Last updated: July 17, 2026

Application No. 18/786,928

SEMICONDUCTOR PROCESS CHAMBER WITH IMPROVED REFLECTOR

Non-Final OA

Filed

Jul 29, 2024

Priority

Jun 10, 2022 — divisional of 17/837,910

Examiner

NUCKOLS, TIFFANY Z

Art Unit

1716

Tech Center

1700 — Chemical & Materials Engineering

Assignee

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.

OA Round

1 (Non-Final)

This examiner grants 44% of cases after interview

— +40.2% interview lift. A telephonic interview to clarify the technical implementation could significantly improve the outcome.

Based on 617 resolved cases, 2023–2026

Examiner Intelligence

NUCKOLS, TIFFANY Z View full profile →

Grants 44% of resolved cases

Career Allowance Rate

274 granted / 617 resolved

-20.6% vs TC avg

Strong +40% interview lift

Without

With

+40.2%

Interview Lift

resolved cases with interview

Typical timeline

4y 2m

Avg Prosecution

28 currently pending

Career history

663

Total Applications

across all art units

Statute-Specific Performance

§101

0.1%

-39.9% vs TC avg

§103

89.5%

+49.5% vs TC avg

§102

4.6%

-35.4% vs TC avg

§112

0.6%

-39.4% vs TC avg

Black line = Tech Center average estimate • Based on career data from 617 resolved cases

Prosecution Timeline

Jul 29, 2024

Application Filed

Jun 01, 2026

Non-Final Rejection mailed (current)

Precedent Cases

Applications granted by this same examiner with similar technology

16/909,355

Patent 12680156

COOLING DEVICE, SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING APPARATUS, AND SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING METHOD

6y 0m to grant Granted Jul 14, 2026

17/779,442

Patent 12680166

GAS INLET DEVICE FOR A CVD REACTOR

4y 1m to grant Granted Jul 14, 2026

17/295,935

Patent 12668881

PEDESTAL INCLUDING VAPOR CHAMBER FOR SUBSTRATE PROCESSING SYSTEMS

5y 1m to grant Granted Jun 30, 2026

17/757,553

Patent 12666927

SEMICONDUCTOR PROCESSING CHUCKS FEATURING RECESSED REGIONS NEAR OUTER PERIMETER OF WAFER FOR MITIGATION OF EDGE/CENTER NONUNIFORMITY

4y 0m to grant Granted Jun 23, 2026

18/768,190

Patent 12651729

METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR COOLING PLASMA TREATMENT COMPONENTS

1y 11m to grant Granted Jun 09, 2026

Study what changed to get past this examiner. Based on 5 most recent grants.

Strategy Recommendation AI-generated — please review before filing

Get a prosecution strategy drawn from examiner precedents, rejection analysis, and claim mapping.

Typically takes 5-10 seconds — AI-generated, attorney review required before filing

Prosecution Projections

1-2

Expected OA Rounds

44%

Grant Probability

85%

With Interview (+40.2%)

4y 2m (~2y 3m remaining)

Median Time to Grant

Low

PTA Risk

Based on 617 resolved cases by this examiner. Grant probability derived from career allowance rate.