Last updated: July 17, 2026

Application No. 18/701,439

VALVE MANIFOLD FOR SEMICONDUCTOR PROCESSING

Non-Final OA

Filed

Apr 15, 2024

Priority

Oct 19, 2021 — provisional 63/262,736 +1 more

Examiner

MCDONALD, RODNEY GLENN

Art Unit

Tech Center

Assignee

Lam Research Corporation

OA Round

1 (Non-Final)

This examiner grants 63% of cases after interview

— +24.3% interview lift. A telephonic interview to clarify the technical implementation could significantly improve the outcome.

Based on 1260 resolved cases, 2023–2026

Examiner Intelligence

MCDONALD, RODNEY GLENN View full profile →

Grants 63% of resolved cases

Career Allowance Rate

797 granted / 1260 resolved

+3.3% vs TC avg

Strong +24% interview lift

Without

With

+24.3%

Interview Lift

resolved cases with interview

Typical timeline

3y 4m

Avg Prosecution

47 currently pending

Career history

1306

Total Applications

across all art units

Statute-Specific Performance

§103

76.5%

+36.5% vs TC avg

§102

3.1%

-36.9% vs TC avg

§112

6.5%

-33.5% vs TC avg

Black line = Tech Center average estimate • Based on career data from 1260 resolved cases

Prosecution Timeline

Apr 15, 2024

Application Filed

May 22, 2026

Non-Final Rejection mailed (current)

Precedent Cases

Applications granted by this same examiner with similar technology

15/770,765

Patent 12674730

METHODS FOR SELECTIVELY SEPARATING SAMPLES FROM SUBSTRATE

8y 2m to grant Granted Jul 07, 2026

18/146,569

Patent 12662734

SUBSTRATE PROCESSING METHOD AND SUBSTRATE PROCESSING APPARATUS

3y 5m to grant Granted Jun 23, 2026

18/293,582

Patent 12662731

SPUTTERING MACHINES, SUBSTRATE HOLDERS, AND SPUTTERING PROCESSES WITH MAGNETIC BIASING

2y 4m to grant Granted Jun 23, 2026

18/074,419

Patent 12655518

WAFER SUSCEPTOR

3y 6m to grant Granted Jun 16, 2026

18/210,409

Patent 12644186

SUBSTRATE PROCESSING APPARATUS AND SUBSTRATE PROCESSING METHOD

2y 11m to grant Granted Jun 02, 2026

Study what changed to get past this examiner. Based on 5 most recent grants.

Strategy Recommendation AI-generated — please review before filing

Get a prosecution strategy drawn from examiner precedents, rejection analysis, and claim mapping.

Typically takes 5-10 seconds — AI-generated, attorney review required before filing

Prosecution Projections

1-2

Expected OA Rounds

63%

Grant Probability

88%

With Interview (+24.3%)

3y 4m (~1y 1m remaining)

Median Time to Grant

Low

PTA Risk

Based on 1260 resolved cases by this examiner. Grant probability derived from career allowance rate.