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 .
DETAILED ACTION
Status of the Claims
Claims 1-20 are pending in the current application.
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.
Claim(s) 1-2, 5-10, 15, 19-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Shoeb (US 20190295821) in view of Brouk (US 20190180982).
As to claim 1, Shoeb discloses a plasma process apparatus comprising:
A chamber configured to mount a wafer (figure 1: chamber 112 with wafer/substrate 118);
A power source to generate a plasma in the chamber (abstract: plasma generation from power applied to electrodes; figure 1: power source 102);
A multi-level pulse circuit configured to generate a wafer voltage to accelerate plasma, generating a pulse signal with a first and second lower voltage, and third different voltage higher than the second (figure 2b: generation of multi-level pulse at three raising levels [PR/S1-PR/S2-PR/S3]).
Shoeb, while disclosing a multi-level pulsed RF signal to generate plasma in a processing chamber with circuit controllers and impedance matching (figure 1; paragraph 103), is silent as to a non-linear compensation of the pulses.
Brouk discloses a plasma processing apparatus with a controlled pulsed RF power supply is supplied to a substrate to generate and accelerate plasma (figure 1; paragraph 7: pulsed power; paragraph 83: RF power). Brouk also discloses knowledge in the art of non-linear compensation to the pulses (figure 11; paragraph 123) to obtain a desired ion energy distribution during the processing steps (paragraph 9-11).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to non-linearly modulate the pulse voltage, as disclosed by Brouk, in the system of Shoeb, because this allows for control over the ion energy distribution reaching the substrate during processing.
As to claim 2, Shoeb discloses a power supply and control system for generation of the pulse voltages, the power supply including a driver system circuitry and modules (figure 1:DRVRA system for supply 102 and modules PRA and FC; paragraph 105) and a controller system circuitry to the modules and power supply (figure 1: controller computer 106 to power system; paragraph 103).
As to claim 5, Brouk discloses the compensation circuit stores the waveform information in a lookup table (paragraphs 105-106: stored waveform information – by definition the stored values are a ‘look-up table’ for the controller’s use).
As to claim 6, Brouk discloses the compensation voltage to an exponential function (figure 11: showing 5th embodiment with exponential increase and decrease [resulting in linear decrease ion flux]).
As to claim 7, Shoeb discloses the first pulse voltage during a first time period, and the third voltage during a second time period (figure 2b: pulse voltages at first, second and third voltages during respective time periods).
As to claim 8, Brouk discloses voltage compensation during each pulse to obtain the controlled ion energy distribution during processing, as discussed above. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to apply the compensation of Brouk to each pulse period of Shoeb to obtain the desired ion energy distribution during the entire processing operation.
As to claim 9, Brouk discloses non-linear change of the compensation voltage in response to ion accumulation in the plasma (figure 11: voltage compensation options to obtain desired ion flux [ion density/accumulation per unit area]).
As to claim 10, Shoeb discloses a plasma process apparatus comprising:
A chamber configured to mount a wafer (figure 1: chamber 112 with wafer/substrate 118);
A power source to generate a plasma in the chamber (abstract: plasma generation from power applied to electrodes; figure 1: power source 102);
A multi-level pulse circuit configured to generate a wafer voltage to accelerate plasma, generating a pulse signal with a first and second lower voltage, and third different voltage higher than the second (figure 2b: generation of multi-level pulse at three raising levels [PR/S1-PR/S2-PR/S3]).
Shoeb, while disclosing a multi-level pulsed RF signal to generate plasma in a processing chamber with circuit controllers and impedance matching (figure 1; paragraph 103), is silent as to edge boost voltages and a compensation voltage.
Brouk discloses a plasma processing apparatus with a controlled pulsed RF power supply is supplied to a substrate to generate and accelerate plasma (figure 1; paragraph 7: pulsed power; paragraph 83: RF power). Brouk also discloses knowledge in the art of a voltage compensation to the pulses (figure 11; paragraph 123) with leading and ending edge boost voltages (figure 6: leading and ending edge voltage ‘spikes’ for ion energy compensation) to obtain a desired ion energy distribution during the processing steps (paragraph 9-11).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modulate the pulse voltage, as disclosed by Brouk, in the system of Shoeb, because this allows for control over the ion energy distribution reaching the substrate during processing.
As to claim 15, Brouk discloses voltage compensation between the first and second boost voltages (figure 11 voltage compensation during entirety of pulse, and therefore between start/end boosts).
As to claim 19, Shoeb discloses a plasma process apparatus comprising:
A chamber configured to mount a wafer (figure 1: chamber 112 with wafer/substrate 118);
A gas supply (paragraph 130);
A substrate support under the gas injection unit with lower electrode (figure 1: support and electrode 114);
A power source connected to the lower electrode to generate a plasma in the chamber (abstract: plasma generation from power applied to electrodes; figure 1: power source 102);
A multi-level pulse circuit configured to generate a wafer voltage to accelerate plasma, generating a pulse signal with a first and second lower voltage, and third different voltage higher than the second (figure 2b: generation of multi-level pulse at three raising levels [PR/S1-PR/S2-PR/S3]).
Shoeb, while disclosing a multi-level pulsed RF signal to generate plasma in a processing chamber with circuit controllers and impedance matching (figure 1; paragraph 103), is silent as to edge boost voltages and a compensation voltage and an upper grounded gas injection electrode.
Brouk discloses a plasma processing apparatus with a controlled pulsed RF power supply is supplied to a substrate to generate and accelerate plasma (figure 1; paragraph 7: pulsed power; paragraph 83: RF power) with an upper grounded showerhead for supplying processing gas (figure 18: grounded showerhead 1886; paragraph 205). Brouk also discloses knowledge in the art of non-linear compensation to the pulses (figure 11; paragraph 123) to obtain a desired ion energy distribution during the processing steps (paragraph 9-11).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to supply processing gas and non-linearly modulate the pulse voltage, as disclosed by Brouk, in the system of Shoeb, because this allows for plasma generation and control over the ion energy distribution reaching the substrate during processing.
As to claim 20, Brouk discloses a bias voltage to the substrate for an etching period with a negative voltage modulation during etching processes (paragraph 3; figures 9, 11: negative voltage modulation during pulses).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 3-4, 11-14, 16-18 are 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.
These claims contain details of the power system and operation of the power system not taught nor suggested by the prior art.
Correspondence Information
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JASON BERMAN whose telephone number is (571)270-5265. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday - Thursday 8-4.
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/JASON BERMAN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1794
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