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 Objections
Claim 1 is objected to because of the following informalities. Appropriate correction is required.
1. The limitation “an cathode chamber” has the wrong article. Also, “the plurality of anodes and their separate spaces has” has subject-verb disagreement.
Claim Rejections - 35 U.S.C. § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. § 112(a):
(a) IN GENERAL.—The specification shall contain a written description of the invention, and of the manner and process of making and using it, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and use the same, and shall set forth the best mode contemplated by the inventor or joint inventor of carrying out the invention.
Claims 1-2 and 4-6 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(a) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), first paragraph, as failing to comply with the written description requirement. The claim(s) contains subject matter which was not described in the specification in such a way as to reasonably convey to one skilled in the relevant art that the inventor or a joint inventor, or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the inventor(s), at the time the application was filed, had possession of the claimed invention.
1. The limitation “so that plating solution is supplied independently to each separate space and is drained independently from each separate space” was not in the original disclosure. Thus this is new matter.
2 & 4-6. These claims are rejected for being dependent upon a rejected claim.
Claim Rejections - 35 U.S.C. § 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 of this title, 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.
Claims 1-2 and 6 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. § 103 as being unpatentable over Ma et al., U.S. Patent App. Pub. No. 2010/0307913 A1 [hereinafter Ma] in view of Wang, U.S. Patent App. Pub. No. 2001/0040100 A1.
The body of the claim is generally written with parentheses following the limitations indicating the prior art's teachings and/or examiner notes.
1. The following references render this claim obvious.
I. Ma
An electroplating apparatus for electroplating on a front surface of a wafer, the electroplating apparatus comprising
a plurality of anodes (anodes; Ma [0033], figs. 1a & 2),
partitions (insulation shields 102; Ma [0034], figs. 1a & 2), and
an ionic membrane disposed between (permeable membrane 302 between; which allows specific ions to pass and thus is ionic; Ma [0037]-[0038], figs. 1a, 2, & 3a-6d) an anode chamber (aggregate of anode zones 110; Ma [0033]-[0034], figs. 1a & 2) and a cathode chamber (aggregate of cathode zones 120; id.),
the plurality of anodes forming electric fields on the front surface of the wafer (anodes face the substrate 122 and thus would form electric fields on the front face of substrate 122; Ma [0049], fig. 1a),
wherein the partitions are arranged between areas covered by the plurality of anodes, the partitions together with the ionic membrane separate the anode chamber into separate spaces (insulation shields 102 with permeable membrane 302 separate anode chamber into separate anode zones 110; Ma [0033]-[0034], figs. 1a & 2),
the plurality of anodes is disposed in the separate spaces respectively, so that separate electric field spaces are formed (each anode zone would have its own electric field space; id.),
the plurality of anodes and their separate spaces has separate liquid circulation conduits, so that plating solution is supplied independently to each separate space (solution is supplied to each anode zone 110 from anode electrolyte tank 240; Ma [0050], fig. 2) and is drained independently from each separate space (drained through outlet 219 in each anode zone 110; id.),
an independent electric field is formed in a designated area (plating current or potential is supplied independently to each annular anode which influences the electric fields in each anode zone 100 which affects the electric fields in each anode zone 100 and section of each substrate 122; Ma [0035]), the intensity of the independent electric field is independently controlled, a total amount of power received within the designated area is adjusted (power supply with independently controlled channels; Ma [0035], claims 1, 13, 21, 27) … .
II. Control - Wang
Ma is silent on so as to control a plating thickness at a specified location on the front surface of the wafer.
However, Wang teaches that a control system may control the plating current in combination to a flow controller to provide a continuous, uniform thickness. Wang [0036]-[0042].
Therefore, it would have been obvious with a reasonable expectation of success to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the aforementioned prior art’s apparatus by controlling the plating current to provide a continuous and improve upon the thickness uniformity.
2. The electroplating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the independent electric field is changed by adjusting a current; or the independent electric field is changed by adjusting a voltage; or the independent electric field is changed by adjusting a duty cycle (current or voltage adjusted). See claim 1 rejection.
6. The electroplating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of independent electric fields is formed in a plurality of designated areas, and the intensity of the plurality of independent electric fields are separately controlled (rejected for similar reasons stated in the claim 1 rejection).
Claim 4 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. § 103 as being unpatentable over Ma in view of Wang as applied to claim 1 previously, and further in view of Chen et al., U.S. Patent App. Pub. No. 2008/0057211 A1 [hereinafter Chen].
4. The electroplating apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a rotatable chuck, the wafer being clamped on the chuck and rotating along with the chuck. Ma is silent on this.
Chen teaches clamping the substrate 215 to the rotatable substrate holder 230 to fasten the substrate 215. Chen [0020]-[0023], figs. 2A-2B. Chen teaches that rotating the wafer avoids the hazy phenomenon. Chen [0006], [0029], figs. 2A-2B.
Therefore, it would have been obvious with a reasonable expectation of success to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the aforementioned prior art’s apparatus with Chen’s rotatable and clampable chuck to fasten the substrate to the substrate holder and avoid the hazy phenomenon.
Claim 5 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. § 103 as being unpatentable over Ma in view of Wang and Chen as applied to claim 4 previously, and further in view of Mayer et al., U.S. Patent App. Pub. No. 2012/0258408 A1 [hereinafter Mayer] and Pavani et al., U.S. Patent App. Pub. No. 2005/0061665 A1 [hereinafter Pavani].
5. The electroplating apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the chuck is provided with an anode. Ma is silent on this.
However, Mayer teaches that an auxiliary electrode may be a thief or source electrode which is an anode which may be used to correct for plating non-uniformity. Mayer title, [0090]-[0092], [0094], figs. 1A-1B.
Pavani teaches jig surface may act as an anode to improve uniformity. Pavani [0050]. Thus a person having ordinary skill would realize that having a separate anode on the jig would also be a suitable position for an anode.
Therefore, it would have been obvious with a reasonable expectation of success to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the aforementioned prior art’s with Mayer’s anode source electrode on the chuck as taught by Pavani in order to correct for plating non-uniformity.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments have been considered but are moot because the arguments do not apply to the new grounds of rejection.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Mayer et al., U.S. Patent App. Pub. No. 2002/0195352 A1 (showing uniform plating).
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Hosung Chung whose telephone number is (571) 270-7578. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Wednesday, 9 AM - 6 PM CT.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, James Lin can be reached on (571) 272-8902. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is (571) 273-8300.
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/HOSUNG CHUNG/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1794