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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) filed on April 28, 2025 and IDS filed on November 19, 2025 are in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the IDSs are considered by the examiner.
Claim Objections
Claims 1 and 17 are objected to because of the following informalities:
In claim 1, lines 5-6, “each of the one or more segments of the first ESC comprise …” should read --each of the one or more segments of the first ESC comprises …--.
In claim 1, line 8, “a first DC bias” should read --a first direct current (DC) bias--.
In claim 1, lines 14-15, “each of the one or more segments of the second ESC comprise …” should read --each of the one or more segments of the second ESC comprises …--.
In claim 17, line 2, “a first DC bias” should read --a first direct current (DC) bias--.
Appropriate correction is required.
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.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 11, 12 and 14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Yamauchi et al. US 2021/0320024.
Regarding claim 11, Yamauchi teaches a method (e.g., Figs. 7-9 and the description thereof; also see Figs. 1-6 and the description thereof for additional details) comprising:
chucking (e.g., Fig. 8A) a first substrate (e.g., 301, Fig. 1) to a first surface (e.g., 401a, Fig. 3B) of a first electrostatic chuck (ESC) (e.g., 401, Fig. 3B, Fig. 1) disposed within a processing chamber (e.g., 200, Fig. 1), the first surface oriented in a first direction (e.g., first direction in which 401a faces 402a, Fig. 3B) within a processing region (e.g. S1, Fig. 1) of the processing chamber;
chucking (e.g., Fig. 8A) a second substrate (e.g., 302, Fig. 1) to a second surface (e.g., 402a, Fig. 3B) of a second ESC (e.g., 402, Fig. 1) disposed within the processing chamber, the second surface oriented in a second direction (e.g., second direction in which 402a faces 401a, Fig. 3B), within the processing region that is opposite the first direction;
actuating (e.g., Fig. 8B; actuating by 404, Fig. 1) the second substrate towards the first substrate; and
bonding (e.g., Figs. 8B-9B) the second substrate to the first substrate.
Regarding claim 12, Yamauchi teaches the method of claim 11, further comprising: bowing the second substrate; contacting the first substrate with a medial portion of the second substrate before contacting the first substrate with a lateral portion of the second substrate; and contacting the first substrate with the lateral portion of the second substrate (e.g., Figs. 8B -9B).
Regarding claim 14, Yamauchi teaches the method of claim 11, wherein the first substrate and the second substrate are aligned before actuating the second substrate towards the first substrate (e.g., Figs. 5-7, [87]-[100]).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 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 of this title, 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, 2, 4-7 and 9 are rejected are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yamauchi et al. US 2021/0320024 in view of Sung et al. US 2020/0135527.
Regarding claim 1, Yamauchi teaches an apparatus (e.g., Fig. 1 and the description thereof; also see Figs. 2-9 and the description thereof for additional details) comprising:
a first electrostatic chuck (ESC) (e.g., 402, Fig. 1) comprising one or more segments (e.g., segment including 442 and/or segment including 452, Fig. 3A, [77]), wherein the first ESC is disposed within a processing region (e.g. S1, Fig. 1) of a processing chamber (e.g., 200, Fig. 1) and a surface of each of the one or more segments of the first ESC defines a first chucking surface (e.g., first chucking surface of each segment, pertaining to 402a, Fig. 3B, Fig. 3A) that is oriented in a first direction (e.g., first direction in which 402a faces 401a, Fig. 3B), wherein each of the one or more segments of the first ESC comprise at least one first electrode (e.g., 442a-442b and/or 452a-452b, Fig. 3A), and the at least one first electrode in each of the one or more segments of the first ESC is configured to receive a first bias configured to generate a first chucking force that causes a first substrate (e.g., 302, Fig. 1) to be urged against the first chucking surface (e.g., [77], [84], [110]);
a second ESC (e.g., 401, Fig. 1) comprising one or more segments (e.g., segment including 441 and/or segment including 451, Fig. 3A, [77]), wherein the second ESC is disposed within the processing region of the processing chamber (e.g., Fig. 1) and a surface of each of the one or more segments of the second ESC defines a second chucking surface (e.g., second chucking surface of each segment, pertaining to 401a, Fig. 3B, Fig. 3A) that is oriented in a second direction (e.g., second direction in which 401a faces 402a, Fig. 3B) that is opposite the first direction, wherein each of the one or more segments of the second ESC comprise at least one second electrode (e.g., 441a-441b and/or 451a-451b, Fig. 3A), and the at least one second electrode in each of the one or more segments of the second ESC is configured to receive a second bias configured to generate a second chucking force that causes a second substrate (e.g., 301, Fig. 1) to be urged against the second chucking surface (e.g., [77], [84], [110]); and
an actuator (e.g., 404, Fig. 1) configured to position the first ESC relative to the second ESC (e.g., Fig. 1, [74]).
Yamauchi does not explicitly teach a first DC bias and a second DC bias that are received.
Yamauchi, however, recognizes that the holder driver 443 is controlled to apply pulse voltages between the electrodes 442a and 442b of the ESC 402 and between the electrodes 441a and 441b of the ESC 401, so that the ESCs 402 and 401 hold the substrates 302 and 301, respectively (e.g., [110]).
One of ordinary skill in the art would have known that a DC voltage and a pulse voltage are electrostatic chuck voltages commonly used in the semiconductor industry as suggested by Sung (e.g., [42]). Thus, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the apparatus of Yamauchi to include a first DC bias and a second DC bias that are received because a DC voltage or a pulse voltage was known in the semiconductor art as an alternative embodiment for an electrostatic chuck voltage as suggested by Sung, and selecting among them would have been obvious to the skilled artisan. MPEP §2143.
Regarding claim 2, Yamauchi in view of Sung teaches the apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first substrate (e.g., Yamauchi, 302, Fig. 3B) is bowed and a medial portion (e.g., Yamauchi, 302c, Fig. 8B) of the first substrate contacts the second substrate (e.g., Yamauchi, 301, Fig. 8B) before a lateral portion of the first substrate contacts the second substrate (e.g., Yamauchi, Fig. 8B, [100]-[101]).
Regarding claim 4, Yamauchi in view of Sung teaches the apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first substrate and the second substrate are aligned before the actuator positions the first ESC relative to the second ESC (e.g., Yamauchi, Figs. 5-7, [87]-[100]).
Regarding claim 5, Yamauchi in view of Sung teaches the apparatus of claim 4 as discussed above.
Yamauchi in view of Sung does not explicitly teach wherein the first substrate is rotated 180 degrees before the actuator positions the first ESC relative to the second ESC. Yamauchi in view of Sung, however, recognizes that the first substrate 302 may be rotated by the rotational driver 407 of the actuator 404 (e.g., Yamauchi, [74]). It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to further modify the apparatus of Yamauchi in view of Sung to include wherein the first substrate is rotated 180 degrees before the actuator positions the first ESC relative to the second ESC for the purpose of correcting possible misalignment of the substates for example.
Regarding claim 6, Yamauchi in view of Sung teaches the apparatus of claim 1, wherein the second substrate (e.g., 301, Fig. 8B) is bowed and a medial portion (e.g., Yamauchi, 301c, Fig. 8B) of the first substrate contacts a medial portion (e.g., Yamauchi, 302c, Fig. 8B) of the second substrate before a lateral portion of the first substrate contacts a lateral portion of the second substrate (e.g., Yamauchi, Fig. 8B, [100]-[101]).
Regarding claim 7, Yamauchi in view of Sung teaches the apparatus of claim 1, wherein the actuator is included in a rotation system (e.g., Yamauchi, 407, Fig. 1) that rotates the first ESC within the processing region (e.g., Yamauchi, [74]).
Regarding claim 9, Yamauchi in view of Sung teaches the apparatus of claim 1, further comprising at least one pair of electrodes (e.g., Yamauchi, 442a-442b and/or 452a-452b, Fig. 3A) in each of the one or more segments of the first ESC wherein the at least one pair of electrodes is configured to receive the first DC bias and includes the at least one first electrode (see the discussion regarding claim 1 above).
Claim 3 is rejected are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yamauchi in view of Sung as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Guo et al. US 2011/0083786.
Regarding claim 3, Yamauchi in view of Sung teaches the apparatus of claim 2 as discussed above.
Yamauchi in view of Sung does not explicitly teach wherein the actuator actuates the first ESC based on a curvature of the first substrate.
Guo teaches wherein the actuator actuates the ESC based on a curvature of the substrate (e.g., [44], [45], [49], [50]; Figs. 6-7).
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the apparatus of Yamauchi in view of Sung to include wherein the actuator actuates the ESC based on a curvature of the first substrate as suggested by Guo for the purpose of compensating the curvature/warping of the substrate for example (e.g., Guo, [49]). In this case, Yamauchi in view of Sung and Guo thus teaches wherein the actuator actuates the first ESC based on a curvature of the first substrate.
Claim 8 is rejected are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yamauchi in view of Sung as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Takisawa US 2002/0182038.
Regarding claim 8, Yamauchi in view of Sung teaches the apparatus of claim 1, further comprising: a first segment and a second segment of the one or more segments of the first ESC (e.g., Yamauchi, segment including 442 and/or segment including 452, Fig. 3A).
Yamauchi in view of Sung does not explicitly teach an additional actuator configured to actuate the first segment relative to the second segment.
Takisawa teaches an additional actuator (e.g., 36-40, Figs. 17-18) configured to actuate the first segment relative to the second segment (e.g., 32 relative 33 (34, 35), Fig. 20-22).
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the apparatus of Yamauchi in view of Sung to include an additional actuator configured to actuate the first segment relative to the second segment as suggested by Takisawa for the purpose of enhancing the control of actuating the ESC for example.
Claim 10 is rejected are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yamauchi in view of Sung as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Kim et al. US 2019/0322092.
Regarding claim 10, Yamauchi in view of Sung teaches the apparatus of claim 1 as discussed above.
Yamauchi in view of Sung does not explicitly teach wherein the first ESC includes a port configured to deliver pressurized gas that causes the first substrate to bow.
Kim teaches a port configured to deliver pressurized gas that causes the substrate to bow (e.g., Fig. 3D, [60]-[61]).
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to further modify the apparatus of Yamauchi in view of Sung to include wherein a port configured to deliver pressurized gas that causes the first substrate to bow as suggested by Kim for the purpose of the conventional use of the bowing process for example. In this case, Yamauchi in view of Sung and Kim thus teaches wherein the first ESC includes a port configured to deliver pressurized gas that causes the first substrate to bow.
Claim 15 is rejected are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yamauchi et al. US 2021/0320024.
Regarding claim 15, Yamauchi teaches the method of claim 11 as discussed above.
Yamauchi does not explicitly teach wherein at least one of the first substrate or the second substrate is rotated 180 degrees within the processing region.
Yamauchi, however, recognizes that the second substrate 302 may be rotated by the rotational driver 407 of the actuator 404 (e.g., Yamauchi, [74]). It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to further modify the method of Yamauchi to include wherein at least one of the first substrate or the second substrate is rotated 180 degrees within the processing region for the purpose of correcting possible misalignment of the substates for example.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 13 and 16 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.
Claims 17-20 would be allowable if amended to overcome the claim objection above.
Conclusion
The art made of record and not applied to the rejection is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. It is cited primarily to show inventions relevant to the examination of the instant invention. For example, Lee et al. US 2003/0178468 relates to a bonding apparatus including electrostatic chucks (ESCs) each having a substrate thereon and an actuator positioning the ESCs.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Bo Bin Jang whose telephone number is (571) 270-0271. The examiner can normally be reached on M-F from 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM EST.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner's supervisor, Eva Montalvo can be reached at (571) 270-3829. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/BO B JANG/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2818 August 7, 2026
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