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 .
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of invention I in the reply filed on 1/12/26 is acknowledged.
Claim 9 is withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected invention, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on 1/12/26.
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.
Claim 20 is 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. Claim 20 recites the limitation of the electrochemical workstation and the direct current power supply. However, these were not previously introduced in the claim or any of the preceding claims on which claim 20 depends. Therefore, it is unclear how exactly these elements came into being, their exact relationships with the apparatus and its other constituent elements. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(d):
(d) REFERENCE IN DEPENDENT FORMS.—Subject to subsection (e), a claim in dependent form shall contain a reference to a claim previously set forth and then specify a further limitation of the subject matter claimed. A claim in dependent form shall be construed to incorporate by reference all the limitations of the claim to which it refers.
The following is a quotation of pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, fourth paragraph:
Subject to the following paragraph [i.e., the fifth paragraph of pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112], a claim in dependent form shall contain a reference to a claim previously set forth and then specify a further limitation of the subject matter claimed. A claim in dependent form shall be construed to incorporate by reference all the limitations of the claim to which it refers.
Claim 18 rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(d) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, 4th paragraph, as being of improper dependent form for failing to further limit the subject matter of the claim upon which it depends, or for failing to include all the limitations of the claim upon which it depends. The claim cites that the electrochemical workstation is replaced with a power supply, but this fails to further limit the subject matter and is even broader than the corresponding aspect in claim 1. Claim had stated a power supply unit which was narrowed to an electrochemical workstation and its details in claim 4, but claim 18 went back on all those changes by replacing it with a more generic power supply than the initial power supply unit. Applicant may cancel the claim(s), amend the claim(s) to place the claim(s) in proper dependent form, rewrite the claim(s) in independent form, or present a sufficient showing that the dependent claim(s) complies with the statutory requirements.
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, 4-6, 11, 12, 15, 17, 18 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102a1 as being anticipated by Dong (US 20220088740).
Regarding claim 1. Dong teaches in the drawings an electrochemical-mechanical thinning apparatus (photoelectrochemical mechanical polishing device [title, 60-87] fig. 1, 3-5) for large-diameter semiconductor wafers (the wafers are intended uses, which can be exchanged with different types/sizes according to process requirements and do not structurally limit the apparatus, MPEP 2114 2115), comprising a grinding tool system (at least the main polishing padded head eg 5-8 fig. 1, 3-5 [87]), wherein the grinding tool system is mounted on a lifting device (said polishing pad head mounted on the bottom and supported by a lift/raised holder eg 16, 35-35, fig. 3), a wafer holding device (polishing head 3 [90] which holds wafer 4, fig. 1, 3-5) is arranged below the grinding tool system (fig. 1, 3-5), the grinding tool system comprises a base plate (the electrode disk 6 or polishing disk 7 which serves as a support/base for 5 [88]) and a grinding wheel (polish/grinding pad 5 [88] which forms a wheel/rotating circular structure, fig. 1 [20]), and the grinding wheel is fixed to a lower end of the base plate (fig. 1, 3-5, 5 is attached to the bottom of 6 and indirectly attached to bottom of 7); the base plate is connected to a cathode conductive slip ring (6, 7 connected, at least via the shaft above 7, to conductive slip ring 11, [53] fig. 1, which is part of the cathode/upper end and connected to the cathode end of power source 12 [7, 12, 17, his claims 14, 16]), an anode conductive slip ring (conductive slip ring 2 [87] which is part of the anode/lower wafer side and also connected to the anode side of the power 12, fig. 1 [7 12 17, 42 his claims 14 16]) is mounted on the wafer holding device (fig. 1, ring 2 mounted on the sides of the shaft part of 3), and the anode conductive slip ring is connected to a semiconductor wafer (2 is connected structurally to 4 at least indirectly via 3 and also electrically connected since there is current flow between them as part of a closed circuit between 12, 11, 5-7, 4, 3, 2 [17 26 27], fig. 1) to be thinned during thinning (as disc, the wafer is thinned/polished, see his claims 1-20); and an outer ring of the cathode conductive slip ring is connected to a negative electrode of a power supply unit (abstract, 60-63 75 87, outering of 11 is connected to neg electrode of 12), an outer ring of the anode conductive slip ring is connected to a positive electrode of the power supply unit ([75 87 88], fig. 1, the positive end/electrode of 12 is connected to outer ring of 2 below 4), and the base plate and the semiconductor wafer to be thinned are in contact with an electrolyte during thinning (the entire apparatus from 7 to 2, including 6, 7, 4, are located in a tank 1, fig 1, which can be filled with electrolyte, the liquid fills between 4 and 6 [57 87 88]).
Regarding claim 2. Dong teaches the electrochemical-mechanical thinning apparatus for large-diameter semiconductor wafers according to claim 1, wherein the semiconductor wafer is fixed to the wafer holding device through vacuum adsorption or adhesion (via adhesion [90]).
Regarding claim 4. Dong teaches the electrochemical-mechanical thinning apparatus for large-diameter semiconductor wafers according to claim 1, wherein the power supply unit is an electrochemical workstation ([33]), a counter electrode of the electrochemical workstation is connected to the outer ring of the cathode conductive slip ring (as discussed previously, the upper slip ring outer ring/cathode side is connected to the positive/counter electrode of the power source), and a working electrode thereof is connected to the outer ring of the anode conductive slip ring (as disc prev, the negative electrode is connected to outer ring of the lower/anode slip ring).
Regarding claim 5. Dong teaches the electrochemical-mechanical thinning apparatus for large-diameter semiconductor wafers according to claim 1, wherein the wafer holding device is mounted in an electrolyte tank (fig. 1, 3-5, 3 mounted in electrolyte tank 1) for containing the electrolyte (as discussed).
Regarding claim 6. Dong teaches the electrochemical-mechanical thinning apparatus for large-diameter semiconductor wafers according to claim 5, wherein a dressing device (eg step shaft 23 [53]) for dressing the grinding wheel (fig. 1, 3, when polishing 23 helps maintain the contact pressure between 4, 5, which keeps 5 straight aligned with 4) is arranged below the grinding tool system (fig. 1, 3 23 is below the said polishing pad apparatus), the dressing device is arranged in the electrolyte tank (fig. 3), the electrolyte tank is fixed on a slide block (1 is fixed, at least at its upper end/ceiling via connection w/ elements between 24-11, held to slide block 32 [53] fig. 3), and the slide block is slidably connected to a slide rail mounted on a bottom plate (32 slides on/connected to 31, mounted and supported at bottom by plate 36, fig. 3 [53]).
Regarding claim 11. Dong teaches the electrochemical-mechanical thinning apparatus for large-diameter semiconductor wafers according to claim 6, wherein the dressing device is a dresser (as discussed 23 dresses/supports 5 to be aligned/straight with 4).
Regarding claim 12. Dong teaches the electrochemical-mechanical thinning apparatus for large-diameter semiconductor wafers according to claim 1, wherein the lifting device is an electric lifting plate (the lifter module is a linear device [82] which includes plate elements/panels and includes electric power from a motor).
Regarding claim 15. Dong teaches the electrochemical-mechanical thinning apparatus for large-diameter semiconductor wafers according to claim 1, wherein a diameter of a lower end face of the grinding wheel is larger than a diameter of a semiconductor wafer (fig. 1, the lower face diameter/width of 5 is wider than the diameter of wafer 4; additionally, this relates to details of the workpiece/wafer, an intended use, which does not limit apparatus structure and has no patentable weight, MPEP 2115 2114).
Regarding claim 17. Dong teaches the electrochemical-mechanical thinning apparatus for large-diameter semiconductor wafers according to claim 1, wherein the semiconductor wafer surface includes a wafer surface base material, an oxidation modification layer and intermediate state products (to details of the workpiece/wafer, an intended use, which does not limit apparatus structure and do not have patentable weight, MPEP 2115 2114; different substrates with different materials and characteristics can be used per user requirement as part of intended uses).
Regarding claim 18. Dong teaches the electrochemical-mechanical thinning apparatus for large-diameter semiconductor wafers according to claim 4, wherein the electrochemical workstation is replaced with a power supply (see claim 1, 12 is a power supply).
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) 3 is is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Dong (US 20220088740) in view of Kobata (US 20090078583).
Regarding claim 3. Dong teaches the electrochemical-mechanical thinning apparatus for large-diameter semiconductor wafers according to claim 2, but does not teach wherein a top of the wafer holding device is provided with a recess, and a vacuum adsorption plate is arranged in the recess; a through hole is provided in a bottom of the recess, and the through hole is connected to a vacuum pump through a tube and a rotary joint; and the vacuum adsorption plate is configured to clamp the semiconductor wafer to be thinned; however, Kobata teaches in fig. 6, 7 a top of the wafer holding device (1-3 top, retainer ring, ring body [132-133]) is provided with a recess (fig. 7 recess in 3, 2), and a vacuum adsorption plate (chucking plate 6 [136]) is arranged in the recess (fig. 7); a through hole (fig. 7 fluid passages connecting w/ pressure chambers, eg 31-36 fig. 7 [144]) is provided in a bottom of the recess (fig. 7, passages 31-36 thru bottom of said recess and out back of 2), and the through hole is connected to a vacuum pump ([145 146] the through holes in the back of 2 are connected via 31-36 to vacuum source/pump) through a tube and a rotary joint (through tubes/passages 31-36 [145] which is also thru the top of 2 which is a connection surface/joint for rotation via 12 [135] fig 6 7); and the vacuum adsorption plate is configured to clamp the semiconductor wafer to be thinned ([169] the wafer to be polished is held by vacuum via said clamping plate, as clearly shown in fig. 6 7). It would be obvious to those skilled in the art at the time of invention to modify Dong to allow for controllable polishing pressures on the wafer [146], which allows for more polishing process control and securely holding the wafer by vacuum [169].
Claim(s) 7, 8, 19, 20 is is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Dong (US 20220088740) in view of Mazur (US 20070051619).
Regarding claim 7. Dong teaches the electrochemical-mechanical thinning apparatus for large-diameter semiconductor wafers according to claim 5, but does not teach wherein an outlet of the electrolyte tank is connected to an input end of a peristaltic pump through a pipe, an output end of the peristaltic pump is connected to an input end of an electrolyte filter, and an output end of the electrolyte filter is in connection with an inlet of the electrolyte tank through a pipe. However, Mazur teaches in the drawings an outlet (outlet/exit from 601 fig. 12 [47]) of the electrolyte tank (the outflow/left exit from electrolyte container/tank enclosed volume 601 [47]) is connected to an input end of a peristaltic pump (it is indirectly connected via tubes/pipes and 607 to bottom/input end of peristaltic pump 608, fig. 12 [88]) through a pipe (as disc, fig. 12, the tubes/pipes), an output end of the peristaltic pump (the right/exit end of 608 which pumps fluid back into 601) is connected to an input end of an electrolyte filter ([183 185], since the entire electrolyte is in a closed loop, the input of the filter must be at least fluidly connected to the output end), and an output end of the electrolyte filter is in connection with an inlet of the electrolyte tank through a pipe (as discussed, it is a closed cycle, so everything in the flow circuit incl all parts of filter/tank are connected, via tube/piping in Fig. 12). It would be obvious to those skilled in the art at the time of invention to modify Dong to recycle electrolytes [450] and remove unwanted particles [246] to improve economy and reduce contamination.
Regarding claim 8. Dong, in view of Mazur, teaches the electrochemical-mechanical thinning apparatus for large-diameter semiconductor wafers according to claim 7, wherein a thermostatic water tank (eg 607 is an electrolyte reservoir, which at least contains water due to the metals being dissolved in it as an electrolyte) is arranged on the pipe between the output end of the electrolyte filter and the inlet of the electrolyte tank (as discussed, the circuit is a close flow circuit and 607, furthermore, per MPEP 2144.04, it has been held that differences in the arrangement of parts did not render claims patentable).
Regarding claim 19. Dong in view of Mazur teaches the electrochemical-mechanical thinning apparatus for large-diameter semiconductor wafers according to claim 7, wherein the semiconductor wafer includes a silicon wafer, a silicon carbide wafer, a gallium nitride wafer (as prev discussed, additionally, this relates to details of the workpiece/wafer, an intended use, which does not limit apparatus structure and has no patentable weight, MPEP 2115 2114).
Regarding claim 20. Dong in view of Mazur, teaches the electrochemical-mechanical thinning apparatus for large-diameter semiconductor wafers according to claim 7, wherein an external electric field (from the battery 12) is implemented in the form of one or more of the electrochemical workstation, the direct current power supply, a potentiostat, a battery (this is the same as Dong’s claim 9 [33]).
Claim(s) 13 14 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Dong (US 20220088740) in view of Yilmaz (US 20100130107).
Regarding claim 13. Dong teaches the electrochemical-mechanical thinning apparatus for large-diameter semiconductor wafers according to claim 1, but does not teach wherein the grinding tool system includes a hollowed grinding spindle. However, Yilmaz teaches in fig. 3a the grinding/polishing tool system includes a hollowed grinding spindle (hollow shaft/base 302 [37] fig. 3a). It would be obvious to those skilled in the art to modify Dong to allow for selective and consistent conditioning of the polishing surface [8] and allows for a variety of motions [38 45] which provides more processing flexibility.
Regarding claim 14. Dong in view of Yilmaz teaches the electrochemical-mechanical thinning apparatus for large-diameter semiconductor wafers according to claim 13, wherein the hollowed grinding spindle penetrates the grinding tool system (Dong would have the shaft 24 made hollow similar to 322 in Yilmaz per the previous modification, and this 24 goes into/penetrates grinding tool 5-8, consistent w/ applicant’s fig. 1) and the hollowed grinding spindle is driven by a first servomotor through a belt and a pulley to rotate (via Yilmaz [39] via a motor 312 [37] and also through belts/pulleys 309 326 [39], rotating, fig. 3a).
Claim(s) 16 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Dong (US 20220088740) in view of Dhandapani (US 20110256812).
Regarding claim 16. Dong teaches the electrochemical-mechanical thinning apparatus for large-diameter semiconductor wafers according to claim1, wherein the grinding wheel is cup shaped (fig. 1, 2, the grinding wheel/pad has the same perforated ‘cup’ shape as the perforated wheel 3 of applicant fig. 1) but does not teach wherein the grinding wheel is selected as a diamond grinding wheel. However, Dhandapani teaches in [40] using diamond for the grinding/conditioning head/wheel, and it would be obvious to those skilled in the art at the time of invention to modify Dong to be able to condition/treat polishing surfaces as desired [40].
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to YUECHUAN YU whose telephone number is (571)272-7190. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9-5.
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/YUECHUAN YU/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1718