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 .
DETAILED ACTION
Status of the Claims
Claims 1-20 are pending in the current application.
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) 1-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Knyazik (US 20150097479).
As to claim 1, Knyazik an apparatus for generating plasma inductively in a process chamber (abstract: inductance coil antenna for plasma reactor) comprising:
A closed loop series inductor capacitor network with a plurality of LC sections (figure 7: coil antenna with ‘lobes’ [LC sections] comprising inductor coil sections 154 and capacitor 400);
A resonant frequency defined by a total inductance and capacitance of the plurality of sections (paragraph 34: coil collectively inducts plasma; figure 8a: providing RF power to the lobes which, in series, necessarily combine [resonate] to provide the inductance);
RF power applied to the network to generate inductively powered plasma in the chamber (figure 2, 8a: providing RF power, through matching network, to the coil structure; paragraph 34: inducting plasma from coil).
As to claim 2, Knyazik discloses the coil network comprises six LC sections (figure 7: illustrating 6 ‘lobe’ inductor/capacitor sections).
As to claim 3, Knyazik discloses the six sections are evenly spaced at 60° (figure 7).
As to claim 4, Knyazik discloses the capacitors of the sections located at an inside/center connection of the sections of the network (figure : capacitors 400 at connection to central RF return ring 152).
As to claim 5, Knyazik discloses the sections are curved arc sections (figure 7: showing ‘lobe’ curved sections).
As to claim 6, Knyazik discloses the coil network is above the chamber lid (figure 1: coil 154 above lid 106 of chamber 102).
As to claim 7, Knyazik discloses the coil network has an outer diameter less than the outer diameter of the lid (figure 1: showing coil 154 smaller than lid 106).
As to claim 8, Knyazik discloses the lid underneath the coil is a non-metal (paragraph 34: lid is non-conductive material – all metals are conductors to some degree, thus this requires a non-metal component).
As to claim 9, Knyazik discloses the coil is parallel to the lid and therefore has a uniform gap (figure 1: coil 154 and lid 106 orientation).
As to claim 10, Knyazik discloses direct driving of the coil (figure 2: direct connection of RF power).
As to claims 11-17, Knyazik discloses the direct drive option and therefore the further limitations to the optional ‘excitation drive’ option are within the disclosure of Knyazik as also optional and not chosen.
As to claim 18, Knyazik discloses the ‘first node’ connected to a matching network of the RF power and a ‘second node’ is connected to ground (figure 2 RF power 142 through match 144 connected to ‘lobes’/nodes of coil through ring 150, ground connection through ring 152 to lobes).
As to claim 19, Knyazik discloses an apparatus for inductively generating plasma in a process chamber comprising:
A closed loop series inductor/capacitor coil network coupled to a lid of a process chamber (figure 1: coil 154 above lid 106; figure 7: coil antenna with ‘lobes’ [LC sections] comprising inductor coil sections 154 and capacitor 400);
Comprising a plurality of LC sections having a resonant frequency defined by a total inductance and capacitance of the plurality of LC sections (paragraph 34: coil collectively inducts plasma; figure 8a: providing RF power to the lobes which, in series, necessarily combine [resonate] to provide the inductance);
RF power applied to the coil network to generate a current to induce plasma (figure 2, 8a: providing RF power, through matching network, to the coil structure; paragraph 34: inducting plasma from coil).
As to claim 20, Knyazik discloses an ICP process chamber comprising:
A process chamber with body, lid, volume and substrate support (figure 1: chamber 100 with walls/body 102, lid 106, substrate support 110);
RF power for the chamber (figure 1: RF supplies 142, 127);
A closed loop series inductor/capacitor coil network coupled to a lid of a process chamber (figure 1: coil 154 above lid 106; figure 7: coil antenna with ‘lobes’ [LC sections] comprising inductor coil sections 154 and capacitor 400);
Comprising a plurality of LC sections having a resonant frequency defined by a total inductance and capacitance of the plurality of LC sections (paragraph 34: coil collectively inducts plasma; figure 8a: providing RF power to the lobes which, in series, necessarily combine [resonate] to provide the inductance);
RF power applied to the coil network to generate a current to induce plasma (figure 2, 8a: providing RF power, through matching network, to the coil structure; paragraph 34: inducting plasma from coil).
Correspondence Information
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JASON BERMAN whose telephone number is (571)270-5265. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday - Thursday 8-4.
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/JASON BERMAN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1794
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