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.
Claims 1-2, 9-11, 14 and 16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Burry et al. (US 2022/0165545).
In regards to claim 1, Burry discloses of a plasma etching device comprising: a source power generator (for example 712a) configured to generate a source power signal based on a source control signal (see Fig 7); a bias power generator (for example 712b) configured to generate a bias power signal based on a bias control signal (see Fig 7); an inductively-coupled antenna provided with the source power signal (see Fig 1 and Paragraph 0041, inductively coupled coils acting as an antenna); and a plasma generating device (for example see 732) provided with the bias power signal, wherein the source power generator is configured to: detect whether the bias power generator is operating (via 734); and perform, in response to detecting of the bias power generator being operating, a frequency switching operation by switching a frequency of the source power signal (see Fig 7 and Paragraphs 0055-0064).
In regards to claim 2, Burry discloses of the plasma etching device of claim 1, wherein the source power generator further includes: a control circuit (for example 720, 720a-b) configured to generate a frequency control signal to control the frequency of the source power signal (see Paragraphs 0060, 0062); and an RF generator configured to generate the source power signal based on the frequency control signal; and a memory (see Paragraph 0073) configured to store frequency information, wherein the control circuit (720, 720a-b) is configured to perform the frequency switching operation based on the frequency information (see Fig 7 and Paragraphs 0055-0064, 0073).
In regards to claim 9, Burry discloses of the plasma etching device of claim 2, wherein the control circuit (720, 720a-b) is configured to update the frequency information stored in the memory (see Paragraph 0073) based on a value of a frequency of the source power signal identified in response to a result of determining that an operation of the bias power generator ends (see Fig 7 and Paragraph 0073).
In regards to claim 10, Burry discloses of the plasma etching device of claim 1, wherein the inductively-coupled antenna (in Fig 1) includes a coil to which the source power signal is applied (see coil windings of 116, 118), and wherein the plasma generating device includes: a wafer support member (126) to which the bias power signal is applied; and a chamber (see 112) including the wafer support member (126, see Fig 1 and Paragraph 0041).
In regards to claim 11, Burry discloses of a device comprising: a control circuit (for example see 720, 720a-b) configured to generate a frequency control signal to control a frequency of a source power signal; an RF generator (see 712a) configured to generate the source power signal based on the frequency control signal; a monitoring circuit (see 734) configured to determine whether a bias power generator (see 712b) is operating; and a memory (see Paragraph 0073) configured to store frequency information, wherein the control circuit (720, 720a-b) is configured to perform a frequency switching operation based on the frequency information in response to the monitoring circuit (734) determining that the bias power generator is operating (See Fig 7 and Paragraphs 0055-0064, 0073).
In regards to claim 14, Burry discloses of the device of claim 11, wherein the monitoring circuit (734) is configured to determine whether the bias power generator (712b) is operating, based on a bias control signal for controlling the bias power generator (712b, see Fig 7 and Paragraphs 0055-0064).
In regards to claim 16, Burry discloses of a method of operating a device including a source power generator (see 712a) and a bias power generator (see 712b), wherein the source power generator (712a) includes: a control circuit (see 720, 720a-b) configured to generate a frequency control signal including information for controlling a frequency of a source power signal; an RF generator (712b) configured to generate the source power signal based on the frequency control signal; and a monitoring circuit (see 734) configured to detect whether a bias power generator (712b) is operating; and a memory (See Paragraph 0073) configured to store frequency information, the method comprising: determining, by the monitoring circuit (734), whether the bias power generator (712b) is operating; and performing, by the control circuit (720, 720a-b), a frequency switching operation based on the frequency information in response to a result of determining that the bias power generator is operating (see Fig 7 and Paragraphs 0055-0064, 0073).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 3-8, 12-13, 15 and 17-20 are 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.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
In regards to claim 3, the prior art does not disclose of the plasma etching device of claim 2, wherein the source power generator further includes: a voltage sensor configured to measure a voltage of an output terminal of the RF generator; a current sensor configured to measure a current output from the RF generator; and a first monitoring circuit configured to determine whether the bias power generator is operating, based on at least one of voltage information measured by the voltage sensor and current information measured by the current sensor, and wherein the control circuit is configured to perform the frequency switching operation in response to the first monitoring circuit determining that the bias power generator is operating, nor would it have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to do so. Claims 4 and 5 are also objected to as being dependent on claim 3.
In regards to claim 6, the prior art does not disclose of the plasma etching device of claim 2, wherein the source power generator further includes: a reflect wave sensor configured to detect a reflect wave of the source power signal generated from the RF generator; and a second monitoring circuit configured to determine the bias power generator is operating, based on the reflect wave detected by the reflect wave sensor, and wherein the control circuit is configured to perform the frequency switching operation in response to the second monitoring circuit determining that the bias power generator is operating, nor would it have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to do so. Claim 7 is also objected to as being dependent on claim 6.
In regards to claim 8, the prior art does not disclose of the plasma etching device of claim 2, wherein the source power generator further includes: a third monitoring circuit configured to determine whether the bias power generator is operating, based on detection of whether the bias control signal is generated, and wherein the control circuit is configured to perform the frequency switching operation in response to the third monitoring circuit determining that the bias power generator is operating, nor would it have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to do so.
In regards to claim 12, the prior art does not disclose of the device of claim 11, further comprising: a voltage sensor configured to measure a voltage of an output terminal of the RF generator; and a current sensor configured to measure a current output from the RF generator, wherein the monitoring circuit is configured to determine whether the bias power generator is operating, based on at least one of voltage information measured by the voltage sensor and current information measured by the current sensor, nor would it have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to do so.
In regards to claim 13, the prior art does not disclose of the device of claim 11, further comprising: a reflect wave sensor configured to detect a reflect wave of the source power signal generated from the RF generator, wherein the monitoring circuit is configured to determine the bias power generator is operating, based on the reflect wave detected by the reflect wave sensor, nor would it have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to do so.
In regards to claim 15, the prior art does not disclose of the device of claim 11, wherein the control circuit is configured to: after performing the frequency switching operation, perform a first frequency tuning operation by increasing and decreasing a value of the frequency of the source power signal at a first unit interval during a first time; and perform, after the performing of the first frequency tuning operation, a second frequency tuning operation by increasing and decreasing a value of the frequency of the source power signal at a second unit interval during a second time, wherein the second unit interval is greater than or equal to the first unit interval, and wherein the second time is longer than the first time, nor would it have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to do so.
In regards to claim 17, the prior art does not disclose of the method of claim 16, further comprises: after performing the frequency switching operation, performing, by the control circuit, a first frequency tuning operation by increasing and decreasing the frequency value of the source power signal at a first unit interval during a first time; and after performing the first frequency tuning operation, performing, by the control circuit, a second frequency tuning operation by increasing and decreasing the frequency value of the source power signal at a second unit interval during a second time, wherein the second unit interval is greater than or equal to the first unit interval, and wherein the second time is longer than the first time, nor would it have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to do so.
In regards to claim 18, the prior art does not disclose of the method of claim 16, further comprising: detecting, by the monitoring circuit, an operation of the bias power generator ends; and updating, by the control circuit, the frequency information stored in the memory based on a value of an optimized frequency of the source power signal immediately before the end in response to a result of determining that the operation of the bias power generator ends, nor would it have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to do so. Claims 19 and 20 are also objected to as being dependent on claim 18.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Jason M Crawford whose telephone number is (571)272-6004. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Thurs 6:30am-3:00pm, Fri 6:30am-12:30pm.
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/JASON M CRAWFORD/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2845
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