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 .
DETAILED ACTION
Status of Claims
1. Applicant's submittal of claims 1-8 in the “Claims” filed on 10/03/2024 is acknowledged and entered by the Examiner.
This office action considers claims 1-8 pending for prosecution.
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.
Notes: when present, semicolon separated fields within the parenthesis (; ;) represent, for example, as (100; Fig 3A; [0063]) = (element 100; Figure No. 3A; Paragraph No. [0063]). For brevity, the texts “Element”, “Figure No.” and “Paragraph No.” shall be excluded, though; additional clarification notes may be added within each field. The number of fields may be fewer or more than three indicated above. These conventions are used throughout this document.
2. Claims 1-6 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Nishi (US 20210291222 A1; hereinafter Nishi).
Regarding claim 1, Nishi teaches a film forming method (see the entire document, specifically Fig. 1+; [0001+], and as cited below) comprising the steps of:
atomizing a raw material solution to form a raw material mist (see Figs. 1, 11, 16; [Abstract, 0004, 0006, 0065 0078-0079, 0142]);
mixing the raw material mist and a carrier gas to form a gas mixture (see [Abstract, 0004-0006, 0037-0047]);
placing a substrate on a stage (see [0037, 0046, 0051, 0066, 0093]);
forming a film on the substrate by a thermal reaction by supplying the gas mixture to the substrate from a gas mixture supply means (see Figs. 1, 11, 16; [Abstract, 0004, 0006, 0065 0078-0079, 0142]); and
exhausting the gas mixture after the film formation by an exhaust means (see Figs. 1, 11, 16; [0047, 0056, 0103, 0107-0108]), wherein
a channel plate is arranged above the substrate so as to face the substrate via a space (see Figs. 1, 11, 16; [0081, 0095, 0131]),
a gas mixture flow is formed in the space above the substrate flowing linearly from the gas mixture supply means to the exhaust means such that the gas mixture flow flows along at least a part of a main surface of the substrate (see Figs. 1, 11, 16; [Abstract, 0004, 0006, 0065 0078-0079, 0142]), and
in the forming step and the exhausting step, at least a temperature T1 of the gas mixture supply means, and a temperature T2 of the channel plate are controlled (see Figs. 1, 11, 16; [0042, 0063-0064]).
Regarding claim 2, Nishi teaches all of the features of claim 1.
Nishi further teaches wherein a temperature T3 of the exhaust means is further controlled (see Figs. 1, 11, 16; [0042, 0063-0064]).
Regarding claim 3, Nishi teaches a film forming method (see the entire document, specifically Fig. 1+; [0001+], and as cited below) comprising the steps of:
atomizing a raw material solution to form a raw material mist (see Figs. 1, 11, 16; [Abstract, 0004, 0006, 0065 0078-0079, 0142]);
mixing the raw material mist and a carrier gas to form a gas mixture (see [Abstract, 0004-0006, 0037-0047]);
placing a substrate on a stage (see Figs. 1, 11, 16; see [0037, 0046, 0051, 0066, 0093]);
forming a film on the substrate by a thermal reaction by supplying the gas mixture to the substrate from a gas mixture supply means (see Figs. 1, 11, 16; [Abstract, 0004, 0006, 0065 0078-0079, 0142]); and
exhausting the gas mixture after the film formation by an exhaust means (see Figs. 1, 11, 16; [0047, 0056, 0103, 0107-0108]), wherein
a channel plate is arranged above the substrate so as to face the substrate via a space (see Figs. 1, 11, 16; [0081, 0095, 0131]),
a gas mixture flow is formed in the space above the substrate flowing linearly from the gas mixture supply means to the exhaust means such that the gas mixture flow flows along at least a part of a main surface of the substrate (see Figs. 1, 11, 16; [Abstract, 0004, 0006, 0065 0078-0079, 0142]), and
in the forming step and the exhausting step, at least a temperature T2 of the channel plate is controlled (see Figs. 1, 11, 16; [0042, 0063-0064]).
Regarding claim 4, Nishi teaches all of the features of claim 3.
Nishi further teaches wherein a temperature T3 of the exhaust means is further controlled (see Figs. 1, 11, 16; [0042, 0063-0064]).
Regarding claim 5, Nishi teaches a film forming apparatus (see the entire document, specifically Fig. 1+; [0001+], and as cited below) comprising:
an atomizing means for atomizing a raw material solution to form a raw material mist (see Figs. 1, 11, 16; [Abstract, 0004, 0006, 0065 0078-0079, 0142]);
a carrier gas supply means to transport the raw material mist (see Figs. 1, 11, 16; see [Abstract, 0004-0006, 0037-0047]);
a gas mixture supply means to supply a gas mixture, in which the raw material mist and the carrier gas are mixed, to a surface of a substrate (see Figs. 1, 11, 16; see [Abstract, 0004-0006, 0037-0047]);
a stage on which the substrate is placed (see Figs. 1, 11, 16; see [0037, 0046, 0051, 0066, 0093]);
an exhaust means to exhaust the gas mixture (see Figs. 1, 11, 16; [0047, 0056, 0103, 0107-0108]);
a channel plate arranged above the substrate so as to face the substrate via a space (see Figs. 1, 11, 16; [0081, 0095, 0131]); and
a temperature control means to control at least a temperature T1 of the gas mixture supply means and a temperature T2 of the channel plate (see Figs. 1, 11, 16; [0042, 0063-0064]).
Regarding claim 6, Nishi teaches all of the features of claim 5.
Nishi further teaches wherein the film forming apparatus further comprises a temperature control means to control a temperature T3 of the exhaust means (see Figs. 1, 11, 16; [0042, 0063-0064]).
3. Claims 7-8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Nakai et al. (JP 2002154891 A; hereinafter Nakai; using attached Google Translation of JP 2002154891 A).
Regarding claim 7, Nakai teaches a laminate (see the entire document, specifically Fig. 1+; [0001+], and as cited below) comprising:
a crystal substrate (see Figs. 1-4; see [Abstract, Claim 1]; see Pages 5-6); and
a crystal film epitaxially grown on the crystal substrate (see Figs. 1-4; see [Abstract, Claim 1]; see Pages 5-6),
wherein a density of a foreign substance having a diameter of 0.3 um or more on a surface of the crystal film is 1 cm-2 or less (see Table 1; (see [0044]).
Regarding claim 8, Nakai teaches all of the features of claim 7.
Nakai further teaches wherein the crystal film has a film thickness of 0.3 um or more (see Table 1; (see [0044]).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Omar Mojaddedi whose telephone number is 313-446-6582. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday – Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m..
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Julio J. Maldonado, can be reached on 571-272-1864. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/OMAR F MOJADDEDI/Examiner, Art Unit 2898
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