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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 10/23/2025 and 09/06/2024. The submission is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
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.
Claims 1-3 and 6-11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Sun et al [US 2020/0335376 A1]
In regards to claim 1, Sun discloses a substrate support assembly (Fig. 1-3 & Paragraph [0030]), comprising:
a support body (Fig. 1, 200); a support protrusion (Fig. 1, 220) having a substrate support surface (Fig. 1, 221) and extending from a top surface (Fig. 1, 225) of the support body (Fig. 1, 200 & Paragraph [0030-33]);
Sun does not specify in Fig. 1 explicitly an edge recess disposed along an outer edge of the support body; and an edge ring having an edge support surface and disposed on and removably coupled to the top surface of the support body, the edge ring being partially disposed in the edge recess.
Sun discloses in Fig. 4-8b an edge recess (Fig. 4, The edge recess disposed along an outer edge of the lower electrode 225) disposed along an outer edge of the support body (Fig. 4-8b, 220); and an edge ring (Fig. 4, 230) having an edge support surface and disposed on [Examiner note: wherein a bottom of the ring unit 230 rests on a top surface at an outer portion of the lower electrode 225, and the ring unit 230 may surround the upper portion of the lower electrode 225 (e.g., to surround a circumference of the upper portion of the lower electrode 225)] and removably coupled to the top surface of the support body (e.g., to surround a circumference of the upper portion of the lower electrode 225) (see paragraph [0050-57], figures 4-8B), the edge ring (Fig. 4, 230) being partially disposed in the edge recess (Fig. 4, The edge recess disposed along an outer edge of the lower electrode 225).
It would been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the invention was made to use the teachings of Sun of Fig. 4-8 with Fig. 1 to discloses or teach an edge recess disposed along an outer edge of the support body; and an edge ring having an edge support surface and disposed on and removably coupled to the top surface of the support body, the edge ring being partially disposed in the edge recess for purpose of providing a capacitively coupled plasma substrate processing apparatus for increasing process speed and production yield by uniformly dispersing plasma density in a plasma process for processing a semiconductor substrate using plasma as disclosed by Sun (Paragraph [0004]).
In regards to claim 2. Sun discloses the substrate support assembly of claim 1, wherein the edge support surface and the substrate support surface are coplanar (Fig. 1 and 4-8b & Paragraph [0033] the ring unit 230 may surround the dielectric layer 221 and the substrate W on the dielectric layer 221).
In regards to claim 3. Sun discloses the substrate support assembly of claim 1, wherein the edge ring further comprises an edge ring protrusion, and wherein the edge ring protrusion is disposed in the edge recess (Fig. 1 and 4-8b & Paragraph [0052] a cover ring 232 may include an overhang portion OH having a bottom surface coplanar with a bottom surface of a focus ring 231, and the overhang portion OH may cover part of the top surface of the lower electrode 225).
In regards to claim 6. Sun discloses the substrate support assembly of claim 1, wherein the edge support surface is configured to support an outer portion of a substrate (paragraph [0051], figure 4 the substrate W is seated on a support 200, the focus ring 231 may include a first top surface positioned at a level higher than a bottom surface of the substrate W and a second top surface positioned at a lower level than the bottom surface of the substrate W).
In regards to claim 7. Sun discloses the substrate support assembly of claim 1, wherein the substrate support surface of the support protrusion is configured to support an inner portion of a substrate (paragraph [0031], figure 1, 4-8B the substrate W may be directly seated on a top surface of the dielectric layer 221, and an edge area of the substrate W does not overlap the dielectric layer 221, and thus overhangs the dielectric layer 221).
In regards to claim 8. Sun discloses a substrate support assembly (Fig. 1-3 & Paragraph [0030]), comprising:
a support body (Fig. 1, 200):
a support protrusion (Fig. 1, 220) having a substrate support surface (Fig. 1, 221) and extending from a top surface (Fig. 1, 225) of the support body (Fig. 1, 200 & Paragraph [0030-35]);
Sun does not specify in Fig. 1 explicitly an edge ring disposed on and removably coupled to an outer edge of the support body; and a support ring disposed on the top surface between the edge ring and the support protrusion.
Sun discloses in Fig. 4-8b discloses an edge ring (paragraph [0050-57], figures 4-8B) disposed on and removably coupled to an outer edge of the support body; and a support ring disposed on the top surface between the edge ring and the support protrusion (Paragraph [0050-57] a ring unit 230 mounted on an edge portion of the electrostatic chuck 220, wherein the ring unit 230 may include a ring-shaped focus ring 231 and a cover ring 232, the focus ring 231 may be disposed on the electrostatic chuck 220 to surround an outer portion (e.g., outer circumference) of the dielectric layer 221, and the cover ring 232 may be disposed to surround an outer portion (e.g., circumference) of the focus ring 231).
It would been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the invention was made to use the teachings of Sun of Fig. 4-8 with Fig. 1 to discloses or teach an edge ring disposed on and removably coupled to an outer edge of the support body; and a support ring disposed on the top surface between the edge ring and the support protrusion for purpose of providing a capacitively coupled plasma substrate processing apparatus for increasing process speed and production yield by uniformly dispersing plasma density in a plasma process for processing a semiconductor substrate using plasma as disclosed by Sun (Paragraph [0004]).
In regards to claim 9. Sun discloses the substrate support assembly of claim 8, wherein the substrate support surface of the support protrusion is configured to support an inner portion of a substrate (paragraph [0031], figure 1, 4-8B the substrate W may be directly seated on a top surface of the dielectric layer 221, and an edge area of the substrate W does not overlap the dielectric layer 221, and thus overhangs the dielectric layer 221).
In regards to claim 10. Sun discloses the substrate support assembly of claim 8, wherein the support ring further comprises a support ring surface configured to support an outer portion of a substrate (Paragraph [0051] and Fig. 4 the substrate W is seated on a support 200, the focus ring 231 may include a first top surface positioned at a level higher than a bottom surface of the substrate W and a second top surface positioned at a lower level than the bottom surface of the substrate W).
In regards to claim 11. Sun discloses the substrate support assembly of claim 10, wherein the support ring surface and the substrate support surface of the support protrusion are coplanar (paragraph [0033], figures 1, 4-8B the ring unit 230 may surround the dielectric layer 221 and the substrate W on the dielectric layer 221)
Claims 15-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Sun et al [US 2020/0335376] in view of Cho et al [US 2021/0296098 A1]
In regards to claim 15. Sun discloses a substrate support assembly (Fig. 1-3 & Paragraph [0030]), comprising:
a support body (Fig. 1, 200);
a support protrusion (Fig. 1, 220) having a substrate support surface (Fig. 1, 221) and extending from a top surface (Fig. 1, 225) of the support body (Fig. 1, 200 & Paragraph [0030-35]);
Sun does not specify in Fig. 1 an edge ring disposed on and removably coupled to an outer edge of the support body; a support ring disposed on the top surface between the edge ring and the support protrusion; an inner heating element embedded in the support body; and an outer heating element embedded in the support body.
Sun discloses in Fig. 4-8b discloses an edge ring disposed on and removably coupled to an outer edge of the support body; a support ring disposed on the top surface between the edge ring and the support protrusion (Paragraph [0050-57] a ring unit 230 mounted on an edge portion of the electrostatic chuck 220, wherein the ring unit 230 may include a ring-shaped focus ring 231 and a cover ring 232, the focus ring 231 may be disposed on the electrostatic chuck 220 to surround an outer portion (e.g., outer circumference) of the dielectric layer 221, and the cover ring 232 may be disposed to surround an outer portion (e.g., circumference) of the focus ring 231)
It would been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the invention was made to use the teachings of Sun of Fig. 4-8 with Fig. 1 to discloses or teach an edge ring disposed on and removably coupled to an outer edge of the support body; a support ring disposed on the top surface between the edge ring and the support protrusion for purpose of providing a capacitively coupled plasma substrate processing apparatus for increasing process speed and production yield by uniformly dispersing plasma density in a plasma process for processing a semiconductor substrate using plasma as disclosed by Sun (Paragraph [0004]).
Sun does not specify an inner heating element embedded in the support body; and an outer heating element embedded in the support body.
Cho discloses an inner heating element embedded in the support body (Paragraph [0031] and Fig. 2 heating elements 246 embedded in a ceramic plate 152 to heat the ceramic plate 152); and an outer heating element embedded in the support body (Paragraph [0031] and Fig. 2 a heating element 219 embedded in a ceramic ring 187, wherein the ceramic ring 187 is spaced apart from the ceramic plate 152 to prevent arcing)
It would been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the invention was made to use the teachings of Choi with Sun to disclose or teach an inner heating element embedded in the support body; and an outer heating element embedded in the support body for purpose of monitor and control a temperature of the ring as disclosed by Choi (Paragraph [0031]).
In regards to claim 16. Sun in view of Choi discloses the substrate support assembly of claim 15, wherein the inner heating element extends radially from a support body center and has an inner heating element radius that is less than a protrusion radius of the support protrusion (Choi: Paragraph [0031] and Fig. 2 the heating elements 246 embedded in the ceramic plate 152 to heat the ceramic plate 152).
In regards to claim 17. Sun in view of Choi discloses the substrate support assembly of claim 16, wherein the outer heating element has an outer heating element radius that extends beneath the edge ring and does not overlap the inner heating element (Choi: Paragraph [0031] and Fig. 2 the heating element 219 embedded in the ceramic ring 187, wherein the ceramic ring 187 is spaced apart from the ceramic plate 152 to prevent arcing).
In regards to claim 18. Sun in view of Choi discloses the substrate support assembly of claim 17, wherein the outer heating element radius extends under the support ring (Choi: Paragraph [0031] and Fig. 2 the heating element 219 embedded in the ceramic ring 187, wherein the ceramic ring 187 is spaced apart from the ceramic plate 152 to prevent arcing).
In regards to claim 19. Sun in view of Choi discloses the substrate support assembly of claim 15, wherein the outer heating element and the inner heating element are concentric but not coplanar (Choi: Fig. 2 the heating element 219 extends under an edge ring 210).
In regards to claim 20. Sun in view of Choi discloses the substrate support assembly of claim 15, wherein the substrate support surface of the support protrusion is configured to support an inner portion of a substrate and wherein the support ring further comprises a support ring surface configured to support an outer portion of a substrate, the support ring surface and the substrate support surface of the support protrusion are coplanar (paragraph [0031], figure 1, 4-8B the substrate W may be directly seated on a top surface of the dielectric layer 221, and an edge area of the substrate W does not overlap the dielectric layer 221, and thus overhangs the dielectric layer 221 and Paragraph [0051] the substrate W is seated on a support 200, the focus ring 231 may include a first top surface positioned at a level higher than a bottom surface of the substrate W and a second top surface positioned at a lower level than the bottom surface of the substrate W and Paragraph [0033] the ring unit 230 may surround the dielectric layer 221 and the substrate W on the dielectric layer 221).
Claims 4-5 and 12-14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Sun et al [US 2020/0335376] in view of Li et al [US 2022/0122875 A1]
In regards to claim 4. Sun discloses the substrate support assembly of claim 1, further comprising
Sun does not specify a heating element embedded in the support body.
Li discloses a heating element embedded in the support body (see paragraph [0043], figure 3).
It would been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the invention was made to use the teachings of Li with Sun to discloses a heating element embedded in the support body for purpose of provide current to a resistive heating element to facilitate heating of the associated chuck body and/or substrate and more individual control may be afforded, and extended heater coverage may be provided while limiting the region for plasma formation as disclosed by as disclosed by Li (paragraph [0043])
In regards to claim 5. Sun in view of Li discloses the substrate support assembly of claim 4, wherein the heating element extends radially outward from a support body center of the support body and ends before the edge recess (Li paragraph [0044], figure 3 the heater 350 may be capable of adjusting temperatures across the electrostatic chuck body 325, as well as a substrate residing on the substrate support surface 327).
In regards to claim 12. Sun discloses the substrate support assembly of claim 8, further comprising
Sun does not specify a heating element embedded in the support body.
Li discloses a heating element embedded in the support body (see paragraph [0043], figure 3).
It would been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the invention was made to use the teachings of Li with Sun to discloses a heating element embedded in the support body for purpose of provide current to a resistive heating element to facilitate heating of the associated chuck body and/or substrate and more individual control may be afforded, and extended heater coverage may be provided while limiting the region for plasma formation as disclosed by as disclosed by Li (paragraph [0043])
In regards to claim 13. Sun in view of Li discloses the substrate support assembly of claim 12, wherein the heating element extends radially outward from a support body center of the support body and ends before the outer edge of the support body (Li paragraph [0044], figure 3 the heater 350 may be capable of adjusting temperatures across the electrostatic chuck body 325, as well as a substrate residing on the substrate support surface 327).
In regards to claim 14. Sun in view of Li discloses the substrate support assembly of claim 12, wherein the heating element extends under the support protrusion, the support ring, and the edge ring (Li paragraph [0044], figure 3 the heater 350 may be capable of adjusting temperatures across the electrostatic chuck body 325, as well as a substrate residing on the substrate support surface 327).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to WEI (VICTOR) CHAN whose telephone number is (571)272-5177. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9:00am to 6:00pm.
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WEI (VICTOR) CHAN
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2844
/WEI (VICTOR) Y CHAN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2845
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