DETAILED ACTION
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
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.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 1-12 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by SUZUKI ET AL. (US 20050056635 A1) (hereinafter “SUZUKI”).
With respect to Claim(s) 1, SUZUKI teaches ‘Heater Inspection Apparatus And Semiconductor Manufacturing Apparatus Having Heater Inspection Apparatus Mounted Thereon’ and the BRI of:
A heater life prediction method (See, e.g., ¶ 0099, 0133-0135; See also, e.g., Fig(s). 2)
comprising
predicting a life (See, e.g., ¶ 0099, 0133-0135; See also, e.g., Fig(s). 2)
of
a heater in a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus (See, e.g., ¶ 0099, 0133-0135; See also, e.g., Fig(s). 2)
comprising
a treatment chamber in which a treatment of a substrate is performed (See, e.g., ¶ 0099, 0133-0135; See also, e.g., Fig(s). 2),
and
the heater configured to heat the substrate loaded into the treatment chamber (See, e.g., ¶ 0099, 0133-0135; See also, e.g., Fig(s). 2),
wherein
prediction of the life of the heater comprises:
calculating
a resistance change amount being a difference between a resistance value of the heater and an initial value of the resistance value, or a resistance change rate obtained by dividing the resistance change amount by the initial value (See, e.g., ¶ 0099, 0133-0135; See also, e.g., Fig(s). 2)
in a step in which
constant output control is executed on the heater between the treatments of different substrates (See, e.g., ¶ 0099, 0133-0135; See also, e.g., Fig(s). 2);
and
predicting the life of the heater on a basis of the calculated resistance change amount or the calculated resistance change rate (See, e.g., ¶ 0099, 0133-0135; See also, e.g., Fig(s). 2).
With respect to Claim(s) 5, SUZUKI teaches ‘Heater Inspection Apparatus And Semiconductor Manufacturing Apparatus Having Heater Inspection Apparatus Mounted Thereon’ and the BRI of::
A heat treatment apparatus (See, e.g., ¶ 0099, 0133-0135; See also, e.g., Fig(s). 2)
comprising:
a treatment chamber in which a treatment of a substrate is performed (See, e.g., ¶ 0099, 0133-0135; See also, e.g., Fig(s). 2);
a heater configured to heat the substrate loaded into the treatment chamber (See, e.g., ¶ 0099, 0133-0135; See also, e.g., Fig(s). 2);
and
a life predictor configured to predict a life of the heater (See, e.g., ¶ 0099, 0133-0135; See also, e.g., Fig(s). 2),
wherein
the life predictor
calculates
a resistance change amount being a difference between a resistance value of the heater and an initial value of the resistance value, or a resistance change rate obtained by dividing the resistance change amount by the initial value (See, e.g., ¶ 0099, 0133-0135; See also, e.g., Fig(s). 2)
in a step in which
constant output control is executed on the heater between the treatments of different substrates (See, e.g., ¶ 0099, 0133-0135; See also, e.g., Fig(s). 2),
and
predicts the life of the heater on a basis of the calculated resistance change amount or the calculated resistance change rate (See, e.g., ¶ 0099, 0133-0135; See also, e.g., Fig(s). 2).
With respect to Claim(s) 9, SUZUKI teaches ‘Heater Inspection Apparatus And Semiconductor Manufacturing Apparatus Having Heater Inspection Apparatus Mounted Thereon’ and the BRI of::
A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having a heater life prediction program stored therein to cause a computer to perform a procedure (See, e.g., ¶ 0099, 0133-0135; See also, e.g., Fig(s). 2)
for
predicting a life of a heater in a heat treatment apparatus (See, e.g., ¶ 0099, 0133-0135; See also, e.g., Fig(s). 2)
comprising
a treatment chamber in which a treatment of a substrate is performed (See, e.g., ¶ 0099, 0133-0135; See also, e.g., Fig(s). 2),
and
the heater configured to heat the substrate loaded into the treatment chamber (See, e.g., ¶ 0099, 0133-0135; See also, e.g., Fig(s). 2),
the procedure comprising:
calculating
a resistance change amount being a difference between a resistance value of the heater and an initial value of the resistance value, or a resistance change rate obtained by dividing the resistance change amount by the initial value (See, e.g., ¶ 0099, 0133-0135; See also, e.g., Fig(s). 2)
in a step in which
constant output control is executed on the heater between the treatments of different substrates (See, e.g., ¶ 0099, 0133-0135; See also, e.g., Fig(s). 2);
and
predicting the life of the heater on a basis of the calculated resistance change amount or the calculated resistance change rate (See, e.g., ¶ 0099, 0133-0135; See also, e.g., Fig(s). 2).
With respect to Claim(s) 2, 6, 10, SUZUKI teaches the BRI of the parent claim(s).
SUZUKI further teaches the BRI of:
the life of the heater is predicted based on a relation between the resistance change amount or the resistance change rate and a preset threshold (See, e.g., ¶ 0028).
With respect to Claim(s) 3, 7, 11, SUZUKI teaches the BRI of the parent claim(s).
SUZUKI further teaches the BRI of:
notifying a user that the heater is close to an end of the life (See, e.g., ¶ 0028).
With respect to Claim(s) 4, 8, 12, SUZUKI teaches the BRI of the parent claim(s).
SUZUKI further teaches the BRI of:
the step in which the constant output control is executed is at least one of
a film forming step of forming a film on the substrate, a temperature decreasing step of decreasing a temperature of the substrate, and an unloading step of unloading the substrate from the treatment chamber (See, e.g., ¶ 0004, 0020).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to RAYMOND NIMOX whose telephone number is (469)295-9226. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Thu 10am-8pm CT.
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RAYMOND NIMOX
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2857
/RAYMOND L NIMOX/Primary Examiner, Art Unit
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