Last updated: July 17, 2026

Application No. 18/613,998

PROTECTIVE CAPPING LAYER FOR AREA SELECTIVE DEPOSITION

Non-Final OA

Filed

Mar 22, 2024

Priority

Mar 31, 2023 — provisional 63/456,137

Examiner

MAYY, MOHAMMAD

Art Unit

Tech Center

Assignee

Applied Materials Inc.

OA Round

1 (Non-Final)

This examiner grants 48% of cases after interview

— +23.9% interview lift. A telephonic interview to clarify the technical implementation could significantly improve the outcome.

Based on 416 resolved cases, 2023–2026

Examiner Intelligence

MAYY, MOHAMMAD View full profile →

Grants 48% of resolved cases

Career Allowance Rate

200 granted / 416 resolved

-11.9% vs TC avg

Strong +24% interview lift

Without

With

+23.9%

Interview Lift

resolved cases with interview

Typical timeline

3y 2m

Avg Prosecution

47 currently pending

Career history

454

Total Applications

across all art units

Statute-Specific Performance

§101

0.4%

-39.6% vs TC avg

§103

87.4%

+47.4% vs TC avg

§102

1.6%

-38.4% vs TC avg

§112

1.9%

-38.1% vs TC avg

Black line = Tech Center average estimate • Based on career data from 416 resolved cases

Prosecution Timeline

Mar 22, 2024

Application Filed

May 19, 2026

Non-Final Rejection mailed (current)

Precedent Cases

Applications granted by this same examiner with similar technology

17/930,459

Patent 12685068

SUBSTRATE PROCESSING METHOD AND SUBSTRATE PROCESSING APPARATUS

3y 10m to grant Granted Jul 14, 2026

18/786,083

Patent 12654478

Method and System For Controlling Morphology and Properties Of Printed Reactive Inks

1y 10m to grant Granted Jun 16, 2026

18/421,139

Patent 12649265

Method for obtaining an object through the use of machine tools

2y 4m to grant Granted Jun 09, 2026

18/109,493

Patent 12648376

SELECTIVE TANTALUM NITRIDE DEPOSITION FOR BARRIER APPLICATIONS

3y 3m to grant Granted Jun 02, 2026

18/166,032

Patent 12638398

METHOD FOR GRAIN BOUNDARY ANALYSIS OF POLYCRYSTALLINE TWO-DIMENSIONAL MATERIALS

3y 3m to grant Granted May 26, 2026

Study what changed to get past this examiner. Based on 5 most recent grants.

Strategy Recommendation AI-generated — please review before filing

Get a prosecution strategy drawn from examiner precedents, rejection analysis, and claim mapping.

Typically takes 5-10 seconds — AI-generated, attorney review required before filing

Prosecution Projections

1-2

Expected OA Rounds

48%

Grant Probability

72%

With Interview (+23.9%)

3y 2m (~10m remaining)

Median Time to Grant

Low

PTA Risk

Based on 416 resolved cases by this examiner. Grant probability derived from career allowance rate.