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 .
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election with traverse of Group I, Species I (claims 1-6, 9-10, and 12-17) in the reply filed on May 22, 2026 is acknowledged.
Claims 7-8, 11, and 18-20 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected invention and species, there being no allowable generic or linking claim.
The traversal is on the ground(s) that the requirement does not identify specific different search fields, search queries, electronic resources, or non-prior-art examination issues that would make examination of the non-elected claims seriously burdensome beyond the search and examination already required for the elected apparatus claims. This is not found persuasive because the search and examination of the entire application would place a serious burden on the Examiner since the search required for the features of the elected invention and species is not co-extensive with the search required for the features of the non-elected invention and species. Additionally, the nonelected inventions have acquired a separate status in the art in view of their different classification (C23C16/44, H01J37/32935).
The requirement is still deemed proper and is therefore made FINAL.
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.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claim(s) 1-6, 9-10, and 12-16 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Takeda et al. (U.S. 2020/0083067) in view of Hasebe et al. (U.S. 2015/0107517).
Referring to Figures 1-3 and paragraphs [0020]-[0045], Takeda et al. disclose a substrate processing apparatus, comprising: a process chamber 203 configured to process a plurality of substrates; and a plasma generator configured to generate plasma in the process chamber, the plasma generator including an electrode part 300-1, 300-2.
Takeda is fail to teach a first electrode part configured to extend from a lower side to an intermediate side of the process chamber, and a second electrode part configured to extend from an upper side to the intermediate side of the process chamber.
Referring to Figure 6 and paragraphs [0064]-[0073], Hasebe et al. teach a first electrode part 143 a-1, 143 b-1 configured to extend from a lower side to an intermediate side of the process chamber, and a second electrode part 143 a-3, 143 b-3 configured to extend from an upper side to the intermediate side of the process chamber in order provide uniform plasma distribution (par.[0073]). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to have modified the electrode part of Takeda to include a first electrode part configured to extend from a lower side to an intermediate side of the process chamber, and a second electrode part configured to extend from an upper side to the intermediate side of the process chamber as taught by Hasebe et al. in order to improve uniform plasma distribution along the length of the process chamber.
With respect to claim 2, the substrate processing apparatus of Takeda et al. in view of Hasebe et al. further includes wherein the plasma generator includes a gap between the first electrode part 143 a-1, 143 b-1 and the second electrode part 143 a-3, 143 b-3 at the intermediate side of the process chamber (Hasebe et al.- Fig. 6).
With respect to claim 3, the substrate processing apparatus of Takeda et al. in view of Hasebe et al. further includes wherein each of the first electrode part and the second electrode part includes at least one first electrode 300-1 to which an arbitrary potential is applied and at least one second electrode 300-2 to which a reference potential is applied (Takeda et al.- par.[0037]).
With respect to claim 4, the substrate processing apparatus of Takeda et al. in view of Hasebe et al. further includes wherein the at least one first electrode includes a plurality of first electrodes 300-1 to which the arbitrary potential is applied (Takeda et al.-par.[0042]).
With respect to claim 5, the substrate processing apparatus of Takeda et al. in view of Hasebe et al. further includes wherein lengths of the plurality of first electrodes 300-1 are the same (Takeda et al.- Figure 3A).
With respect to claim 6, the substrate processing apparatus of Takeda et al. in view of Hasebe et al. further includes wherein lengths of the plurality of first electrodes 300-1are the same as a length of the at least one second electrode 300-2 (Takeda et al.-par.[0042]).
With respect to claim 9, the substrate processing apparatus of Takeda et al. in view of Hasebe et al. further includes wherein the plurality of first electrodes include two first electrodes 300-1, wherein the at least one second electrode includes one second electrode 300-2, and wherein each of the first electrode part and the second electrode part includes the two first electrodes and the one second electrode, which are arranged in an order of the first electrode 300-1, the first electrode 300-1, and the second electrode 300-2 (Takeda et al.-par.[0042]).
With respect to claim 10, the substrate processing apparatus of Takeda et al. in view of Hasebe et al. further includes wherein each of the first electrode part and the second electrode part includes a cover 301 configured to hold the at least one first electrode and the at least one second electrode (Takeda et al.-Fig. 1, par.[0046]).
With respect to claim 12, the substrate processing apparatus of Takeda et al. in view of Hasebe et al. further includes wherein the first electrode part and the second electrode part are installed outside the process chamber (Takeda et al.-Figs. 1-2, Hasebe et al.-Figs. 1-2, 6).
With respect to claim 13, the substrate processing apparatus of Takeda et al. in view of Hasebe et al. further includes wherein the substrate processing apparatus further comprises a heater 207 configured to heat the substrates, and wherein the first electrode part and the second electrode part are installed between the process chamber and the heater (Takeda et al.-Figs. 1-2, par.[0019]).
With respect to claim 14, the substrate processing apparatus of Takeda et al. in view of Hasebe et al. further includes wherein the at least one first electrode 300-1 and the at least one second electrode 300-2 are plate-shaped (Takeda et al.-Fig. 3A).
With respect to claim 15, the substrate processing apparatus of Takeda et al. in view of Hasebe et al. further includes wherein the intermediate side is an intermediate side of the process chamber 203 in an arrangement direction in which the plurality of substrates 200, 217 are arranged (Takeda et al.-Fig. 1, par.[0034]).
With respect to claim 16, the substrate processing apparatus of Takeda et al. in view of Hasebe et al. further comprising a gas supplier 249a, 249b configured to supply a processing gas to the plurality of substrates (Takeda et al.- Fig. 1, par.[0021]).
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) 17 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Hasebe et al. (U.S. 2015/0107517).
Referring to Figure 6 and paragraphs [0064]-[0073], Hasebe et al. teach a plasma generation apparatus, comprising: a first electrode part 143 a-1, 143 b-1 configured to extend from a lower side to an intermediate side of a process chamber; and a second electrode part 143 a-3, 143 b-3 configured to extend from an upper side to the intermediate side of the process chamber.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Takeda et al.’212, Imamura et al.’938, Takeda et al.’705, Takeda’105, Sato’651, Ko et al.’128, Minato et al.’880, Shimada et al.’984, Kurono et al.’560, and Okumura et al.’330 teach a process chamber configured to process a plurality of substrates; and a plasma generator configured to generate plasma in the process chamber, the plasma generator including an electrode part extending along the process chamber.
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/Michelle CROWELL/Examiner, Art Unit 1716
/SYLVIA MACARTHUR/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1716
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