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 .
The present Office Action is in response to Applicants’ filing of September 16, 2024. Claims 1-20 are presented for examination, with Claims 1 and 17 being in independent form.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on January 9, 2025 is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement has been 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 1-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by KR2015-0039725-A (“Kim”), machine translation provided herewith.
Regarding Claim 1, Kim discloses a computer program product for an impedance matching and power distribution network (Fig. 1, details in Fig. 2, algorithms in Figs. 3-5; [0004]; [0009]; [0046]; [0079]-[0080]; [0086]; [0091]; [0098]; [0104]), the computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable medium on which is provided computer-executable instructions (using impedance matching control unit 138 and control unit 112) for:
obtaining, at a present time, present values of variable reactances associated with a station of a process chamber, wherein the variable reactances are associated with a first feedback control system for performing impedance matching for the process chamber (140, 132, 134; [0102]-[0104]), and wherein frequency tuning is being performed on an RF generator of the process chamber in association with a second feedback control system for performing impedance matching for the process chamber ([0088]; [0094]-[0098]); and
determining updated values of the variable reactances for the station to be utilized in connection with the first feedback control system based at least in part on an error associated with the second feedback control system ([0009]; [0091]; [0098]; [0179]-[0184]).
Regarding Claim 2, Kim further discloses wherein the error associated with the second feedback control system comprises a difference between a measured frequency at the station and a target frequency associated with the process chamber ([0014]-[0018]).
Regarding Claim 3, Kim further discloses wherein the frequency at the station is determined using one or more sensing circuits (136, 138; [0094]-[0095]).
Regarding Claim 4, Kim further discloses wherein the updated values of the variable reactances are usable to modify positions of one or more variable reactance elements associated with the process chamber to minimize reflected power associated with the station ([0079]-[0080]; [0093]-[0094]; [0199]).
Regarding Claim 5, Kim further discloses wherein the one or more variable reactance elements comprise at least one of: a series capacitor, or a shunt capacitor (132.134 in Figs. 1-2).
Regarding Claim 6, Kim further discloses wherein modifying the positions of the one or more variable reactance elements associated with the first feedback control system causes the second feedback control system to drive the frequency toward a target frequency ([0046]-0048]; [0067]-[0069]; [0091]-[0093]).
Regarding Claim 7, Kim further discloses wherein the target frequency corresponds to a frequency specified for a step of a recipe performed at the present time ([0125]; [0222]-[0223]).
Regarding Claim 8, Kim further discloses wherein the computer-executable instructions are further configured for determining positions of one or more variable reactance elements using a calibration table and based at least in part on the updated values of the variable reactances (Fig. 4; [0008]-[0013]; [0028]-[0029]; [0044]-0047]; [0094]; [0189]-[0193]).
Regarding Claim 9, Kim further discloses wherein the variable reactances comprise a series reactance associated with the station of the process chamber (132,134,140 in Figs. 1-2, and their corresponding description).
Regarding Claim 10, Kim further discloses wherein the variable reactances comprise a shunt reactance associated with the process chamber (132,134,140 in Figs. 1-2, and their corresponding description).
Regarding Claim 11, Kim further discloses wherein the variable reactances comprise a variable series reactance, and wherein an updated series reactance is determined based on a correction to a target series reactance, wherein the correction incorporates the error associated with the second feedback control system (132; [0020]-[0042]; [0094]-[0125]).
Regarding Claim 12, Kim further discloses wherein the variable reactances comprise a variable shunt reactance, and wherein an updated shunt reactance is determined without determining a target shunt reactance and based at least in part on the error associated with the second feedback control system ([0010]-[0012]; [0020]-[0042]; [0094]-[0125]).
Regarding Claim 13, Kim further discloses wherein the updated values of the variable reactances are utilized by the first feedback control system responsive to one or more criteria being met (Fig. 3; [0022]-[0046]; [0115]-[0125]).
Regarding Claim 14, Kim further discloses wherein the one or more criteria comprise: a reflected power associated with the process chamber exceeding a reflected power threshold, a power balance ratio associated with a plurality of stations of the process chamber exceeding a power balance threshold, and the error associated with the second feedback control system exceeding an error threshold (Fig. 3; [0022]-[0046]; [0115]-[0125]).
Regarding Claim 15, Kim further discloses wherein the updated values of the variable reactances are modified prior to use responsive to a determination that a difference between the present values of the variable reactances and the updated values of the variable reactances are within a dither threshold (Fig. 3; [0121]-[0124]; [0134]).
Regarding Claim 16, Kim further discloses wherein the determining the updated values of the variable reactances for the station based at least in part on the error associated with the second feedback control system is responsive to a determination that a mode associated with controlling the first feedback control system based on the error associated with the second feedback control system has been activated in a recipe being utilized at the present time (Fig. 3; [0007]; [0022]-[0046]; [0115]-[0125]; [0222]-[0229]).
Regarding Claim 17, Kim discloses a method for impedance matching and power distribution (Fig. 1, details in Fig. 2, algorithms in Figs. 3-5; [0004]; [0009]; [0046]; [0079]-[0080]; [0086]; [0091]; [0098]; [0104]), comprising:
obtaining, at a present time, present values of variable reactances associated with a station of a process chamber, wherein the variable reactances are associated with a first feedback control system for performing impedance matching for the process chamber (140, 132, 134; [0102]-[0104]), and wherein frequency tuning is being performed on an RF generator of the process chamber in association with a second feedback control system for performing impedance matching for the process chamber ([0088]; [0094]-[0098]); and
determining updated values of the variable reactances for the station to be utilized in connection with the first feedback control system based at least in part on an error associated with the second feedback control system ([0009]; [0091]; [0098]; [0179]-[0184]).
Regarding Claim 18, Kim further discloses wherein the error associated with the second feedback control system comprises a difference between a measured frequency at the station and a target frequency associated with the process chamber ([0014]-[0018]).
Regarding Claim 19, Kim further discloses wherein the frequency at the station is determined using one or more sensing circuits (136, 138; [0094]-[0095]).
Regarding Claim 20, Kim further discloses wherein the updated values of the variable reactances are usable to modify positions of one or more variable reactance elements associated with the process chamber to minimize reflected power associated with the station ([0079]-[0080]; [0093]-[0094]; [0199]).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
U.S. Patent Publication No. 2021/0313948 (“Leeser”) relates to a multiple-output radiofrequency matching module.
U.S. Patent Publication No. 2011/0214811 (“Ashida”) relates to an automatic matching method for a plasma processing apparatus.
U.S. Patent Publication No. 2012/0074844 (“York”) relates to a signal generation system.
U.S. Patent Publication No. 2017/0345620 (“Coumou”) relates to a solid-state impedance matching system including a hybrid tuning network with a switchable coarse tuning network and a varactor fine tuning network.
U.S. Patent No. 10,269,540 (“Carter”) relates to an impedance matching system.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to PEDRO C FERNANDEZ whose telephone number is (571)272-7050. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9-5 EST.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Alexander H Taningco can be reached at 1-(571) 272-8048. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/PEDRO C FERNANDEZ/Examiner, Art Unit 2844
/ALEXANDER H TANINGCO/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2844