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 statements (IDS) submitted on 15 November 2023 and 15 April 2025 have been considered by the examiner.
Election/Restrictions
Applicant's election with traverse of Group I and Species A in the reply filed on 10 March 2026 is acknowledged. The traversal is on the ground(s) that i) a search burden does not exist because a search for Group I or II would yield references applicable to Groups I and II, and ii) the pending claims do not define distinct species.
This is not found persuasive because i) a search (and/or examination) burden is established not only if a search would yield references applicable to different groups, but by demonstrating how the different groups have acquired a separate status in the art in view of their different classifications. Note that in page two of the Election/Restriction requirement of 14 January 2026, Groups I and II are shown to have acquired a separate status in the art in view of their different classifications. Furthermore, the groups require different fields of search (e.g., Group II would require employing a different search strategy to find at least a controller). Therefore, the arguments with respect to i) above are not found persuasive. With respect to argument ii), the examiner respectfully points out that the determination of distinct species is not made based on claim limitations as argued, note that claims are definitions or descriptions of inventions. Claims themselves are never species. The scope of a claim may be limited to a single disclosed embodiment (i.e., a single species, and thus be designated a specific species claim). Alternatively, a claim may encompass two or more of the disclosed embodiments (and thus be designated a generic or genus claim). Species always refer to the different embodiments of the invention. Species may be either independent or related as disclosed (see MPEP § 806.04 and § 806.04(b)). With respect to the elected Species A, the examiner agrees with applicant that claims 1-17 read on elected Species A.
The requirement is still deemed proper and is therefore made FINAL.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 5 and 8 rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Claim 5 recites the limitation “the rotational speed of the carrier head” and “the rotational speed of the pad” (emphasis added). There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 8 recites the limitation “the rotational speed of the carrier head” and “the rotational speed of the second pad” (emphasis added). There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
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) 1-2 and 4-6 (as far as the claim(s) are definite and understood) is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Wu et al – hereafter Wu – (US 20200331117 A1; also US 11,697,187 B2).
Regarding claim 1, Wu teaches a method of processing a substrate (Fig.1-4), comprising:
placing a front surface of a substrate (bottom surface of 10) disposed in a carrier head (70) on a polishing surface (32/34) of a pad (30) coupled to a platen (24);
delivering a first fluid (38) onto the polishing surface using a first fluid delivery arm (39);
determining a location of a hot spot on the front surface (note at least ¶53, “direct the nozzle 148 to spray an inner radial concentric zone 149 (for example, a heated zone) with liquid and/or gas medium to bring the zone 149 to a desired temperature”);
determining a rotational orientation of the substrate relative to the carrier head (note at least ¶61, “first angular swath 127 of the substrate 10 is at a given azimuthal angular position 12 about the axis of rotation 71 of the carrier head”);
and treating the hot spot while polishing the front surface on the polishing surface using a second fluid delivery arm (100/120, note ¶50 “temperature control system 100, the functionality of heating and cooling could be split into a cooling system 120 and a separate heating system 140. In some implementations the various subsystems can be included in separate assemblies supported by a separate arms. For example, a first assembly can include a cooling module”) to deliver a second fluid (329/339/349, note ¶65 “mixed temperature zone 339 can alternate between arcuate segments 330 of regions 329 at a first temperature and arcuate segments 330 of regions 349 at a different second temperature. In brief, the regions 329, 429 can be generated by the temperature control system 100 alternating between heating and cooling the zone 339 (or by alternating between two different rates of heating or two different rates of cooling)”) to the polishing surface, the treating comprising:
determining a first radial position on the polishing surface to pulse a first amount (Fig.3A, note amount defining one of the segments 330/329 or 330/349) of the second fluid such that the first amount of the second fluid will at least partially pass underneath the hot spot (Fig.3A/B, note zone 339 at a first radial position); and
pulsing the first amount of the second fluid onto the polishing surface at the first radial position using the second fluid delivery arm (Fig.3A/B, ¶65).
Regarding claim 2, Wu further teaches determining a second radial position on the polishing surface to pulse a second amount (Fig.3A/B, note amount defining the other of the segments 330/329 or 330/349 not used as a first amount) of the second fluid such that the second amount of the second fluid will at least partially pass underneath the hot spot (Fig.3A/B, note zone 339 at a second radial position which is similar to the first radial position); and pulsing the second amount of the second fluid onto the polishing surface at the second radial position (Fig.3A/B, ¶65).
Regarding claim 4, Wu further teaches the second amount of the second fluid has a different composition than the first amount of the second fluid (¶66, note “coolants from the gas medium source 122 and/or the liquid medium source 124” which compose the mixed temperature zones 339).
Regarding claim 5, Wu further teaches the first radial position is determined based on at least the rotational speed of the carrier head, the rotational speed of the pad, the location of the hot spot, and the rotational orientation of the substrate relative to the carrier head (¶69-70).
Regarding claim 6, Wu further teaches the location of the hot spot is determined by a metrology station (64, note ¶53 “temperature sensor 64 can continue to measure the temperature of the polishing pad 30, for example, by measuring the portion of the pad 30 that corresponds to the cooled zone … heated zone”).
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) 3 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Wu.
Regarding claim 3, Wu teaches all the limitations of claim 2, see above, however does not explicitly teach, in the embodiment of Fig.3A/B, the second fluid delivery arm is moved to a first position to pulse the first amount of the second fluid and moved to a second position to pulse the second amount of the second fluid at the second radial position.
Wu further teaches the second delivery arm (110) could be configured to move to different radial positions to pulse different amounts of the second fluid (Fig.4, ¶74 note “the arm 110 could have a linear actuator so that the arm can extend and retract”); with “appropriate timing of the dispensing of the heated or cooled fluid onto the polishing pad can establish one of the temperature profiles discussed previously” (¶74).
It would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to modify the method of Wu by having the second fluid delivery arm is moved to a first position to pulse the first amount of the second fluid and moved to a second position to pulse the second amount of the second fluid at the second radial position based on the teachings of Wu Fig.4 because this would require a simple substitution of one known element (second fluid delivery arm of Fig.3A/B) for another (second fluid delivery arm of Fig.4) to obtain a predictable result (dispensing cooled fluid onto the polishing pad to establish desired temperature profiles).
Claim(s) 7-17 (as far as the claim(s) are definite and understood) is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Tu et al – hereafter Tu – (US 2010011903 A1; also US 8,210,900 B2) in view of Wu.
Regarding claim 7, Tu teaches a method of processing a substrate (Fig.1), comprising:
polishing a front surface of a substrate on a first pad coupled to a first platen (note one of the polishing stations 112);
transferring the substrate from the first pad to a second pad coupled to a second platen with a carrier head (¶23).
Tu does not explicitly teach delivering a first fluid onto a polishing surface of the second pad;
determining a location of a hot spot on the front surface;
determining a rotational orientation of the substrate relative to the carrier head;
and treating the hot spot while polishing the front surface on the second pad, the treating comprising:
determining a first radial position on the polishing surface to pulse a first amount of a second fluid such that the first amount of the second fluid will at least partially pass underneath the hot spot; and
pulsing the first amount of the second fluid onto the polishing surface at the first radial position.
Wu teaches a method of processing a substrate (Fig.1-4), comprising:
placing a front surface of a substrate (bottom surface of 10) disposed in a carrier head (70) on a polishing surface (32/34) of a pad (30) coupled to a platen (24);
delivering a first fluid (38) onto the polishing surface using a first fluid delivery arm (39);
determining a location of a hot spot on the front surface (note at least ¶53, “direct the nozzle 148 to spray an inner radial concentric zone 149 (for example, a heated zone) with liquid and/or gas medium to bring the zone 149 to a desired temperature”);
determining a rotational orientation of the substrate relative to the carrier head (note at least ¶61, “first angular swath 127 of the substrate 10 is at a given azimuthal angular position 12 about the axis of rotation 71 of the carrier head”);
and treating the hot spot while polishing the front surface on the polishing surface using a second fluid delivery arm (100/120, note ¶50 “temperature control system 100, the functionality of heating and cooling could be split into a cooling system 120 and a separate heating system 140. In some implementations the various subsystems can be included in separate assemblies supported by a separate arms. For example, a first assembly can include a cooling module”) to deliver a second fluid (329/339/349, note ¶65 “mixed temperature zone 339 can alternate between arcuate segments 330 of regions 329 at a first temperature and arcuate segments 330 of regions 349 at a different second temperature. In brief, the regions 329, 429 can be generated by the temperature control system 100 alternating between heating and cooling the zone 339 (or by alternating between two different rates of heating or two different rates of cooling)”) to the polishing surface, the treating comprising:
determining a first radial position on the polishing surface to pulse a first amount (Fig.3A, note amount defining one of the segments 330/329 or 330/349) of the second fluid such that the first amount of the second fluid will at least partially pass underneath the hot spot (Fig.3A/B, note zone 339 at a first radial position); and
pulsing the first amount of the second fluid onto the polishing surface at the first radial position using the second fluid delivery arm (Fig.3A/B, ¶65);
this configuration allows controlling the polishing profile of the polishing pad by quickly and efficiently raising or lowering the temperature of different zones of the polishing pad (¶22).
It would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to modify the method of Tu by delivering a first fluid onto a polishing surface of the second pad; determining a location of a hot spot on the front surface; determining a rotational orientation of the substrate relative to the carrier head; and treating the hot spot while polishing the front surface on the second pad, the treating comprising: determining a first radial position on the polishing surface to pulse a first amount of a second fluid such that the first amount of the second fluid will at least partially pass underneath the hot spot; and pulsing the first amount of the second fluid onto the polishing surface at the first radial position based on the teachings of Wu because this would allow controlling the polishing profile of the polishing pad by quickly and efficiently raising or lowering the temperature of different zones of the polishing pad.
Regarding claim 8, Tu and Wu further teach the first radial position is determined based on at least the rotational speed of the carrier head, the rotational speed of the pad, the location of the hot spot, and the rotational orientation of the substrate relative to the carrier head (Wu ¶69-70).
Regarding claim 9, Tu and Wu further teach the location of the hot spot is determined by one or more endpoint sensors disposed in the second pad (Wu ¶36-37).
Regarding claim 10, Tu and Wu further teach obtaining a thickness of the hot spot with one or more endpoint sensors disposed in the second pad (Tu ¶38, note “metric indicative of thickness may be provided by any device or devices designed to measure film thickness of semiconductor substrates”).
Regarding claim 11, Tu and Wu further teach pulsing a second amount (Wu Fig.3A/B, note amount defining the other of the segments 330/329 or 330/349 not used as a first amount) of the second fluid at a second radial position based on the thickness of the hot spot (Wu Fig.3A/B, note zone 339 at a second radial position which is similar to the first radial position; ¶65).
Regarding claim 12, Tu and Wu further teach determining a second radial position on the polishing surface to pulse a second amount (Wu Fig.3A/B, note amount defining the other of the segments 330/329 or 330/349 not used as a first amount) of the second fluid such that the second amount of the second fluid will at least partially pass underneath the hot spot (Wu Fig.3A/B, note zone 339 at a second radial position which is similar to the first radial position); and pulsing the second amount of the second fluid onto the polishing surface at the second radial position (Wu Fig.3A/B, ¶65).
Regarding claim 13, Tu and Wu further teach the second radial position is different than the first radial position (¶68, note “additional mixed temperature zones” which would be located at a different second radial location than the first radial location).
Regarding claim 14, Tu and Wu teach all the limitations of claim 12, see above, and further teach the second fluid is pulsed onto the polishing surface by a fluid delivery head (Wu Fig.3A/B, 110), however, do not explicitly teach the fluid delivery head is moved from a first position above the first radial position to a second position above the second radial position prior to pulsing the second amount.
Wu further teaches the second delivery arm (110) could be configured to move to different radial positions to pulse different amounts of the second fluid (Fig.4, ¶74 note “the arm 110 could have a linear actuator so that the arm can extend and retract”); with “appropriate timing of the dispensing of the heated or cooled fluid onto the polishing pad can establish one of the temperature profiles discussed previously” (¶74).
It would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to further modify the method of Tu and Wu by having the fluid delivery head is moved from a first position above the first radial position to a second position above the second radial position prior to pulsing the second amount based on the teachings of Wu Fig.4 because this would require a simple substitution of one known element (second fluid delivery arm of Wu Fig.3A/B) for another (second fluid delivery arm of Wu Fig.4) to obtain a predictable result (dispensing cooled fluid onto the polishing pad to establish desired temperature profiles).
Regarding claim 15, Tu and Wu further teach all the limitations of claim 12, see above, however do not explicitly teach pulsing the second amount of the second fluid occurs one second after pulsing the first amount of second fluid.
However, it has been held that “where the general conditions of a claim are disclosed in the prior art, it is not inventive to discover the optimum or workable ranges by routine experimentation.” (MPEP 2144.05 II A). Wu has recognized that timing of the application of the second amount of the second fluid as a result effective variable which together with synchronization of the rotation of the carrier head and platen achieves a desired polishing (¶69).
It would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to further modify the method of Tu and Wu by pulsing the second amount of the second fluid occurs one second after pulsing the first amount of second fluid via routine optimization based on the teachings of Wu.
Regarding claim 16, Tu and Wu further teach the second amount of the second fluid has a different composition than the first amount of the second fluid (Wu ¶66, note “coolants from the gas medium source 122 and/or the liquid medium source 124” which compose the mixed temperature zones 339).
Regarding claim 17, Tu and Wu further teach the first amount of the second fluid increases the polishing rate of the hot spot and the second amount of the second fluid decreases the polishing rate of the hot spot (Wu ¶71).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to NATHANIEL EDWARD WIEHE whose telephone number is (571)272-8648. The examiner can normally be reached M-F approx. 7-4:30 EST.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Alford Kindred can be reached at (571) 272-4037. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/NATHANIEL E WIEHE/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3745
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