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 .
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 9-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Claim 9 recites the limitation "the primary volume" in line 12. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim. Claims 10-15 depend from Claim 9 and rejected due to dependency to a rejected Claim.
Claim 16 recites the limitation "the primary volume" in line 3. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim. Claims 17, 19-20 depend from Claim 16 and rejected due to dependency to a rejected Claim.
Claim 16 recites the limitation "the auxiliary volume" in line 9. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim. Claims 17, 19-20 depend from Claim 16 and rejected due to dependency to a rejected Claim.
Claim 18 recites the limitation "the computer-readable instructions" in line 2. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1-20 allowed.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
Regarding Claim 1, Weber (WO 2020/187412 corresponding to IDS Document CN 113 614 282), one of the closest prior art of record considered, discloses a method of processing a substrate in a processing chamber (Figures 1-4, processing system 300, Figure 3, Paragraph 17, “…a carrier for transporting a substrate in a processing system…”, Paragraphs 55-56) that includes a primary volume (vacuum processing chamber 390) and an auxiliary volume (load lock chamber 380, Figure 3) that can be environmentally sealed from the primary volume (Paragraph 57, “…transferring a substrate into a high vacuum chamber, the substrate may be inserted into the load lock chamber provided at atmospheric pressure, the load lock chamber may be sealed…”.), the method comprising:
transferring the substrate into the auxiliary volume of the processing chamber and onto an upper surface of a substrate holder while the auxiliary volume is at a vacuum pressure (Paragraph 57, “…transferring a substrate into a high vacuum chamber, the substrate may be inserted into the load lock chamber provided at atmospheric pressure, the load lock chamber may be sealed…”), wherein the substrate holder comprises one or more vacuum channels disposed at the upper surface (comprising 116, Figure 1, 212, Figures 2A, 2B, Paragraphs 17, 20, 25, 35, 41) and one or more electrodes disposed within the substrate holder proximate to the upper surface (electrode assembly 125 comprising electrodes 122, Figure 1, Paragraphs 17-19, 21-23);
sealing the auxiliary volume from the primary volume and increasing the pressure within the auxiliary volume (Paragraph 57, “…vacuum conditions in the load lock chamber may be switched between atmospheric pressure conditions and subatmospheric pressure conditions, e.g. in a range at or below 10 .sup.1 mbar.…”.);
while the substrate is within the auxiliary volume, clamping and flattening the substrate to the substrate holder by applying a vacuum to the one or more vacuum channels (Paragraph 41, “…when a vacuum is provided, gas may flow from the plurality of openings towards the vacuum generation device. Thus, suctioning may be provided to the substrate at the substrate support surface”, Paragraph 53, Figure 4, Paragraph 60, “…The substrate may be loaded onto the carrier in a substantially horizontal orientation or in a substantially vertical orientation. In particular, the substrate may be loaded in a vertical orientation to the vertically oriented carrier. The substrate may be attracted by the vacuum at the substrate support surface…”);
while the substrate is within the auxiliary volume and clamped to the substrate holder via the one or more vacuum channels, applying a voltage to the one or more electrodes to further clamp the substrate to the substrate holder with an electrostatic force (430, Figure 4, Paragraph 61, “….The method 400 includes in box 430 providing electrostatic forces to the substrate with the chuck assembly. An electrostatic mode may be provided at the chuck assembly to electrostatically attract the substrate…”); and
while the substrate is clamped to the substrate holder by the electrostatic force, moving the substrate from the auxiliary volume into the primary volume (Paragraph 57, “…transferring a substrate into a high vacuum chamber, the substrate may be inserted into the load lock chamber provided at atmospheric pressure, the load lock chamber may be sealed, …Subsequently, an opening between the load lock chamber and the high vacuum chamber may be opened, and the substrate may be inserted into the high vacuum chamber to be transported into the processing chamber...”) and processing the substrate in the primary volume at a vacuum pressure (Paragraph 54-57).
Weber does not disclose transferring the substrate into the primary volume of the processing chamber and onto an upper surface of a substrate holder while the primary volume is at a vacuum pressure, moving the substrate holder within the processing chamber such that the substrate is moved from the primary volume to the auxiliary volume (Weber transfer the substrate into the auxiliary volume and onto upper surface of the substrate holder and transfer to the primary volume for processing the substrate).
Ito (US 2005/0152088, IDS Document), another one of the closest prior art of record considered, discloses a method of processing a substrate in a processing chamber (substrate 502, Figures 8-14, substrate processing chamber recited in Paragraph 62) that includes a primary volume (“main chamber” in flowchart in Figure 10, similarly to 511 in Figures 8-9) and an auxiliary volume that can be environmentally sealed from the primary volume (load lock chamber 511, Figure 3), the method comprising:
transferring the substrate (502, Figure 9) into the auxiliary volume of the processing chamber and onto an upper surface of a substrate holder (501, Figure 9, Paragraph 60, Initially, a substrate 502 is conveyed onto the substrate attracting portion 501 inside the load lock chamber 511), wherein the substrate holder comprises one or more vacuum channels disposed at the upper surface (comprising 503) and one or more electrodes disposed within the substrate holder proximate to the upper surface (electrodes, not labelled to which terminals 508, 509 are connected, Figure 9);
sealing the auxiliary volume from the primary volume and increasing the pressure within the auxiliary volume (first two steps, Figure 10);
while the substrate is within the auxiliary volume, clamping and flattening the substrate to the substrate holder by applying a vacuum to the one or more vacuum channels (steps 3-5, correct vacuum pressure-P2 outside discharge pressure ok, Figure 10);
while the substrate is within the auxiliary volume and clamped to the substrate holder via the one or more vacuum channels, applying a voltage to the one or more electrodes to further clamp the substrate to the substrate holder with an electrostatic force (chuck voltage on, Figure 10); and
while the substrate is clamped to the substrate holder by the electrostatic force, moving the substrate from the auxiliary volume into the primary volume and processing the substrate in the primary volume at a vacuum pressure (Transport support and support holding device to main chamber, Figure 10).
Ito also does not disclose transferring the substrate into the primary volume of the processing chamber and onto an upper surface of a substrate holder while the primary volume is at a vacuum pressure, moving the substrate holder within the processing chamber such that the substrate is moved from the primary volume to the auxiliary volume (Ito transfer the substrate into the auxiliary volume and onto upper surface of the substrate holder and transfer to the primary volume for processing the substrate).
Weber and Ito, alone or in combination, does not disclose transferring the substrate into the primary volume of the processing chamber and onto an upper surface of a substrate holder while the primary volume is at a vacuum pressure, moving the substrate holder within the processing chamber such that the substrate is moved from the primary volume to the auxiliary volume (Weber and Ito transfer the substrate into the auxiliary volume and onto upper surface of the substrate holder and transfer to the primary volume for processing the substrate for the processing of the substrate, and the claimed invention, transfer the substrate into the primary volume and onto an upper surface of a substrate holder, transfer to auxiliary volume and transfer back to the primary volume after clamping, flattening and clamping electrostatically/applying voltage (Figure 11 embodiment of the instant application), in combination with the other recited elements of the method of processing a substrate of Claim 1, therefore allowable. Claims 2-8 depend from Claim 1. Claim 18 currently depend from Claim 1 and subject to 112 rejection and would be allowable upon overcoming the 112 rejection.
Claim 9 recites a system for processing a substrate including allowable feature of Claim 11, and would be allowable upon overcoming the 112 rejections above. Claims 10-15 depend from Claim 9.
Claim 16 recites a non-transitory computer-readable memory that stores instructions for processing a substrate in a processing chamber, including allowable feature of Claim 11, and would be allowable upon overcoming the 112 rejections above. Claims 17, 19-20 depend from Claim 16.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to LUCY M THOMAS whose telephone number is (571)272-6002. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Fri 9:30 am - 5:30 pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Crystal L Hammond can be reached at (571)270-1682. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/LUCY M THOMAS/Examiner, Art Unit 2838
/CRYSTAL L HAMMOND/Supervisory Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2838
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