Last updated: July 05, 2026

Application No. 18/628,269

UPPER ELECTRODE STRUCTURE AND PLASMA PROCESSING APPARATUS

Non-Final OA

Filed

Apr 05, 2024

Priority

Oct 05, 2021 — JP 2021-164043 +1 more

Examiner

SMYTH, ANDREW P

Art Unit

2878

Tech Center

2800 — Semiconductors & Electrical Systems

Assignee

Tokyo Electron Limited

OA Round

1 (Non-Final)

Interview Optional

— +15.0% interview lift. Interview lift (+15.0%) is below the 15.0% threshold. A written response is recommended.

Based on 861 resolved cases, 2023–2026

Examiner Intelligence

SMYTH, ANDREW P View full profile →

Grants 72% — above average

Career Allowance Rate

619 granted / 861 resolved

+3.9% vs TC avg

Moderate +15% lift

Without

With

+15.0%

Interview Lift

resolved cases with interview

Typical timeline

2y 10m

Avg Prosecution

20 currently pending

Career history

872

Total Applications

across all art units

Statute-Specific Performance

§101

0.3%

-39.7% vs TC avg

§103

90.2%

+50.2% vs TC avg

§102

7.2%

-32.8% vs TC avg

§112

0.7%

-39.3% vs TC avg

Black line = Tech Center average estimate • Based on career data from 861 resolved cases

Prosecution Timeline

Apr 05, 2024

Application Filed

Mar 26, 2026

Non-Final Rejection mailed (current)

Precedent Cases

Applications granted by this same examiner with similar technology

17/554,028

Patent 12669440

APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR SENSING RF SIGNALS FROM RF PLASMA PROCESSING EQUIPMENT

4y 6m to grant Granted Jun 30, 2026

18/186,336

Patent 12667635

ACTIVE OXYGEN SUPPLY APPARATUS

3y 3m to grant Granted Jun 30, 2026

18/686,152

Patent 12665181

Ionizer

2y 4m to grant Granted Jun 23, 2026

18/466,748

Patent 12658335

SYSTEMS FOR RADIOISOTOPE GENERATION AND METHODS OF PREPARATION AND ADMINISTRATION

2y 9m to grant Granted Jun 16, 2026

18/142,007

Patent 12642880

Air treatment unit for ventilation equipment

3y 1m to grant Granted Jun 02, 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.

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Prosecution Projections

1-2

Expected OA Rounds

72%

Grant Probability

87%

With Interview (+15.0%)

2y 10m (~7m remaining)

Median Time to Grant

Low

PTA Risk

Based on 861 resolved cases by this examiner. Grant probability derived from career allowance rate.