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 .
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 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.
In addressing the rejection ground, each claim may not have been separately discussed to the extent the claimed features are the same as or similar to the previously-discussed features; the previous discussion is construed to apply for the other claims in the same or similar way.
In the office action, “/” should be read as and/or as generally understood. For example, “A/B” means A and B, or A or B.
Election/Restrictions
Claim 8 withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected Species, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on 09/02/2025.
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.
Claims 1, 6-7, 9-10 and 15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Nguyen (US 2023/0343556) in view of Luu et al (US 2024/0404788).
Regarding claim 1, Nguyen discloses a bias supply [e.g. fig. 2/6/11/16] comprising: an output node [e.g. Vout/310/210]; power circuitry [e.g. bias supply] configured to apply an asymmetric periodic voltage waveform at the output node wherein the asymmetric periodic voltage waveform comprises: a first section that begins with a first negative voltage [see Vout at t0 fig. 4/5/19] and changes during a first transition to a peak voltage [see Vout at t1] before changing during a second transition to a second negative voltage [see Vout at t3]; and a second section that begins with the second negative voltage and comprises a voltage ramp between the second negative voltage and a third negative voltage [see Vout at t4]; and transition circuitry [see at least 620/622, paras. 0044-0049, 0052-0057] configured to adjust a slope of one, or both, of the first and second transitions of the first section. Nguyen does not explicitly disclose to adjust a slope of one, or both, of the first and second transitions of the first section. However, to adjust a slope of a pulse/waveform is well-known. For example, Luu discloses to adjust a slope of one, or both, of the first and second transitions of the first section [see paras. 0122-0123, fig. 23, para. 0112, fig. 16].
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the device disclosed by Nguyen in accordance with the teaching of Luu regarding slope in order to provide various needs [see paras. 0122-0123, 0112].
Regarding claim 6, the combination discussed above discloses the bias supply of claim 1, wherein the power circuitry comprises a switch network [see at least switch network fig. 7/10/15 Nguyen] and at least one power supply [e.g. 216/218 fig. 7/10/15].
Regarding claim 7, the combination discussed above discloses the bias supply of claim 6, wherein the switch network comprises: at least two switches [e.g. S1, S2 fig. 14A/18A Nguyen] wherein, when closed, a first of the at least two switches causes the bias supply to apply the peak voltage, and when closed, another of the at least two switches causes the bias supply to apply the second negative voltage.
Regarding claim 9, the combination discussed above discloses the bias supply of claim 6, wherein the bias supply comprises at least two switches and at least two power supplies.
Regarding claim 10, the combination discussed in claim 1 discloses a method comprising: applying a first section of an asymmetric periodic voltage waveform to a plasma processing chamber [e.g. 101 fig. 1 Nguyen], the first section begins with a first negative voltage and changes during a first transition to a second, peak voltage before changing during a second transition to a second negative voltage; applying a second section of the asymmetric periodic voltage waveform that begins with the second negative voltage and comprises a voltage ramp between the second negative voltage and a third negative voltage; and adjusting a slope of one, or both, of the first and second transitions of the first section. Please see rejection of claim 1
Regarding claim 15, the combination discussed in claim 1 discloses a non-transitory processor-readable storage medium [see at least paras. 0103, 0104, 0107 Nguyen] having instructions [see at least paras. 0103-0108] embodied thereon, the instructions are executable by a processor and/or for programming a field programmable gate array [see at least paras. 0103-0108 Nguyen], the instructions comprising instructions for: applying a first section of an asymmetric periodic voltage waveform to a plasma processing chamber, the first section begins with a first negative voltage and changes during a first transition to a second, peak voltage before changing during a second transition to a second negative voltage; applying a second section of the asymmetric periodic voltage waveform that begins with the second negative voltage and comprises a voltage ramp between the second negative voltage and a third negative voltage; and adjusting a slope of one, or both, of the first and second transitions of the first section. Please see rejection of claim 1
Claims 2-5, 11-14 and 16-19 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Nguyen (US 2023/0343556) in view of Luu et al (US 2024/0404788) and Wyse et al (US 9,667,211).
Regarding claim 2, the combination discussed above discloses the bias supply of claim 1, except wherein the transition circuitry comprises a variable reactance coupled between the power circuitry and the output node. Nguyen discloses to adjust the slope of the output voltage. In addition, Nguyen discloses the slope is based on capacitance/inductance in between the bias voltage and the processing chamber [see at least fig. 7, paras. 0062-0065, 0069-0075, 0080]. Nguyen does not disclose a variable capacitor/inductor to vary the value of the capacitance/inductance. However, it’s well-known to utilize a variable capacitor/inductor to vary the value of a capacitance/inductance. The official notice of the foregoing fact is hereby taken. For example, US 9667211 by Wyse et al. discloses a variable capacitor/inductor to vary the value of a capacitance/inductance [fig. 3].
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the device disclosed by Nguyen and LUU by utilizing a variable capacitor/inductor to vary the value of a capacitance/inductance.
Regarding claim 3, the combination discussed above discloses the bias supply of claim 2, wherein the transition circuitry comprises a variable inductance [fig. 3 Wyse].
Regarding claim 4, the combination discussed above discloses the bias supply of claim 2, wherein the transition circuitry comprises a variable capacitance [fig. 3 Wyse].
Regarding claim 5, the combination discussed above discloses the bias supply of claim 1, wherein the transition circuitry comprises a combination of fixed and variable reactive elements [fig. 3 Wyse].
Regarding claim 11, the combination discussed in claim 2 discloses the method of claim 10, wherein adjusting the slope includes adjusting a variable reactance coupled to the plasma processing chamber. Please see rejection of claim 2.
Regarding claim 12, the combination discussed above discloses the method of claim 11, wherein adjusting the variable reactance comprises adjusting a variable inductance [fig. 3 Wyse].
Regarding claim 13, the combination discussed above discloses the method of claim 11, wherein adjusting the variable reactance comprises adjusting a variable capacitance [fig. 3 Wyse].
Regarding claim 14, the combination discussed above discloses the method of claim 11, wherein adjusting the variable reactance comprises adjusting a combination of a variable capacitance and variable inductance [fig. 3 Wyse].
Regarding claim 16, the combination discussed in claim 2 discloses the non-transitory processor-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the instructions comprise instructions for adjusting a variable reactance coupled to the plasma processing chamber.
Regarding claim 17, the combination discussed above discloses the non-transitory processor-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the instructions comprise instructions for adjusting a variable inductance [fig. 3 Wyse].
Regarding claim 18, the combination discussed above discloses the non-transitory processor-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the instructions comprise instructions for adjusting a variable capacitance [fig. 3 Wyse].
Regarding claim 19, the combination discussed above discloses the non-transitory processor-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the instructions comprise instructions for adjusting a combination of a variable capacitance and variable inductance [fig. 3 Wyse].
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 12/23/2025 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on a new reference, Luu et al (US 2024/0404788) , which was not applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to PATRICK C CHEN whose telephone number is (571)270-7207. The examiner can normally be reached M-F Flexible 8:00-16:30.
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/PATRICK C CHEN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2842