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 .
Response to Arguments
1. Applicant’s arguments, filed on 07/28/2026, with respect to the amendments of claims 1, 14, and 18 have been fully considered and are persuasive. However, upon further consideration, a new ground(s) of rejection is made in view of Banine et al (USPN 2014/0002805).
Claim Objections
2. Claims 8, 12, 17 are objected to because of the following informalities:
Claim 8, lines 2-3, the sensor electrodes” changes to “the array of sensor electrodes”.
Claim 12, line 2, the sensor electrodes” changes to “the array of sensor electrodes”.
Claim 17, “the capacitive sensors” changes to “the array of capacitive sensors”. Appropriate correction is required.
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.
3. Claims 14, 17-19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Wang et al (USPN 2023/0178406) in view of Banine et al (USPN 2014/0002805).
Regarding claim 14, Wang discloses a system (shown in figure 3), comprising:
an electrostatic chuck (an e-chuck 306) comprising a clamping electrode (310-311) configured to electrostatically secure a substrate (a wafer 304) to the electrostatic chuck responsive to being energized with a clamping voltage (e.g. see par. 0039);
a capacitive sensor (capacitor sensors formed between a top surface conductor of the chuck 306 and the electrodes 310-311, see par. 0043) disposed within the electrostatic chuck (306); and
a processing device (a controller 322) configured to: receive capacitance data, from the capacitive sensor (via a capacitance measurement sensor 304), indicative of a change in capacitance measured by the capacitive sensor,
wherein the change in capacitance is associated with substrate deformation of the substrate (whether the wafer 304 is bowed or warped) secured to the electrostatic chuck;
determine, based on the capacitance data (when the sensed capacitances are exceeding a predetermined range), substrate deformation of the substrate; and
adjust the clamping voltage based on the substrate deformation (see par, 0047).
Wang does not explicitly disclose an array of capacitive sensor as claimed.
Banine discloses an electrostatic clamping apparatus comprises an electrostatic chuck (500, see figure 7) comprises an array of capacitive sensor (860, see figure 8) integrated with in the chuck 500, and wherein the array of the capacitive sensor (860) configured to measure a deformation of a substrate 505) (see par. 0059, 0071).
It 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 to have modified a capacitive sensor of Wang to incorporate an array of capacitive sensor as disclosed by Banine in order to allow to sense a small, local regions of the substrate, thus, enhancing precise flatness measurement.
Regarding claims 18, 19, Wang discloses a system (300, see figure 3), comprising:
an electrostatic chuck (an e-chuck 306) configured to support a substrate (a wafer 304), the electrostatic chuck comprising: a clamping electrode (310-311)
configured to electrostatically clamp the substrate to the electrostatic chuck responsive to being energized with a clamping voltage (see par. 0039); and
a distance sensor (340) configured to sense a distance between the distance sensor and a bottom surface of the substrate supported on the electrostatic chuck (a distance between a bottom of the wafer 304 and a top surface of the chuck 306 is detected by measuring a changing a capacitance when the wafer 304 tends to release from the chuck 306, see par. 0053); and
a processing device (a controller 322) communicatively coupled with the distance sensor, wherein the processing device is configured to: receive sensor data from the distance sensor (340); and adjust the clamping voltage based on the sensor data (see par. 0047, 0053).
Wang does not explicitly disclose an array of distance sensors as claimed.
Banine discloses an electrostatic clamping apparatus comprises an electrostatic chuck (500, see figure 7) comprises an array of distance sensor (860, see figure 8) integrated with in the chuck 500, and wherein the array of the distance sensor (860) configured to measure a deformation of a substrate 505) based on a distance (see par. 0059, 0071).
It 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 to have modified a distance sensor of Wang to incorporate an array of distance sensors as disclosed by Banine in order to allow to sense a small, local regions of the substrate, thus, enhancing precise flatness measurement.
Regarding claim 17, Wang does not disclose the array of the capacitive sensors and a plurality of mesas as claimed.
Banine discloses an electrostatic clamping apparatus comprises an electrostatic chuck (500, see figure 7) comprises an array of capacitive sensors (860, see figure 8) integrated within the chuck 500, and a plurality of mesas (protrusions shown in figure 7) wherein at least one (an electrode 755) of the capacitive sensors (860) is disposed within the chuck (500) between at least two of the plurality of mesas (protrusions shown in figure 7).
It 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 to have modified the chuck and a capacitive sensor of Wang to incorporate an array of capacitive sensors and mesas as disclosed by Banine in order to allow to sense a small, local regions of the substrate, thus, enhancing precise flatness measurement.
4. Claims 1, 5-6, 8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Wang et al (USPN 2023/0178406) in view of Banine et al (USPN 2014/0002805), and further in view of Leeser (USPN 2002/0008954).
Regarding claims 1, 8, Wang discloses a system (a system 300 shown in figure 3), comprising:
an electrostatic chuck, comprising: a puck (an e-chuck 306) configured to support a substrate (a wafer 304);
a clamping electrode (electrodes 310, 311) disposed within the puck (an e- chuck 306) and configured to electrostatically clamp the substrate (304) to the puck responsive to being energized with a clamping voltage (e.g. see par. 0039);
one or more sensor electrodes (such as capacitance sensing electrodes coupled between a top surface conductor of the e-chuck 306 and electrodes 310- 311, see par. 0043) disposed within the puck (306);
one or more electronic circuits (a capacitance measurement sensor 340) coupled with the one or more sensor electrodes; and
a processing device (a controller 322) configured to: receive, from the one or more electronic circuits (340), a signal indicative of substrate deformation (such as whether the wafer 304 is bowed or warped, see par. 0047); and
adjust the clamping voltage based on the signal.
Wang does not explicitly disclose an array of capacitive sensor as claimed.
Banine discloses an electrostatic clamping apparatus comprises an electrostatic chuck (500, see figure 7) comprises an array of capacitive sensors (860, see figure 8) integrated with in the chuck 500, and wherein the array of the capacitive sensors (860) configured to measure a deformation of a substrate 505) (see par. 0059, 0071), a plurality of mesas (protrusions shown in figure 7), wherein the sensor electrodes (755) of the array (860) disposed in the chuck (500) between at least two of the plurality of mesas.
It 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 to have modified the chuck and a capacitive sensor of Wang to incorporate an array of capacitive sensor and the mesas as disclosed by Banine in order to allow to sense a small, local regions of the substrate, thus, enhancing precise flatness measurement.
However, the combination of Wang and Banine do not explicitly disclose the puck 306 is a ceramic puck.
Leeser discloses an apparatus for controlling chucking voltage comprises a puck (116) is a ceramic puck (see par. 0025).
It 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 to have modified the puck of Wang and Banine to incorporate a ceramic puck as disclosed by Leeser in order to provide wear resistance, thermal
expansion resistance, and excellent performance in high temperature, Thus enhancing a wafer processing performance.
Regarding claim 5, Wang discloses wherein the one or more sensor electrodes are substantially co-planar to one another (such as a co-planar between the chuck 306 and electrodes 310-311 where the capacitance sensing electrodes formed).
Regarding claim 6, Wang discloses wherein the electrodes are disposed on first plane above the clamping electrode (310-311, see par. 0043), on a second plane below the clamping electrode, or on a third plane of the clamping electrode.
5. Claim 9 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Wang et al (USPN 2023/0178406) in view of Banine et al (USPN 2014/0002805), in view of Leeser (USPN 2002/0008954), and further in view of Yang (USPN 2018/0122680).
Regarding claim 9, Wang, Banine and Leeser disclose all limitations of claim 1 as discussed above, but do not disclose heaters as claimed.
Yang discloses an electrostatic chuck device (400) comprises one or more heaters (heaters 145, see figure 1).
It 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 to have modified the electrostatic chuck of Wang, Banine and Leeser to incorporate heaters as disclosed by Yang in order to maintain an accurate and uniform temperatures so that preventing a thermal expansion.
6. Claim 13 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Wang et al (USPN 2023/0178406) in view of Banine et al (USPN 2014/0002805), in view of Leeser (USPN 2002/0008954), and further in view of Guan (USPN 2025/0021022).
Regarding claim 13, Wang, Banine and Leeser disclose all limitations of claim 1 as discussed above, but do not disclose a ground plane as claimed.
Guan discloses an electrostatic chuck device (figure 11) comprises a ground plane (a ground plane 34) configured to provide a ground shield for the one or more sensor electrodes (36, C1) (see par. 0075).
It 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 to have modified the electrostatic chuck of Wang, Banine and Leeser to incorporate a ground plane as disclosed by Guan in order to prevent a noise coupling so that improving a substrate processing performance.
Allowable Subject Matter
7. Claims 2-4, 7, 10-12, 15-16, 20 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.
Conclusion
8. Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
9. Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to DANNY NGUYEN whose telephone number is (571)272-2054. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8:00AM-4:30PM.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Monica Lewis can be reached at 571-271-1838. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/DANNY NGUYEN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2838
