DETAILED ACTION
This Office Action is in response to the Applicant’s Amendment filed on 07/09/2026. In virtue of the amendment:
Claims 1, 3, 4 and 6-22 are pending in the instant application.
Claims 2 and 5 are canceled.
Claims 1, 3, 4, 7, 8, 10 and 15-19 are currently amended.
Claims 20-22 are newly added.
The references cited in the Information Disclosure Statement(s) (IDS(s)) filed on 09/18/2026 have been considered by the examiner.
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments, filed 07/09/2026, with respect to the rejection(s) of claim(s) 1-19 under 102 rejection have been fully considered and are persuasive. However, upon further consideration, a new ground(s) of rejection is made in view of NEZU (JP 2003257933 A).
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(s) 1, 6, 8-14 and 16-21 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over van de INADA (U.S. Pub. 2023/0245869 A1) in view of NEZU (JP 2003257933 A).
Regarding claim 1, INADA discloses a substrate processing apparatus (100, Figs. 1, 3-4), comprising:
a mounting table (susceptor 217, Fig. 1) configured to be capable of mounting a substrate (200, Fig. 1) on the mounting table;
a heater (280, 217b, Fig. 1) located above the mounting table and configured to radiate heat rays toward the substrate mounted on the mounting table to heat the substrate (par [0034]);
a process container (vessel 203, 210 Fig. 1) disposed below the heater (280) and configured to accommodate the mounting table, wherein the process container includes at least a ceiling (210b, Fig. 1) and a side wall (210a, Fig. 1), the ceiling is located adjacent to the heater (Fig. 1) and is made of opaque quartz (opaque quartz, par [0022]);
a gas supplier (120, Fig. 1) configured to supply a processing gas to the process container (par [0036]);
a plasma generator (plasma generator, Fig. 1, par [0052]) configured to excite the processing gas into plasma by an electrode (212, Figs. 1-2) provided on an outer periphery of the side wall (210a) (Fig. 1);
a sealer (O-ring 301, Fig. 3; 303, Fig. 4) configured such that transmission of heat rays reflected from the substrate to the sealer is suppressed by the ceiling and airtightness between the process container and the heater is maintained by a seal (Figs. 3-4, pars [0083], [0090]).
INADA does not teach the side wall is made of transparent quartz.
However, as evidenced by NEZU, providing the inner wall surface of the chamber 1 with a plate made of transparent quartz (Figs. 4-5, par [0005]) is well known in the art.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having skill in the art before the filing date of the invention to employ the device of INADA with the side wall made of transparent quartz as taught by NEZU in order to prevent the side wall from being damaged by the influence of plasma generation.
Regarding claim 6, INADA/NEZU discloses the substrate processing apparatus, wherein a sealing surface (210b1, Fig. 4 of INADA) is provided between the process container (203, Fig. 1 of INADA) and the heater (280, Fig. 1 of INADA), and the sealer (301, Fig. 3; 303, Fig. 4 of INADA) is in contact with the process container and the heater at the sealing surface (Figs. 1, 3 and 4 of INADA).
Regarding claim 8, INADA/NEZU discloses the substrate processing apparatus, wherein the seal is an O-ring (301, Fig. 3; 303, Fig. 4 of INADA) and is configured to maintain airtightness between the ceiling and the heater (Figs. 1, 3 and 4 of INADA).
Regarding claim 9, INADA/NEZU discloses the substrate processing apparatus, wherein the ceiling (210b, Fig. 1 of INADA) is configured to suppress transmission of the heat rays reflected by the substrate and to prevent the O-ring from being heated by the heat rays (pars [0080], [0082] of INADA).
Regarding claim 10, INADA/NEZU discloses the wherein a plasma generation space (201a, Fig. 1 of INADA) in which the processing gas (processing gas, par [0036] of INADA) is plasma-excited and a substrate process space (201b, Fig. 1 of INADA) communicating with the plasma generation space are configured by the process container (203, Fig. 1), wherein the gas supplier (120, Fig. 1 of INADA) is configured to supply the processing gas to the plasma generation space (par [0036] of INADA), and wherein the plasma generator (plasma generator, Fig. 1, par [0052] of INADA) surrounds the plasma generation space (Fig. 1 of INADA).
Regarding claim 11, INADA/NEZU discloses the substrate processing apparatus, wherein the heater includes a lamp heater (280, Fig. 1, par [0020] of INADA).
Regarding claim 12, INADA/NEZU discloses the substrate processing apparatus, further comprising, at a lower portion of the process container: a loading/unloading port (245, Fig. 1 of INADA) configured to load and unload (par [0067] of INADA) the substrate (200, Fig. 1 of INADA); a driver (elevator 268, Fig. 1 of INADA) configured to raise and lower the mounting table (217, Fig. 1 of INADA); and a controller (291, Fig. 1 of INADA) configured to be capable of controlling the driver to raise and lower the mounting table to load and unload the substrate (Fig. 1 of INADA).
Regarding claim 13, INADA/NEZU discloses the substrate processing apparatus, wherein a heat source of the heat rays (radiant light, par [0081] of INADA) is the heater (280, 217b, Fig. 1 of INADA).
Regarding claim 14, INADA/NEZU discloses the substrate processing apparatus, wherein a heat source of the heat rays is the plasma generation space (space 201a, Fig. 1 of INADA).
Regarding claim 16, INADA/NEZU discloses the substrate processing apparatus, wherein a lower end of the ceiling is located above an upper end of the plasma generator (Fig. 1 of INADA).
Regarding claim 17, INADA/NEZU discloses the substrate processing apparatus, further comprising: a driver (elevator 268, Fig. 1 of INADA) configured to raise and lower the mounting table (217, Fig. 1 of INADA); and a controller (291, Fig. 1 of INADA) configured to be capable of controlling the driver so that the substrate mounted on the mounting table is positioned below a lower end of the plasma generator (Fig. 1 of INADA).
Regarding claim 18, INADA discloses a substrate processing method by using a substrate processing apparatus (100, Fig. 1) that includes:
a mounting table (217, Fig. 1) configured to be capable of mounting a substrate (200, Fig. 1) on the mounting table;
a heater (280, 217b, Fig. 1) located above the mounting table and configured to radiate heat rays (radiant light) toward the substrate mounted on the mounting table to heat the substrate;
a process container (vessel 203, Fig. 1) disposed below the heater (280), configured to accommodate the mounting table (217), wherein the process container includes at least a ceiling (210b, Fig. 1) and a side wall (210a, Fig. 1), the ceiling is located adjacent to the heater and is made of opaque quartz (opaque quartz, par [0022]);
a gas supplier (120, Fig. 1) configured to supply a processing gas to the process container (par [0036]);
a plasma generator (plasma generator, Fig. 1, par [0052]) configured to excite the processing gas into plasma by an electrode (212, Figs. 1-2) provided on an outer periphery of the side wall (210a) (Fig. 1); and
a sealer (O-ring 301, Fig. 3; 303, Fig. 4) configured such that transmission of heat rays reflected from the substrate to the sealer is suppressed by the ceiling and airtightness between the process container and the heater is maintained by a seal (Figs. 3-4, pars [0083], [0090]),
the substrate processing method comprising: mounting the substrate (200) on the mounting table (217) (Fig. 1, par [0029]); and heating the substrate (200) by the heater (280) (Fig. 1, par [0034]).
INADA does not teach the side wall is made of transparent quartz.
However, as evidenced by NEZU, providing the inner wall surface of the chamber 1 with a plate made of transparent quartz (Figs. 4-5, par [0005]) is well known in the art.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having skill in the art before the filing date of the invention to employ the device of INADA with the side wall made of transparent quartz as taught by NEZU in order to prevent the side wall from being damaged by the influence of plasma generation.
Regarding claim 19, INADA discloses a non-transitory computer-readable recording medium storing a program that causes, by a computer (par [0002]), a substrate processing apparatus (100, Fig. 1), which includes:
a mounting table (217, Fig. 1) configured to be capable of mounting a substrate (200, Fig. 1) on the mounting table;
a heater (280, 217b, Fig. 1) located above the mounting table and configured to radiate heat rays (radiant light) toward the substrate mounted on the mounting table to heat the substrate;
a process container (vessel 203, Fig. 1) disposed below the heater (280), configured to accommodate the mounting table (217), wherein the process container includes at least a ceiling (210b, Fig. 1) and a side wall (210a, Fig. 1), the ceiling is located adjacent to the heater and is made of opaque quartz (opaque quartz, par [0022]);
a gas supplier (120, Fig. 1) configured to supply a processing gas to the process container (par [0036]);
a plasma generator (plasma generator, Fig. 1, par [0052]) configured to excite the processing gas into plasma by an electrode (212, Figs. 1-2) provided on an outer periphery of the side wall (210a) (Fig. 1); and
a sealer (O-ring 301, Fig. 3; 303, Fig. 4) configured such that transmission of heat rays reflected from the substrate to the sealer is suppressed by the ceiling and airtightness between the process container and the heater is maintained by a seal (Figs. 3-4, pars [0083], [0090]), to perform a process comprising: mounting the substrate (200) on the mounting table (217) (Fig. 1, par [0029]); and heating the substrate (200) by the heater (280) (Fig. 1, par [0034]).
INADA does not teach the side wall is made of transparent quartz.
However, as evidenced by NEZU, providing the inner wall surface of the chamber 1 with a plate made of transparent quartz (Figs. 4-5, par [0005]) is well known in the art.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having skill in the art before the filing date of the invention to employ the device of INADA with the side wall made of transparent quartz as taught by NEZU in order to prevent the side wall from being damaged by the influence of plasma generation.
Regarding claim 20, INADA/NEZU discloses a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device comprising the method of claims 18 (Figs. 1-6, pars [0002], [0064] of INADA).
Regarding claim 21, INADA/NEZU discloses the substrate processing apparatus, wherein the heater (280, Fig. 1 of INADA) is attached via an annular manifold (302, Figs. 1 and 4 of INADA), and the manifold (302) joined above the ceiling (210b, Fig. 1 of INADA) via the sealer (O-ring 303, Fig. 4 of INADA).
Claim(s) 3 and 4 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over INADA/NEZU, as applied above, in view of Hellman (U.S. Patent 6,306,489 B1).
Regarding claims 3 and 4, INADA/NEZU discloses all of the limitations as claimed except the opaque quartz is a natural/synthetic quartz.
However, as evidenced by Hellman, providing the opaque quartz is the natural/synthetic quartz (body 7 and the flange 10 are made of opaque quartz glass which is smelted from naturally occurring quartz materials, col. 7, lines 23-25; and TH layer 13 is made of high purity transparent synthetic quartz glass, col. 7, lines 35-36; Fig. 2) is well known in the art.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having skill in the art before the filing date of the invention to employ the apparatus of INADA/NEZU with the natural/synthetic quartz as taught by Hellman in order to provide the suitable materials for control/maintain the processing of substrate in the plasma chamber.
Claim(s) 15 and 22 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over INADA, as applied above.
Regarding claims 15 and 22, INADA discloses the ceiling (210b, Fig. 1) and the sidewall (210a, Fig. 1).
INADA does not teach a thickness of the ceiling is thicker than a thickness of the side wall, and the ceiling has a thickness of 12 to 20 mm.
However, these limitations are not of the patentable merits since it would be held obvious to one having skill in the art before the filing date of the invention to modify the numerical parameters of the above ceiling and the above sidewall to improve the energy efficiency of the substrate processing in the plasma chamber.
Accordingly, providing the different thickness of ceiling and sidewall of the plasma processing apparatus would have been deemed obvious to one having skill in the art.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 7 is 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.
Inquiry
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JIMMY T VU whose telephone number is (571)272-1832. The examiner can normally be reached on 9:00 AM - 6:00 PM.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Alexander H. Taningco can be reached on 571-272-8048. The fax phone numbers for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned are 571-273-8300.
Any inquiry of a general nature or relating to the status of this application or proceeding should be directed to the receptionist whose telephone number is 571-272-2800.
/JIMMY T VU/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2845
Prosecution Insights