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 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, 10 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102a1 as being anticipated by Frankel (US 20020073922).
Regarding 1. Frankel teaches in the drawings a semiconductor processing system (CVD apparatus 10 [30 31] fig. 1), comprising: a semiconductor processing chamber (enclosure assembly 200/vac chamber 15 [67]) containing a solid boron deposit (this is a residue from processing, not apparatus structure, see applicant’s pgpub [4, 21, 22] and hence is an intended use that results from a process using the apparatus, MPEP 2114); a remote plasma unit (remote plasma system 55 [68]) disposed upstream of the semiconductor processing chamber (fig. 1, 55 is in the gas upstream from 200), wherein the remote plasma unit is configured to generate plasma effluents ([70]) from a fluorine-containing precursor ([70]; the used gases/materials are not apparatus structure but part of intended use processes that can be exchanged to suit the user’s needs, MPEP 2114); and an optical absorption sensor (gas detector 800/802 performs absorption spectroscopy [166-171]) disposed downstream of the semiconductor processing chamber ([166] fig. 3, located in the discharge/exhaust 60 downstream flow of the main process chamber/200),
wherein the optical absorption sensor is configured to measure within an outflow from the semiconductor processing chamber (as discussed, measures components of exhaust from the chamber) a level of a boron-containing compound (the IR spectrometer is able to detect species which absorb at 5-6um [169] or 1667-2000 cm-1, which is within the applicant’s IR detector range of 400-3000 cm-1 or 2-30um, his pgpub [6 36], and also allowing 5um absorptions to be detected/pass through, commensurate to applicant’s 4.5+0.5um passage, his pgpub [38], either of which facilitates measurement of boron containing compounds, his pgpub [36, 38]) produced via a reaction between at least a portion of the solid boron deposit and the plasma effluents flowed from the remote plasma unit into the semiconductor processing chamber (as discussed, the detector is downstream of the chamber, hence detects all the exhausted materials which include those produced via cleaning/reacting between the cleaning plasma from the remote plasma source flowed into the chamber and materials in the chamber, which can include boron containing deposits, as part of an intended use).
Regarding claim 2. Frankel teaches the semiconductor processing system of claim 1, wherein the boron- containing compound comprises BF3 (as discussed, this is an intended use, MPEP 2114; various materials may be used/created as part of intended use processes).
Regarding claim 3. Frankel teaches the semiconductor processing system of claim 1, wherein the optical absorption sensor is configured to measure the level of the boron-containing compound ranging between about 1 ppm and about 900,000 ppm (cleaning, which is when detection is performed, is done at 1-2, 1.5 torr [196 197 247 248 256], which is within the applicant’s processing pressure range of 1mTorr-10 Torr used during detection/detection capable to achieve the detected range, his pgpub [41, 42]).
Regarding claim 4. Frankel teaches the semiconductor processing system of claim 1, wherein:the optical absorption sensor comprises an elongate optical cell (fig. 17d rectangular/laterally elongate cell/small cavity shaped 804/806 of 802) configured to direct the outflow from the semiconductor processing chamber to flow through at least a portion of the elongate optical cell along a longitudinal axis of the elongate optical cell (806/804 allows the exhaust from 200 to flow impingement in the corners to flow along a portion of the cell in the lateral/impinged direction which is the longitudinal axis of the cell, fig. 17d) while the level of the boron-containing compound inside the elongate optical cell is measured by the optical absorption sensor (this is intended use as various compounds may be used and detected as part of an intended process, and the sensor is capable of measuring boron containing compounds, as discussed, flowing in 806/804 via said IR absorption spectroscopy).
Regarding claim 5. Frankel teaches the semiconductor processing system of claim 4, wherein the optical absorption sensor is configured to measure the level of the boron-containing compound when a pressure inside the elongate optical cell is between about 1 mTorr and about 10 Torr (see claim 3, the cleaning processing pressure, when detection occurs and also the pressure flowing from the chamber into the cell/detector, is 1-2 Torr; additionally, this does not structurally limit the apparatus and relates to operation/process conditions, such as pressure, MPEP 2114).
Regarding claim 6. Frankel teaches the semiconductor processing system of claim 4, wherein the optical absorption sensor further comprises an infrared detector (IR detector 816 [168]) and a light source (IR lamp 814 [168]) disposed at opposing first end and second end of the elongate optical cell, respectively (fig. 17d, at opposing left and right ends of 804/806).
Regarding claim 7. Frankel teaches the semiconductor processing system of claim 6, wherein the optical absorption sensor comprises an optical filter (either the filter or one of the windows 812 or 813 which all have an extinction coefficient [171] that blocks/filters some light) defining the first end of the elongate optical cell (either 812/813 is at the left or right end of 804 806, fig. 17d; the filter must also be at either end since it must be in the light path without blocking flow if inside the cell) and an optical window defining the second end of the elongate optical cell (the other/opposing one of the light passing windows 812 or 813 which is at the opposing left or right end of 804/806 to whichever the first window or filter is located).
Regarding claim 8. Frankel teaches the semiconductor processing system of claim 7, wherein light entering into the elongate optical cell through the optical window comprises infrared radiation having a wavenumber ranging between about 400 cm-1 and about 3,000 cm-1 (as disc in claim 1, 5-6um light [169] is sent into the cell past at least one of the windows to be absorbed by the chemicals of the exhaust).
Regarding claim 10. Frankel teaches the semiconductor processing system of claim 6, wherein the elongate optical cell comprises an inlet (flange 808 fig. 17d) disposed proximate the first end of the elongate optical cell (808 is near both of the sides of 804 fig. 17d) and an outlet (flange 810) proximate the second end of the elongate optical cell (810 also near both of the sides of 804 fig. 17d), and wherein the inlet is configured to provide fluid access to the elongate optical cell from the semiconductor processing chamber (fig 17d, fig. 3 [167] 808 and 810 both connect 804 to 60 which is the exhaust line flowing from the process chamber).
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.
Claim(s) 9 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Frankel (US 20020073922).
Regarding claim 9. Frankel teaches the semiconductor processing system of claim 7, wherein the optical filter is configured to allow infrared radiation having one or more of the following wavenumbers to pass through: 490+/-50 cm-1, 695+/-50 cm-1, 710+/-50 cm-1, 1,360+/-50 cm-1, 1,480+/-50 cm-1,2,330+/-50 cm-1, or 2,900+/-50 cm-1 (as discussed, since at least 10um and 5-6um or 1000 and 1667-2000 cm-1 are able to be passed thru the filter/window and into the cell to be absorbed by the gas, the detector’s filtering capability is at least within that range, which encompasses the claimed 1,360+/-50 cm-1, 1,480+/-50 cm-1, rendering a prima facie case of obviousness, MPEP 2144.05).
Claim(s) 11 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Frankel (US 20020073922) in view of O’Neill (US 5534066).
Regarding claim 11. Frankel teaches the semiconductor processing system of claim 4, but does not teach wherein the optical absorption sensor further comprises at least one of a pressure sensor configured to measure a pressure inside the elongate optical cell or a temperature sensor configured to measure a temperature inside the elongate optical cell. However, O’Neill teaches in fig. 2 the optical absorption sensor (IR absorption sensor 40, det desc para. 1-5) further comprises at least one of a pressure sensor configured to measure a pressure inside the elongate optical cell or a temperature sensor (thermocouple 56) configured to measure a temperature inside the elongate optical cell (det desc para. 2). It would be obvious to those skilled in the art at time of invention to modify Frankel to maintain the cell at desired temperatures, det desc para. 2, which would allow the detected gases to be maintained at adequate vapor pressures, background para. 1.
Claim(s) 12-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Frankel (US 20020073922) in view of Toratani (US 20100112822).
Regarding claim 12. Frankel teaches a semiconductor processing system, comprising: a semiconductor processing chamber containing a solid boron deposit; a remote plasma unit disposed upstream of the semiconductor processing chamber, wherein the remote plasma unit is configured to generate plasma effluents from a fluorine-containing precursor; and an optical absorption sensor disposed downstream of the semiconductor processing chamber, wherein the optical absorption sensor is configured to measure within an outflow from the semiconductor processing chamber a level of a boron-containing compound produced via a reaction between at least a portion of the solid boron deposit and the plasma effluents flowed from the remote plasma unit into the semiconductor processing chamber (all the previous see claim 1), wherein the optical absorption sensor is configured to determine a process end point ([163-171]), but does not teach it is when a change slope of a measured level of a partial pressure of the boron-containing compound is less than 0.1 ppm over about 10 seconds. However, Toratani teaches in [42 43 87-89], fig. 11 that the change of measured Boron compound/BCl3 amount over time, such as reaching nearly zero over Tend, affects the endpoint detection and effective removal of deposited boron-containing films. Hence, the change/slope of boron-compound amount, which includes concentration/partial pressures, over time is a result effective parameter that affects endpoint detection and effective removal of deposited boron-based films. It would be obvious to those skilled in the art at the time of the invention to optimize the change/slope of measured amounts of boron compounds over time to control endpoint detection and effective removal of deposited boron films. For optimization of ranges/result effective parameters, see MPEP 2144.05.
Regarding claim 13. Frankel in view of Toratani, teaches the semiconductor processing system of claim 12, wherein the boron- containing compound comprises BF3 (as previously discussed, this is an intended use, MPEP 2114; various materials may be used/created as part of intended use processes).
Regarding claim 14. Frankel in view of Toratani, teaches the semiconductor processing system of claim 12, wherein the optical absorption sensor is configured to measure the level of the boron-containing compound ranging between about 1 ppm and about 900,000 ppm (see claim 3).
Regarding claim 15. Frankel in view of Toratani, teaches the semiconductor processing system of claim 12, wherein: the optical absorption sensor comprises an elongate optical cell configured to direct the outflow from the semiconductor processing chamber to flow through at least a portion of the elongate optical cell along a longitudinal axis of the elongate optical cell while the level of the boron-containing compound inside the elongate optical cell is measured by the optical absorption sensor (see claim 4)
Regarding claim 16. Frankel in view of Toratani teaches the semiconductor processing system of claim 15, wherein the optical absorption sensor is configured to measure the level of the boron-containing compound when a pressure inside the elongate optical cell is between about 1 mTorr and about 10 Torr (see claim 5).
Regarding claim 17. Frankel in view of Toratani, teaches the semiconductor processing system of claim 15, wherein the optical absorption sensor further comprises an infrared detector and a light source disposed at opposing first end and second end of the elongate optical cell, respectively (see claim 6).
Regarding claim 18. Frankel in view of Toratani, teaches the semiconductor processing system of claim 17, wherein the optical absorption sensor comprises an optical filter defining the first end of the elongate optical cell and an optical window defining the second end of the elongate optical cell (see claim 7).
Regarding claim 19. Frankel in view of Toratani, teaches the semiconductor processing system of claim 18, wherein light entering into the elongate optical cell through the optical window comprises infrared radiation having a wavenumber ranging between about 400 cm-1 and about 3,000 cm-1 (see claim 8).
Regarding claim 20. Frankel in view of Toratani, teaches the semiconductor processing system of claim 18, wherein the optical filter is configured to allow infrared radiation having one or more of the following wavenumbers to pass through: 490+/-50 cm-1, 695+/-50 cm-1, 710+/-50 cm-1, 1,360+/-50 cm-1, 1,480+/-50 cm-1,2,330+/-50 cm-1, or 2,900+/-50 cm-1 (see claim 9).
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