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 .
Election/Restrictions
Claims 8-20 withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b), as being drawn to a nonelected invention, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Applicant timely traversed the restriction (election) requirement in the reply filed on June 25, 2026.
Applicant's election with traverse of invention I in the reply filed on June, 25, 2026 is acknowledged. The traversal is on the ground(s) that separate searches would likely identify the same references. This is not found persuasive because the product as claimed could be made by another and materially different process such as by machining, CVD process etc.
The requirement is still deemed proper and is therefore made FINAL.
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 and 6-7 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Ye et al. US 2016/0049323.
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Ye discloses a substrate support assembly comprising: a shaft (226); and a substrate support comprising: a substrate support body (228) attached to the shaft, the substrate support body formed of a first material (Aluminum nitride, ¶0015); and a tube (286, ¶0038) positioned inside the substrate support body, the tube formed of a second material (molybdenum or tungsten, ¶0038) having a melting point that is higher than a sintering temperature of the first material.
As for claim 6, Ye discloses wherein the substrate support body (228) is formed of a ceramic material (Aluminum nitride, ¶0015) and the tube (286) is formed of molybdenum (molybdenum, ¶0038).
As for claim 7, Ye discloses wherein the ceramic material is aluminum nitride (¶0015).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 2-5 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: The claims in the application are deemed to be directed to a nonobvious improvement over the prior art. The claims recite a sensor positioned inside the tube. The closest prior art of Ye discloses a conductor tube (286) connected to an electrode (223). The prior art of Zhou et al. US 2012/0211484 teaches a sensor (108) within a tube (408) but does not specify wherein the tube (hole 408) has a different material from the substrate support body (302). The prior art of Ye does not disclose, teach or suggest using the conductive tube (286) for positioning a sensor inside said conductive tube, Ye’s conductive tube is connected to an electrode (223) to induce a charge to the electrostatic chuck body (228). For the above reasons the claims overcome the prior art of record.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to TYRONE V HALL JR whose telephone number is (571)270-5948. The examiner can normally be reached Mon.-Fri. 7:30am-3:30pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Monica Carter can be reached at (571) 272-4475. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/TYRONE V HALL JR/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3723
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