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 .
This Office Action is in response to the Applicant’s communication filed on September 11, 2024 and the preliminary amendment concurrently filed therewith. In virtue of this preliminary amendment, claims 1-22 are now pending in the instant application.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 09/11/2024 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.
Claims 1-11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Kim et al. (US 2016/0020070).
With respect to claim 1, Kim discloses in figures 1 and 7 an apparatus, comprising: an inductively coupled plasma (ICP) antenna (312, e.g., an antenna as shown in figure 7 as well) comprising a plurality of inductances (L1-L8, e.g., inductors) electrically coupled in series (see figure 7, e.g., having a serial inductance connection thereof); and a capacitor (Z1, e.g., a first capacitor) coupled in parallel with an inductance (L1, e.g., a first inductor) of the plurality of inductances (see figure 7), wherein the ICP antenna is to be electromagnetically coupled to a plasma (see figure 1 and paragraph 0071).
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With respect to claim 2, Kim discloses that wherein the inductance of the plurality of inductances is a first inductance (L1), wherein the capacitor is a first capacitor (Z1) of a plurality of capacitors (Z1-Z8, e.g., capacitors), wherein the apparatus further comprises a second capacitor (Z3), and wherein the second capacitor is coupled in parallel with a second inductance (L3) of the plurality of inductances (see figure 7).
With respect to claim 3, Kim discloses that wherein a third inductance (L2) of the plurality of inductances is between the first inductance and the second inductance (see figure 7).
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With respect to claim 4, Kim discloses that further comprising at least one series capacitor (350, e.g., a serial capacitor) electrically coupled to an RF signal source (321, e.g., an RF source) and to the ICP antenna (see figure 7).
With respect to claim 5, Kim discloses that wherein the at least one series capacitor is a fixed capacitor, a variable capacitor, or a combination thereof (figure 7 shows the serial capacitor 350 is a fixed capacitor).
With respect to claim 6, Kim discloses that wherein the first capacitor is further coupled in parallel with the first inductance and a fourth inductance (L4), and wherein the fourth inductance and the first inductance are in electrical series with each other (see figure 7).
With respect to claim 7, Kim discloses that wherein the second capacitor is coupled in parallel with the second inductance and a fifth inductance (L5), and wherein the fifth inductance is of the plurality of inductances (see figure 7).
With respect to claim 8, Kim discloses in figures 1 and 7 an apparatus, comprising: an inductively coupled plasma (ICP) antenna (312, e.g., an antenna) comprising a coil (L1, e.g., coil), wherein the coil comprises: a first terminal (E1); a second terminal (E2); a plurality of coil segments (L1-L8, e.g., coil segments) between the first terminal and the second terminal (see figure 7); and a capacitor (Z1, e.g., a capacitor) coupled in parallel with a coil segment (L1) of the plurality of coil segments (see figure 7).
With respect to claim 9, Kim discloses that wherein the capacitor is above or below the coil segment (see figure 7, e.g., below feature thereof).
With respect to claim 10, Kim discloses that wherein the coil is a spiral coil (figures 1, 4 and 7 shows coils being spiral coil), and wherein the spiral coil is substantially planar (see figure 1).
With respect to claim 11, Kim discloses that wherein the capacitor is a first capacitor (Z1) of a plurality of capacitors (Z1-Z8), wherein the coil segment is a first coil segment (L1), and wherein individual ones of the plurality of capacitors are electrically coupled in parallel to one or more individual ones of the plurality of coil segments (figure 7 shows a parallel feature thereof).
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.
Claim 18 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kim et al. (US 2016/0020070) in view of Yamazawa et al. (US 2011/0104902).
With respect to claim 18, Kim discloses in figures 1 and 7 a semiconductor process tool, comprising: a first chamber (330, e.g., a first chamber); a second chamber (110, e.g., a second chamber), wherein the second chamber is adjacent to the first chamber (figure 1 shows the first chamber 330 being adjacent to the first chamber 110), and wherein the second chamber is separated from the first chamber by a wall (130, e.g., a baffle or a wall) that comprises a dielectric material (formed by insulator or ceramic thereof); an inductively coupled plasma (ICP) antenna (132, e.g., an antenna), wherein the ICP antenna comprises a plurality of inductances (L1-L8), wherein individual ones of the plurality of inductances are electrically coupled in series to one another (see figure 7, e.g., having a serial connection feature thereof), wherein at least one inductance (L1) of the plurality of inductances is electrically coupled in parallel to a capacitor (Z1); and an RF signal source (321) electrically coupled to the ICP antenna (see figure 1 and 7).
Kim does not explicitly disclose that the ICP antenna within the first chamber.
Yamazawa discloses in figure 1 a plasma apparatus comprising a first chamber (15, e.g., an antenna chamber); a second chamber (10, e.g., a process chamber), wherein the second chamber is separated from the first chamber by a dielectric wall (52, e.g., a dielectric window); and an ICP antenna (54), wherein the ICP antenna within the first chamber (see figure 1, e.g., having a within feature thereof).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to modify the plasma apparatus of Kim with a within feature as taught by Yamazawa for the purpose of serving as an atmospheric space provided above a ceiling wall of the chamber 10 since this configuration for the stated purpose would have been obvious as evidenced by the teaching of Yamazawa (see paragraph 0103).
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Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 19-22 are allowed.
Claims 12-17 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:
Prior art of record fails to disclose or fairly suggest the following limitations:
A method for tuning an inductively coupled plasma (ICP), comprising: … “wherein the at least one tuned portion comprises a tank circuit and has a resonant frequency, wherein the ICP antenna further comprises at least one untuned portion, and wherein the at least one untuned portion comprises a at least a second untuned inductance of the plurality of inductances electrically coupled to the at least one tuned portion of the ICP antenna; and driving the ICP antenna by tuning the RF signal source to a frequency such that a ratio of a first current that circulates within the at least one tuned portion and a second current that flows in a least one untuned portion is greater than 1:1, wherein a plasma coupled to the ICP antenna is spatially regulated, and wherein a rate of a plasma-enhanced process is spatially regulated across a substrate”, in combination with the remaining claimed limitations as claimed in independent claim 19 (claims 20-22 would be allowable as being dependent on claim 19).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Prior art Barnes et al. – US 5,589,737
Prior art Jin et al. – US 2023/0207294
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to TUNG X LE whose telephone number is (571)272-6010. The examiner can normally be reached Monday to Friday from 10am to 6pm.
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/TUNG X LE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2845 July 29, 2026
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