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.
Claim(s) 1, 2, 3, 4, 16, 18 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Maury et al. (US 2005/0026549), hereinafter ‘Maury’.
Maury discloses:
1. Multi-nozzle for supplying CMP slurry, comprising:
a fitting unit (32, 33) connected to supply a slurry stored in a slurry supply unit and a deionized water stored in a deionized water supply unit (supply units are inherent since a source of fluid that supplies the fluid lines 32, 33 must exist for there to be fluid flow through the lines);
a buffer tank unit (31) coupled to the tip of the fitting unit, which uniformly distributes the slurry or deionized water and discharges it through a plurality of lines (plurality of lines connected to each nozzle 34);
a plurality of tubes connected to the tip of the buffer tank unit (plurality of tubes 32, 33 connected to buffer thank unit 31); and
a spray nozzle unit (34) connected to each of the tubes to supply the slurry or deionized water to a polishing pad.
2. The multi-nozzle of claim 1, wherein the fitting unit comprises: a slurry supply line (33) through which the slurry is supplied and a deionized water supply line (32) through which the deionized water is supplied; and a first discharge line connected to the slurry supply line and the deionized water supply line (discharge line between structures 39, 40, and 34 in Fig. 3).
3. The multi-nozzle of claim 2, wherein the deionized water supply line comprises a backflow prevention check valve (39) to prevent the slurry supplied through the slurry supply line from flowing back toward the deionized water supply line.
4. The multi-nozzle of claim 1, wherein the buffer tank unit comprises: a cover member (31, seen in Fig. 3) with a space formed on the inside (the space that valves 39 and 40 occupies inside 31); and a distribution housing that is seated in the space of the cover member to distribute the slurry or deionized water (distribution housing is the valve housings over 39 and 40 which distribute the slurry or deionized water).
16. The multi-nozzle of claim 1, wherein at the end of the fitting unit a slurry mixing unit is connected to the slurry supply line to mix and supply slurries with different components (mixing unit seen in Fig. 4 within the buffer housing 31 mixes the slurry with deionized water).
18. A semiconductor CMP equipment having a multi-nozzle for supplying CMP slurry, the multi-nozzle comprising: a buffer tank unit (31) that uniformly distributes the slurry or deionized water and discharges it through a plurality of lines (lines connected to each nozzle 34); and a spray nozzle unit (35) connected to the buffer tank unit to spray divided slurry or deionized water onto a polishing pad (24).
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(s) 1, 2, 4, 16, 18 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Bishop (US 4059929) in view of Vanell (US 6592708).
Regarding claim 1, Bishop discloses 1 a multi-nozzle for supplying CMP slurry, comprising:
a fitting unit (28) connected to supply a slurry stored in a slurry supply unit (20) and a deionized water stored in a water supply unit (22);
a buffer tank unit (62) coupled to the tip of the fitting unit, which uniformly distributes the slurry or deionized water and discharges it through a plurality of lines (absent further limitations pertaining to the structure of the buffer tank unit, the chamber 62 is interpreted to be a buffer tank unit);
a plurality of tubes (64) connected to the tip of the buffer tank unit; and
a spray nozzle unit (absent further limitations on what specific structure the nozzle comprises; the end structure of fluid lines of 64 is a nozzle because it a structure that expels the fluid out of the tube) connected to each of the tubes to supply the slurry or deionized water to a polishing pad (12).
Bishop does not explicitly disclose "deionized water".
However, Vanell discloses a CMP system similar to Bishop and the present application and therefore constitutes analogous art. Vanell discloses a deionized water supply unit ("D.I. WATER SOURCE" IN Fig. 2) that is used with a slurry ("COLLOIDAL SUSPENSION" in Fig. 2) that is applied to a polishing pad 201.
Since using deionized water is known in the art in CMP systems to be used with slurries and applied to polishing pads, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to have recognized or modified the device of Bishop to have used deionized water as taught by Vanell to yield only the expected results of a functioning CMP system. One of ordinary skill in the art would recognize that deionized water is used in chemical mechanical planarization systems instead of regular water to prevent mineral contamination, etc.
The combination of Bishop and Vanell further renders obvious:
2. The multi-nozzle of claim 1, wherein the fitting unit comprises: a slurry supply line (26) through which the slurry is supplied and a deionized water supply line (24) through which the deionized water is supplied; and a first discharge line (64) connected to the slurry supply line and the deionized water supply line.
4. The multi-nozzle of claim 1, wherein the buffer tank unit comprises: a cover member with a space formed on the inside; and a distribution housing that is seated in the space of the cover member to distribute the slurry or deionized water (the outer tube of 62 is interpreted to be a cover member that forms a space 62 and a distribution housing which is the outer tube of 64).
6. The multi-nozzle of claim 4, wherein between the fitting unit and the distribution housing, comprises a mesh plate to spread the slurry or filter out foreign substances contained in the slurry in the process of supplying the slurry to the distribution housing through the slurry supply line and the first discharge line (Vanell, Col. 13 lines 35-57; filter 205 is between the arm 206 manifold and the polishing fluid supply output by pump 204; it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill at the time the invention was filed to have recognized the filter to be a mesh plate as is known in the art and to use the filter in the disclosed location for the same purpose of filtering undesirable particles from the slurry as taught by Vanell).
16. The multi-nozzle of claim 1, wherein at the end of the fitting unit a slurry mixing unit (Vanell, 52) is connected to the slurry supply line to mix and supply slurries with different components.
18. A semiconductor CMP equipment (Bishop Fig. 1) having a multi-nozzle for supplying CMP slurry, the multi-nozzle comprising: a buffer tank (Bishop 62) unit that uniformly distributes the slurry or deionized water (Vanell renders obvious deionized water) and discharges it through a plurality of lines (Bishop 64); and a spray nozzle unit (Bishop 64) connected to the buffer tank unit to spray divided slurry or deionized water onto a polishing pad (Bishop discharge tubes 64 each have an end the discharges the fluid onto the polishing pad 12, therefore the end structure meets the limitation of a nozzle since they direct fluid out of the tube).
Claim(s) 1-2, 4-9, 11, 12, 16-18 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Nangoy et al. (US 11251047), hereinafter ‘Nangoy’ in view of Vanell (US 6592708).
Nangoy discloses:
1. Multi-nozzle for supplying CMP slurry, comprising:
a fitting unit (203) connected to a polishing fluid supply
a buffer tank unit (201) coupled to the tip of the fitting unit, which uniformly distributes the slurry or deionized water and discharges it through a plurality of lines (201 distributes fluid to plurality of lines 126);
a plurality of tubes (126) connected to the tip of the buffer tank unit (tubes 126 connected to tip 201a of buffer unit 201); and
a spray nozzle unit (124) connected to each of the tubes to supply the slurry or deionized water to a polishing pad (106).
Nangoy does not explicitly disclose a slurry stored in a slurry supply unit and a deionized water stored in a deionized water supply unit as Nangoy does not disclose what its polishing fluid comprises, or how its polishing fluid is formed.
However, Vanell discloses a CMP system similar to Nangoy and the present application and therefore constitutes analogous art. Vanell discloses a polishing fluid that is supplied to a fluid distribution arm 206 similar to Nangoy and discloses forming its polishing fluid by using a deionized water supply unit input ("D.I. WATER SOURCE" IN Fig. 2) and a slurry input ("COLLOIDAL SUSPENSION" in Fig. 2) that is mixed in valve 203 and the pumped to the distribution arm to be applied to a polishing pad 201. Vanell discloses that its polishing fluid supply system (system 202, 203, 204 of Vanell which corresponds to Nangoy’s polishing fluid supply 128) allowed for fluid combinations to be dispensed and different flow rates to be achieved (Col. 13 lines 6-34). Vanell disclose that its dispense bar manifold (corresponds to Nangoy’s manifold 201) is not shown, but would route the fluid to the dispense bar 206 (corresponds to Nangoy’s dispense bar 122).
Since Nangoy is silent regarding the details of its polishing fluid supply, and since Vanell discloses a suitable polishing fluid supply system, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to have modified the system of Nangoy to have used the polishing fluid supply system that includes using a fitting unit connected to supply a slurry stored in a slurry supply unit and a deionized water stored in a deionized water supply unit as taught by Vanell to yield only the predictable results of a polishing supply source connected to a fluid distribution arm.
The combination of Nangoy and Vanell further renders obvious:
2. The multi-nozzle of claim 1, wherein the fitting unit comprises: a slurry supply line through which the slurry is supplied (Vanell, slurry line is the colloidal suspension line) and a deionized water supply line (Vanell, implemented deionized water supply connected to 202) through which the deionized water is supplied; and
a first discharge line connected to the slurry supply line and the deionized water supply line (Nangoy, discharge lines 211 are connected to the implemented deionized water supply line and slurry line of Vanell).
4. The multi-nozzle of claim 1, wherein the buffer tank unit comprises: a cover member (Nangoy 201b) with a space formed on the inside; and a distribution housing that is seated in the space of the cover member to distribute the slurry or deionized water.
5. The multi-nozzle of claim 4, wherein the distribution housing comprises: a cone-shaped fluid inlet groove at the center of its end (Nangoy 215, see Fig. 2B; ); a plurality of fluid transfer holes (Nangoy holes connected to 211) formed around the surface of the fluid inlet groove; and a plurality of second discharge lines connected to each of the fluid transfer holes (Nangoy discharge lines 211, 207).
6. The multi-nozzle of claim 4, wherein between the fitting unit and the distribution housing, comprises a mesh plate to spread the slurry or filter out foreign substances contained in the slurry in the process of supplying the slurry to the distribution housing through the slurry supply line and the first discharge line (Vanell, Col. 13 lines 35-57; filter 205 is between the arm 206 manifold and the polishing fluid supply output by pump 204; it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill at the time the invention was filed to have recognized the filter to be a mesh plate as is known in the art and to use the filter in the disclosed location for the same purpose of filtering undesirable particles from the slurry as taught by Vanell).
7. The multi-nozzle of claim 5, wherein the second discharge line is arranged in a circular shape around the horizontal axis of the distribution housing (plurality of second discharge line 207, 205).
8. The multi-nozzle of claim 5, wherein the tube is connected to the second discharge line, and the tube and the second discharge line are connected through a connection nipple (each tube 126 is connected to the second discharge line 207 through a connection nipple 205).
9. The multi-nozzle of claim 1, wherein the spray nozzle unit comprises: a connection plate (134) coupled to the buffer tank unit; a base plate (132) coupled to the tip of the connection plate; a nozzle block (122) whose angle is adjusted according to an operator's operation at the tip of the base plate (the nozzles can be rotated and therefore adjusts the angle of the nozzle block relative to the base plate); and a spray nozzle (124) coupled to the nozzle block and connected to the tube.
11. The multi-nozzle of claim 9, wherein the spray nozzle comprises: a fitting head (124a, 124d seen in Fig. 1B) into which the tube is inserted; and a nozzle tube (124, 124b, 124c) through which the slurry or deionized water is sprayed.
12. The multi-nozzle of claim 9, wherein the spray nozzle is formed in eight pieces (Col. 4 lines 26-34 discloses 2-10 nozzles, therefore 8 spray nozzles is rendered obvious).
16. The multi-nozzle of claim 1, wherein at the end of the fitting unit a slurry mixing unit is connected to the slurry supply line to mix and supply slurries with different components (Vanell, mixing unit 203 is connected to the fitting of the dispensing arm 206; this same mixing unit would be implemented in the system of Nangoy and be connected to an end of Nangoy’s fitting unit 203).
17. The multi-nozzle of claim 1, wherein a pressure sensor (136) is provided in a supply tube connected to the slurry supply unit, and when any one of the fitting unit, the buffer tank unit, the tube, or the spray nozzle unit is clogged due to hardened slurry or foreign substances, the pressure sensor detects pressure deviation and transmits a detection signal to a control room (Col. 5 lines 13-19, se abstract, "Monitoring the fluid pressure in the flow splitter manifold enables the detection of clogs in the delivery lines and/or dispense nozzles that inhibit and/or prevent the flow of polishing fluid therethrough or therefrom").
18. A semiconductor CMP equipment having a multi-nozzle (Fig. 1A) for supplying CMP slurry, the multi-nozzle comprising: a buffer tank unit (201) that uniformly distributes the slurry or deionized water and discharges it through a plurality of lines (126); and a spray nozzle unit (124) connected to the buffer tank unit to spray divided slurry (116) or deionized water onto a polishing pad (106).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 10, 13-15 would be allowable if rewritten to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, set forth in this Office action and to include all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
The prior art does not appear to disclose or render obvious the limitations of claims 10, 13-15 in combination with their base claim limitations.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Leighton et al. (US 8523639) discloses a slurry delivery arm for a CMP wherein the nozzle block 302 comprises: a hinge portion 234 formed on the base plate 206; a rotation block member (208) that is coupled to the hinge portion and rotates around the hinge portion,
Kurisawa (US 6183352) discloses a CMP system that uses a filter 216 in the tube 205 that supplies slurry onto the polishing pad 201 ).
Skrovan (US 5645682) discloses a plurality of nozzles 54 on movable arm 80 that dispense the planarizing solution which is the slurry.
Li et al. (US 6669538) discloses a plurality of spray nozzles 34 on an arm 24 for dispensing fluid to clean a polishing pad
Easter et al. (US 6024829) discloses a three way solenoid valve, 165, which corresponds to the fitting unit 100. Slurry 200, water source is mixed in 165. Tube with nozzle 380.
Allman et al. (US 6168502) discloses a slurry dispenser with a plurality of nozzles 214. Discloses each nozzle can be directly connected to a slurry source (Col. 2 lines 56-67, Col. 3lines ).
Kimura et al. (US 5679063) discloses a polishing apparatus with a plurality of nozzles to distribute polishing slurry
Komatsu et al. (US 6280300) discloses a CMP system that uses a filter and pressure sensors 120, 122 to measure the pressure differences upstream and downstream of filter 30d to determine if a clog exists in the filter unit 30 when the pressure differential exceeds 30kPa. Komatsu's systems has a raw slurry tank 10, that is pumped into a mixing tank 16 that is also supplied with diluent via fluid line 14, and the pumped into pipeline 20 to be supplied to a polishing apparatus, and comprises filters 'F', '30a', '30b'.
Kim et al. (US 2011/0174745) discloses CMP system that determines whether there is a clog in the filter 60, 65 by using a pressure and flow rate of the slurry
Ito et al. (US 2024/0116151), Oct, 5, 2022, discloses a clogging detecting process of detecting whether clogging has occurred in the flow channel based on a pressure or a flow rate of the cleaning solution detected by sensors 60 and 61 when the cleaning solution flows in the flow channel.
Withers et al. (US 2003/0027505) discloses an adjustable slurry delivery arm that comprises two nozzles that can have different flow rates
Joslyn (US 2003/0143927) discloses an adjustable slurry delivery arm that comprises a plurality of nozzles on the same delivery arm to discharge to multiple locations on the polishing pad
Gotkis (US 7166015), discloses using both a slurry 512 and deionized water 525 in the planarization process. Discloses nozzles 234, 236, 238 to supply deionized water, slurry, and a variable abrasive-level slurry; and discloses that each nozzle can supply a different fluid, and a selection of the combination of fluids adjusts a degree of planarization imparted by the CMP system.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Dustin T Nguyen whose telephone number is (571)270-0163. The examiner can normally be reached M - F: 8:00am - 4:30pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Nathaniel E. Wiehe can be reached at (571) 272-8648. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/DUSTIN T NGUYEN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3745 August 17, 2026
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