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Claims 13-18 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected invention, there being no allowable generic or linking claim.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 July 1, 2026.
Accordingly, the requirement is made FINAL.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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.
Claims 1-12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yamasaki (US20170204518) in view of Sohn (KR20120050051).
Regarding claim 1, Yamasaki teaches a method for transferring a substate between a vacuum transfer module and a vacuum processing module (paragraph 0002) (substrate processing method). Yamasaki teaches to open a gate valve 40 (paragraph 0048) connecting the vacuum transfer module 2 (transfer chamber) and the vacuum processing module 3 (process chamber) (paragraph 0043, figure 2). Yamasaki teaches to supply Ar gas (purge gas) from the gas shower head 7 inside of the process chamber (paragraphs 0047, 0033, figures 2 and 5). Yamasaki teaches an unprocessed wafer W is transferred to the processing chamber and mounted on the mounting table 5 (paragraph 0055, figures 2 and 7), wherein a heater is embedded in the mounting table (pargraph 0032) (inserting a substrate into the process chamber and placing the substrate on a heater inside the process chamber). Yamasaki teaches to close the gate valve (paragraph 0055) and stop the supply of Ar gas (purge gas) from the gas shower head 7 into the processing chamber (pargraph 0068). Yamasaki teaches the process chamber is a thin film plasma deposition chamber for deposition on the unprocessed wafer by supplying process gas into the process chamber through the shower head on the substrate (paragraphs 0037-0038 and 0045, figure 2) (supplying the process gas into the process chamber through the shower head; and performing a process on the substrate).
Yamasaki does not explicitly teach to raise the heater. However, Sohn teaches a substrate processing apparatus (paragraph 0001), wherein heater 2 is located inside of the process chamber to support the substrate wafer (paragraph 0024, figures 1 and 2). Sohn teaches the heater is raised to the film formation position to a maintain a desired distance between the substrate/heater and the showerhead to facilitate the plasma deposition (paragraphs 0008-0011, figures 1 and 2). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to raise the heater/mounting table for the deposition process as suggested by Sohn in the method of Yamasaki to achieve the desired distance between the substrate/heater and the showerhead to facilitate the plasma deposition process (paragraphs 0008-0011).
Regarding claim 2, Yamasaki teaches the system comprising the process chamber and transfer chamber is used to process multiple wafers (paragraph 0042) in sequence, wherein the unprocessed wafer is transferred to the process chamber after the processed wafer is transferred out of the process chamber (paragraph 0055), thus Yamasaki teaches the same sequence of gate opening, supplying of the purge gas, closing the gate, performing a process etc as described above is repeated for the next unprocessed wafer. Yamasaki teaches to stop the supplying of the process gas after the thin film is deposited (paragraph 0038). Yamasaki teaches to open the gate (paragraph 0048). Yamasaki teaches to supply Ar gas (purge gas) from the gas shower head 7 inside of the process chamber (paragraphs 0047, 0033, figures 2 and 5). Yamasaki teaches an unprocessed wafer W is transferred to the processing chamber and mounted on the mounting table 5 and drawing the processed substrate out of the process chamber (paragraph 0055, figures 2 and 7), wherein a heater is embedded in the mounting table (pargraph 0032) (inserting a substrate into the process chamber and placing the substrate on a heater inside the process chamber). Yamasaki teaches to close the gate valve (paragraph 0055) and stop the supply of Ar gas (purge gas) from the gas shower head 7 into the processing chamber (pargraph 0068).
Since Sohn teaches the heater is raised for the deposition process, it would be reasonably expected the substrate is lowered when the deposition process is finished (lowering the heater and stopping the supplying of the process gas).
Regarding claim 3, Yamasaki teaches the purge gas stops being supplied through shower head at a time at which is gate is closed (pargraph 0068). Yamasaki further teaches, alternatively, after the processed wafer is transferred out from the process chamber to the transfer chamber, the gate valve is closed and the purge gas is stopped (paragraph 0069), then, the gate valve is opened again with a small amount of purge gas being supplied (paragraphs 0070 and 0075), thus Yamasaki teaches the purge gas starts being supplied through the shower head at a time at which the gate is open. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to start supplying a small amount (reduced) amount of the purge to the process chamber a time at which the gate is open as suggested by Yamasaki in the second embodiment as it creates the pressure difference between the transfer chamber and process chamber for effective particle removal from the process chamber (paragraphs 0075-0076).
Regarding claim 4, Yamasaki teaches the purge gas starts being supplied through the shower head at the first time prior to the opening of the gate (paragraphs 0047-0048).
Regarding claim 5, Yamasaki teaches the purge gas stops being supplied through the shower head a second time after the opening of the gate (paragraphs 0068 and 0076).
Regarding claim 6, Yamasaki teaches the purge starts being supplied through the shower head after the deposition process is finished (paragraphs 0047-0048 and 0076-0077). Since Sohn teaches the heater is raised for the deposition process, it would be reasonably expected the substrate is lowered after the deposition process is finished (lowering the heater and stopping the supplying of the process gas). Thus, it would be reasonably expected the purge gas starts at a time at which the heater is lowered or at a third time prior to lowering the heater, as long as it is after the deposition process.
Regarding claim 7, Yamasaki teaches when the purge gas is supplied, a pressure inside the process chamber is maintained below a pressure of the transfer chamber (pargraph 0051-0054).
Regarding claim 8, Yamasaki teaches the purge gas stops being supplied through shower head at a time at which is gate is closed (pargraph 0068). Yamasaki further teaches, alternatively, after the processed wafer is transferred out from the process chamber to the transfer chamber, the gate valve is closed and the purge gas is stopped (paragraph 0069), then, the gate valve is opened again with a small amount of purge gas being supplied (paragraphs 0070 and 0075), thus Yamasaki teaches the purge gas starts being supplied through the shower head at a time at which the gate is open. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to start supplying a small amount (reduced) amount of the purge to the process chamber a time at which the gate is open as suggested by Yamasaki in the second embodiment as it creates the pressure difference between the transfer chamber and process chamber for effective particle removal from the process chamber (paragraphs 0075-0076).
Regarding claim 9, Yamasaki teaches the purge gas starts being supplied through the shower head at the first time prior to the opening of the gate (paragraphs 0047-0048).
Regarding claim 10, Yamasaki teaches the purge gas stops being supplied through the shower head a second time after the opening of the gate (paragraphs 0068 and 0076).
Regarding claim 11, Yamasaki teaches the purge starts being supplied through the shower head after the deposition process is finished (paragraphs 0047-0048 and 0076-0077). Since Sohn teaches the heater is raised for the deposition process, it would be reasonably expected the substrate is lowered after the deposition process is finished (lowering the heater and stopping the supplying of the process gas). Thus, it would be reasonably expected the purge gas starts at a time at which the heater is lowered or at a third time prior to lowering the heater, as long as it is after the deposition process.
Regarding claim 12, Yamasaki teaches when the purge gas is supplied, a pressure inside the process chamber is maintained below a pressure of the transfer chamber (pargraph 0051-0054).
Conclusion
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/NGA LEUNG V LAW/Examiner, Art Unit 1717
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