DETAILED ACTION
Claims 1-10 and 21-29 are pending before the Office for review.
In the response filed April 9, 2026:
Claim 1 was amended.
Claims 21-30 are newly added.
Claims 11-20 were canceled.
No new matter is present.
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
Claim11-20 withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected invention, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on April 9, 2026.
Applicant’s election without traverse of Group I claims (1-10 and newly added claims 11-20) in the reply filed on April 9, 2026 is acknowledged.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
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.
Claims 1-5, 7-10, 21-24 and 26-29 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over YUASA et al (U.S. Patent Application Publication 2006/0234512) in view of BANNA et al (U.S. Patent Application Publication 2015/0181684) and KIM et al (U.S. Patent Application Publication 2021/0125846) .
With regards to claim 1, Yuasa discloses the method comprising: loading a substrate in a processing chamber; configuring conditions based to one or more process recipes; recipes; generating, based on the one or more process recipes, a plasma at a plasma source; directing, based on the one or more process recipes, the plasma into the processing chamber towards an surface of the substrate using a nozzle; and processing the substrate by exposing the substrate to the plasma based on the one or more process recipes. (Paragraphs [0025]-[0027], [0040]-[0042], discloses loading a substrate into a plasma processing apparatus 20 with a process feed pip 24 comprising nozzle 24a; wherein the substrate or the nozzle may be moved relative to each other during a partial plasma etching to control the depth of etching based on the positioning and thickness of the layers to be etched).
Yuasa does not explicitly disclose a method for controlling an etch edge effect in a partial plasma etch process, the method comprising: loading a substrate in a processing chamber with a backside shield disposed around the substrate; configuring the backside shield according to a calibration specific to one or more process recipes; generating, based on the one or more process recipes, a plasma at a plasma source; directing, based on the one or more process recipes, the plasma into the processing chamber and towards an outer surface of the substrate and an outer surface of the backside shield using a nozzle; and processing the substrate by exposing the backside shield to the plasma based on the one or more process recipes.
Banna discloses a method for controlling an etch edge effect in a partial plasma etch process, the method comprising loading a substrate in a processing chamber with a backside shield (conductive ring) around the substrate; configuring the backside shield according to a calibration specific to one or more process recipes; generating a plasma; directing a plasma into the process chamber towards an outer surface of the substrate and an outer surface of the backside and the processing the substrate by exposing the substrate and the backside shield to the plasma based on the one or more process recipes (Paragraphs [0020]-[0037], [0045]-[0046] discloses a method of providing improved wafer processing uniformity including wafer edge region including placing a substrate in a plasma processing chamber wherein the substrate is surrounded by a conducive ring 132, 332 wherein the positioning of the conductive ring is adjusted based on the plasma processing conditions).
Kim discloses a method for controlling an etch edge effect in a partial plasma etch process comprising loading a substrate into a plasma processing chamber the substrate support pedestal surround by an edge ring 222 and wherein a plurality of dispense nozzles 232 is disposed above the substrate and edge ring; wherein the an etch process is performed and the gas guiding device and position of the gas outlets and substrate are adjusted over the substrate in order to adjust the etching over the outer edge of the substrate and edge ring (Paragraphs [0002]-[0003], [0028]-[0038], [0048]-[0059], [0071]-[0072], [0077]). As such Yuasa as modified by Banna and Kim renders obvious A method for controlling an etch edge effect in a partial plasma etch process, the method comprising: loading a substrate in a processing chamber with a backside shield disposed around the substrate; configuring the backside shield according to a calibration specific to one or more process recipes; generating, based on the one or more process recipes, a plasma at a plasma source; directing, based on the one or more process recipes, the plasma into the processing chamber and towards an outer surface of the substrate and an outer surface of the backside shield using a nozzle; and processing the substrate by exposing the substrate and the backside shield to the plasma based on the one or more process recipes.
It would have been prima facie obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the invention to modify the method of Yuasa to include the backside shield as rendered obvious by Banna because the reference of Banna teaches that such backside shield may improve plasma uniformity around the edge ring and /or reduce non-symmetry in a plasma processing chamber (Paragraph [0020]) and one of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the invention would have had a reasonable expectation of predictably achieving the desired plasma processing using the backside shield as rendered obvious by Banna. MPEP 2143D
It would have been prima facie obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the invention to modify the method of Yuasa to include the directing of the nozzle towards an outer surface of the substrate and outer surface of the backside shield as rendered obvious by Kim because the reference of Kim teaches that such method may be useful in any processing chamber where flow control may improve process uniformity across the surface of a substrate during processing [0017]) and one of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the invention would have had a reasonable expectation of predictably achieving the desired plasma processing using the directing of the nozzle as rendered obvious by Kim. MPEP 2143D
With regards to claim 21, Yuasa discloses the method comprising: loading a substrate in a processing chamber; generating a plasma at a plasma source; directing a plasma in the processing chamber onto the surface of the substrate; and processing the substrate by exposing the substrate to the plasma based on a process recipe. (Paragraphs [0025]-[0027], [0040]-[0042], discloses loading a substrate into a plasma processing apparatus 20 with a process feed pip 24 comprising nozzle 24a; wherein the substrate or the nozzle may be moved relative to each other during a partial plasma etching to control the depth of etching based on the positioning and thickness of the layers to be etched).
Yuasa does not explicitly disclose a method for controlling an etch edge effect in a partial plasma etch process, the method comprising: loading a substrate in a processing chamber with a backside shield disposed around the substrate; directing the plasma into the processing chamber and towards an outer surface of the substrate and the backside shield using a nozzle; processing the substrate by exposing the backside shield to the plasma based on a process recipe; scanning a peripheral edge of the substrate using a measurement device during the processing; and adjusting, based on the scanning, one or more processing parameters of the backside shield during the processing to control the etch edge effect.
Banna discloses a method for controlling an etch edge effect in a partial plasma etch process, the method comprising loading a substrate in a processing chamber with a backside shield (conductive ring) around the substrate; configuring the backside shield according to a calibration specific to one or more process recipes; generating a plasma; directing a plasma into the process chamber towards an outer surface of the substrate and an outer surface of the backside and the processing the substrate by exposing the substrate and the backside shield to the plasma based on the one or more process recipes (Paragraphs [0020]-[0037], [0045]-[0046] discloses a method of providing improved wafer processing uniformity including wafer edge region including placing a substrate in a plasma processing chamber wherein the substrate is surrounded by a conducive ring 132, 332 wherein the positioning of the conductive ring is adjusted based on the plasma processing conditions).
Kim discloses a method for controlling an etch edge effect in a partial plasma etch process comprising loading a substrate into a plasma processing chamber the substrate support pedestal surround by an edge ring 222 and wherein a plurality of dispense nozzles 232 is disposed above the substrate and edge ring; wherein the an etch process is performed and the gas guiding device and position of the gas outlets and substrate are adjusted over the substrate in order to adjust the etching over the outer edge of the substrate and edge ring based on measurement of feature dimensions including critical dimensions(Paragraphs [0002]-[0003], [0028]-[0038], [0048]-[0059], [0071]-[0072], [0077]). As such Yuasa as modified by Banna and Kim renders obvious a method for controlling an etch edge effect in a partial plasma etch process, the method comprising: loading a substrate in a processing chamber with a backside shield disposed around the substrate; generating a plasma at a plasma source; directing the plasma into the processing chamber and towards an outer surface of the substrate and the backside shield using a nozzle; processing the substrate by exposing the substrate and the backside shield to the plasma based on a process recipe; scanning a peripheral edge of the substrate using a measurement device during the processing; and adjusting, based on the scanning, one or more processing parameters of the backside shield during the processing to control the etch edge effect.
It would have been prima facie obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the invention to modify the method of Yuasa to include the backside shield as rendered obvious by Banna because the reference of Banna teaches that such backside shield may improve plasma uniformity around the edge ring and /or reduce non-symmetry in a plasma processing chamber (Paragraph [0020]) and one of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the invention would have had a reasonable expectation of predictably achieving the desired plasma processing using the backside shield as rendered obvious by Banna. MPEP 2143D
It would have been prima facie obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the invention to modify the method of Yuasa to include the directing of the nozzle towards an outer surface of the substrate and outer surface of the backside shield and measurements as rendered obvious by Kim because the reference of Kim teaches that such method may be useful in any processing chamber where flow control may improve process uniformity across the surface of a substrate during processing [0017]) and one of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the invention would have had a reasonable expectation of predictably achieving the desired plasma processing using the directing of the nozzle as rendered obvious by Kim. MPEP 2143D
With regards to claim 2, the modified teachings of Yuasa renders obvious moving the substrate and the backside shield relative to the nozzle while monitoring with a measurement device (Yuasa Paragraph [0029] discloses moving the substrate relative to the nozzle Banna Paragraphs [0029]-[0034], [0045] discloses adjusting the position of the conducive bodies based on the plasma processing conditions Kim Paragraphs [0048]-[0059] discloses performing an etch process; monitoring features of the substrate being etch; adjusting the position of the nozzles based etching conditions).
With regards to claims 3 and 22, the modified teachings of Yuasa renders obvious wherein the one or more process recipes comprise a partial plasma etch process for burnishing a layer of the substrate. (Yuasa Paragraph [0036])
With regards to claims 4 and 23, the modified teachings of Yuasa renders obvious wherein the backside shield comprises a plurality of arcs disposed around the substrate. (Banna Paragraphs [0045]-[0046] Figures 3A-3B discloses conductive segments 332).
With regards to claims 5 and 24, the modified teaches of Yuasa renders obvious wherein the backside shield comprises a perforated ceramic material. (Banna Paragraph [0034] discloses ceramic coating including yttria coating).
With regards to claims 7 and 26, the modified teachings of Yuasa renders obvious further comprising adjusting the backside shield based on the one or more process recipes (Banna Paragraphs [0029]-[0034], [0045] discloses adjusting the position of the conducive bodies based on the plasma processing conditions).
With regards to claims 8-10 and 27-29, the modified teachings of Yuasa renders obvious wherein adjusting the conductive ring (backside shield) comprises providing a segmented conducive body wherein the plurality of segments 332 may be ring segments that substantially form a ring; wherein the rings may be moved in unison or independently so that the conductive segments may be positioned at different vertical levels and different radial locations; the plasma adjustments may be both symmetrical to the central axis and non-symmetrical to the central axis (Banna Paragraphs [0045]-[0048]) rendering obvious wherein adjusting the backside shield comprises adjusting the outer surface of the backside shield to be inclined at an angle with the outer surface of the substrate; wherein adjusting the backside shield comprises adjusting the outer surface of the backside shield to be at a different height relative to the outer surface of the substrate and wherein the backside shield comprises a plurality of concentric regions, wherein adjusting the backside shield comprises adjusting each of the plurality of concentric regions to have a different height relative to the outer surface of the substrate.
Claims 6 and 25 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over YUASA et al (U.S. Patent Application Publication 2006/0234512) in view of BANNA et al (U.S. Patent Application Publication 2015/0181684) and KIM et al (U.S. Patent Application Publication 2021/0125846), as applied to claims 1-5, 7-10, 21-24 and 26-29, in further view of KIMBALL et al (WO 2022/076227).
With regards to claims 6 and 25, the modified teachings of Yuasa renders obvious the limitations of claims 1 and 21 respectively as previously discussed.
However the modified teachings of Yuasa are silents at wherein the backside shield comprises the same material as the substrate.
Kimball discloses a method of controlling an edge effect during plasma etching wherein a substrate is processed in a plasma processing chamber comprising an edge ring wherein the edge ring may be a of a number of conductive and non-conductive materials (Paragraphs [0055], [0066]-[0068], [0101], [0122] discloses wherein the conductive ring can e a number of material including the materials which may be process) rendering obvious wherein the backside shield comprises the same material as the substrate.
It would have been prima facie obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the invention to further modify the modified method of Yuasa to include the backside shield material as rendered obvious by Kimball because one of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the invention would have had a reasonable expectation of predictably achieving the desired plasma processing using the backside shield material as rendered obvious by Banna. MPEP 2143D
Claim 30 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over KIM et al (U.S. Patent Application Publication 2021/0125846).
With regards to claim 30, Kim discloses a method for controlling an etch edge effect in a partial plasma etch process, the method comprising: providing a material for a backside shield based on a target etch uniformity at a peripheral edge of a substrate (S); disposing the backside shield (edge ring 122, 222) around the substrate in a processing chamber; generating a plasma at a plasma source; directing the plasma into the processing chamber and towards an outer surface of the substrate and the backside shield using a nozzle; and processing the substrate by exposing the substrate and the backside shield to the plasma based on a process recipe ((Paragraphs [0002]-[0003], [0028]-[0038], [0048]-[0059], [0071]-[0072], [0077], Figures 1, 2).
Kim does not explicitly disclose during the processing of the substrate, the material controls a quantity of available processing chemistry scattered back to the peripheral edge of the substrate or a rate at which the backside shield consumes available processing chemistry.
Kim discloses performing a monitoring a feature of the substrate being etched in the etch process and adjusting the nozzle position between the gas outlet and scanning over the substrate and pedestal wherein the edge ring may be etched during the etching process and the quantity of processing gas over the edge ring and periphery of the substrate is adjusting (Paragraphs [0047]-[0059], [0071]-[0072]) rendering obvious during the processing of the substrate, the material controls a quantity of available processing chemistry scattered back to the peripheral edge of the substrate or a rate at which the backside shield consumes available processing chemistry.
It would have been prima facie obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the invention to modify the method of Kim to include adjusting the quantity of processing gas at the peripheral age of the substrate as rendered obvious by Kim because the reference of Kim teaches that such method may be useful in any processing chamber where flow control may improve process uniformity across the surface of a substrate during processing [0017]) and one of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the invention would have had a reasonable expectation of predictably achieving the desired plasma processing using the directing of the nozzle as rendered obvious by Kim. MPEP 2143D
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to STEPHANIE P. DUCLAIR whose telephone number is (571)270-5502. The examiner can normally be reached 9-6:30 M-F.
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/STEPHANIE P DUCLAIR/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1713
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