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 .
Status of Application
Claims 1-21 are pending. Claims 7-21 are withdrawn. Claims 1-6 are presented for examination.
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of claims 1-6 in the reply filed on 7/14/2026 is acknowledged.
Claims 7-21 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected invention, there being no allowable generic or linking claim.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 7/14/2026.
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.
1. Claim(s) 1-6 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Karim et al. (U.S. PGPUB No. 2017/0314129).
Regarding claims 1-6, Karim teaches a method for providing station-to-station deposition uniformity in a multi-station processing chamber (abstract), the method comprising: obtaining a target deposition thickness for a plurality of substrates each undergoing a deposition process in a corresponding plurality of stations of a multi-station processing chamber (0014), wherein each station of the plurality of stations is operatively coupled to common components associated with the multi-station processing chamber via a plurality of control components that are individually actuated for each station (see Figure 2, 0050 and 0059); obtaining one or more parameters indicating a plurality of deposition rates by in-situ measurements (0078), each parameter corresponding to a station of the plurality of stations (0078); determining for each of the plurality of stations, a number of deposition cycles to be performed in association with a corresponding station based at least in part on the one or more parameters indicating a deposition rate of the plurality of deposition rates for the corresponding station and the target deposition thickness (0089-0090 and Figure 5), wherein a first number of deposition cycles corresponding to a first station of the plurality of stations is less than a second number of deposition cycles corresponding to a second station of the plurality of stations (Figure 5); causing the first number of deposition cycles to be performed in connection with each of the plurality of stations by causing a first plurality of control components associated with the first station and a second plurality of control components associated with the second station to each be set to a first position associated with a deposition mode of operation (0089); and in response to determining that the first number of deposition cycles has been completed: causing further deposition cycles to be stopped in connection with the first station by causing at least one component of the first plurality of control components associated with the first station to be changed to a second position (0090); and causing additional deposition cycles to be performed in connection with the second station until the second number of deposition cycles has been completed in connection with the second station by causing the second plurality of control components associated with the second station to remain in the first position associated with the deposition mode of operation until the second number of deposition cycles has been completed and transitioning at least one control component of the second plurality of control components to the second position that causes the stopping of further deposition cycles in response to determining that the second number of deposition cycles has been completed (0090 and claim 1). Karim also teaches that the common components can comprise an RF generator (0059) and a gas source (0050), the first plurality of components can comprise an RF switch that couples each station to the RF generator (0059) and a gas flow valve that couples each station to the gas source (0050). Finally, Karim teaches that the deposition rates can be obtained via a user interface (0064). Karim teaches all the critical limitations of claims 1-6; therefore, Karim anticipates the claims.
Conclusion
Claims 1-21 are pending.
Claims 7-21 are withdrawn.
Claims 1-6 are rejected.
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/ROBERT S WALTERS JR/
October 5, 2026Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1717
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