DETAILED ACTION
The present application, filed on (7/18/2024), is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA . Claims (1-11) are pending and being examined.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 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 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.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1-7 and 9-11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102 (a)(1) as being anticipated by Hirayama et al (US 20100170872).
A plasma processing apparatus (Fig 1), comprising:
a processing container (10) configured to perform plasma processing;
a radio-frequency power source (900) configured to supply a radio frequency to an electrode (310) provided in the processing container; and
a tubular portion (315) provided in the processing container, wherein the tubular portion includes a tubular outer conductor (300d), a tubular inner conductor (315a) provided inside the tubular outer conductor to be spaced apart from the tubular outer conductor, a dielectric provided between the tubular outer conductor and the tubular inner conductor (410), and a short-circuit member configured to electrically short-circuit the tubular outer conductor and the tubular inner conductor (520), and is configured to adjust an impedance of a load side electrically connected to the radio-frequency power source, and
wherein the tubular outer conductor is electrically connected to the processing container as a grounded conductor (See the ground connection to 300), and
wherein the tubular inner conductor is electrically connected to the electrode (See the connection at 310).
Regarding claim 2 the tubular portion 315 is a wave guide and therefore presents a load reactance.
Regarding claim 3 short circuit member 520 is a conductor (Para 85).
Regarding claim 4 frequency band is in microwave band (Fig 1 and abstract).
Regarding claim 5 gas passes through inner conductor (Fig 4).
Regarding claim 6 outer and inner conductor extend upward as claimed.
Regarding claim 7 dielectric 410 is disclosed.
Regarding claims 9-11 plurality of electrodes as 310 and tubular portions as 315 are disclosed in Fig 1 and are disposed as claimed.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 8 is objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims. The specific claimed dimension is not disclosed in the prior art.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Shannon et al (US 2009 0140828) disclose a plasma processing apparatus (Fig 1), comprising: a processing container configured to perform plasma processing; a radio-frequency power source (110) configured to supply a radio frequency to an electrode (106) provided in the processing container; and a tubular portion provided in the processing container, wherein the tubular portion includes a tubular outer conductor (120), a tubular inner conductor (118) provided inside the tubular outer conductor to be spaced apart from the tubular outer conductor, and a short-circuit member configured to electrically short-circuit the tubular outer conductor and the tubular inner conductor (124), and is configured to adjust an impedance of a load side electrically connected to the radio-frequency power source.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to RAM N KACKAR whose telephone number is (571)272-1436. The examiner can normally be reached 09:00 AM-05:00 PM.
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RAM N. KACKAR
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 1716
/RAM N KACKAR/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1716
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