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 .
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)(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 1-2, 5-14, 16-17, and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Feng KR 2023-0078792.
Regarding claim 1, Feng discloses an apparatus comprising an electrostatic chuck (ESC) for supporting a semiconductor substrate, the ESC comprising:
an upper surface for supporting a wafer [Fig. 2b, surface 212 holds a substrate 220];
one or more clamping electrodes [Fig. 5e, inner electrodes 504] beneath the upper surface, wherein the one or more clamping electrodes are configured to, when powered, electrostatically clamp the wafer to the upper surface;
a blocking electrode [Fig. 5e, ring shaped outer electrode 508], wherein the blocking electrode comprises:
an annular portion [Fig. 5f, 508], a center portion [Fig. 5f, 536], and three or more spokes [Fig. 5e, 538-1, 538-2, 538-3, 538-4], wherein each spoke has a distal end coupled to the annular section and a proximal end coupled to center portion [as shown], wherein the annular section surrounds the one or more clamping electrodes when viewed along an axis perpendicular to the upper surface [Fig. 5d shows that the annular section 508 surrounds the one or more clamping electrodes 504 when viewed along an axis perpendicular to the upper surface, as also shown in fig. 5c][description of figures].
Regarding claim 2, Feng discloses that the one or more clamping electrodes are configured to be powered by an RF source [Fig. 1, RF generation system 188].
Regarding claim 5, Feng discloses that the three or more spokes are arranged in a radially symmetric pattern [as shown in Fig. 5d].
Regarding claim 6, Feng discloses that there are 2*n spokes, where n is an integer greater than one [Fig. 5a-5d show that there are 4 spokes].
Regarding claim 7, Feng discloses that the three or more spokes are 10 spokes [Specification: “Although four radial conductors 638 are shown, central portion 636 includes fewer (e.g., two) or more (e.g., five or more) radial conductors 638”].
Regarding claim 8, Feng discloses that the one or more clamping electrodes are two clamping electrodes [specification: “For example, inner electrodes 204 correspond to ESC clamping electrodes.”]
Regarding claim 9, Feng discloses that the two clamping electrodes are configured to, when powered by an radio frequency (RF) source, operate at a positive and negative polarity, respectively [Specification: “The inner electrodes 204 are each connected to ESC voltages having opposite polarities”].
Regarding claim 10, Feng discloses that the two clamping electrodes are nominally semicircular electrodes [Fig. 5a-5d; D-shaped semicircular electrodes as shown].
Regarding claim 11, Feng discloses that the one or more clamping electrodes are planar [both clamping electrodes 504 are flat and planar].
Regarding claim 12, Feng discloses that the blocking electrode is planar [electrode 508 is planar].
Regarding claim 13, Feng discloses that the blocking electrode comprises a metal mesh [inherently made of metal material].
Regarding claim 14, Feng discloses that the blocking electrode comprises a single piece of metal [the electrodes can be a single, solid piece, or interdigitated made of aluminum nitride or alumina].
Regarding claim 16, Feng discloses that the one or more clamping electrodes are parallel to the blocking electrode and between the blocking electrode and the upper surface [Fig. 5c shows that one or more clamping electrodes 504 are parallel to the blocking electrode 508 and between 508 and 512].
Regarding claim 17, Feng discloses that one or more clamping electrodes are at least two clamping electrodes [Fig. 5c, clamping electrodes 504], and wherein at least one spo3ke of the three or more spokes are aligned with a gap between the one or more clamping electrodes when viewed along the first axis [as shown in Fig. 5d].
Regarding claim 20, Feng discloses that the apparatus further comprises a process chamber [Fig. 1, processing chamber 108] that contains the ESC.
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 3 and 18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Feng KR 2023-0078792.
Regarding claim 3, Feng discloses that the blocking electrode and clamping electrodes are in two different planes and has a distance between the two. However, Feng does not explicitly disclose that the distance between a top surface of the blocking electrode and a bottom surface of the one or more clamping electrodes is between about 0.05 and about 0.2 inches. It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to have the distance between a top surface of the blocking electrode and a bottom surface of the one or more clamping electrodes is between about 0.05 and about 0.2 inches, since it has been held that discovering an optimum value of a result effective variable involves only routine skill in the art. In re Boesch, 617 F. 2d 272, 205 USPQ 215 (CCPA 1980).
Regarding claim 18, Feng discloses that each spoke has a width measured in a direction perpendicular to the axis perpendicular to the upper surface and the proximal and distal ends of each spoke. However, Feng does not explicitly disclose that a ratio between the total width of all spokes and the inner circumference of the annular is greater than about 1:10. It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to have a ratio between the total width of all spokes and the inner circumference of the annular is greater than about 1:10, since it has been held that discovering an optimum value of a result effective variable involves only routine skill in the art. In re Boesch, 617 F. 2d 272, 205 USPQ 215 (CCPA 1980).
Claim 19 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Feng KR 2023-0078792, in view of Gomm Publication No. US 2018/0350649.
Regarding claim 19, Feng does not further comprise lift pins that do not intersect the three or more spokes.
Gomm discloses an electrostatic chuck, comprising: two clamping electrodes [Fig. 3, 204, 206], and a blocking electrode [Fig. 3, 212, 214] having spokes [Fig. 3, 214], and lift pins [Fig. 3, holes 210 to receive lift pins] that do not intersect the three or more spokes [as shown].
Feng and Gomm are analogous processing chambers having electrostatic chucks with clamping and blocking electrodes. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the filing of the invention to incorporate Gomm’s lift pins, into Feng, for the benefit of raising and lowering the semiconductor substrate before, during and after the deposition and plasma treatment processes.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 4, 15, and 21-22 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 an examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance of claim 4: The prior art does not disclose that that interior corners formed where each of the three or more spokes is coupled to the annular portion are rounded. This feature in combination with the rest of the claim limitations is not anticipated or rendered obvious by the prior art of record.
The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance of claim 15: The prior art does not disclose that the apparatus further comprises an RF power source, and wherein the number of spokes of the blocking electrode is based on a frequency of the RF power source. This feature in combination with the rest of the claim limitations is not anticipated or rendered obvious by the prior art of record.
The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance of claim 21: The prior art does not disclose that the apparatus further comprises a rotational indexer. This feature in combination with the rest of the claim limitations is not anticipated or rendered obvious by the prior art of record.
Conclusion
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DHARTI PATEL
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2836
/DHARTI H PATEL/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2838