Detailed Correspondence
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 Interpretations
Claims 1 and 15 each recites “a waveguide path including a plurality of folded portions”, Applicants’ waveguide path 32 turns back and forth but does not fold onto itself and will be examined accordingly. This is different than the general description for folded that required fold onto itself (see OneLook.com)
The “a processing space” and “a plasma generation space” of claim 1 and 15 is the same space.
The “wherein the at least one dielectric is disposed at an intermediate position between the first end and the second end of the waveguide path”, Applicants’ dielectric 51 is movable on a guider 52 and can be at the end of or in the intermediate position of the waveguide path. As such, this is one of the operational position.
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 1-2, 9, and 15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over HIRAYAMA (US 20220020569, hereafter ‘569), in view of Gilbert et al. (US 20140113828, hereafter ‘828) and Ohmi et al. (US 20090065480, hereafter ‘480).
‘569 teaches some limitations of:
Claim 1: a plasma processing apparatus 1B (Fig. 3, for example, [0057], includes the claimed “A plasma processing apparatus, comprising”):
a processing container 10, a stage 12, an upper electrode 14, and an inlet 16 ([0029], description applicable to Fig. 3, includes the claimed “a chamber including a processing space inside the chamber; a substrate support installed in the processing space”);
The upper electrode 14 is provided above the stage 12, with a space SP within the processing container 10 being interposed therebetween ([0038], includes the claimed “an excitation electrode installed above the substrate support”);
The plasma processing apparatus 1 is configured to generate plasma in the space SP between the stage 12 and the upper electrode 14 ([0038], last sentence), the dielectric plate 18 may be a shower plate configured to eject the gas ([0040], same material as Applicants’ discharger 16, [0018], includes the claimed “a discharger configured to discharge electromagnetic waves into a plasma generation space below the excitation electrode”);
the waveguide device 20B includes a resonator 200B ([0059], 2nd sentence), the waveguide 201B of the resonator 200B is provided by a main portion 22B and a cylindrical member 24 ([0061], includes the claimed “and a resonator installed on the excitation electrode and electromagnetically coupled to the discharger” and as shown in Fig. 3),
the waveguide 201B includes an inner waveguide 204 and an outer waveguide 205. Each of the inner waveguide 204 and the outer waveguide 205 is a tubular waveguide extending in the vertical direction. The inner waveguide 204 extends radially inward with respect to the outer waveguide 205. A lower end of the outer waveguide 205 constitutes one end 202B of the waveguide 201B. An upper end of the outer waveguide 205 and an upper end of the inner waveguide 204 are continuous with each other. That is, the waveguide 201B is folded back in the direction in which the axis AX extends ([0060], includes the claimed “wherein the resonator includes a waveguide path including a folded portion between a first end and a second end of the resonator”).
Claim 15: a plasma processing apparatus 1B (Fig. 3, for example, [0057], includes the claimed “A plasma processing apparatus, comprising”):
a processing container 10, a stage 12, an upper electrode 14, and an inlet 16 ([0029], description applicable to Fig. 3, includes the claimed “a chamber including a processing space inside the chamber; a substrate support installed in the processing space”);
The upper electrode 14 is provided above the stage 12, with a space SP within the processing container 10 being interposed therebetween ([0038], includes the claimed “an excitation electrode installed above the substrate support”);
The plasma processing apparatus 1 is configured to generate plasma in the space SP between the stage 12 and the upper electrode 14 ([0038], last sentence), the dielectric plate 18 may be a shower plate configured to eject the gas ([0040], same material as Applicants’ discharger 16, [0018], includes the claimed “a discharger configured to discharge electromagnetic waves into a plasma generation space below the excitation electrode”);
the waveguide device 20B includes a resonator 200B ([0059], 2nd sentence), the waveguide 201B of the resonator 200B is provided by a main portion 22B and a cylindrical member 24 ([0061], includes the claimed “and a resonator installed on the excitation electrode and electromagnetically coupled to the discharger” and as shown in Fig. 3),
the waveguide 201B includes an inner waveguide 204 and an outer waveguide 205. Each of the inner waveguide 204 and the outer waveguide 205 is a tubular waveguide extending in the vertical direction. The inner waveguide 204 extends radially inward with respect to the outer waveguide 205. A lower end of the outer waveguide 205 constitutes one end 202B of the waveguide 201B. An upper end of the outer waveguide 205 and an upper end of the inner waveguide 204 are continuous with each other. That is, the waveguide 201B is folded back in the direction in which the axis AX extends ([0060], includes the claimed “wherein the resonator includes a waveguide path including a folded portion between a first end and a second end of the resonator”).
‘569 does not teach the other limitations of:
Claim 1: (1A) (wherein the resonator includes a waveguide path including) a plurality of folded portions (between a first end and a second end of the resonator);
(1B) and wherein at least one adjustor configured to adjust a resonance frequency of the electromagnetic waves propagating in the waveguide path is installed in the waveguide path.
Claim 15: (15A) (wherein the resonator includes a waveguide path including) a plurality of folded portions (between a first end and a second end of the resonator);
(15B) and at least one dielectric having a dielectric constant different from a dielectric constant in other portions of the waveguide path, and disposed at an intermediate position between the first end and the second end of the waveguide path.
Claim 2: wherein the at least one adjustor includes at least one dielectric having a dielectric constant different from a dielectric constant in other portions of the waveguide path, and
wherein the at least one dielectric is disposed at an intermediate position between the first end and the second end of the waveguide path.
Claim 9:wherein the at least one dielectric changes an effective dielectric constant of the waveguide path.
In regarding to the limitations of 1A and 15A, duplicating the folded path of ‘569 is considered an obvious duplication of parts. It has been held that mere duplication of the essential working parts of a device involves only routine skill in the art. St. Regis Paper Co. v. Bemis Co., 193 USPQ 8.
Furthermore, ‘828 is analogous art in the field of a waveguide, a resonator ([0664]), including plasma enhanced CVD ([0162]). ’828 teaches that Filters similar to a delay line filter are filters based on slow-wave transmission lines. Such filters are often similarly formed as long transmission lines with a meandering or looping path, with discrete inductors and capacitors effectively formed along the length of the transmission line, which can cause the line to act in a manner similar to that of discrete or lumped elements. Such transmission line filters act as resonators and allow the filter designer to reduce or attenuate an electromagnetic wave's transmitted velocity via the impedance formed by the capacitance and inductance induced along the length of the transmission line using the narrow gaps between a coplanar ground plane and the transmission line (for capacitance), and a narrowing of the transmission line (for inductance) (Fig. 43C-N on sheet 223 of 283, [1279]), a filter, comprising: a substrate; and a meandering conductive path formed on the substrate--wherein the meandering conductive path comprises multiple turns formed in a substantially continuous length of the meandering conductive path to form a delay line or slow transmission line filter ([1310]).
Before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art to have replaced the single folded waveguide path of ‘569 with a meandering conductive path comprises multiple turns to form a delay line or slow transmission line filter of ‘828 (the limitations of 1A and 15A), for the purpose of reducing or attenuating an electromagnetic wave's transmitted velocity, as taught by ‘828 ([1279]).
‘480 is analogous art in the field of Plasma Processing Apparatus (title), The plasma processing apparatus propagates microwaves introduced into wave guide tubes to dielectric plates through slots, and performs plasma processing to the surface of the substrate by converting a gas supplied into a vacuum container into the plasma state. (abstract), The plasma processing apparatus may be configured to adjust the wavelength by changing a frequency of the microwave supplied by the microwave supply system ([0014], last sentence). ’480 teaches that the waveguide 301 has one end forming a short-circuit surface and the other end to which a microwave supply system 113 is connected ([0085], 2nd sentence), By vertically moving the plunger 302 along with the support rods 304 from the outside of the waveguide 301 to change the width of H surfaces of the waveguide 301, the guide wavelength can be adjusted (Fig. 11, [0087], 3rd sentence), The plunger 302 is provided with a choke dielectric 303. The choke dielectric 303 is made of alumina having a relative permittivity of 9.4, but may be made of a fluororesin, quartz, mullite, sapphire, yttria, aluminum nitride, silicon nitride, or the like or may be hollow ([0088]),
Before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art to have added a movable plunger with choke dielectric of ‘480 to the waveguide of ‘569 (the limitations of 1B, 15B, 2, and 9), for the purpose of adjusting the frequency of microwave, as taught by ‘480 ([0014], last sentence). As the choke dielectric is movable, it is capable of being operated “at an intermediate position between the first end and the second end of the waveguide path”.
Claims 3-5 and 16-18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over ‘569, ‘828, and ‘480, as being applied to claims 2 and 15 rejection above, further in view of Tamura et al. (US 20220359162, hereafter ‘162).
‘569 further teaches some limitations of:
Claims 3 and 16: Fig. 3 shows the claimed “wherein the discharger extends around a central axis line of the chamber and the excitation electrode”, and “wherein the resonator includes: an inner side portion and an outer side portion extending coaxially with respect to the central axis line” is also shown and is a definition,
The cylindrical member 24 is formed of a conductor such as aluminum or an aluminum alloy ([0065], includes the claimed “a conductive plate”),
Multiple first slits 147 and multiple second slits 148 are formed in the upper electrode 14B (Fig. 4, [0072], Fig. 3 shows includes the upper electrode 14B is right above the dielectric shower plate 18, claimed “wherein a lowermost conductive plate among the plurality of conductive plates includes a plurality of slots electromagnetically coupled to the discharger, and wherein the plurality of slots is arranged in a circumferential direction with respect to the central axis line”).
‘569’s cylindrical member 24 that divides the outer waveguide 205 and the inner waveguide 204 is a vertical plate, not a horizontal plate. Duplicating the cylindrical member 24 by the teaching of ‘828 also produce a plurality of vertical plates forming multiple turns.
The combination of ‘569, ‘828, and ‘480 does not teach the limitations of:
Claims 3 and 16: a plurality of conductive plates arranged parallel to each other in a vertical direction, which is a direction in which the central axis line extends,
wherein the resonator includes the waveguide path extending between the outer side portion and the inner side portion and including a plurality of layers arranged alternately with the plurality of conductive plates,
wherein each of the plurality of layers is connected to a layer thereabove among the plurality of layers at one of the plurality of folded portions along the inner side portion or the outer side portion;
(wherein a lowermost conductive plate) among the plurality of conductive plates (includes a plurality of slots electromagnetically coupled to the discharger, and
wherein the plurality of slots is arranged in a circumferential direction with respect to the central axis line).
‘162 is analogous art in the field of Plasma Processing Apparatus (title), a plasma processing apparatus capable of easily controlling a plasma density distribution on a processing target substrate, a plasma processing apparatus includes: a microwave generating source; a waveguide path including waveguides that transmit a microwave generated by the microwave generating source to a processing chamber (abstract), adjusting distribution of microwave power ([0026]). ’162 teaches that A flange portion 2041 is formed outside an output end side of the third circular waveguide 204, and a space formed by the flange portion 2041 and a circular tube 2043 acts as an inner antenna 206. In the present embodiment, a diameter of the circular tube 2043 is increased to open the microwave introduction window 103 side. Due to the cylindrical cavity type inner antenna 206, it is possible to generate the plasma having a convex distribution on the processing target substrate 106 in the plasma processing chamber 104 (Fig. 2, [0079]), The outer antenna 207 having a ring-shaped cavity resonator structure uses a slot 2045 extended in the azimuth direction for connection with the waveguide path 210 ([0082], 2nd sentence), a shower shape gas dispersion plate 111 ([0040]). ‘162 also teaches that An insertion amount of the dielectric 203 in the second circular waveguide 202 can be adjusted by inserting and removing (putting in and taking out) a portion protruding to the outside from the guide portion 136 from an outside of the circular-rectangular converter 135. The dielectric 203 is preferably a material that causes a small loss to the microwave and is also stable against a temperature change or the like, and quartz is used in the present embodiment ([0072]). In short, ‘162 teaches waveguide path 210 having one horizontal fold.
Before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art to have changed the orientation of the inner wave guide 204 and outer waveguide 205 by the conductive cylindrical member 24 to horizontal direction as the flange portion 2041 of ‘162, for the purpose of adjusting distribution of microwave power ([0026]). Furthermore, to have replaced the single folded waveguide path with a meandering conductive path comprises multiple turns to form a delay line or slow transmission line filter of ‘828, for the purpose of reducing or attenuating an electromagnetic wave's transmitted velocity, as taught by ‘828 ([1279]).
The combination of ‘569, ‘828, ‘480, and ‘162 further teaches the limitations of:
Claims 4 and 17: a vertically movable plunger 302 forming the E surface of the waveguide 301 (‘480, [0087], includes the claimed “wherein the resonator further includes at least one guider configured to guide the at least one dielectric”, by changing the orientation of the cylindrical conductor member 24 to horizontal, the plunger 302 also needs to be changed to horizontal movement, includes the claimed “in a radial direction with respect to the central axis line”).
Claims 5 and 18: Two rectangular waveguides 102 are disposed in parallel to each other (‘480, Fig. 1, [0038], i.e. symmetric to a center axis of the vacuum container 101, by dividing the waveguide 20B of ‘569 into two waveguides 102 of Fig. 1 of ‘480, adding the flange portion 2042 to each of the waveguide 102 as taught by ‘162, duplicated to multiple turns as taught by ‘828, and the movable plunger with choke dielectric as taught by Fig. 11 of ‘480, it would have had the claimed “wherein the resonator includes a plurality of dielectrics as the at least one dielectric and a plurality of guiders arranged rotationally symmetrically around the central axis line as the at least one guider, and wherein the plurality of guiders is configured to respectively guide the plurality of dielectrics in the radial direction”).
Claims 6-8 ad 19-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over ‘569, ‘828, ‘480, and ‘162, as being applied to claim 3 rejection above, further in view of Geisler et al. (US 5173640, hereafter ‘640).
The combination of ‘569, ‘828, ‘480, and ‘162 does not teach the limitations of:
Claims 6 and 19: wherein the at least one dielectric is disposed within the waveguide path and is detachably fixed to the outer side portion.
‘640 is analogous art in the field of Apparatus For The Production Of A Regular Microwave Field (title), This apparatus has a cavity resonator into which microwaves are put. Electromagnetic energy is coupled by special couplers, inductively or capacitively, out of the standing waves forming in the cavity resonator into a chamber in which preferably a plasma is contained (abstract). ’640 teaches that The resonator consists in this case, for example, of a rectangular tube 1 m long. At one end it can have a short-circuiting plate, not shown, and at the other end a short-circuiting slide, not shown. With this slide the resonance frequency can be adjusted. The dimensions of the resonator 2 alone determine the field pattern at a given frequency and dielectric constant, and thereby the resultant resonant frequency (col. 3, line 62 to col. 4, line 2, in other words, the short-circuiting plate at one end is not slidable).
Before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art to have added a short-circuiting plate on one end in addition to the movable plunger with choke dielectric imported from ‘480, to the waveguide of ‘569, for the purpose of adjusting resonance frequency, as taught by ‘640 (col. 3, lines 66-67).
Claims 7-8 and 20: Two rectangular waveguides 102 are disposed in parallel to each other (‘480, Fig. 1, [0038], i.e. symmetric to a center axis of the vacuum container 101, by dividing the waveguide 20B of ‘569 into two waveguides 102 of Fig. 1 of ‘480, adding the flange portion 2042 to each of the waveguide 102 as taught by ‘162, and duplicated the un-slidable short-circuiting plate of ‘640 it would have had the claimed “wherein the resonator includes a plurality of dielectrics as the at least one dielectric, and wherein the plurality of dielectrics is respectively disposed at a plurality of locations rotationally symmetrical around the central axis line within the waveguide path and is detachably fixed to the outer side portion” of claims 7 and 20, and “wherein the at least one dielectric changes an effective dielectric constant of the waveguide path” of claim 8).
Claim 10 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over ‘569, ‘828, and ‘480, as being applied to claim 2 rejection above, further in view of Wu (US 6114811, hereafter ‘811).
The combination of ‘569, ‘828, and ‘480 does not teach the limitations of:
Claim 10: wherein the at least one adjustor includes at least one spacer of a metal disposed between the first end and the second end.
‘811 is analogous art in the field of Apparatus Electromagnetic High-frequency Apparatus With A Transmission Wall Having Antennas (title), An electromagnetic radio-frequency or microwave device (abstract), a plurality of waveguides parallel to one another in the transmission chamber and to allocate compartments to the waveguides by means of conductive intermediate walls (col. 3, lines 10-12), The waveguide can in this case preferably be designed in the form of a rod and can project through an opening in a partition wall into a cavity resonator whose longitudinal axis is at right angles to the longitudinal axis of the transmission chamber (col. 2, lines 64-67). ’811 teaches that FIG. 5 shows that each waveguide 3 is allocated on each of its two sides a row of circular through-openings 14 with antenna elements 10, the symmetrical arrangement on both sides of the waveguide 3 being a major feature (col. 5, lines 25-29), The antenna elements 10 are preferably kept available in different lengths and are used experimentally in different lengths in order to achieve an optimized configuration. Changing to an antenna element 10 having a different length immediately and dramatically changes the resonance condition in the transmission chamber 4. In order to allow adaptations to be carried out in each case here, the transmission chamber 4 is provided on the side opposite the hollow waveguide 1 with a movable metallic piston 15, by means of which an optimum resonance condition can be set empirically once again in the transmission chamber 4 (col. 4, line 66 to col. 5, line 9).
Before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art to have added a moveable metallic piston 15 of ‘811, 480 to the waveguide of ‘569, for the purpose of adapting to optimal resonance condition, as taught by ‘811 (col. 5, lines 1-9).
Claims 11-14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over ‘569, ‘828, ‘480, and ‘811, as being applied to claim 10 rejection above, further in view of ‘162.
‘569 further teaches some limitations of:
Claim 11: Fig. 3 shows the claimed “wherein the discharger extends around a central axis line of the chamber and the excitation electrode” and “wherein the resonator includes: an inner side portion and an outer side portion extending coaxially with respect to the central axis line” is also shown and is a definition),
The cylindrical member 24 is formed of a conductor such as aluminum or an aluminum alloy ([0065], includes the claimed “a conductive plate”),
Multiple first slits 147 and multiple second slits 148 are formed in the upper electrode 14B (Fig. 4, [0072], Fig. 3 shows includes the upper electrode 14B is right above the dielectric shower plate 18, claimed “wherein a lowermost conductive plate among the plurality of conductive plates includes a plurality of slots electromagnetically coupled to the discharger, and wherein the plurality of slots is arranged in a circumferential direction with respect to the central axis line”).
‘569’s cylindrical member 24 that divides the outer waveguide 205 and the inner waveguide 204 is a vertical plate, not a horizontal plate. Duplicating the cylindrical member 24 by the teaching of ‘828 also produce a plurality of vertical plates forming multiple turns.
The combination of ‘569, ‘828, ‘480, and ‘811 does not teaches the limitations of:
Claim 11: a plurality of conductive plates arranged parallel to each other in a vertical direction, which is a direction in which the central axis line extends,
wherein the resonator includes the waveguide path extending between the outer side portion and the inner side portion and including a plurality of layers arranged alternately with the plurality of conductive plates,
wherein each of the plurality of layers is connected to a layer thereabove among the plurality of layers at one of the plurality of folded portions along the inner side portion or the outer side portion;
(wherein a lowermost conductive plate) among the plurality of conductive plates (includes a plurality of slots electromagnetically coupled to the discharger, and
wherein the plurality of slots is arranged in a circumferential direction with respect to the central axis line).
‘162 is analogous art as discussed above.
Before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art to have changed the orientation of the inner wave guide 204 and outer waveguide 205 by the conductive cylindrical member 24 to horizontal direction as the flange portion 2041 of ‘162, for the purpose of adjusting distribution of microwave power ([0026]). Furthermore, to have replaced the single folded waveguide path with a meandering conductive path comprises multiple turns to form a delay line or slow transmission line filter of ‘828, for the purpose of reducing or attenuating an electromagnetic wave's transmitted velocity, as taught by ‘828 ([1279]).
The combination of ‘569, ‘828, ‘480, ‘811, and ‘162 further teaches the limitations of:
Claims 12-14: Two rectangular waveguides 102 are disposed in parallel to each other (‘480, Fig. 1, [0038], i.e. symmetric to a center axis of the vacuum container 101, by dividing the waveguide 20B of ‘569 into two waveguides 102 of Fig. 1 of ‘480, adding the flange portion 2042 to each of the waveguide 102 as taught by ‘162, duplicated to multiple turns as taught by ‘828, and the movable metallic piston 15 of ‘811, it would have had the claimed “wherein the resonator includes a plurality of spacers as the at least one spacer, and wherein the plurality of spacers is disposed rotationally symmetrically with respect to the central axis line within an uppermost layer among the plurality of layers” of claim 12 and “wherein the at least one spacer is installed to be movable in a radial direction with respect to the central axis line in the waveguide path” of claims 13-14).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. US 20090249610 is cited for slow-wave propagation to reduce sizes and cost ([0004], last sentence). US 20090218211 is cited for waveguide with adjustable short-circuiting plunger 3 and metal plates 31, 32, 33 (Fig. 2, [0073], [0076]).
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/KEATH T CHEN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1716
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