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 Objections
Claims 3, 4, and 20 are objected to because of the following informalities: in claim 3, line 2, the phrase “a transparent lens” is read as “transparent lens”. Appropriate correction is required.
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 4 and 20 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.
In claim 4, line 2 and claim 20, line 17 the pronoun “it” with the phrase “as it approaches” makes the claims unclear. For the purpose of examination, the phrase “as the light receiver approaches” or “as the first light receiver approaches” is assumed.
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) 1-2, 4, 6-7, 10-11, 14-17 and 19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over CN 102217033A in view of WO 94/08376.
Regarding claim 1, CN’033 teaches (see Fig 7) a thin-film deposition apparatus (a processing system) comprising: a reactor (710) capable of having a housing; a chamber (730) located within the housing and providing an internal space (722, 724); a platform (720) disposed within the chamber and configured to support a substrate (wafer see para [0054]); a reflector (735) disposed within the housing and disposed outside the chamber (see Fig 7); a light source (lamp 734) disposed between opposing walls of the reflector (735) and configured to radiate light onto the substrate; a light receiver (737) disposed within the reactor, spaced apart from the light source (734) with a portion of the reflector (735) therebetween, and having a hole (see Fig 7 for the opening wherein the light emitted pass through, see also the embodiment of Fig 3 and para [0031] for light pipe 310 and electrical connection 335) through which light emitted from the substrate is introduced; an optical cable (light pipe connected to the light receiver and extending to the outside of the housing (see para [0036] for light receiver located inside or outside of the substrate processing chamber); and a sensor (temperature sensor 736) capable of being disposed outside the housing, connected to the optical cable, and configured to measure a temperature (temperature measuring assembly) of the substrate by analyzing light transmitted from the optical cable (see Fig 3 and 7). With respect to the housing, a reactor provided within a housing is known in the art; for instance – as taught by WO’376 (see Fig 14 for housing 314 of a reactor with a ccd camera and cable disposed outside of the housing). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to include a housing for the reactor of CN’033 to enclose the processing area. It would have also been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to dispose the sensor outside of the housing to prevent spoilage of the sensor/camera parts due to exposure to the treatment materials.
As to claim 2, in CN’033 the light receiver (737) is disposed above the chamber.
With respect to claim 4, CN’033 teaches a horizontal width of the hole of the light receiver decreases as the receiver approaches the optical cable (see Fig 3A how the width of pipe 310 decreasing).
Regarding claims 6-7, CN’033 teaches (see Fig 7 and para [0059], [0060-0063]) a temperature controller (762) configured to adjust intensity of the light radiated from the light source, wherein the temperature controller is connected to the sensor (736) to feedback-control the intensity of the light source (see Fig 7).
As to claim 10, CN’033 teaches (see para [0025-0026]) the sensor is configured to receive light of consecutive wavelengths.
Regarding claim 11, CN’033 discloses the sensor is an optical spectrum analyzer (selecting one or more wavelengths or wavelength range for computing using electromagnetic radiation involved must be visible part of the spectrum [0033] and [0044]).
Regarding claim 14, CN’033 teaches (see Fig 7) a thin-film deposition apparatus (a processing system) comprising: a reactor (710) capable of having a housing; a chamber (730) located within the housing and providing an internal space (722, 724); a susceptor (720) disposed within the chamber and supporting a substrate (wafer see para [0054]); a reflector (735) disposed within the reactor and disposed outside the chamber; a light source (734) disposed to be surrounded by the reflector (735) and configured to radiate light onto the substrate; a first temperature measuring device configured to measure a temperature of the substrate and including a first light receiver (737), a first optical cable (pipe 310, see Fig 3 and para [0031] for light pipe 310 and electrical connection 335), and a first sensor (736); and a second temperature measuring device (sensor 330) configured to measure the temperature of the substrate, wherein the first light receiver (737) is disposed within the housing, is spaced apart from the light source (734) with the reflector (735) therebetween, and has a hole through which light emitted from the substrate is introduced, the first optical cable (see Fig 7 for the opening wherein the light emitted pass through and Fig 3) extends to the outside of the housing to connect the first light receiver to the first sensor (736), and the first sensor (736) is capable of being disposed outside the housing (see para [0036] for light receiver located inside or outside of the substrate processing chamber) and configured to measure the temperature of the substrate by analyzing light transmitted from the first optical cable. As to the housing, a reactor provided within a housing is known in the art; for instance – as taught by WO’376 (see Fig 14 for housing 314 of a reactor with a ccd camera and cable disposed outside of the housing). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to include a housing for the reactor of CN’033 to enclose the processing area. It would have also been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to dispose the sensor outside of the housing to prevent spoilage of the sensor/camera parts due to exposure to the treatment materials.
As to claim 15, in CN’033 the second temperature measuring device (sensor 330) is located within the reactor (see Fig 3D).
Regarding claim 16, CN’033 teaches the second temperature measuring device includes a multi-channel pyrometer (see para [0042]) .
As to claim 17, CN’033 teaches a cooling device installed in the second temperature measuring device (see para [0046]).
As to claim 19, CN’033 teaches (see Fig 7) the first light receiver of the first temperature measuring device (737) is located above the chamber, and the second temperature measuring device(736) is located below the chamber.
Claim(s) 3, 5 and 8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over CN 102217033A in view of WO 94/08376 as applied to claim 1 and further in view of KR 20150031782A.
Regarding claim 3, CN’033 lacks teaching a transparent lens. KR’782 teaches the light receiver includes transparent lens through which light radiated by the light source is transmitted. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to include transparent lens in CN’033 to pass the irradiated light through.
As to claims 5 and 8, CN’033 lacks teaching a metal is coated on a sidewall forming the hole of the light receiver. KR’782 teaches a metal is coated on a sidewall forming the hole of the light receiver (see Fig 15 and 20 for a shielding film of metal coated a sidewall of a receiving surface of an optical lens (light guide structure 140). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to include a metal coated on a sidewall forming the hole in CN’033 prevent the photoelectric conversion element 110 from being influenced by the electrical interaction applied at the lower portion (see English Translation on page 6).
Claim 9 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over CN 102217033A in view of WO 94/08376 as applied to claim 1 and further in view of Shigeoka et al (US 6,479,801).
CN’033 lacks teaching the optical cable includes a plurality of lenses. Shigeoka et al teaches (see Fig 8) the optical cable includes a plurality of lenses (112) disposed therein. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to include a plurality of lenses in CN’033 to attain specific scanning of the substrate or to face the back surface (lower surface) of a semiconductor wafer W supported on the guard ring as taught by Shigeoka et al (see column 9, lines 54-58).
Claim(s) 12-13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over CN 102217033A in view of WO 94/08376 as applied to claim 1 and further in view of JP-4833396 B2.
CN’033 lacks teaching the sensor including a plurality of channels, and an analyzer configured to measure the temperature of the substrate. JP’396 teaches (see Fig 2 and para [0027] [0030] [0035]) the plurality of channels (2048) measure amounts of light of different wavelengths, and wherein the sensor (detectors) further includes an analyzer configured to measure the temperature of the substrate based on measured values of the plurality of channels (see para [0032]). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to include the sensor includes a plurality of channels wherein the sensor includes a plurality of channels and an analyzer configured to measure the temperature of the substrate in CN’033 to easily and accurately obtained applicable, chamber status information for the process as taught by JP’396 (see para [0005]).
Claim 18 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over CN 102217033A in view of WO 94/08376 as applied to claim 14 and further in view of WO 2010/054076A2.
CN’033 lacks teaching a second light receiver, a second optical cable and a second sensor. WO’076 teaches (see Fig 10C, 11 and para [0095]) the second temperature measuring unit includes a second light receiver (1074), a second optical cable (pipe 1078), and a second sensor (116,117), wherein the second light receiver (1072) is disposed at a bottom of the housing (102) and has a hole (pipe 1078) through which light emitted from the substrate is introduced, the second optical cable extends to the outside of the housing and is connected to the second sensor (116, 117), and the second sensor (116, 117) is disposed outside the housing and is configured to measure the temperature of the substrate by analyzing light transmitted from the second optical cable. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to include a second light receiver, a second optical cable and a second sensor as claimed in CN’033 in order to monitor the intensity of light reflected form the areas of the substrate and generate a plurality of measurements from reflections detected and determine the measurements corresponds to an edge of the substrate (see para [0010]).
Claim 20 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over CN 102217033A in view of WO 94/08376 and KR 20150031782A.
CN’033 teaches (see Fig 7) a thin-film deposition apparatus (a processing system) comprising: a reactor (710) capable of having a housing; a chamber (730) located within the housing and providing an internal space (722, 724); a susceptor (720) disposed within the chamber and supporting a substrate (wafer see para [0054]); a reflector (735) disposed within the reactor and disposed outside the chamber; a light source unit (734) disposed to be surrounded by the reflector (735) and configured to radiate light onto the substrate; a first temperature measuring device configured to measure a temperature of the substrate and including a first light receiver (737), a first optical cable (pipe 310, see Fig 3 and para [0031] for light pipe 310 and electrical connection 335), and a first sensor (736); and a second temperature measuring device (sensor 330) configured to measure the temperature of the substrate; and a cooling device (see para [0046]) installed in the second temperature measuring device and configured to adjust a temperature of the second temperature measuring device, wherein the first light receiver is disposed within the housing (see para [0036] for light receiver located inside or outside of the substrate processing chamber), is spaced apart from the light source unit (734) with the reflector (735) therebetween, and has a hole (light pipe 310) through which light emitted from the substrate is introduced (see Fig 7 for the opening wherein the light emitted pass through and Fig 3), and a horizontal width of the hole decreases as the first light receiver approaches the first optical cable (see Fig 3A how the width of pipe 310 decreasing), the first optical cable extends to the outside of the housing to connect the first light receiver to the first sensor unit (see Fig 7 for cable extending outside), and the first sensor unit is capable of being disposed outside the housing and configured to measure the temperature of the substrate by analyzing light of consecutive wavelengths transmitted from the first optical cable (see para [0025-0026]). CN’033 lacks teaching a sidewall forming the hole is coated with a reflective metal and a housing. As to the housing, a reactor provided within a housing is known in the art; for instance – as taught by WO’376 (see Fig 14 for housing 314 of a reactor with a ccd camera and cable disposed outside of the housing). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to include a housing for the reactor of CN’033 to enclose the processing area. It would have also been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to dispose the sensor outside of the housing to prevent spoilage of the sensor/camera parts due to exposure to the treatment materials. With respect to a metal coating, KR’782 teaches a metal is coated on a sidewall forming the hole of the light receiver (see Fig 15 and 20 for a shielding film of metal coated a sidewall of a receiving surface of an optical lens (light guide structure 140). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to include a metal coated on a sidewall forming the hole in CN’033 to prevent the photoelectric conversion element 110 from being influenced by the electrical interaction applied at the lower portion (see English Translation on page 6).
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YEWEBDAR T. TADESSE
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 1717
/YEWEBDAR T TADESSE/
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