DETAILED ACTION
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 .
Status of Claims
This action is in reply to the application filed on 09/27/2023. Claims 1-18 are currently pending and have been examined.
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.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1, 4, 7, 10, 13 and 16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Takahashi (Japanese Patent Publication No. JP2002079454), as evidenced by the machine translation of Takahashi, hereinafter referred to as Takahashi.
Regarding claim 1, Takahashi discloses a polishing head [Takahashi, fig 9, C1] comprising:
a head body [Takahashi, fig 1, 1] disposed to face a polishing pad for polishing a surface to be polished of a substrate to be processed [Takahashi, fig 1, 1 holds W to be polished against a surface of polishing pad 22], the head body being capable of rotating the substrate to be processed with respect to the polishing pad [Takahashi, page 26, pp 0047];
a plurality of substrate pressing parts provided concentrically on a surface of the head body on a polishing pad side [Takahashi, figures 2-3, 3a-f, where concentrically is defined by Merriam-Webster as having a common center or axis, in the instant case 3a-f have a common axis through 3a], the substrate pressing parts being independently displaceable with respect to the polishing pad with a pressure change of contained gas [Takahashi, fig 3, chambers 2a-f correspond to each pressing part 3a-f, respectively, and page 13, pp 0029]; and
an elastic body provided between the surface to be polished and surfaces of the plurality of substrate pressing parts on the polishing pad side [Takahashi, fig 3, 11], the elastic body being capable of holding the substrate to be processed on a substrate holding surface facing the polishing pad [Takahashi, figs 3 and 9, 11 holds W and is capable of holding W against 22],
wherein the substrate holding surface of the elastic body [Takahashi, fig 3, 11 that presses against W] fits inside a range facing an outermost peripheral substrate pressing part among the plurality of substrate pressing parts [Takahashi, fig 3, 11 fits to the edge of 3f].
Regarding claim 7, Takahashi discloses a polishing apparatus [Takahashi, fig 9, P1] comprising:
a polishing pad [Takahashi, fig 9, 22] against which a surface to be polished of a substrate to be processed is pressed to polish the surface to be polished [Takahashi, fig 9, W is pressed against 22 by C1];
a plurality of substrate pressing parts provided concentrically on a surface of a head body on a polishing pad side [Takahashi, figures 2-3, 3a-f, where concentrically is defined by Merriam-Webster as having a common center or axis, in the instant case 3a-f have a common axis through 3a], the substrate pressing parts being independently displaceable with respect to the polishing pad with a pressure change of contained gas [Takahashi, fig 3, chambers 2a-f correspond to each pressing part 3a-f, respectively, and page 13, pp 0029]; and
an elastic body provided between the surface to be polished and surfaces of the plurality of substrate pressing parts on the polishing pad side [Takahashi, fig 3, 11], the elastic body being capable of holding the substrate to be processed on a substrate holding surface [Takahashi, figs 3 and 9, 11 holds W and is capable of holding W against 22],
wherein the substrate holding surface of the elastic body [Takahashi, fig 3, 11 that presses against W] fits inside a range facing an outermost peripheral substrate pressing part among the plurality of substrate pressing parts [Takahashi, fig 3, 11 fits to the edge of 3f].
Regarding claim 13, Takahashi discloses an elastic body [Takahashi, fig 3, 11] used in a polishing head [Takahashi, fig 9, C1] that presses a surface to be polished of a substrate to be processed against a polishing pad to polish the surface to be polished [Takahashi, fig 9, C1 presses W against polishing pad 22], the elastic body being provided between the surface to be polished [Takahashi, fig 9, 11 is pressed against W] and surfaces of a plurality of substrate pressing parts on a polishing pad side [Takahashi, fig 3, on the opposite side of 11, towards and within C1, are 3a-f], the plurality of substrate pressing parts being concentrically provided on a surface of the polishing head on the polishing pad side [Takahashi, figures 2-3, 3a-f, where concentrically is defined by Merriam-Webster as having a common center or axis, in the instant case 3a-f have a common axis through 3a] and independently displaceable with respect to the polishing pad with a pressure change of contained gas [Takahashi, fig 3, chambers 2a-f correspond to each pressing part 3a-f, respectively, and page 13, pp 0029], the elastic body being configured to be capable of holding the substrate to be processed on a substrate holding surface [Takahashi, fig 9, 11 presses W against 22], wherein the substrate holding surface fits inside a range facing an outermost peripheral substrate pressing part among the plurality of substrate pressing parts [Takahashi, fig 3, 11 fits to the edge of 3f].
Regarding claims 4, 10, and 16, Takahashi further discloses the polishing head according to claim 1, the polishing apparatus according to claim 7, and the elastic body according to claim 13, wherein an outer peripheral edge of the elastic body is positioned inside an outer peripheral edge of the outermost peripheral substrate pressing part [Takahashi, fig 3, 11 fits to the edge of 3f].
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.
Claims 6, 12, and 18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Takahashi (Japanese Patent Publication No. JP2002079454), as evidenced by the machine translation of Takahashi, as applied to claim 1, 7, and 13, above, and in further view of Yasuda et al (US PGPUB No. 2021/0269610), hereinafter referred to as Takahashi and Yasuda, respectively.
Regarding claims 6, Takahashi discloses the polishing head according to claim 1, the polishing apparatus according to claim 7, and the elastic body according to claim 13, but does not explicitly disclose wherein a material of the elastic body is at least one of silicone rubber, butyl rubber, and chloroprene rubber.
Yasuda teaches a cmp head [Yasuda, fig 1] comprising an elastic film for contact a substrate [Yasuda, fig 1, 10 and page 1, pp 0012], wherein the elastic film is made from silicone rubber with a fluorination treatment [Yasuda, page 4, claim 9 and page 1, pp 0014].
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to make the elastic body of Takahashi to be made of silicone rubber as taught by Yasuda because having the silicone rubber with fluorination treatment reduces a coefficient of rolling resistance which reduces the adhesion of the silicone rubber to the work to be reduced which avoids foreign matters caused by peeling off the coating layer of the substrate [Yasuda, page 1, pp’s 0015-0016 and 0002, summarized].
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 2-3, 5, 8-9, 11, 14-15 and 17 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
Komura (US PGPUB No. 2016/0193712) teaches a carrier head [Komura, fig 3, 13] comprising a plurality of concentric substrate pressing parts that are filled with gas [Komura, fig 3, 132 and 133 are gas bags to be inflated or deflated to press on a substrate W], and an elastic body [Komura, fig 3, 138], wherein the elastic body extends across the entire carrier head and is flat and has a step portion upwards [Komura, fig 3, 138 extends to the outside of 13 and then is secured upwards on the outside of 13].
Akazawa et al (US PGPUB No. 2020/0094371) teaches a carrier head [Akazawa, fig 2A], comprising a plurality of concentric substrate pressing parts that are filled with gas [Akazawa, fig 2A, 210 is filled with gas and presses on 220 and 230 which presses on 121]. However Akazawa does not disclose an elastic body.
Saito et al (US PGPUB No. 2023/0381910) teaches a carrier head [Saito, fig 2, 7] comprising a plurality of concentric substrate pressing parts that are filled with gas [Saito, fig 2, C1, C2, C3, and C4, the office notes that C5 is gas bag but presses on the retaining ring and does not contribute to pressing against the substrate] and an elastic body [Saito, fig 2, 64], wherein the elastic body extends beyond the substrate pressing parts [Saito, fig 2, 64 is clamped at 65 which is beyond the edge of C4].
Brown (US Patent No. 6,863,771) teaches a carrier head [Brown, fig 1, 1] comprising a plurality of concentric substrate pressing parts [Brown, fig 1, 12] and an elastic body [Brown, fig 1, 17], wherein the elastic body is flat and extends to the edge of the substrate pressing parts [Brown, fig 1, 17 extends to the edge of the outermost 12].
Yoshida et al (US Patent No. 9.399,277) teaches a carrier head [Yoshida, fig 5, 31C] comprising a plurality of concentric substrate pressing parts [Yoshida, fig 5, C1, C2, C3 and C4] and an elastic body [Yoshida, fig 5, 303], wherein the elastic body extends around the outermost substrate pressing part [Yoshida, fig 5, 303 extends around to the outside of C1].
Regarding claims 2, 8, and 14, Takahashi (Japanese Patent Publication No. JP2002079454) teaches the elastic body that contacts the substrate [Takahashi, fig 3, 11].
However, the prior art considered as a whole, alone or in combination, neither anticipates nor renders obvious “wherein the elastic body includes a step portion recessed from the substrate holding surface toward the outermost peripheral substrate pressing part in the range facing the outermost peripheral substrate pressing part” together in combination with the rest of the limitations of the claim and in the independent claim.
Claim 3 would be allowed as being dependent on claim 2.
Claim 7 would be are allowed as being dependent on claim 8.
Claim 15 would be allowed as being dependent on claim 14.
Regarding claims 5, 11, and 17, Takahashi (Japanese Patent Publication No. JP2002079454) teaches the elastic body that contacts the substrate [Takahashi, fig 3, 11] and the outermost peripheral substrate pressing part [Takahashi, fig 3, 3f] has the elastic body interposed between the substrate [Takahashi, fig 3, 11 is between W and 3f].
The prior art considered as a whole, alone or in combination, neither anticipates nor renders obvious “wherein the outermost peripheral substrate pressing part faces the substrate to be processed without interposing the elastic body between the outermost peripheral substrate pressing part and the substrate to be processed” together in combination with the rest of the limitations of the claim and in the independent claim.
Conclusion
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/ROBERT F NEIBAUR/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3723