CALIBRATION ASSEMBLY FOR A LITHIUM DEPOSITION PROCESS, LITHIUM DEPOSITION APPARATUS, AND METHOD OF DETERMINING A LITHIUM DEPOSITION RATE IN A LITHIUM DEPOSITION PROCESS
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) submitted on 07/23/2024 is being considered by the examiner.
Claim Objections
Claim 4 is objected to because of the following informalities: the limitation “an opening exposing the inert metal electrode” should read “an opening exposing an inert metal electrode”. Appropriate correction is required.
Claim 18 is objected to because of the following informalities: the limitation “the passivation layer” should read “a passivation layer”. Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to 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 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.
Claims 1 and 7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Schramm (US 20110079178; “Schramm”).
Regarding claim 1, Schramm discloses, in figures 1-6, a calibration assembly (10) for a lithium deposition process (ABSTRACT, “adapted to monitor the deposition rate of a vapor to be deposited on the substrate surface”), the calibration assembly (10) comprising a carrier (12); and a piezoelectric resonator (101) coupled to the carrier (12), wherein: the calibration assembly (10) is configured for being processed in the deposition process (¶ 0044, examiner notes Schramm’s QCMs may measure deposition thickness, rate or uniformity of a deposition process), the deposition process including a passivation (¶ 0033, examiner notes Schramm’s device may be used to measure the thickness or deposition rate of a passivation layer), the piezoelectric resonator (101) is configured for being electrically connected (¶ 0046, “electrical connectors”) to a driver (¶ 0046, “control device”) for determining a resonant frequency of the piezoelectric resonator (¶ 0046, “oscillation frequencies of the QCMs), the resonant frequency is indicative of a thickness of a film deposited on the piezoelectric resonator in the deposition process (¶ 0046 & ¶ 0048, examiner notes the change in oscillation frequency is correlated to the thickness of the layer of vapor material deposited), and a change of the resonant frequency over time is indicative of the passivation of the film (¶ 0046, examiner notes Schramm monitors change of the oscillation frequencies over time to determine a rate of deposition, thus Schramm is capable of monitoring depositing a passivation layer In situ).
Examiner notes that the limitations: “configured for being processed in the lithium deposition process, the lithium deposition process including a passivation” , “of a lithium film”, “in the lithium deposition process” and “of the lithium film” are intended use type statements. Applicant is reminded that a claim containing a “recitation with respect to the manner in which a claimed apparatus is intended to be employed does not differentiate the claimed apparatus from a prior art apparatus” if the prior art apparatus teaches all the structural limitations of the claim. See MPEP 2114.
Regarding claim 7, Schramm discloses, in figures 1-6, the piezoelectric resonator (101), when electrically connected to the driver (¶ 0046, “control device”), is a resonator of a microbalance, or a quartz crystal microbalance (¶ 0027, “quartz crystal micro balance”), and wherein the piezoelectric resonator (101) comprises one selected from the group consisting of: a quartz crystal (¶ 0036, “Quartz crystals inside of the housings”).
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, 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 12, 14-15 and 18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Schramm (US 20110079178; “Schramm”), in view of Ishikawa (US 20220190306; “Ishikawa”).
Regarding claim 12, Schramm discloses, in figures 1-6, a method of determining a deposition rate in a deposition process (ABSTRACT, “adapted to monitor the deposition rate of a vapor to be deposited on the substrate surface”), the method comprising: providing a calibration assembly (10) comprising a carrier (12) and a piezoelectric resonator (101) coupled to the carrier (12); processing (see figs. 4 and 5) the calibration assembly (10) as a substrate in a processing chamber (51) of the deposition process (50), wherein the piezoelectric resonator (101) is disconnected from a driver during processing (¶ 0046, “QCMs 101 are connected to the control device before and after transport through the coating installation”); removing the calibration assembly (10) from the processing chamber (51); electrically connecting the piezoelectric resonator to a driver (see previous comment); determining a resonant frequency (¶ 0046, “oscillation frequencies of the QCMs) of the piezoelectric resonator (101), wherein the resonant frequency is indicative of a thickness of a film deposited on the piezoelectric resonator in the deposition process (¶ 0046 & ¶ 0048, examiner notes the change in oscillation frequency is correlated to the thickness of the layer of vapor material deposited); and determining the deposition rate from the thickness of the film (¶ 0046, examiner notes Schramm monitors change of the oscillation frequencies over time to determine a rate of deposition).
Schramm fails to explicitly apply the deposition rate determination to a lithium deposition process where the processing chamber is a lithium processing chamber and the resonant frequency is indicative of lithium film thickness.
Ishikawa teaches measuring metallic lithium layer thickness (¶ 0042).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to use Ishikawa’s need to measure lithium layer thickness to motivate Schramm to adapt the thickness measuring process using a QCM to measure lithium deposition thickness and rate in a lithium deposition process. Doing so provides a dependable way to determine thickness and deposition rate.
Regarding claim 14, Schramm and Ishikawa disclose, in Schramm’s figures 1-6, determining a first resonant frequency (Schramm, ¶ 0046, “oscillation frequencies of the QCMs) of the piezoelectric resonator (Schramm (101)) before processing (¶ 0046, examiner notes Schramm connects the QCM to the control device to measure oscillation frequency before and after the device passes through the coating installation) the calibration assembly (Schramm (10)); determining a second resonant frequency (Schramm, ¶ 0046, “oscillation frequencies of the QCMs) of the piezoelectric resonator (Schramm (101)) after processing (see previous comment) the calibration assembly (Schramm (10)); determining a resonant frequency difference from the first resonant frequency and the second resonant frequency (¶ 0046, Schramm determines a change in oscillation frequency before and after coating); and determining the thickness of the lithium film deposited on the piezoelectric resonator in the lithium deposition process from the resonant frequency difference (Schramm, ¶ 0046 & ¶ 0048, examiner notes the change in oscillation frequency is correlated to the thickness of the layer of vapor material deposited).
Regarding claim 15, Schramm and Ishikawa disclose, in Schramm’s figures 1-6, adjusting a process parameter of the lithium deposition process according to the determined lithium deposition rate (Schramm, ¶ 0038, “the control device is adapted for controlling the vapor source depending on the deposition rate”).
Regarding claim 18, Schramm and Ishikawa fail to disclose the passivation layer is formed in a transfer chamber of the lithium deposition process.
The Examiner takes official notice that forming a passivation layer in an alternative chamber to a process chamber is well-known in the art.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to use a well-known alternative chamber to form Schramm and Ishikawa’s passivation layer. Doing so provides different conditions for the layer to age than the process chamber and frees the process chamber to continue deposition operations.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 2-6, 8, 13 and 16-18 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.
Regarding claim 2, the examiner notes a search has not revealed prior art teaching or suggesting to one of ordinary skill in the art to modify Schramm to include the piezoelectric resonator comprises an inert metal electrode on a face of the piezoelectric resonator. Examiner concludes prior existence of the combination, or a suggestion to combine all cited references, is improbable. Dependent claim 3 would be allowable for at least same reasons as above.
Regarding claim 4, the examiner notes a search has not revealed prior art teaching or suggesting to one of ordinary skill in the art to modify Schramm to include the carrier comprises an opening exposing the inert metal electrode to a lithium deposition source of the lithium deposition process for having a lithium film deposited on the inert metal electrode when processed in the lithium deposition process.. Examiner concludes prior existence of the combination, or a suggestion to combine all cited references, is improbable.
Regarding claim 5, the examiner notes a search has not revealed prior art teaching or suggesting to one of ordinary skill in the art to modify Schramm to include the piezoelectric resonator is removably coupled to the carrier, and wherein the piezoelectric resonator is configured for being removed from the carrier before or after the lithium deposition process. Examiner concludes prior existence of the combination, or a suggestion to combine all cited references, is improbable. Dependent claim 6 would be allowable for at least same reasons as above.
Regarding claim 8, the examiner notes a search has not revealed prior art teaching or suggesting to one of ordinary skill in the art to modify Schramm to include the calibration assembly is inert when processed in a lithium vapor atmosphere, the lithium vapor atmosphere being generated by evaporating lithium at 500° C. or more under vacuum. Examiner concludes prior existence of the combination, or a suggestion to combine all cited references, is improbable.
Regarding claim 13, the examiner notes a search has not revealed prior art teaching or suggesting to one of ordinary skill in the art to modify Schramm and Ishikawa to include the piezoelectric resonator is removably coupled to the carrier, the method further comprising: removably coupling the piezoelectric resonator to the carrier before processing the calibration assembly; and removing the piezoelectric resonator from the carrier before electrically connecting the piezoelectric resonator to the driver. Examiner concludes prior existence of the combination, or a suggestion to combine all cited references, is improbable.
Regarding claim 16, the examiner notes a search has not revealed prior art teaching or suggesting to one of ordinary skill in the art to modify Schramm and Ishikawa to include forming a passivation layer on the lithium film deposited on the piezoelectric resonator to form a passivated lithium film; and monitoring a change of the resonant frequency of the piezoelectric resonator over time, wherein the change of the resonant frequency is indicative of the chemical stability of the passivated lithium film.. Examiner concludes prior existence of the combination, or a suggestion to combine all cited references, is improbable. Dependent claim 17 would be allowable for at least the same reasons as above.
Claims 9-10 and 19-21 are allowed.
The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance:
Regarding claim 9, although Schramm discloses a thickness measuring system including a thickness measuring device with a quartz crystal monitor coupled to a carrier, the QCM measures deposition thickness, rate or uniformity of a deposition process where the deposition process includes measuring the thickness or deposition rate of a passivation layer, the QCM connects to a control device that determines QCM oscillation frequencies and determines thickness based on a change in oscillation frequency and determines deposition rate based on the rate of change in oscillation frequency, the system further including a coating installation with a housing; Schramm fails to disclose the system includes a lithium evaporation device and a transfer chamber connected to the deposition chamber where the coating installation includes passivating film deposited on the QCM in the transfer chamber. Furthermore, no other prior art can be found to motivate or teach applicant’s apparatus including the lithium deposition apparatus further comprising: a processing chamber, comprising a lithium evaporation device; and a transfer chamber connected to the processing chamber, wherein the lithium deposition apparatus is configured for: processing the calibration assembly in the processing chamber, transferring the calibration assembly from the processing chamber to the transfer chamber, passivating film deposited on the calibration assembly during processing in the transfer chamber, and electrically connecting the piezoelectric resonator to a driver with a connector, the connector being provided in a testing environment, in combination with the remaining limitations of the claim.
The dependent claims are allowable for at least the same reasons as above.
Regarding claim 19, although Schramm discloses a thickness measuring system including providing a thickness measuring device with a quartz crystal monitor coupled to a carrier, measuring an oscillation frequency before processing, processing the QCM in a coating installation, measuring an oscillation frequency after processing, determining deposition thickness, rate and uniformity of a deposition process based on a difference between the oscillation frequency difference between the frequencies measured before and after processing; Schramm fails to disclose the system measures a first frequency to determine thickness and measures a second frequency over time to determine chemical stability of passivated lithium film. Furthermore, no other prior art can be found to motivate or teach applicant’s method including determining a first resonant frequency of the piezoelectric resonator, wherein the first resonant frequency is indicative of a thickness of a lithium film deposited on the piezoelectric resonator in the lithium deposition process; determining a second resonant frequency, wherein: determining the second resonant frequency comprises monitoring a change of the second resonant frequency of the piezoelectric resonator over time, and a change of the second resonant frequency over time is indicative of the chemical stability of the passivated lithium film, in combination with the remaining limitations of the claim.
The dependent claims are allowable for at least the same reasons as above.
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.”
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to TIMOTHY P GRAVES whose telephone number is (469)295-9072. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8 a.m. - 5 p.m..
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/TIMOTHY P GRAVES/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2855
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