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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 10/07/2025 is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Double Patenting
The nonstatutory double patenting rejection is based on a judicially created doctrine grounded in public policy (a policy reflected in the statute) so as to prevent the unjustified or improper timewise extension of the “right to exclude” granted by a patent and to prevent possible harassment by multiple assignees. A nonstatutory double patenting rejection is appropriate where the claims at issue are not identical, but at least one examined application claim is not patentably distinct from the reference claim(s) because the examined application claim is either anticipated by, or would have been obvious over, the reference claim(s). See, e.g., In re Berg, 140 F.3d 1428, 46 USPQ2d 1226 (Fed. Cir. 1998); In re Goodman, 11 F.3d 1046, 29 USPQ2d 2010 (Fed. Cir. 1993); In re Longi, 759 F.2d 887, 225 USPQ 645 (Fed. Cir. 1985); In re Van Ornum, 686 F.2d 937, 214 USPQ 761 (CCPA 1982); In re Vogel, 422 F.2d 438, 164 USPQ 619 (CCPA 1970); and In re Thorington, 418 F.2d 528, 163 USPQ 644 (CCPA 1969).
A timely filed terminal disclaimer in compliance with 37 CFR 1.321(c) or 1.321(d) may be used to overcome an actual or provisional rejection based on a nonstatutory double patenting ground provided the reference application or patent either is shown to be commonly owned with this application, or claims an invention made as a result of activities undertaken within the scope of a joint research agreement. A terminal disclaimer must be signed in compliance with 37 CFR 1.321(b).
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Claims 1-17 are rejected on the ground of nonstatutory double patenting as being unpatentable over claims 1-17 of Patent No. US 12,131,886.
Below is the table of comparison between claims in cases involved in this double patenting rejection.
Subject Application Claim Text
Application # 18/928,852 (hereafter ‘852)
Conflicting Patent Claim Text
US Patent # 12,131,886 (hereafter ‘886)
1. A method for operating a radiofrequency signal generator system for a plasma processing system, comprising: operating a first radiofrequency signal generator to generate a low frequency signal at an output of the first radiofrequency signal generator; operating a second radiofrequency signal generator to generate a high frequency signal at an output of the second radiofrequency signal generator; operating an impedance matching system to control impedances at the output of the first radiofrequency signal generator and at the output of the second radiofrequency signal generator, the low frequency signal and the high frequency signal transmitted through the impedance matching system to a radiofrequency supply input of the plasma processing system causing generation of a plasma within the plasma processing system; operating a control module to monitor a reflected power at the output of the second radiofrequency signal generator; and operating the control module to determine when the reflected power at the output of the second radiofrequency signal generator indicates a change in impedance along a transmission path of the high frequency signal that is indicative of a particular process condition and/or event within the plasma processing system.
1. A radiofrequency signal generator system for a plasma processing system, comprising: a first radiofrequency signal generator set to generate a low frequency signal at an output of the first radiofrequency signal generator; a second radiofrequency signal generator set to generate a high frequency signal at an output of the second radiofrequency signal generator; an impedance matching system having a first input connected to the output of the first radiofrequency signal generator and a second input connected to the output of the second radiofrequency signal generator, the impedance matching system having an output connected to a radiofrequency supply input of the plasma processing system, the impedance matching system configured to control impedances at the output of the first radiofrequency signal generator and at the output of the second radiofrequency signal generator; and a control module programmed to: monitor a reflected voltage at the output of the second radiofrequency signal generator, and determine when the reflected voltage at the output of the second radiofrequency signal generator indicates a change in impedance along a transmission path of the high frequency signal, wherein the change is indicative of a corresponding process condition and/or event within the plasma processing system
2. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising: identifying a change in impedance of the plasma by detecting a rapid and persistent change in reflected power at the output of the second radiofrequency signal generator.
2. (Original) The radiofrequency signal generator system as recited in claim 1, wherein the control module is programmed to correlate a rapid and persistent change in the reflected voltage at the output of the second radiofrequency signal generator to a change in impedance of a plasma generated by the low frequency signal and the high frequency signal.
3. The method as recited in claim 2, further comprising: signaling an endpoint of a plasma process upon identifying the change in impedance of the plasma.
3. (Original) The radiofrequency signal generator system as recited in claim 2, wherein the control module is programmed to signal an endpoint of a plasma process upon correlation of the rapid and persistent change in the reflected voltage at the output of the second radiofrequency signal generator to the change in impedance of the plasma.
4. The method as recited in claim 3, wherein the plasma process is an etching process.
4. The radiofrequency signal generator system as recited in claim 3, wherein the plasma process is an etching process.
5. The method as recited in claim 2, further comprising: signaling a transition within a plasma process upon identifying the change in impedance of the plasma.
5. The radiofrequency signal generator system as recited in claim 2, wherein the control module is programmed to signal a transition within a plasma process upon correlation of the rapid and persistent change in the reflected voltage at the output of the second radiofrequency signal generator to the change in impedance of the plasma.
6. The method as recited in claim 5, wherein the transition within the plasma process is exposure of a particular material on a substrate to the plasma.
6. The radiofrequency signal generator system as recited in claim 5, wherein the transition within the plasma process is exposure of a material on a substrate to the plasma.
7. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising: identifying an arcing event within the plasma processing system by detecting a rapid and transitory change in reflected power at the output of the second radiofrequency signal generator; and signaling identification of the arcing event.
7. The radiofrequency signal generator system as recited in claim 1, wherein the control module is programmed to determine a correlation between a rapid and transitory change in the reflected voltage at the output of the second radiofrequency signal generator and an arcing event, and wherein the control module is programmed to signal detection of the arcing event based on the correlation.
8. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising: identifying a change in a condition of the plasma processing system by detecting a slow and persistent change in reflected power at the output of the second radiofrequency signal generator; and signaling detection of the change in the condition of the plasma processing system.
8. The radiofrequency signal generator system as recited in claim 1, wherein the control module is programmed to determine a correlation between a slow and persistent change in the reflected voltage at the output of the second radiofrequency signal generator and a change in a condition of the plasma processing system, and wherein the control module is programmed to signal detection of the change in the condition of the plasma processing system based on the correlation.
9. The method as recited in claim 8, wherein the change in the condition of the plasma processing system is a build-up of byproduct material on one or more surfaces within the plasma processing system.
9. The radiofrequency signal generator system as recited in claim 8, wherein the change in the condition of the plasma processing system is a build-up of byproduct material on one or more surfaces within the plasma processing system.
10. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising: performing a waferless auto-clean process on the plasma processing system; and stopping the waferless auto-clean process upon detection of a rapid and persistent change in reflected power at the output of the second radiofrequency signal generator.
10. The radiofrequency signal generator system as recited in claim 1, wherein the control module is programmed to correlate a rapid and persistent change in the reflected voltage at the output of the second radiofrequency signal generator to an endpoint of a waferless auto-clean process performed on the plasma processing system.
11. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising: identifying occurrence of a particular condition/event within the plasma processing system by comparing the reflected power at the output of the second radiofrequency signal generator to stored reflected power signatures respectively associated with different conditions and/or events; and signaling occurrence of the particular condition/event.
11. The radiofrequency signal generator system as recited in claim 1, wherein the control module is programmed to compare the reflected voltage at the output of the second radiofrequency signal generator to one or more of a plurality of stored reflected voltage signatures respectively associated with a plurality of conditions and/or events to determine whether a corresponding condition/event has occurred, and wherein the control module is programmed to signal occurrence of the corresponding condition/event.
12. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising: operating the first radiofrequency signal generator and the second radiofrequency signal generator in accordance with a frequency tuning process, wherein the frequency tuning process automatically adjusts an operating frequency of the first radiofrequency signal generator about a target frequency of the low frequency signal to minimize reflected power at the output of the first radiofrequency signal generator, and wherein the frequency tuning process automatically adjusts an operating frequency of the second radiofrequency signal generator about a target frequency of the high frequency signal to minimize reflected power at the output of the second radiofrequency signal generator, wherein the operating frequency of the second radiofrequency signal generator is separately adjusted about the target frequency of the high frequency signal in each of a plurality of temporal bins that collectively span a complete cycle of the low frequency signal generated by the first radiofrequency signal generator, with the plurality of temporal bins and corresponding separate operating frequency adjustments repeating in sequence over each cycle of the low frequency signal generated by the first radiofrequency signal generator.
12. The radiofrequency signal generator system as recited in claim 1, wherein the control module is programmed to direct operation of the first radiofrequency signal generator and the second radiofrequency signal generator in accordance with a frequency tuning process, wherein the frequency tuning process automatically adjusts an operating frequency of the first radiofrequency signal generator about a target frequency of the low frequency signal to minimize reflected voltage at the output of the first radiofrequency signal generator, and wherein the frequency tuning process automatically adjusts an operating frequency of the second radiofrequency signal generator about a target frequency of the high frequency signal to minimize the reflected voltage at the output of the second radiofrequency signal generator, wherein the operating frequency of the second radiofrequency signal generator is separately adjusted about the target frequency of the high frequency signal in each of a plurality of temporal bins that collectively span a complete cycle of the low frequency signal generated by the first radiofrequency signal generator, with the plurality of temporal bins and corresponding separate operating frequency adjustments repeating in sequence over each cycle of the low frequency signal generated by the first radiofrequency signal generator.
13. The method as recited in claim 12, wherein a first temporal bin of the plurality of temporal bins begins at a positive direction zero voltage crossing of the complete cycle of the low frequency signal, and wherein a last temporal bin of the plurality of temporal bins ends at the positive direction zero voltage crossing of the complete cycle of the low frequency signal.
13. The radiofrequency signal generator system as recited in claim 12, wherein a first temporal bin of the plurality of temporal bins begins at a positive direction zero voltage crossing of the complete cycle of the low frequency signal, and wherein a last temporal bin of the plurality of temporal bins ends at the positive direction zero voltage crossing of the complete cycle of the low frequency signal.
14. The method as recited in claim 12, further comprising: setting the operating frequency of the second radiofrequency signal generator at an adjusted frequency in each of the plurality of temporal bins, wherein the adjusted frequency in any given one of the plurality of temporal bins is independently and separately set relative to others of the plurality of temporal bins.
14. The radiofrequency signal generator system as recited in claim 12, wherein the operating frequency of the second radiofrequency signal generator is set at an adjusted frequency in each of the plurality of temporal bins, wherein the adjusted frequency in any given one of the plurality of temporal bins is independently and separately set relative to others of the plurality of temporal bins.
15. The method as recited in claim 14, wherein the adjusted frequency of a given one of the plurality of temporal bins is an integer multiple of a frequency adjustment amount about the target frequency of the high frequency signal.
15. The radiofrequency signal generator system as recited in claim 14, wherein the adjusted frequency of a given one of the plurality of temporal bins is an integer multiple of a frequency adjustment amount about the target frequency of the high frequency signal.
16. The method as recited in claim 15, wherein the integer multiple is either -4, -3, -2, -1, 0, +1, +2, +3, +4, and wherein the frequency adjustment amount is a target frequency of the low frequency signal generated by the first radiofrequency signal generator.
16. The radiofrequency signal generator system as recited in claim 15, wherein the integer multiple is either -4, -3, -2, -1, 0, +1, +2, +3, +4, and wherein the frequency adjustment amount is a target frequency of the low frequency signal generated by the first radiofrequency signal generator.
17. The method as recited in claim 16, further comprising: identifying a change in impedance of the plasma by detecting occurrence of a rapid and persistent change in reflected power at the output of the second radiofrequency signal generator within a first temporal bin of the plurality of temporal bins that begins at a positive direction zero voltage crossing of the complete cycle of the low frequency signal.
17. The radiofrequency signal generator system as recited in claim 16, wherein the control module is programmed to correlate a rapid and persistent change in the reflected voltage at the output of the second radiofrequency signal generator that occurs at a positive direction zero voltage crossing of the complete cycle of the low frequency signal to a change in impedance of a plasma generated by the low frequency signal and the high frequency signa
Regarding claims 1-3, 5, 7-8, all limitations of the subject application '852 are included in claim 1-3, 5, 7-8 of the stated patent ‘886.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to SYED M KAISER whose telephone number is (571)272-9612. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9 a.m.-6 p.m..
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/SYED M KAISER/Examiner, Art Unit 2831 /ABDULLAH A RIYAMI/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2831