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 species Fig. 6 in the reply filed on 2/18/26 is acknowledged. Claims 9-11, 13 withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected species, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. It is noted that claim 12 depends on withdrawn claim 11, which is based on a non-elected species, hence it is also withdrawn. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on 2/18/26.
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) 1-8, 14-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102a1 as being anticipated by Dunn (US 9574268).
Regarding claim 1. Dunn teaches in the drawings a feeding block (manifold 100, fig. 8 col. 16, which is an elongated/rectangular gas feed block, fig. 1-8, and includes a gas feeding upper block 104 or intermediate block 106, col 12:1-21) for transferring a process gas to a process chamber (fig. 8, cols. 16, 17, 104/106 flows/feeds gas into reactor chamber 810/820 as part of manifold 100), the feeding block comprising: a body (104/106 has a flattened square block body, figs. 4, 5); a first annular channel (one of the concentric annular channels 136/140 in 104 or 146/150 in 106, fig. 1, 4, 5, col. 7:29-67, 8:1-24, 14:55-67, 15:15-40, his claims 1, 27, 40; it is noted despite the C-shaped non-closed circular channels shown in fig. 4, 5, the full/closed circular channel is one of the shape alternatives, as shown in fig. 1a 52/58 for the upper concentric channels eg equivalent to 136/140 and 64/70 for the lower concentric pair, equivalent to 146/150, col. 7:29-67, 15:15-40, his claims 27, 40) provided in the body (fig. 4, 5, 8 the channels in the block bodies of 104, 106); at least one first supply channel (eg gas passageways 137, 122 fig. 3a-4b, 8 col. 16:65-17:1-9; also passages 144a, b figs. 3ab, 8) extending from an outer surface of the body to the first annular channel (137 connects from an inlet 124 on the outer side surface of 104 to one of the annular channels 136, similarly 122 connects to an outer top of 104 to 140, fig. 8; 144a,b extends from inlets on outer side surface of 106 to annular channels 150/146, fig. 8)
to supply a first process gas to the first annular channel (both inert/reactants can be supplied to all the concentric annular channels, fig. 8); and at least one first discharge channel (the upper/top channel parts of discharge/downstream channels 138ab, 148ab, 152ab) extending from the first annular channel to an outer surface of the body (fig. 8, the top channel parts extend from each of the annular channels 136, 146, 150 to a bottom outer surface of top and intermediate body 104, 106, consistent w/ applicant’s 40/70 that are short downward flowing passages flowing out the bottom of block 10, his fig. 2-4) to discharge the first process gas in the first annular channel to an outside (as discussed, they are downstream/flow out the gases of said annular channels to at least out of the bottoms of 104/106), wherein the body is provided as a single member (fig. 3-5, 8, each of the block body of 104/106 is a single/integral block, consistent w/ applicant 10 in his fig. 1) such that the first supply channel, the first annular channel, and the first discharge channel have continuous inner surfaces (each of the at least one first supply channels, annular channels and discharge channels in each of the blocks 104, 106 are continuously connected to each other in a single/integral block of 104/106, consistent w/ applicant’s figs. 1-4).
Regarding claim 2. Dunn teaches the feeding block of claim 1, wherein the first annular channel is provided on a plane crossing a reference axis orthogonal to the outer surface in which the first discharge channel is provided (fig. 8, the annular channels are on horizontal plane in 106 104 which is crossing the vertical axis normal to the also horizontal bottom surfaces of 104 106 which the discharge channel is/are, commensurate w/ applicant fig. 4, 6).
Regarding claim 3. Dunn teaches the feeding block of claim 2, wherein a central axis of the first annular channel is the same as the reference axis (as disc in claim 2, the vertical axis, i.e. y or central y axis through the said annular channels which is normal to both horizontal planes of the annular channel and bottoms of 106 and 104).
Regarding claim 4. Dunn teaches the feeding block of claim 1, wherein the first annular channel has a circular shape in plan view (as disc in claim 1, also fig. 1a).
Regarding claim 5. Dunn teaches the feeding block of claim 1, wherein the first discharge channel comprises a plurality of first discharge channels provided along the first annular channel (fig. 8 as disc in claim 1, the top parts of discharge channels 138ab along bottom of annular channel 136 and of discharge 148ab 152ab along annular channels 146 and 150).
Regarding claim 6. Dunn teaches the feeding block of claim 5, wherein the first discharge channels are provided at equal intervals along the first annular channel (fig. 8, fig. 1a-c, 6a-c showing the discharge channels symmetrically emanating from each annular channel and merging to the central bore).
Regarding claim 7. Dunn teaches the feeding block of claim 1, further comprising: a second annular channel provided in the body to share a central axis of the first annular channel (as disc in claim 1, each of 104, 106 has concentric annular/circular channels, eg fig. 1a, hence the other one of the pair of annular channels in each of 104 106); a second supply channel (eg the other one of 137 or 122 in 104 or 144a or b in 106) extending from an outer surface of the body to the second annular channel (fig. 8, both 137, 122 and 144ab extend from the outer sides of respective blocks 104 106) to supply a second process gas to the second annular channel (as disc in claim 1, inert, reactive gases can be supplied, which are intended uses regardless); and a second discharge channel (such as the other one of the top portion of 148ab or 152ab) extending from the second annular channel (fig. 8, extends from one of the other of 150 or 146) to an outer surface of the body (fig. 8, extends to bottom of 106, as disc in claim 1) to discharge the second process gas in the second annular channel to an outside (as disc in claim 1), wherein the body is provided as a single member such that the second supply channel, the second annular channel, and the second discharge channel have continuous inner surfaces (as disc in claim 1, same concept from that of the first supply/annular and discharge channels).
Regarding claim 8. Dunn teaches the feeding block of claim 7, wherein the outer surface in which the first discharge channel is provided is the same as the outer surface in which the second discharge channel is provided (as disc in previous claims, the bottom outer surface of the block body where the discharge channels are, eg fig. 8, bottom of 104, 106).
Regarding claim 14. Dunn teaches the feeding block of claim 7, wherein the second annular channel has a circular shape in plan view (see claim 4, all the annular channels are circular).
Regarding claim 15. Dunn teaches the feeding block of claim 7, wherein the second discharge channel comprises a plurality of second discharge channels provided along the second annular channel (see claim 5, same for both 146 and 150 having the tops of 148ab 152ab emanating from them).
Regarding claim 16. Dunn teaches the feeding block of claim 15, wherein the second discharge channels are provided at equal intervals along the second annular channel (see claim 6).
Regarding claim 17. Dunn teaches the feeding block of claim 7, the first and second discharge channels are provided in directions orthogonal to the outer surfaces in which the first and second discharge channels are provided (fig. 8, the tops of 148ab 152ab 138ab all have a general downward direction/y coordinate component in addition to an x component/coord component based since a downward angled slope is -x/y; hence the downward y direction is normal to the horizontal bottom of 104 106).
Regarding claim 18. Dunn teaches the feeding block of claim 7, wherein the body further comprises a through channel (bore 130 fig. 1-8) provided from an upper surface to a lower surface of the body (fig. 1-8, goes through vertically all the 104 106) in a direction orthogonal to the outer surfaces in which the first and second discharge channels are provided (as disc, the vertical/y-direction thru the center is normal to the horizontal bottoms/outer bottom surf of 104 106), and wherein the first and second annular channels have shapes surrounding the through channel (as disc prev, all the annular channels are concentric to 130/central bore fig. 1-8).
Regarding claim 19. Dunn teaches the feeding block of claim 1, wherein the feeding block is produced by three-dimensional (3D) printing (it is noted that patentability depends on the structure of the apparatus/product and not on the process of making it, MPEP 2113; further, there is no evidence that “the product can only be defined by the process steps by which the product is made, or where the manufacturing process steps would be expected to impart distinctive structural characteristics to the final product” or any process-specific feature of the apparatus structure as claimed; additionally, per applicant’s pgpub [62] the 3D printing process does not provide any unique structures, but rather, is simply an alternative to other common manufacturing methods, such as cast and injection molding).
Regarding claim 20. Dunn teaches in the drawings a substrate processing apparatus (reactor 800, fig. 8, col. 16) comprising: a process chamber (reaction chamber 810 col. 16) having a processing space (reaction space 826, including the spaces in the lower/bottom parts of the chamber/chamber wall, where 829 828 are) to process a substrate (vapor process wafer 829 in 826 col. 16 fig. 8); a substrate supporter (substrate support 828 col 16) mounted in the processing space (fig. 8, in the lower part of the chamber space) to seat the substrate on the substrate supporter (fig. 8 829 on 828); a gas ejector (showerhead 820 which ejects/spreads gas in to 810 fig. 8 col. 16) coupled to the process chamber (fig. 8) to supply a process gas to the processing space (fig. 8, col. 16); and a feeding block (manifold 100, fig. 8 col. 16, which is an elongated gas feed block, fig. 1-8) for transferring a process gas to the process chamber (col. 16 fig. 1-8), wherein the feeding block is provided on the gas ejector (fig. 8) and comprises,
a body (as disc in claim 1, such as the block 104 or 106); a first annular channel provided in the body; at least one first supply channel extending from an outer surface of the body to the first annular channel to supply a first process gas to the first annular channel; and at least one first discharge channel extending from the first annular channel to an outer surface of the body to discharge the first process gas in the first annular channel to an outside, wherein the body is provided as a single member such that the first supply channel, the first annular channel, and the first discharge channel have continuous inner surfaces (for the previous limitations starting from “a body; a first annular…” to the end of the claim, see claim 1).
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