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 .
Drawings
The drawings are objected to as failing to comply with 37 CFR 1.84(p)(5) because they include the following reference character(s) not mentioned in the description: 832. Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d), or amendment to the specification to add the reference character(s) in the description in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(b) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) 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 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) 11, 1 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over US 20200131635 in view of US 20210358719 to Hwang.
Claims 11, 1: AuBuchon discloses a processing chamber comprising: a chamber body (100/102, Fig. 1) having sidewalls (104 [walls]) and a bottom (106 [bottom]) bounding a process volume (109 [interior volume]); a substrate support (110’s) having a rotational axis (211 [rotational axis]) within the process volume (109), the substrate support (110’s) comprising a plurality of movable heaters (110’s processing stations]) positioned a distance from the rotational axis (211) and arranged symmetrically around the rotational axis (211, Fig. 1); and
a chamber lid (300 [top plate]) positioned in contact with a top edge of the sidewalls (104) of the chamber body (100/102), the chamber lid (300) comprising a lid body (300) having a top surface (301) and a bottom surface (302) defining a thickness of the lid body (300), the lid body (300) having a reference axis (211) extending along a direction perpendicular to the lid body (300), a plurality of station openings (310 [openings]) extending through the thickness of the lid body (300) and arranged symmetrically around the reference axis of the lid body (211 of 300),
However AuBuchon does not disclose and a plurality of slotted openings extending through the thickness of the lid body, each of the slotted openings positioned between adjacent station openings and having a length and a width, the length measured from an inner end of the slotted opening located nearer the reference axis to an outer end of the slotted opening further from the reference axis than the inner end.
Hwang discloses and a plurality of slotted openings (two openings surrounding 300, Fig. 1-2) extending through the thickness of the lid body (“upper lid”), each of the slotted openings (openings surrounding 300) positioned between adjacent station openings (100, 200) and having a length and a width (Fig. 1, 2), the length measured from an inner end of the slotted opening located nearer the reference axis (center of 306) to an outer end of the slotted opening further from the reference axis than the inner end (outer ends of 300), for the purpose of separating zones from one another (para. [0043]).
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the slotted openings as taught by Hwang with motivation to separate zones from one another.
Claim(s) 12-15, 2-6 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over AuBuchon in view of Hwang as applied to claims 11, 1 above, and further in view of US 20110253044 to Tam.
Claims 12-15, 2-6: The apparatus of AuBuchon in view of Hwang does not disclose (claims 12, 2) further comprising an elongate metrology plate positioned within each of the plurality of slotted openings; (claims 13, 3) wherein at least one of the elongate metrology plates comprises a pyrometer configured to measure a temperature of a wafer during movement/processing; (claims 14, 5) wherein each of the elongate metrology plates comprises an upper portion and a lower portion, the upper portion having a greater width than the lower portion with a bottom face configured to support the elongate metrology plate within the slotted opening;
(claims 15, 6) wherein at least one end of the elongate metrology plates comprise a gas port configured to provide one or more of a vacuum stream or purge gas stream between an end face of the elongate metrology plate and an end face of the slotted opening; (claim 4) wherein each of the elongate metrology plates independently comprises one or more of a plate blank, a reflectometer, a capacitance sensor, a gas flow meter, a manometer, a pyrometer, a distance sensor (laser) or an emissometer.
Tam discloses (claims 12, 2) further comprising an elongate metrology plate (291 [first metrology assembly], Fig. 3, where elongate is interpreted as a vertical height) positioned within each of the plurality of openings (296 [first metrology port]); (claims 13, 3) wherein at least one of the elongate metrology plates (291) comprises a pyrometer (320 [pyrometer assembly], Fig. 3, para. [0044]), configured to measure a temperature of a wafer during movement/processing (para. [0041]);
(claims 14, 5) wherein each of the elongate metrology plates (291) comprises an upper portion (315 [coupler]) and a lower portion (305 [sheath]), the upper portion (315) having a greater width than the lower portion (305) with a bottom face (bottom of 315) configured to support the elongate metrology plate (291) within the opening (296, Fig. 3); (claims 15, 6) wherein at least one end of the elongate metrology plates (291) comprise a gas port (318 [second inlet]) configured to provide one or more of a vacuum stream or purge gas stream between an end face of the elongate metrology plate (end face of 291) and an end face of the opening (end face of 296);
(claim 4) wherein each of the elongate metrology plates (292 [second metrology assembly], Fig. 4A) independently comprises one or more of a plate blank, a reflectometer, a capacitance sensor, a gas flow meter, a manometer, a pyrometer, a distance sensor (laser) or an emissometer (“sensor window” for emitting beams of light that can be reflected back, para. [0042]). Tam discloses the above limitations for the purpose of determining a property of a substrate (para. [0042]) and/or preventing undesirable deposition of material on the transmission surface of the optical element, resulting in the gathering of more reliable temperature information by the pyrometer assembly (para. [0047]).
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the limitations above as taught by Tam with motivation to determine a property of a substrate and/or prevent undesirable deposition of material on the transmission surface of the optical element, resulting in the gathering of more reliable temperature information by the pyrometer assembly.
Claim(s) 7, 10 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over AuBuchon in view of Hwang and further in view of Tam as applied to claims 12-15, 2-6 above, and further in view of US 5914050 to Comita.
Claims 7, 10: The apparatus of AuBuchon in view of Hwang does not disclose (claim 7) wherein at least one of the elongate metrology plates comprises an inlet in a top surface of the upper portion, the inlet connected to a gas channel extending at least partially through the thickness of the elongate metrology plate to an outlet; (claim 10) wherein the upper portion of the elongate metrology plate comprises an arcuate recess formed in a side face of the upper portion.
Comita discloses (claim 7) wherein a plate (44 [liner ring], Fig. 6) comprises an inlet (40 [thermocouple port]) in a top surface of the upper portion (top surface of upper portion of 44), the inlet (40) connected to a gas channel (46 [channel]) extending at least partially through the thickness of the plate (46) to an outlet (30 [outlet port], Fig. 8); (claim 10) wherein the upper portion of the plate (44) comprises an arcuate recess (34 [gas outlet recess]) formed in a side face of the upper portion (side face of upper portion of 44, Fig. 6). Comita discloses this for the purpose of clearing contaminants without the purge gas mixing with the process environment of the processing chamber (c. 3, l. 54-60).
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the concept above as taught by Comita with motivation to clear contaminants without the purge gas mixing with the process environment of the processing chamber.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 8, 9 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected independent claim, but would be allowable if rewritten into the independent claim including all of the limitations of the independent claim and any intervening claims.
Claims 16 is objected to as being dependent upon a rejected independent claim, but would be allowable if rewritten into the independent claim including all of the limitations of the independent claim and any intervening claims.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. US 20190382896 discloses elongated slot openings (610, Fig. 6) can be occupied by an injector insert (700, Fig. 7); between the injectors are purge gas ports (155).
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Charlee J. C. Bennett whose telephone number is (571)270-7972. The examiner can normally be reached M-Th 10am-6pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Gordon Baldwin can be reached at 5712725166. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/Charlee J. C. Bennett/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1718
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