Last updated: July 17, 2026

Application No. 18/427,691

MINIMIZING RADICAL RECOMBINATION USING ALD SILICON OXIDE SURFACE COATING WITH INTERMITTENT RESTORATION PLASMA

Non-Final OA

Filed

Jan 30, 2024

Priority

Mar 26, 2015 — provisional 62/138,810 +3 more

Examiner

SWEELY, KURT D

Art Unit

1718

Tech Center

1700 — Chemical & Materials Engineering

Assignee

Lam Research Corporation

OA Round

1 (Non-Final)

This examiner grants 53% of cases after interview

— +35.0% interview lift. A telephonic interview to clarify the technical implementation could significantly improve the outcome.

Based on 221 resolved cases, 2023–2026

Examiner Intelligence

SWEELY, KURT D View full profile →

Grants 53% of resolved cases

Career Allowance Rate

117 granted / 221 resolved

-12.1% vs TC avg

Strong +35% interview lift

Without

With

+35.0%

Interview Lift

resolved cases with interview

Typical timeline

3y 8m

Avg Prosecution

58 currently pending

Career history

275

Total Applications

across all art units

Statute-Specific Performance

§103

84.0%

+44.0% vs TC avg

§102

3.6%

-36.4% vs TC avg

§112

10.4%

-29.6% vs TC avg

Black line = Tech Center average estimate • Based on career data from 221 resolved cases

Prosecution Timeline

Jan 30, 2024

Application Filed

Apr 30, 2026

Non-Final Rejection mailed (current)

Precedent Cases

Applications granted by this same examiner with similar technology

18/062,068

Patent 12683127

GACHEMICAL VAPOR DEPOSITION APPARATUS WITH CLEANING GAS FLOW GUIDING MEMBER

3y 7m to grant Granted Jul 14, 2026

17/587,650

Patent 12668878

SUBSTRATE PROCESSING APPARATUS

4y 5m to grant Granted Jun 30, 2026

17/326,706

Patent 12666908

PURGE NOZZLE ASSEMBLY AND SEMICONDUCTOR PROCESSING ASSEMBLY INCLUDING THE PURGE NOZZLE ASSEMBLY

5y 1m to grant Granted Jun 23, 2026

17/490,350

Patent 12658408

APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR TREATING SUBSTRATE

4y 8m to grant Granted Jun 16, 2026

17/543,761

Patent 12652989

SUPPORTING UNIT AND SUBSTRATE TREATING APPARATUS INCLUDING THE SAME

4y 6m to grant Granted Jun 09, 2026

Study what changed to get past this examiner. Based on 5 most recent grants.

Strategy Recommendation AI-generated — please review before filing

Get a prosecution strategy drawn from examiner precedents, rejection analysis, and claim mapping.

Typically takes 5-10 seconds — AI-generated, attorney review required before filing

Prosecution Projections

1-2

Expected OA Rounds

53%

Grant Probability

88%

With Interview (+35.0%)

3y 8m (~1y 3m remaining)

Median Time to Grant

Low

PTA Risk

Based on 221 resolved cases by this examiner. Grant probability derived from career allowance rate.