DETAILED ACTION
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
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 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.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 08/06/2024 is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
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 1, 2, 4, 5, 8, 10-12, and 14-17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Choi (US 2002/0023718 A1).
Regarding claim 1, Choi teaches an inductor strap for a radio frequency matching circuit of a substrate processing system (Abstract, an apparatus for matching the impedance of an RF generator … for use in manufacturing semiconductor devices), the inductor strap (Fig. 1, 16) comprising:
a first end and a second end (Fig. 1, 16, Fig. 2, 45, [0048] a variable inductor 45), wherein each of the first end and the second end comprises a respective connector tab configured to connect to a terminal of a respective capacitor (Fig. 1, 12, 13, [0047] capacitors 12 and 13);
an inductor coil disposed between the first end and the second end (Fig. 2, 4, 5, [0049]); and
an intermediate portion disposed between (i) the inductor coil and (ii) one of the first end and the second end (Fig. 6, 20 between 4 and 22), wherein the intermediate portion comprises a planar connection plate ([0056] an elastic plate 20) configured to couple the inductor strap to a surface of a radio frequency enclosure that houses the radio frequency matching circuit (Fig. 1, [0047] the RF matching unit 1).
Regarding claim 2, all the limitations of claim 1 are taught by Choi.
Choi further teaches the inductor strap, wherein the inductor strap is comprised of copper ([0014] copper).
Regarding claim 4, all the limitations of claim 1 are taught by Choi.
Choi further teaches the inductor strap, wherein the inductor strap has at least one change of direction between the first end and the second end (Fig. 2, coils 4 and 5).
Regarding claim 5, all the limitations of claim 4 are taught by Choi.
Choi further teaches the inductor strap, wherein the inductor strap comprises a horizontal portion and a vertical portion (Fig. 2, coils 4 and 5, [0050] rotated in direction B, Fig. 7).
Regarding claim 8, all the limitations of claim 1 are taught by Choi.
Choi further teaches the inductor strap, wherein the intermediate portion comprises at least one opening defined in the connection plate (Fig. 6, opening 23).
Regarding claim 10, all the limitations of claim 1 are taught by Choi.
Choi further teaches a radio frequency matching circuit (Fig. 1, 1) comprising the inductor strap of claim 1 and further comprising a first capacitor (Fig. 1, 12) and a second capacitor (Fig. 1, 13), wherein the inductor strap is coupled between the first capacitor and the second capacitor (Fig. 1, 16, 12, 13).
Regarding claim 11, all the limitations of claim 10 are taught by Choi.
Choi further teaches the radio frequency matching circuit wherein the first capacitor has a first orientation and the second capacitor has a second orientation different from the first orientation (Fig. 2, [0048] capacitors 2 and 3).
Regarding claim 12, all the limitations of claim 11 are taught by Choi.
Choi further teaches the radio frequency matching circuit wherein the second orientation is perpendicular to the first orientation (Fig. 2, 2 is horizontal, 3 is vertical).
Regarding claim 14, all the limitations of claim 10 are taught by Choi.
Choi further teaches the radio frequency matching circuit further comprising a support bar coupled to the intermediate portion and the surface (Fig. 6, the structure supporting/holding the plate 20).
Regarding claim 15, all the limitations of claim 10 are taught by Choi.
Choi further teaches the radio frequency matching circuit wherein the surface is a lower surface of a top plate of the radio frequency enclosure (Fig. 2, the bottom plate of 1).
Regarding claim 16, all the limitations of claim 10 are taught by Choi.
Choi further teaches the radio frequency matching circuit further comprising at least one of an inductance element, a resistance element, a capacitance element, and an insulative element coupled to the intermediate portion at a location of the support bar (Fig. 2, 4, 5, 2, 3, 11).
Regarding claim 17, this claim has substantially the same subject matter as that in claim 15. Therefore, claim 17 is rejected under the same rationale as claim 15 above.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 3, 6, 7, 9, 13, and 18-20 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.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
Regarding claim 3, the prior arts fail to teach or reasonably suggest an inductor strap, wherein the first end, the second end, the inductor coil, and the intermediate portion are formed from a single piece of conductive material, in combination with the other limitations of the claim.
Regarding claim 6, the prior arts fail to teach or reasonably suggest an inductor strap, wherein the inductor coil and the intermediate portion are located in the horizontal portion of the inductor strap, in combination with the other limitations of the claim.
Claim 7 is objected to due to its dependency to claim 6 above.
Regarding claim 9, the prior arts fail to teach or reasonably suggest an inductor strap, wherein the at least one opening comprises two elongated slots, in combination with the other limitations of the claim.
Regarding claim 13, the prior arts fail to teach or reasonably suggest an inductor strap, wherein a horizontal portion of the inductor strap is coupled to the first capacitor and a vertical portion of the inductor strap is coupled to the second capacitor, in combination with the other limitations of the claim.
Regarding claim 18, the prior arts fail to teach or reasonably suggest a radio frequency enclosure comprising a plurality of the radio frequency matching circuits, wherein each of the radio frequency matching circuits is configured to output a radio frequency signal to a respective radio frequency connector assembly mounted on an upper surface of the top plate, in combination with the other limitations of the claim.
Claims 19 and 20 are objected to due to their dependencies to claim 18 above.
Claim 21 is allowed over the prior arts.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
Regarding claim 1, the prior arts fail to teach or reasonably suggest a radio frequency enclosure for a substrate processing system, the radio frequency enclosure comprising: an insulative support bar that couples the intermediate portion of the inductor strap to the lower surface of the top plate; and a plurality of radio frequency connector assemblies mounted on an upper surface of the top plate and coupled to respective ones of the radio frequency matching circuits, wherein each of the radio frequency connector assemblies comprises a right angle connector and a connector bracket partially enclosing the right angle connector, in combination with the other limitations of the claim.
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.”
Citation of Pertinent Prior Art
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Long (US 20240429035 A1) see Figs. 8A and 8B, teaches an inductor strap for a radio frequency matching circuit of a substrate processing system, the inductor strap comprising: a first end and a second end, wherein each of the first end and the second end comprises a respective connector tab configured to connect to a terminal of a respective capacitor; an inductor coil disposed between the first end and the second end; and an intermediate portion disposed between (i) the inductor coil and (ii) one of the first end and the second end, wherein the intermediate portion comprises a planar connection plate configured to couple the inductor strap to a surface of a radio frequency enclosure that houses the radio frequency matching circuit. However, the prior art Long is owned by the same person (Lam Research Corporation) as the instant application.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to SEOKJIN KIM whose telephone number is (571)272-1487. The examiner can normally be reached M-F: 8:30am-5:00pm.
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/SEOKJIN KIM/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2845
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