Last updated: July 17, 2026

Application No. 18/842,620

HARD MASK, SUBSTRATE PROCESSING METHOD, AND REMOVAL METHOD FOR HARD MASK

Non-Final OA

Filed

Aug 29, 2024

Priority

Mar 01, 2022 — JP 2022-031091 +1 more

Examiner

AHMED, SHAMIM

Art Unit

Tech Center

Assignee

Tokyo Electron Limited

OA Round

1 (Non-Final)

Interview Optional

— +22.1% interview lift. Examiner has a relatively high allowance rate (78%); +22.1% interview lift. A written response may suffice.

Based on 1214 resolved cases, 2023–2026

Examiner Intelligence

AHMED, SHAMIM View full profile →

Grants 78% — above average

Career Allowance Rate

953 granted / 1214 resolved

+18.5% vs TC avg

Strong +22% interview lift

Without

With

+22.1%

Interview Lift

resolved cases with interview

Typical timeline

2y 9m

Avg Prosecution

46 currently pending

Career history

1249

Total Applications

across all art units

Statute-Specific Performance

§101

0.3%

-39.7% vs TC avg

§103

75.4%

+35.4% vs TC avg

§102

4.1%

-35.9% vs TC avg

§112

1.7%

-38.3% vs TC avg

Black line = Tech Center average estimate • Based on career data from 1214 resolved cases

Prosecution Timeline

Aug 29, 2024

Application Filed

May 13, 2026

Non-Final Rejection mailed (current)

Precedent Cases

Applications granted by this same examiner with similar technology

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2y 6m to grant Granted Jul 14, 2026

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2y 10m to grant Granted Jul 14, 2026

18/225,825

Patent 12673892

HIGH TRANSPARENCY, HIGH HAZE NANOSTRUCTURED STRUCTURES

2y 11m to grant Granted Jul 07, 2026

18/471,239

Patent 12677616

SUBSTRATE PROCESSING METHOD, METHOD OF MANUFACTURING SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE, NON-TRANSITORY COMPUTER-READABLE RECORDING MEDIUM AND SUBSTRATE PROCESSING APPARATUS

2y 9m to grant Granted Jul 07, 2026

18/519,537

Patent 12674076

A CHARACTERISTIC STUDY OF ACRYLIC POLYMER DISPERSANT COATED ON SURFACE OF POLISHING PARTICLE

2y 7m to grant Granted Jul 07, 2026

Study what changed to get past this examiner. Based on 5 most recent grants.

Strategy Recommendation AI-generated — please review before filing

Get a prosecution strategy drawn from examiner precedents, rejection analysis, and claim mapping.

Typically takes 5-10 seconds — AI-generated, attorney review required before filing

Prosecution Projections

1-2

Expected OA Rounds

78%

Grant Probability

99%

With Interview (+22.1%)

2y 9m (~10m remaining)

Median Time to Grant

Low

PTA Risk

Based on 1214 resolved cases by this examiner. Grant probability derived from career allowance rate.