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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on September 26, 2025 is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
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, 3-5, 9-13, 15, 17, and 18 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Francischetti et al (US Pub 2015/0069043).
In re claim 1, Francischetti et al discloses an anneal chamber (i.e. 30), comprising: a base (i.e. 32) that defines a chamber interior, wherein the base comprises a cooling plate (i.e. 38) within the chamber interior, wherein the base and the cooling plate are integral with one another; a lid (i.e. 40) that is coupled with the base; a heater plate (i.e. 36) mounted in the chamber interior alongside the cooling plate; a transfer hoop (i.e. 142) movably coupled within the chamber interior, wherein: the base defines a first transfer hoop recess (i.e. 78) about at least a portion of the heater plate; and the base defines a second transfer hoop recess (i.e. 78) about at least a portion of the cooling plate (i.e. see at least Figures 1, 3, 4; paragraphs 0025, 0031).
In re claim 3, Francischetti et al discloses wherein: the transfer hoop (i.e. 142) comprises a plurality of substrate-engaging fingers (i.e. 144); the heater plate (i.e. 36) defines a plurality of recesses (i.e. 78) that extend partially through a thickness of the heater plate; and each of the plurality of recesses is aligned with a respective one of the plurality of substrate-engaging fingers (i.e. see at least Figures 3, 4; paragraphs 0027, 0032).
In re claim 4, Francischetti et al discloses wherein: the transfer hoop (i.e. 142) comprises a plurality of substrate-engaging fingers (i.e. 144); the cooling plate (i.e. 38) defines a plurality of recesses (i.e. 78) that extend partially through a thickness of the cooling plate; and each of the plurality of recesses is aligned with a respective one of the plurality of substrate-engaging fingers (i.e. see at least Figures 3, 4; paragraphs 0027, 0032).
In re claim 5, Francischetti et al discloses wherein: the lid (i.e. 40) defines a first plurality of gas distribution apertures (i.e. 80) positioned above the heater plate; and the lid (i.e. 40) defines a second plurality of gas distribution apertures (i.e. 80) positioned above the cooling plate (i.e. see at least paragraph 0029).
In re claim 9, Francischetti et al discloses wherein: each of the heater plate (i.e. 36) and the cooling plate (i.e. 38) defines a single backside gas port (i.e. 56) (i.e. see at least Figure 3; paragraphs 0025, 0029).
In re claim 10, Francischetti et al discloses an anneal chamber (i.e. 30), comprising: a base (i.e. 32) that defines a chamber interior, wherein the base comprises a cooling plate (i.e. 38) within the chamber interior, wherein the base and the cooling plate are integral with one another; a lid (i.e. 40) that is coupled with the base; a heater plate (i.e. 36) mounted in the chamber interior alongside the cooling plate, wherein the heater plate comprises multiple heating zones (i.e. it is inherent from the prior art that a heating plate would have multiple heating zones as any pre-defined surface area can be labeled as a zone absent any specificity as to what constitutes a heating zone); a transfer hoop (i.e. 142) movably coupled within the chamber interior, wherein: the base defines a first transfer hoop recess (i.e. 78) about at least a portion of the heater plate; and the base defines a second transfer hoop recess (i.e. 78) about at least a portion of the cooling plate (i.e. see at least Figures 1, 3, 4; paragraphs 0025, 0031).
In re claim 11, Francischetti et al discloses wherein: each of the heater plate and the cooling plate defines a plurality of standoffs that are configured to support a substrate at a position that is elevated relative to a top surface of the respective plate (i.e. see at least Figure 3; paragraph 0026: a pattern of bumps or risers 76 is provided on the top surface of each of the plates to better provide uniform support to a wafer, which in turn provides for more uniform and consistent wafer temperature control, wherein the risers 76 are spheres attached to the top surface of the plate, to hold the wafer 0.2 to 1 mm up off of the plate).
In re claim 12, Francischetti et al discloses wherein: a height of the plurality of standoffs is adjustable relative to the top surface of the respective plate (i.e. see at least Figure 3; paragraph 0026: a pattern of bumps or risers 76 is provided on the top surface of each of the plates to better provide uniform support to a wafer, which in turn provides for more uniform and consistent wafer temperature control, wherein the risers 76 are spheres attached to the top surface of the plate, to hold the wafer 0.2 to 1 mm up off of the plate).
In re claim 13, Francischetti et al discloses wherein: the base defines one or more exhaust ports (i.e. 170) that are disposed beneath the heater plate (i.e. see at least Figure 6; paragraph 0033).
In re claim 15, Francischetti et al discloses wherein: the transfer hoop (i.e. 142) comprises a plurality of substrate-engaging fingers (i.e. 144); and each of the substrate-engaging fingers comprises an upward facing protrusion (i.e. combination of a ledge 146 and flat surface 148) that is positioned to center a substate within the transfer hoop (i.e. see at least Figures 3 and 4; paragraph 0032).
In re claim 17, Francischetti et al discloses an anneal chamber (i.e. 30), comprising: a base (i.e. 32) that defines a chamber interior, wherein the base comprises a cooling plate (i.e. 38) within the chamber interior, wherein the base and the cooling plate are integral with one another; a heater plate (i.e. 36) mounted in the chamber interior alongside the cooling plate; a lid (i.e. 40) that is coupled with the base, wherein the lid defines a plurality of gas distribution apertures (i.e. 80) that extend over the heater plate and the cooling plate; and a transfer hoop (i.e. 142) movably coupled within the chamber interior (i.e. see at least Figures 1, 3, 4; paragraphs 0025, 0031).
In re claim 18, Francischetti et al discloses wherein: the base (i.e. 32) defines a transfer port (i.e. 74) proximate the cooling plate (i.e. see at least Figure 3; paragraph 0030).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 2, 6-8, 14, 16, 19, and 20 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.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ANTHONY HO whose telephone number is (571)270-1432. The examiner can normally be reached 9AM - 5PM, Monday-Friday.
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/ANTHONY HO/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2817