Last updated: July 17, 2026

Application No. 18/788,133

THIN FILM DEPOSITION WITH IMPROVED CONTROL OF PRECURSOR

Non-Final OA

Filed

Jul 30, 2024

Priority

Jul 11, 2022 — divisional of 17/811,876

Examiner

MOORE, KARLA A

Art Unit

1716

Tech Center

1700 — Chemical & Materials Engineering

Assignee

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.

OA Round

1 (Non-Final)

Interview Optional

— +13.9% interview lift. Interview already conducted in this application's prosecution history. This examiner has a 43% grant rate with +13.9% interview lift. Since an interview has already been tried, recommend written response with narrowed claims based on precedent claim evolution patterns.

Based on 777 resolved cases, 2023–2026

Examiner Intelligence

MOORE, KARLA A View full profile →

Grants 43% of resolved cases

Career Allowance Rate

335 granted / 777 resolved

-21.9% vs TC avg

Moderate +14% lift

Without

With

+13.9%

Interview Lift

resolved cases with interview

Typical timeline

4y 1m

Avg Prosecution

53 currently pending

Career history

848

Total Applications

across all art units

Statute-Specific Performance

§101

0.2%

-39.8% vs TC avg

§103

74.3%

+34.3% vs TC avg

§102

4.3%

-35.7% vs TC avg

§112

15.6%

-24.4% vs TC avg

Black line = Tech Center average estimate • Based on career data from 777 resolved cases

Prosecution Timeline

Jul 30, 2024

Application Filed

Mar 25, 2026

Non-Final Rejection mailed

Jun 11, 2026

Examiner Interview Summary

Jun 11, 2026

Applicant Interview (Telephonic)

Precedent Cases

Applications granted by this same examiner with similar technology

16/603,635

Patent 12668877

UNIFORM DEPOSITION

6y 8m to grant Granted Jun 30, 2026

17/976,996

Patent 12603260

APPARATUS FOR TREATING SUBSTRATE AND METHOD FOR TREATING SUBSTRATE

3y 5m to grant Granted Apr 14, 2026

16/844,121

Patent 12588451

BOTTOM PURGE FOR SEMICONDUCTOR PROCESSING SYSTEM

5y 11m to grant Granted Mar 24, 2026

17/496,209

Patent 12580165

APPARATUS FOR TREATING SUBSTRATE AND METHOD FOR MEASURING DEGREE OF WEAR OF CONSUMABLE COMPONENT

4y 5m to grant Granted Mar 17, 2026

17/859,777

Patent 12575357

INTEGRATED WET CLEAN FOR GATE STACK DEVELOPMENT

3y 8m to grant Granted Mar 10, 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

43%

Grant Probability

57%

With Interview (+13.9%)

4y 1m (~2y 2m remaining)

Median Time to Grant

Low

PTA Risk

Based on 777 resolved cases by this examiner. Grant probability derived from career allowance rate.