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 U.S.C. 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.
Claim(s) 1-3, 5 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Horioka et al. (6,132,551) in view of Ranish et al. (2017/0263466), further in view of Outten (2019/0145005).
Regarding Claim 1, Horioka et al. (6,132,551) discloses a substrate processing apparatus comprising:
a chamber (reactor chamber, abstract) (figs. 2, 4) having a sidewall (side wall 120, fig. 2, Col. 1, line 66 to Col. 2 line 4);
a susceptor (wafer pedestal 110) (fig. 2) configured to mount a substrate (workpiece) inside the chamber (Col. 3, lines 21-23);
an upper dome (annotated below) (fig. 4) surrounding an upper surface of the chamber (figs. 2, 4) and formed of a transparent dielectric material (Fig. 4, Col. 9, lines 51-60);
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an antenna (coil antenna 115) disposed above the upper dome to generate inductively-coupled plasma (“laminated RF window 400 includes a dielectric window body, Col. 9, lines 51-60; inductively coupled plasma reactor, abstract); and
As discussed above, Horioka essentially discloses the claimed invention but does not explicitly disclose wherein the electromagnetic wave shield housing is heated by a heater.
However, Ranish et al, (2017/0263466) discloses a radiant heat source including a lamp assembly formed from a housing (fig. 5 and paragraph [0082]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to have provided a radiant heater in Horioka to provide radiant heat from bottom of the chamber in order to heat up both sides of the workpiece as taught by Ranish.
As discussed above, Horioka in view of Ranish does not explicitly disclose an electromagnetic wave shield housing disposed to surround the antenna and a cooling housing spaced apart from the electromagnetic wave shield housing surrounding the electromagnetic wave shield housing, and the cooling housing is cooled by a refrigerant.
However, Outten (2019/0145005) discloses an electromagnetic wave shield housing (330) disposed to surround the antenna (312) (fig. 3) and a cooling housing (304, 308) spaced apart from the electromagnetic wave shield housing (330) surrounding the electromagnetic wave shield housing (330), and the cooling housing is cooled by a refrigerant (refrigerants, paragraph [0053]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to have provided an electromagnetic wave shield housing to surround the antenna in order to confine the plasma and electromagnetic wave inside the chamber in Horioka in view of Ranish as taught by Outten and have provided a cooling housing to cool down the excessive heat at the chamber in order to prevent overheating of the plasma chamber body in Horioka in view of Ranish as taught by Outten.
Regarding Claim 2, Horioka essentially discloses the claimed invention but does not explicitly disclose the substrate processing apparatus as set forth in claim 1, further comprising: a thermally insulating spacer thermally insulated from the electromagnetic wave shield housing and an upper surface of the chamber.
However, Ranish discloses high temperature resistant material such as polyimide ceramic or quartz (paragraph [0105]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to have used the high temperature resistant material such as ceramic in Horioka in order to control the temperature inside the chamber as taught by Ranish.
Regarding Claim 3, Horioka essentially discloses the claimed invention but does not explicitly disclose the substrate processing apparatus as set forth in claim 2, wherein the thermally insulating spacer has a shape of a ring formed of a ceramic material.
However, Ranish discloses high temperature resistant material such as polyimide ceramic or quartz (paragraph [0105]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to have used the high temperature resistant material such as ceramic in Horioka in order to control the temperature inside the chamber as taught by Ranish.
Regarding Claim 5, Hoorioka in view of Ranish discloses the substrate processing apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein a temperature of the electromagnetic wave shield housing ranges from 200 degrees Celsius to 600 degrees Celsius (Ranish teaches the temperature can be reached 300 degrees Celsius (paragraph [0041], [0107]) which meets the range as claimed).
Allowable subject matter
Claims 6-8 are allowed.
The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance:
Prior arts of record do not render obvious, nor anticipate the combination of claimed elements including the technique of:
“a funnel-shaped lower dome covering a lower surface of the chamber and comprising a transparent dielectric material;
a concentric lamp heater on a lower surface of the lower dome;
a ring-shaped upper liner on an internal side of the chamber, surrounding a lower side edge of the upper dome, and formed of comprising a dielectric material;
a ring-shaped lower line on the internal side of the chamber, surrounding an internal circumferential surface of an upper edge of the lower dome, and comprising a dielectric material; and
a reflector on a lower surface of the concentric lamp heater, wherein the electromagnetic wave shield housing is heated by an additional heater” such as required by claim 6.
“the antenna comprises two one-turn unit antennas,
the two one-turn unit antennas are disposed to overlap each other on an upper surface and a lower surface,
the two one-turn unit antennas are connected to a radio-frequency (RF) power supply in parallel, and
a width direction of the two one-turn unit antennas stands upright” such as required by Claim 8.
Any comments considered necessary by applicant must be submitted no later than the payment of the issue fee and, to avoid processing delays, should preferably accompany the issue fee. Such submissions should be clearly labeled “Comments on Statement of Reasons for Allowance.”
Remarks
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 1-3, 5, 6-8 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
Correspondence
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Examiner Wilson Lee whose telephone number is (571) 272-1824. Proposed amendment and interview agenda can be submitted to Examiner’s direct fax at (571) 273-1824.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, examiner’s supervisor, Alexander Taningco can be reached at (571) 272-8048. Papers related to the application may be submitted by facsimile transmission. Any transmission not to be considered an official response must be clearly marked "DRAFT". The official fax number is (571) 273-8300.
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/WILSON LEE/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2844