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 .
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.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 11 & 14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1)/(a)(2) as being anticipated by Yoshiki et al. (US 5,843,236), hereinafter Yoshiki.
Regarding claim 11, Yoshiki discloses, in figure 5, an apparatus for plasma processing, the apparatus comprising:
a plasma chamber (Col. 2, Line 35, “plasma chamber 7”);
a first resonating structure adjacent the plasma chamber (Col. 18, Line 8, “rectangular waveguide 28”…adjacent the plasma chamber 7), the first resonating structure creating a first zone for a first plasma in the plasma chamber influenced by the first resonating structure (Col. 12, Lines 60-64, “the power of the microwave radiated [via rectangular waveguide 28] to the plasma chamber can be made uniform along the longitudinal direction of the window of the plasma chamber, so that a uniform plasma density can be obtained over a wider range or area”…a first plasma in zone 16a influenced via first resonating structure 28); and
a second resonating structure adjacent the first resonating structure (rectangular waveguide 28’ adjacent the first rectangular waveguide 28), the second resonating structure creating a second zone for a second plasma in the plasma chamber influenced by the second resonating structure (Col. 12, Lines 60-64, “the power of the microwave radiated [via rectangular waveguide 28’] to the plasma chamber can be made uniform along the longitudinal direction of the window of the plasma chamber, so that a uniform plasma density can be obtained over a wider range or area”…a second plasma in zone 16a’ influenced via second resonating structure 28’).
Regarding claim 14, Yoshiki discloses the apparatus of claim 11, and continues to disclose, in figure 5, wherein the first resonating structure comprises a first excitation component and the second resonating structure comprises a second excitation component (Col. 18, Lines 8-52, “rectangular waveguides 28 and 28' are respectively arranged so as to be juxtaposed and have long slots 28b and 28b' provided in the E-planes 28a and 28a' of the rectangular waveguides 28 and 28' along the waveguide-axis direction…microwaves radiated from the long slots 28b and 28b'”).
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.
Claims 13 & 15-17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ranjan et al. (US 2020/0058469 A1), hereinafter Ranjan.
Regarding claim 13, Yoshiki discloses the apparatus of claim 11, but fails to disclose wherein the first resonating structure comprises a first capacitor and the second resonating structure comprises a second capacitor, the second capacitor being in a same plane as the first capacitor.
However, Ranjan discloses, in figure 2, wherein the first resonating structure comprises a first capacitor (Para [0061], “impedance matching network 25…included in a SP generator circuit 240…impedance matching network 35…included in a BP generator circuit 245”) and the second resonating structure comprises a second capacitor, the second capacitor being in a same plane as the first capacitor (Para [0054], “impedance matching network may include a network of…capacitors”…capacitors are included in a same plane in the impedance matching networks of the generator circuits [i.e., resonating structures]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to include the generator circuit of Ranjan in the apparatus of Yoshiki, to achieve the benefit of ensuring the source power is efficiently coupled to the plasma chamber by matching the impedance of the load to the impedance of the supply (Ranjan, Para [0055]).
Regarding claim 15, Yoshiki discloses the apparatus of claim 14, but fails to disclose wherein the first excitation component and the second excitation component comprise respective inductive drive coils.
However, Ranjan discloses, in figure 2, wherein the first excitation component and the second excitation component (Para [0061], “impedance matching network 25…included in a SP generator circuit 240…impedance matching network 35…included in a BP generator circuit 245”) comprise respective inductive drive coils (Para [0054], “impedance matching network may include a network of inductors”).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to include the generator circuit of Ranjan in the apparatus of Yoshiki, to achieve the benefit of ensuring the source power is efficiently coupled to the plasma chamber by matching the impedance of the load to the impedance of the supply (Ranjan, Para [0055]).
Regarding claim 16, Yoshiki discloses the apparatus of claim 14, but fails to disclose wherein the first excitation component and the second excitation component comprise respective capacitors.
However, Ranjan discloses, in figure 2, wherein the first excitation component and the second excitation component (Para [0061], “impedance matching network 25…included in a SP generator circuit 240…impedance matching network 35…included in a BP generator circuit 245”) comprise respective capacitors (Para [0054], “impedance matching network may include a network of…capacitors”).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to include the generator circuit of Ranjan in the apparatus of Yoshiki, to achieve the benefit of ensuring the source power is efficiently coupled to the plasma chamber by matching the impedance of the load to the impedance of the supply (Ranjan, Para [0055]).
Regarding claim 17, Yoshiki discloses the apparatus of claim 14, but fails to disclose wherein the first excitation component comprises an inductive drive coil and the second excitation component comprises a capacitor.
However, Ranjan discloses, in figure 2, wherein the first excitation component (Para [0061], “impedance matching network 25…included in a SP generator circuit 240…impedance matching network 35…included in a BP generator circuit 245”) comprises an inductive drive coil and the second excitation component comprises a capacitor (Para [0054], “impedance matching network may include a network of inductors, capacitors, and/or variable capacitors”).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to include the generator circuit of Ranjan in the apparatus of Yoshiki, to achieve the benefit of ensuring the source power is efficiently coupled to the plasma chamber by matching the impedance of the load to the impedance of the supply (Ranjan, Para [0055]).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 12 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.
Claims 1-10 & 18-20 are allowed.
Claim 1 is allowed because the prior art of record does not disclose nor render obvious the apparatus for plasma processing comprising an outer resonating structure surrounding the inner resonating structure, the outer resonating structure comprising a second radiating structure and a first excitation component configured to exert an influence on a plasma in a plasma chamber adjacent the inner resonating structure and the outer resonating structure.
Claim 18 is allowed because the prior art of record does not disclose nor render obvious the apparatus for plasma processing comprising a second resonating structure having a second resonant frequency, the second resonating structure being surrounded by the first resonating structure.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to TYLER J PERENY whose telephone number is (571)272-4189. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 7:30-5.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Lincoln Donovan can be reached at 571-272-1988. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/TYLER J PERENY/ Examiner, Art Unit 2842