DETAILED ACTION
Status of Claims
Claims 1-5 are pending.
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 § 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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
Claim(s) 1-2 and 4-5 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Suzuki et al. (US 2005/0145482) in view of Hoshino et al. (US 2019/0233963).
Regarding claim 1, Suzuki discloses an electrolytic processing apparatus for use in forming interconnects by embedding copper (abstract) (= a film forming apparatus that forms a metal film on a surface of a base material), comprising:
A plating solution chamber (40) comprising a plating solution [0045] (= a container that contains a plating solution);
A high resistance structure (38) [0045] (= an electrolyte film that covers an opening of the container formed at a position facing the base material);
A second electrode (42) disposed above the high resistance structure in the chamber and being an insoluble electrode [0048], [0051] (= a positive electrode disposed above the electrolyte film in the container and being insoluble in the plating solution);
A power source (24) [0042], [0048] (= a power source that applies a voltage between the positive electrode and the base material), wherein:
A number of through-holes (42a) vertically penetrating the anode (42) [0048] (= a through hole that penetrates the positive electrode is formed with the anode).
Suzuki fails to disclose a plurality of curved surfaces convexly curved toward the electrolyte film is arranged on a facing surface that faces the electrolyte film.
In the same or similar field, Hoshino discloses an electrolytic processing apparatus comprising an electrolytic processing jig (20) including a base body (21) and a plurality of direct electrodes (23) on a surface of the base body. Hoshino discloses that the plurality of direct electrodes (23) have surfaces (23a) that may be curved or any shape that protrudes downwards [0083], Figure 12. Hoshino discloses that the shaped surfaces provide for an irregular pattern so that any air remaining between the jig and the processing liquid can be removed through the recesses of the irregular pattern. Air bubbles are thereby suppressed [0013], [0066].
Before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to produce an apparatus comprising a plurality of curved surfaces convexly curved of a surface of a positive electrode because Hoshino discloses a base body comprising a positive electrode has convex or protruding, curved surfaces to provide an irregular pattern such that any gas or air bubbles which can make it difficult to perform the electrolytic processing appropriately (e.g. stable plating) are removed [0011], [0066], [0077]. Hoshino and Suzuki overlap in several aspects including the removal of bubbles to perform more stable electroplating.
Regarding claim 2, Hoshino discloses a curved, spherical-type shape (Figure 12c).
Regarding claim 4, Suzuki discloses vibrating the second electrode [0016], [0064].
Regarding claim 5, Suzuki discloses horizontal vibration of the anode to remove bubbles that are formed at the anode [0010], [0064]. The claimed “vibrates the positive electrode with an amplitude greater than or equal to a hole width of the through hole along the horizontal direction in which the positive electrode is vibrated” is directed towards the manner of operating the claimed apparatus and does not further structurally limit the claimed apparatus. The manner of operating the claimed device does not differentiate apparatus claims from the prior art (MPEP § 2114). Further, although Suzuki does not indicate the amplitude of the vibrating or the sizing of the through holes one of ordinary skill in the art would recognize that a vibration amplitude would necessarily be the same or greater than the width of the hole such that the vibration amplitude is large enough to remove the bubbles present in the through-holes.
Claim(s) 3 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Suzuki et al. (US 2005/0145482), in view of Hoshino et al. (US 2019/0233963) and in further view of Haneda (JPS6357797).
Regarding claim 3, Suzuki in view of Hoshino fail to disclose wherein top regions of the curved surfaces are each a surface that has been subjected to a water-repellent treatment. It is initially noted that the claimed “that has been subjected to a water-repellent treatment” is product by process claim language. The phrase does not positively recite a water repellent layer or surface for example. To fully address the instant claim, however, the teachings of Haneda are herein cited.
Haneda discloses an electroplating device comprising an anode (1) that is comprised of hydrophobic carbon black (page 2, last 2 lines). Haneda discloses that the hydrophobic material prevents the penetration of plating solution (page 4 lines 1-2) and captures gas generated at the anode without diffusing into the plating solution (page 5, lines 11-15) to thereby present subtle influences on the plating reaction and reliable process harmful gases by extremely simple means (page 5 16-20).
Before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to produce an apparatus comprising top regions that have been subjected to a water-repellent treatment because Haneda discloses that a surface of an anode may be provided with hydrophobic or water-repellent material in order to aid in the removal of gases that are formed at the anode. It would have been obvious to modify the surface of Suzuki in view of Hoshino with a water-repellent treatment in order to aid in the removal of any gases formed at the electrode.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
US 2013/0224951 – hydrophobic surfaces
US 2002/0020627 – shaped electrode with openings
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/Stefanie S Wittenberg/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1795
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