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 .
Priority
Acknowledgment is made of applicant’s claim for foreign priority under 35 U.S.C. 119 (a)-(d). The certified copy has been filed in parent Application No. KR10-2024-0028788, filed on 02/28/2024.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 08/16/2024. The submission is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of Species A (Claims 1-15, 17 and 19-20) in the reply filed on 01/12/2026 is acknowledged. However, claim 17 is not withdrawn in applicant response. Claims 17 which belongs to non-elected Species. Therefore Claims 17 is withdrawn in light of applicant election of Species A.
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.
Claims 1-5 and 14-15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Guo et al [US 2025/0087462 A1] in view of Koshimizu [US 202400629917 A1]
In regards to claims 1. Guo discloses a substrate processing apparatus (Fig. 6, 100) comprising:
a chamber (Fig. 6, 100);
a support member (Fig. 6, 105 & Paragraph [0037]) disposed inside the chamber (Fig. 6, 100) and including a bias electrode (Fig. 6, 104) and an edge bias electrode (Fig. 6, 115);
a bias supply portion (Fig. 6, 171 & Paragraph [0021]) electrically connected to the bias electrode (Fig. 6, 104); and
an edge bias supply portion (Fig. 6, 173, 177, 175 & Paragraph [0020-40]) electrically connected to the edge bias electrode (Fig. 6, 115),
wherein the edge bias supply portion (Fig. 6, 173, 177, 175 & Paragraph [0020-40]) applies a coupling control signal having a frequency (Paragraph [0023 & 0067])
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Guo does not specify wherein the edge bias supply portion applies a coupling control signal having a frequency corresponding to a coupling signal, and the coupling signal is generated at the edge bias electrode by coupling with a bias signal generated at the bias electrode.
Koshimizu discloses wherein the edge bias supply portion (Fig. 3, 54) applies a coupling control signal having a frequency (Fig. 3, 54 & Paragraph [0060]) corresponding to a coupling signal (Fig. 3, 54m & Paragraph [0062]), and the coupling signal (Fig. 3, 54m & Paragraph [0062]) is generated at the edge bias electrode (Fig. 3, 162 and ER) by coupling with a bias signal (Paragraph [0057-58]) generated at the bias electrode (Fig. 3, 161).
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It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the invention was made to modify Guo with wherein the edge bias supply portion applies a coupling control signal having a frequency corresponding to a coupling signal, and the coupling signal is generated at the edge bias electrode by coupling with a bias signal generated at the bias electrode for purpose of improving frequency with impedance matching along with edge electrode and main electrode to optimize the power transfer as disclosed by Koshimizu (Paragraph [0058-59]).
In regards to claims 2. Guo in view of Koshimizu discloses the substrate processing apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a measurement member (Guo: Fig. 6, 602) electrically connected to the edge bias electrode (Guo: Fig. 6, 115), wherein the measurement member (Guo: Fig. 6, 602 & Paragraph [0067]) measures the coupling signal (Fig. 6, 173, 175 and 177).
In regards to claims 3. Guo in view of Koshimizu discloses the substrate processing apparatus of claim 2, wherein the measurement member (Guo: Fig. 6, 602) is disposed between the edge bias electrode (Guo: Fig. 6, 115) and the edge bias supply portion (Guo: Fig. 6, 173, 177, 175 & Paragraph [0020-40]).
In regards to claims 4. Guo in view of Koshimizu discloses the substrate processing apparatus of claim 2, further comprising an impedance control member (Koshimizu Fig. 3, 54m & Paragraph [0062]) electrically connected to the edge bias electrode (Koshimizu Fig. 3, 162), wherein the impedance control member (Koshimizu Fig. 3, 54m & Paragraph [0062]) controls the coupling signal (Koshimizu Fig. 3, 54m & Paragraph [0062]).
In regards to claims 5. Guo in view of Koshimizu discloses the substrate processing apparatus of claim 4, wherein the measurement member (Guo: Fig. 6, 602) is disposed between the impedance control member (Koshimizu Fig. 3, 54m & Paragraph [0062]) and the edge bias electrode (Koshimizu Fig. 3, 162).
In regards to claims 14. Guo discloses a substrate processing apparatus (Fig. 6, 100) comprising:
a chamber (Fig. 6, 100);
a support member (Fig. 6, 105 & Paragraph [0037]) disposed inside the chamber (Fig. 6, 100) and including a bias electrode (Fig. 6, 104) and an edge bias electrode (Fig. 6, 115);
a bias supply portion (Fig. 6, 171 & Paragraph [0021]) electrically connected to the bias electrode (Fig. 6, 104);
an edge bias supply portion (Fig. 6, 173, 177, 175 & Paragraph [0020-40]) electrically connected to the edge bias electrode (Fig. 6, 115); and a measurement member (Guo: Fig. 6, 602) electrically connected to the edge bias electrode (Guo: Fig. 6, 115), wherein the measurement member (Guo: Fig. 6, 602) measures a signal generated at the edge bias electrode (Guo: Fig. 6, 115), by coupling with a bias signal generated at the bias electrode (Guo: Fig. 6, 115).
Guo does not specify a coupling signal generated at the edge bias electrode by coupling with a bias signal generated at the bias electrode.
Koshimizu discloses a coupling signal (Koshimizu Fig. 3, 54m & Paragraph [0062]) generated at the edge bias electrode (Koshimizu Fig. 3, 162) by coupling with a bias signal (Paragraph [0057-58]) generated at the bias electrode (Fig. 3, 161).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the invention was made to modify Guo with a coupling signal generated at the edge bias electrode by coupling with a bias signal generated at the bias electrode for purpose of improving frequency with impedance matching along with edge electrode and main electrode to optimize the power transfer as disclosed by Koshimizu (Paragraph [0058-59]).
In regards to claims 15. Guo in view of Koshimizu discloses the substrate processing apparatus of claim 14, wherein the edge bias supply portion (Koshimizu Fig. 3, 54) applies a coupling control signal (Koshimizu Fig. 3, 54 & Paragraph [0060]) having a frequency corresponding to the coupling signal (Koshimizu Fig. 3, 54m & Paragraph [0062]).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 19-20 are allowed.
The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance:
In regards to claims 19-20, recites “wherein the measurement member measures a coupling signal generated at the edge bias electrode by coupling with a bias signal generated at the bias electrode, and the edge bias supply portion applies a coupling control signal having a frequency corresponding to a reflected signal to generate a synthetic signal in which at least one of an amplitude or a phase of the synthetic signal is different than an amplitude or a phase of the reflected signal, wherein the reflected signal is a portion of the coupling signal and traveling in a direction from the edge bias supply portion toward the edge bias electrode.”
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.”
Claims 6-13 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.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
“wherein the coupling signal includes an incident signal traveling in a direction from the edge bias electrode to the edge bias supply portion, and a reflected signal traveling in a direction from the edge bias supply portion to the edge bias electrode, and wherein the edge bias supply portion applies the coupling control signal having a frequency corresponding to the reflected signal.” as shown claim 6.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to WEI (VICTOR) CHAN whose telephone number is (571)272-5177. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9:00am to 6:00pm.
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WEI (VICTOR) CHAN
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2844
/WEI (VICTOR) Y CHAN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2844