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 5/18/2026 has been considered by the examiner.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments, filed 7/1/2026, have been fully considered and are persuasive in view of the amendment. Therefore, the rejection has been withdrawn. However, upon further consideration, a new ground(s) of rejection is made.
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.
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.
Claims 1-8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kim et al. [(WO2021/006600): See (PGPUB U.S 2022/0367152) for English Translation] and further in view of Chung et al. (PG PUB U.S 2011/0308551).
Regarding claim 1, Kim teaches a method for cleaning a substrate processing apparatus (abstract; figs 1-3), comprising: loading a substrate into a chamber (fig 1; para 0033, 0038, and claim 1); injecting a gas containing at least one of Zn, Ga, In, or Sn into the chamber to deposit a thin film on the substrate (S100 in fig 2; para 0039, 0061-0063, 0094-0096, and claim 11); unloading the substrate to the outside of the chamber (abstract, para 0010, and claim 1); injecting a cleaning gas containing into the chamber (S210 in fig 2; para 0034, 0036, 0064, 0069-0070, and 0102-0107); and exhausting byproducts generated through a reaction between the cleaning gas and impurities accumulated inside the chamber during injecting of the gas to deposit the thin film (para 0056-0057, 0082-0083, 0109-0111, and 0114-0121).
Although Kim teaches the cleaning gas containing Cl (para 0064), it fails to teach it containing Br. However, Chung also teaches a method of cleaning a chamber after depositing Zn or Ga film on the substrate where it is known for the cleaning gas to contain Cl or Br (para 0046) in order to clean the chamber of unwanted products. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to substitute the cleaning gas of Kim with that of Chung containing Br in order to achieve the predictable result of cleaning the chamber after Zn or Ga deposition to remove unwanted products from the chamber.
Although Kim teaches the chamber having a temperature, it fails to teach wherein a temperature inside the chamber during the injecting of the cleaning gas is less than a temperature when the injecting of the gas to deposit the thin film is performed. However, Chung also teaches it is known to control and adjust the temperature of the cleaning gas and the temperature of the deposition in order to achieve certain effects to react, vaporize, and remove deposited material for effective cleaning (para 0047-0048). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Kim such that a temperature inside the chamber during the injecting of the cleaning gas is less than a temperature when the injecting of the gas to deposit the thin film is performed as suggested by Chung in order to achieve certain effects to react, vaporize, and remove deposited material for effective cleaning.
Regarding claim 2, Kim teaches a method for cleaning a substrate processing apparatus (abstract; figs 1-3), comprising: loading a substrate into a chamber (fig 1; para 0033, 0038, and claim 1); injecting a gas into the chamber to deposit a thin film on the substrate (S100 in fig 2; para 0039, 0061-0063, 0094-0096, and claim 11); unloading the substrate to the outside of the chamber (abstract, para 0010, and claim 1); injecting a cleaning gas containing into the chamber (S210 in fig 2; para 0034, 0036, 0064, 0069-0070, and 0102-0107); and exhausting byproducts generated through a reaction between impurities accumulated inside the chamber during the injecting of the gas to deposit the thin film, (para 0056-0057, 0082-0083, 0109-0111, and 0114-0121), wherein in the cleaning gas is pulsed and injected in the injecting of the cleaning gas (para 0070 and 0078 of Kim; implicitly taught via valves) or the injecting of the cleaning gas and the exhausting of the byproducts are alternately repeated (para 0023, 0128, and 0131 of Kim; repeating of process).
Although Kim teaches the cleaning gas containing Cl (para 0064), it fails to teach it containing Br. However, Chung also teaches a method of cleaning a chamber after depositing Zn or Ga film on the substrate where it is known for the cleaning gas to contain Cl or Br (para 0046) in order to clean the chamber of unwanted products. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to substitute the cleaning gas of Kim with that of Chung containing Br in order to achieve the predictable result of cleaning the chamber after Zn or Ga deposition to remove unwanted products from the chamber.
Although Kim teaches the chamber having a temperature, it fails to teach wherein a temperature inside the chamber during the injecting of the cleaning gas is less than a temperature when the injecting of the gas to deposit the thin film is performed. However, Chung also teaches it is known to control and adjust the temperature of the cleaning gas and the temperature of the deposition in order to achieve certain effects to react, vaporize, and remove deposited material for effective cleaning (para 0047-0048). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Kim such that a temperature inside the chamber during the injecting of the cleaning gas is less than a temperature when the injecting of the gas to deposit the thin film is performed as suggested by Chung in order to achieve certain effects to react, vaporize, and remove deposited material for effective cleaning.
Regarding claim 3, the present combination of Kim and Chung teaches injecting a first auxiliary gas, which decomposes the cleaning gas, into the chamber (para 0074 of Kim).
Regarding claim 4, the present combination of Kim and Chung teaches wherein the first auxiliary gas uses at least one of an H₂ gas or an O₂ gas (para 0074 of Kim).
Regarding claim 5, the present combination of Kim and Chung teaches further comprising generating plasma in the chamber (para 0041, 0087-0090, 0097-0098, 0103, and 0116 of Kim).
Regarding claim 6, the present combination of Kim and Chung teaches wherein the generating of the plasma comprises injecting a second auxiliary gas (para 0103 and 0116 of Kim) but fails to teach it being an Ar gas. However, Chung also teaches plasma cleaning (para 0058) wherein the gas in Ar (para 0046) in order to achieve the predictable result of cleaning the chamber. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the present combination of Kim and Chung such that the generation of plasma comprises injecting a second auxiliary gas that is Ar gas as further taught by Chung in order to achieve the predictable result of cleaning the chamber.
Regarding claim 7, the present combination of Kim and Chung teaches further comprising injecting a gas containing nitrogen into the chamber (para 0082 and 0111 of Kim), wherein the injecting of the gas containing the nitrogen is performed between the injecting of the cleaning gas and the exhausting of the byproducts (para 0109 of Kim; having another purging gas reads on injecting nitrogen after cleaning gas and before exhausting via other purge gas).
Regarding claim 8, the present combination of Kim and Chung teaches wherein the cleaning gas comprises at least one of HBr, KBr, Br₂, HBr O₃, or CBr F₃ (para 0046 of Chung).
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any extension fee pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the date of this final action.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Kaj Olsen can be reached on 571-272-1344. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/P.P/Examiner, Art Unit 1714
/KAJ K OLSEN/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 1714
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