CTNF 18/412,676 CTNF 100833 DETAILED ACTION Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status 07-03-aia AIA 15-10-aia The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA. Priority Acknowledgment is made of applicant’s claim for foreign priority under 35 U.S.C. 119 (a)-(d). Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55. Information Disclosure Statement The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted 1/15/2024 is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97 and being considered by the examiner. 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. Claims 1-18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor, or a joint inventor, regards as the invention. Claim 1, lines 13-15, and claim 18, lines 15-19, recite “wherein the second coil includes a conducting wire arranged on a surface of at least one of the core members opposite to a surface of at least one of the core members facing a hollow inner cylinder, the at least one of the core members being arranged annularly around the hollow inner cylinder so as to surround an outer surface of the hollow inner cylinder.” It is unclear whether “at least one of the core members facing a hollow inner cylinder,” lines 14-15, is the same as “at least one of the core members,” lines 13-14 of claim 1 or lines 15-16 of claim 18, respectively. It is also unclear whether “the at least one of the core members being arranged annularly,” line 15 of claim 1 or line 17 of claim 18, refers to the first or second instance of “at least one of the core members” or both. For examination purposes, this limitation will be understood to mean “wherein the second coil includes a conducting wire arranged on a surface of at least one of the core members opposite to a surface of the at least one of the core members facing a hollow inner cylinder, the at least one of the core members being arranged annularly around the hollow inner cylinder so as to surround an outer surface of the hollow inner cylinder.” Claims 2-17 are also rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) as dependent on the rejected claim 1. Claim 14 is additionally rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) because it recites “wherein the core members are made of ferrite, dust material, permalloy, or cobalt-based amorphous material.” 07-35-01 Claim 14 contains the trademark/trade name Permalloy TM . Where a trademark or trade name is used in a claim as a limitation to identify or describe a particular material or product, the claim does not comply with the requirements of 35 U.S.C. 112(b). See Ex parte Simpson , 218 USPQ 1020 (Bd. App. 1982). The claim scope is uncertain since the trademark or trade name cannot be used properly to identify any particular material or product. A trademark or trade name is used to identify a source of goods, and not the goods themselves. Thus, a trademark or trade name does not identify or describe the goods associated with the trademark or trade name. In the present case, the trademark/trade name is used to identify/describe the core members and, accordingly, the identification/description is indefinite. In addition, while the terms “ferrite” or “cobalt-based amorphous material” describe reasonably specific and identifiable materials, “dust material” describes a physical form of an unidentifiable material not described anywhere in the disclosure, which renders the claim indefinite. For examination purposes, the terms “Permalloy TM ” “dust material” will not be given any patentable weight. Appropriate correction is required. Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102 07-07-aia AIA 07-07 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 – 07-08-aia AIA (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. 07-15 AIA Claim s 1-2, 7, 11-18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102( a)(1 ) as being anticipated by U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2015/0235809 A1, published Aug. 20, 2015 (“Ito”) . Ito discloses in Figs. 1-2, 4-8 and the corresponding description: Claims 1 and 18 (as best understood) A filter circuit (Figs. 1, 3, 4, any of the filter units 54, Abstract, ¶¶14, 53-80) provided in a plasma processing apparatus (¶¶1, 11-12) in which a substrate (¶¶1, 15) is processed by plasma generated using power of a first frequency (¶40, HF) and power of a second frequency (¶40, LF) lower than the first frequency (¶40, the first high frequency power supply 28 outputs a first high frequency wave HF having a predetermined frequency, 27 MHz or more and the second high frequency power supply 30 outputs a second high frequency wave LF, less than 13 MHz), the filter circuit comprising: a first filter (Figs. 3, 4, 6; first stage of 102A or 102B) provided in a wiring (grounded cylindrical electroconductive casing 104) between a conductive member the (Figs. 1, 3, heating element 40) provided inside the plasma processing apparatus (chamber 10) and a power supplier (heater power supplies 58) configured to supply control power, which is power of a third frequency (¶56 “The heater power supply 58 is an AC power source”; ¶59, the current of the AC power is typically 50 Hz to several hundreds of Hz”) lower than the second frequency or DC power, to the conductive member; and a second filter (Figs. 3, 4, 6; second stage of 102A or 102B) provided in the wiring (grounded cylindrical electroconductive casing 104) between the first filter (first stage of 102A or 102B) and the power supplier (¶44, “the inner heating line 40(IN) is electrically connected to a dedicated heater power supply 58(IN) which is disposed outside the chamber 10, through an insulation-coated power feeding conductor 52(IN), a filter unit 54(IN), and an electric cable 56(IN)”), wherein the first filter includes a first coil (Figs. 3-5, AL1 or BL1) connected in series to the wiring and having no core member (¶59, AL1 and BL1 are air core coils), wherein the second filter includes a second coil (Figs. 4, 6, 7, AL2 or BL2) connected in series to the wiring between the first coil and the power supplier and having core members (¶67, toroidal core 112), and wherein the second coil includes a conducting wire (Fig. 6, ¶67, coil conductor) arranged on a surface of at least one of the core members (¶67, “As illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 6, the toroidal coils AL2, BL2 are formed by winding a coil conductor of each of them spirally around one half of the periphery of the toroidal core 112), opposite to a surface of at least one of the core members facing a hollow inner cylinder (Fig. 6, toroidal core 112 forms a hollow inner cylinder and the coil conductor is arranged at least partially on the surface opposite to the hole), the at least one of the core members being arranged annularly around the hollow inner cylinder so as to surround an outer surface of the hollow inner cylinder (Fig. 6, ¶67, the toroidal core 112 is made of a core material having a high specific permeability, for example, a Ni--Zn based ferrite and forms an annular closed magnetic path). Claim 2 wherein the core members (Fig. 7, toroidal cores 112) are annularly arranged around the hollow inner cylinder (¶¶67-70), wherein each of the core members is annular (Figs. 6-7, each core 112 is a ring-shaped core), wherein each of the core members is annularly arranged around the hollow inner cylinder in a direction in which central axes of the core members intersect an extension direction of the hollow inner cylinder (Figs. 4 and 7, ¶69, up to four cores are superimposed one on another in the axial (vertical) direction), and wherein the conducting wire constituting the second coil is arranged inside each of the core members (Fig. 6, ¶67, the toroidal coils AL2, BL2 are formed by winding a coil conductor of spirally around one half of the periphery of the toroidal cores 112; therefore, the second coil is at least partially arranged inside each of the core members). Claim 7 further comprising: a partition plate (Fig. 4, conductors 108A/110A or 108B/110B) formed of a conductive member and provided between the first coil (AL1 or BL2) and the second coil (AL2 or BL2), wherein the partition plate is grounded (conductors 110A and 110B are connected to the grounded cylindrical electroconductive casing 104). Claim 11 wherein the first coil and the second coil are arranged so that the central axes of the first coil and the second coil coincide with each other (¶67, the toroidal coils AL2, BL2 may be disposed coaxial to the air core coils AL1, BL1). Claim 12 wherein the first frequency is higher than 4MHz, the second frequency is higher than 100 Hz and equal to or lower than 4 MHz, and the third frequency is equal to or lower than 100Hz (¶40, the first high frequency power supply 28 outputs a first high frequency wave HF having a predetermined frequency, 27 MHz or more and the second high frequency power supply 30 outputs a second high frequency wave LF, less than 13 MHz; ¶58, “The heater power supply 58 is an AC [50-60Hz] power source”). Claim 13 wherein the first filter further includes a series resonant circuit connected between the wiring between the conductive member and the second filter and a ground and including a coil and a capacitor connected in series to each other, or a capacitor (Figs. 3-4, condensers AC1 or BC1; Fig. 8 showing equivalent circuits including “series resonant circuits). Claim 14 (as best understood) wherein the core members are made of ferrite ((Fig. 6, ¶67, the toroidal core 112 is made of a core material having a high specific permeability, for example, a Ni--Zn based ferrite), dust material, permalloy, or cobalt-based amorphous material. Claim 15 wherein the conductive member is a heater (¶44, heating elements 40) configured to control a temperature of the substrate. Claim 16 wherein a plurality of conductive members (¶Figs. 1, 3, heating elements 40(IN) and 40(OUT)) are provided inside the plasma processing apparatus, and wherein the first coil and the second coil are provided for each of the plurality of conductive members (Filter Units 54(IN) and 54(OUT). Claim 17 wherein a distributer (Fig. 1, control unit 75) configured to individually supply (¶47) the control power (heater power) to each of the plurality of conductive members (40(IN), 40(OUT)), provided inside the plasma processing apparatus is provided inside the plasma processing apparatus (Fig. 1), and wherein the control power supplied from the power supplier via the first coil (Fig. 3, AL1 or BL1) and the second coil (AL2 or BL2) is supplied to each of the plurality of conductive members by the distributer (¶47) . Allowable Subject Matter 07-43-02 Claims 3-6, 8-10 would be allowable if rewritten to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) set forth in this Office action and to include all of the limitations of the base claim(s) and any intervening claims. Conclusion 07-96 AIA The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2018/0309423 A1, published 10/25/2018 (“Okunishi”) discloses a plasma processing apparatus with a filter including an air core coil, a toroidal coil, an electroconductive casing, a first condenser and a second condenser (Figs. 1, 2-5, Abstract), wherein the coils constitute a part of the power supply lines (¶60). Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to VICTOR COLE , telephone number (571) 272-4686. The examiner can be reached Monday-Friday, 9AM-5PM ET. Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice. If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, ANDREA LINDGREN BALTZELL , can be reached at (571) 272-5918. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is (571) 273-8300. Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at (866) 217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call (800) 786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or (571) 272-1000. /VICTOR COLE/ Examiner, Art Unit 2843 /ANDREA LINDGREN BALTZELL/ Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2843 Application/Control Number: 18/412,676 Page 2 Art Unit: 2843 Application/Control Number: 18/412,676 Page 3 Art Unit: 2843 Application/Control Number: 18/412,676 Page 4 Art Unit: 2843 Application/Control Number: 18/412,676 Page 5 Art Unit: 2843 Application/Control Number: 18/412,676 Page 6 Art Unit: 2843 Application/Control Number: 18/412,676 Page 7 Art Unit: 2843 Application/Control Number: 18/412,676 Page 8 Art Unit: 2843 Application/Control Number: 18/412,676 Page 9 Art Unit: 2843
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