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 § 102
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.
Claims 1-8,10-29,33,35,36 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being clearly anticipated by Cleary et al(2010/0255198).
Cleary et al teaches in figures 6 and 8 a vaporizer comprising: a vessel(vaporizer vessel 410) having an outlet(outlet to feed line 226), the vessel containing: a vaporizable precursor that, when vaporized, produces a metal halide vapor(para 0186 stating “at least one porous metal body is provide in the interior volume and adapted to support the source reagent in porosity thereof”; para 0101 stating “the present invention in various aspects relates to vaporizer systems for generating and delivering source reagent vapor from solid or liquid source reagents”; para 0102 stating “solids precursors with which the vaporizer systems of the invention are usefully employed can be of any suitable type, including solid-phase metal halides”); an oxygen-containing species(para 0094 stating “the reaction of precursor with oxygen and moisture”); and a metal getter(porous metal body 422); wherein the metal getter is configured to reduce an impurity content of the metal halide vapor exiting through the outlet of the vessel to less than 1% by volume of an impurity based on a total volume of the metal halide vapor (Examiner notes the limitations “wherein the metal getter is configured to reduce an impurity content of the metal halide vapor exiting through the outlet of the vessel to less than 1% by volume of an impurity based on a total volume of the metal halide vapor” is directed to a function of the claimed metal getter and is not given patentable weight for prior art analysis , wherein anticipation is based on the prior art reference mapping the claimed structural limitations) .
With regards to claim 2, Cleary et al further teaches wherein the vessel comprises: a vessel body(412); and a lid(418) removably coupled to the vessel body, wherein the lid, when mated with the vessel body, defines an interior volume of the vessel body; wherein the outlet of the vessel is located in the lid.
With regards to claim 3, Cleary et al further teaches a tray(porous metal body tray 422) located within the vessel, wherein the tray is configured to support the vaporizable precursor; wherein the metal getter is located within the vessel between the tray and the outlet, wherein the tray is different from the metal getter(para 0157 stating “the trays in figure 6 are shown as having solids 234 in particulate form thereon, but it will be recognized that the solid may be provided on the support plates 232 as a deposited film, coating , or the like”).
With regards to claim 4, Cleary et al further teaches wherein the tray is one of a plurality of stacked trays(stacked trays 422) located within the vessel, wherein the tray is a topmost tray of the plurality of stacked trays.
With regards to claim 5, Cleary et al further teaches wherein: the tray comprises: a base; and a sidewall extending upwards from an outer edge of the base(sidewall extending up shown in figure 8); and the metal getter is located on at least a portion of the tray.
With regards to claim 6, Cleary et al further teaches wherein the metal getter contacts at least a portion of a top surface of the sidewall of the tray.
With regards to claim 7, Cleary et al further teaches wherein the metal getter contacts at least a portion of a top surface of the base of the tray.
With regards to claim 8, Cleary et al further teaches wherein a width of the metal getter is less than a width of the vessel(para 0055 stating “the trays are preferably fabricated of a non-reactive heat- conducting material, such as for example silver, silver alloy, copper, copper alloy, aluminum, aluminum alloy, lead , nickel clad, stainless steel, graphite, silicon carbide coated graphite … “; para 0061 stating “the trays can be mounted …, as a unitary array that is inserted into and withdrawn from the interior volume of the vessel”).
With regards to claim 10, Cleary et al further teaches wherein the metal getter does not comprise a sidewall(para 0055 stating “the trays are preferably fabricated of a non-reactive heat- conducting material, such as for example silver, silver alloy, copper, copper alloy, aluminum, aluminum alloy, lead , nickel clad, stainless steel, graphite, silicon carbide coated graphite … “; para 0061 stating “the trays may be fabricated without sidewalls”).
With regards to claim 11, Cleary et al further teaches wherein the metal getter comprises a metal plate(para 0055 stating “the trays are preferably fabricated of a non-reactive heat- conducting material, such as for example silver, silver alloy, copper, copper alloy, aluminum, aluminum alloy, lead , nickel clad, stainless steel, graphite, silicon carbide coated graphite … “).
With regards to claim 12, Cleary et al further teaches wherein the metal getter comprises a metal sheet(para 0055 stating “the trays are preferably fabricated of a non-reactive heat- conducting material, such as for example silver, silver alloy, copper, copper alloy, aluminum, aluminum alloy, lead , nickel clad, stainless steel, graphite, silicon carbide coated graphite … “).
With regards to claim 13, Cleary et al further teaches wherein the metal getter comprises a metal foil(porous metal body; noting the porous metal plate of Cleary et al becomes a metal foil based on a reduced thickness).
With regards to claim 14, Cleary et al further teaches wherein the metal getter comprises a fibrous metal.
With regards to claim 15, Cleary et al further teaches wherein the metal getter comprises a sintered metal disk(noting disk form in figures 6 and 8).
With regards to claim 16, Cleary et al further teaches wherein the metal getter has a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface, wherein the metal getter defines a plurality of holes(noting porous structure of metal body) extending from the first surface of the metal getter through to the second surface of the metal getter.
With regards to claim 17, Cleary et al further teaches an inlet(carrier gas line 220 in figure 6).
With regards to claim 18, Cleary et al further teaches wherein the getter is a tray(para 0055 stating “the trays are preferably fabricated of a non-reactive heat- conducting material, such as for example silver, silver alloy, copper, copper alloy, aluminum, aluminum alloy, lead , nickel clad, stainless steel, graphite, silicon carbide coated graphite … “).
With regards to claim 19, Cleary et al further teaches wherein the metal getter is formed of a substantially pure Al material, an aluminum alloy material, a substantially pure hafnium material, a substantially pure zirconium material, a substantially pure titanium material, a substantially pure silicon material, or a substantially pure phosphorus material(para 0055 noting trays of pure Al and aluminum alloy).
With regards to claim 20, Cleary et al further teaches wherein the metal getter is formed of a 443 series aluminum alloy, a 444 series aluminum alloy, a 1050 series aluminum alloy, or a 2011 series aluminum alloy.
With regards to claim 21, Cleary et al further teaches wherein the metal getter is substantially free of at least one of Mg, Ti, Si, Zr, Hf, Cr, Zr, V, or any combination thereof.
With regards to claim 22, Cleary et al further teaches wherein the oxygen-containing species comprises at least one of H2O, O₂, or any combination thereof.
With regards to claim 23, Cleary et al further teaches wherein the impurity content of the metal halide vapor is 0.000001% to 1% by volume of the impurity based on the total volume of the metal halide vapor(Examiner notes the limitations “wherein the metal getter is configured to reduce an impurity content of the metal halide vapor exiting through the outlet of the vessel to less than 1% by volume of an impurity based on a total volume of the metal halide vapor” is directed to a function of the claimed metal getter and is not given patentable weight for prior art analysis , wherein anticipation is based on the prior art reference mapping the claimed structural limitations) .
With regards to claim 24, Cleary et al further teaches wherein the metal halide vapor comprises AICI₃ and wherein the metal getter comprises a substantially pure AI material(Examiner notes the metal getter comprises a substantially pure AI material (para 0055) and a metal halide vapor is a product of a vaporization process and is not given patentable weight for prior art analysis).
With regards to claim 25, Cleary et al further teaches wherein the metal halide vapor comprises AICI₃ and wherein the metal getter comprises an Al alloy material (Examiner notes the metal getter comprises an Al alloy material (para 0055) and a metal halide vapor is a product of a vaporization process and is not given patentable weight for prior art analysis).
With regards to claim 26, Cleary et al further teaches wherein the AI alloy material comprises a 443 series aluminum alloy, a 444 series aluminum alloy, a 1050 series aluminum alloy, or a 2011 series aluminum alloy.
With regards to claim 27, Cleary et al further teaches wherein the Al alloy material is substantially free of an impurity-forming metal.
With regards to claim 28, Cleary et al further teaches wherein the impurity-forming metal comprises at least one of Mg, Ti, Si, Zr, Hf, Cr, Zr, or any combination thereof.
With regards to claim 29, Cleary et al further teaches wherein the Al alloy material comprises at least one of Fe, Ni, Cu, or any combination thereof.
With regards to claim 33 , Cleary et al further teaches wherein the metal getter does not comprise AI, V, or AI and V.
With regards to claim 35 , Cleary et al further teaches wherein the metal getter further comprises an inert material.
With regards to claim 36 , Cleary et al further teaches wherein the inert material comprises carbon(para 055 noting graphite), silica, or a combination thereof.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 9, 30,31,32,34 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.
With regards to claim 9, Cleary et al does not teach or suggest wherein the metal getter has a form of at least one of a powder, a chunk, a bead, or any combination thereof”.
With regards to claim 30, Cleary et al does not teach or suggest wherein the metal halide vapor comprises HfCI4 and wherein the metal getter comprises a substantially pure Hf material.
With regards to claim 31 , Cleary et al does not teach or suggest wherein the metal halide vapor comprises ZrCl4 and wherein the metal getter comprises a substantially pure Zr material.
With regards to claim 32 , Cleary et al does not teach or suggest wherein the metal halide vapor comprises TiCl4 and wherein the metal getter comprises a substantially pure Ti material.
With regards to claim 34 , Cleary et al does not teach or suggest wherein the metal halide vapor comprises SiCl4 and wherein the metal getter comprises a substantially pure Si material.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ROBERT A HOPKINS whose telephone number is (571)272-1159. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Thurs 6am-4pm.
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/ROBERT A HOPKINS/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1776
August 31, 2026
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