DETAILED ACTION
This Office Action is in response to the Applicant’s Communication filed on 11/13/2024. In virtue of the communication:
Claims 1-20 are pending in the instant application.
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
The references cited in the Information Disclosure Statement(s) (IDS(s)) filed on 11/13/2024 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 .
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)(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.
Claim(s) 1-4, 6-11, 13 and 14 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by GUO (U.S. Pub. 2025/0140541 A1).
Regarding claim 1, GUO discloses an impedance measurement method of a substrate processing apparatus (100) configured to process a substrate (substrate in the assembly 136) using plasma (Figs. 1A-1B and 3), wherein the substrate processing apparatus comprises:
a chamber (10, Figs. 1A-1B) forming a processing region (processing volume 129, Fig. 1B) for the substrate; and
a support unit (136, 115, Fig. 1B) disposed at a lower portion in the chamber (Fig. 1B) to support the substrate from below, the support unit including a radio frequency (RF) electrode (electrode 136, Fig. 1B, par [0025]) receiving RF power (from 171, Fig. 1B) for generating the plasma and an edge electrode (115, Fig. 1B, par [0042]) provided on edge of the support unit,
wherein the RF electrode (136) is connected to a RF power supply (171) via an impedance matching circuit (172) (Fig. 1B), so that the RF power is supplied to the RF electrode,
wherein the edge electrode (115) is connected to an edge impedance control circuit (control circuit in unit 172, Fig. 3) comprising variable impedance elements (tuning circuit 312, Fig. 3), so that impedance of a peripheral portion of the support unit is adjusted, and
wherein the impedance measurement method comprises:
calculating 2-port impedance of the chamber by setting the RF electrode and the edge electrode as 2-port input terminals and 2-port output terminals for various frequencies (using controller 126 to determine and control the impedance of the electrodes for various frequencies, par [0043]); and
storing data on the 2-port impedance of the chamber (in memory 134, Fig. 1B).
Regarding claim 8, GUO discloses a control device configured to manage a substrate processing apparatus (100) configured to process a substrate (substrate in the assembly 136) using plasma (Figs. 1A-1B and 3), wherein the substrate processing apparatus comprises:
a chamber (10, Figs. 1A-1B) forming a processing region (processing volume 129, Fig. 1B) for the substrate; and
a support unit (136, 115, Fig. 1B) disposed at a lower portion in the chamber (Fig. 1B) to support the substrate from below, the support unit including a radio frequency (RF) electrode (electrode 136, Fig. 1B, par [0025]) receiving RF power (from 171, Fig. 1B) for generating the plasma and an edge electrode (115, Fig. 1B, par [0042]) provided on edge of the support unit,
wherein the RF electrode (136) is connected to a RF power supply (171) via an impedance matching circuit (172) (Fig. 1B), so that the RF power is supplied to the RF electrode,
wherein the edge electrode (115) is connected to an edge impedance control circuit (control circuit in unit 172, Fig. 3) comprising variable impedance elements (tuning circuit 312, Fig. 3), so that impedance of a peripheral portion of the support unit is adjusted, and
wherein the control device comprises:
a processor (126, Fig. 1B) configured to calculate 2-port impedance of the chamber by setting the RF electrode and the edge electrode as 2-port input terminals and 2-port output terminals for various frequencies (using controller 126 to determine and control the impedance of the electrodes for various frequencies, par [0043]); and
a memory (134, Fig. 1B) configured to store data on the 2-port impedance of the chamber (10).
Regarding claims 2 and 9, GUO disclose the device and method wherein calculating the 2-port impedance of the chamber comprises calculating a first parameter (parameters, par [0033]) of the 2-port impedance by setting the edge electrode as an input/output terminal in a state in which the RF power supply and the impedance matching circuit are connected to the RF electrode (as connection in Fig. 1B).
Regarding claims 3 and10, GUO disclose the device and method wherein calculating the 2-port impedance of the chamber further comprises calculating a second parameter (parameters, par [0033]) of the 2-port impedance by setting the edge electrode as an input terminal and setting the RF electrode as an output terminal (as connection in Fig. 1B).
Regarding claims 4 and 11, GUO disclose the device and method wherein calculating the 2-port impedance of the chamber further comprises calculating a third parameter (parameters, par [0033]) of the 2-port impedance by setting the RF electrode as an input/output terminal in a state in which the edge impedance control circuit is connected to the edge electrode (as connection in Fig. 1B).
Regarding claims 6 and 13, GUO disclose the device and method further comprising outputting distribution of impedance of the chamber for various frequencies (par [0043]).
Regarding claims 7 and 14, GUO disclose the device and method further comprising outputting an alarm when the distribution of the impedance of the chamber is outside a predetermined reference distribution range (impedance circuit provides the frequency tuning range so it could be provided the step to control the frequencies, par [0054]).
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) 15-18 and 20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over GUO, as applied above, in view of CHO (KR 20250089971 A).
Regarding claim 15, GUO discloses a control device configured to manage a substrate processing apparatus (100) configured to process a substrate (substrate in the assembly 136) using plasma (Figs. 1A-1B and 3), wherein the substrate processing apparatus comprises:
a chamber (10, Figs. 1A-1B) configured to define a processing region (processing volume 129, Fig. 1B) for the substrate;
a support unit (136, 115, Fig. 1B) disposed at a lower portion in the chamber (Fig. 1B) to support the substrate from below;
a gas supply unit (182, Fig. 1B) configured to supply a process gas (101) to an interior of the chamber (10) (Fig. 1B); and
a radio frequency (RF) power supply (189, 171, 175) configured to supply RF power for generation of the plasma to the support unit,
an edge electrode (115, Fig. 1B, par [0042]);
wherein the edge electrode (115) is connected to an edge impedance control circuit (control circuit in unit 172, Fig. 3) comprising variable impedance elements (tuning circuit 312, Fig. 3), so that impedance of a peripheral portion of the support unit is adjusted, and
wherein the control device comprises:
a processor (126, Fig. 1B) configured to calculate 2-port impedance of the chamber by setting the RF electrode and the edge electrode as 2-port input terminals and 2-port output terminals for various frequencies (using controller 126 to determine and control the impedance of the electrodes for various frequencies, par [0043]); and
a memory (134, Fig. 1B) configured to store data on the 2-port impedance of the chamber (10).
GUO does not teach a shower head unit disposed at an upper portion in the chamber to disperse the process gas in the processing region; a baffle unit disposed between an inner side wall of the chamber and the support unit to discharge a gas remaining in the processing region; and wherein the support unit comprises a dielectric plate configured to allow the substrate to be seated thereon; a metal plate disposed below the dielectric plate; an RF plate which is an RF electrode disposed below the metal plate; wherein the RF plate is connected to the RF power supply via an impedance matching circuit, so that the RF power is supplied to the RF plate; and an edge ring assembly disposed on a peripheral portion of the metal plate so as to surround an periphery of the dielectric plate, the edge ring assembly being provided therein with an edge electrode
However, as evidenced by CHO, providing shower head unit (300, Fig. 2) disposed at an upper portion in the chamber (100) to disperse the process gas in the processing region; a baffle unit (500, Fig. 2) disposed between an inner side wall of the chamber and the support unit (200) to discharge a gas remaining in the processing region; and wherein the support unit comprises a dielectric plate (220, Fig. 2) configured to allow the substrate to be seated thereon; a metal plate (230, Fig. 2) disposed below the dielectric plate; an RF plate (270, Fig. 2) which is an RF electrode disposed below the metal plate; wherein the RF plate is connected to the RF power supply (235a, Fig. 3) via an impedance matching circuit (235d, Fig. 3), so that the RF power is supplied to the RF plate; and an edge ring assembly (245, Fig. 3) disposed on a peripheral portion of the metal plate so as to surround an periphery of the dielectric plate, the edge ring assembly being provided therein with an edge electrode (Figs. 2 and 3) 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 GUO with the components as taught by CHO in order to have a better plasma generating system to perform desired processing such as etching the substrate in the chamber.
Regarding claim 16, GUO/CHO disclose the device wherein calculating the 2-port impedance of the chamber comprises calculating a first parameter (parameters, par [0033] of GUO) of the 2-port impedance by setting the edge electrode as an input/output terminal in a state in which the RF power supply and the impedance matching circuit are connected to the RF electrode (as connection in Fig. 1B of GUO).
Regarding claim 17, GUO/CHO disclose the device wherein calculating the 2-port impedance of the chamber further comprises calculating a second parameter (parameters, par [0033] of GUO) of the 2-port impedance by setting the edge electrode as an input terminal and setting the RF electrode as an output terminal (as connection in Fig. 1B of GUO).
Regarding claim 18, GUO/CHO disclose the device and method wherein calculating the 2-port impedance of the chamber further comprises calculating a third parameter (parameters, par [0033] of GUO) of the 2-port impedance by setting the RF electrode as an input/output terminal in a state in which the edge impedance control circuit is connected to the edge electrode (as connection in Fig. 1B of GUO).
Regarding claim 20, GUO/CHO disclose the device wherein the processor outputting distribution of impedance of the chamber for various frequencies (par [0043] of GUO), and outputs an alarm when the distribution of the impedance of the chamber is outside a predetermined reference distribution range (impedance circuit provides the frequency tuning range so it could be provided the step to control the frequencies, par [0054] of GUO).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 5, 12, 19 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.
Inquiry
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, Regis Betsch can be reached on 571-270-7101. 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 2844
Prosecution Insights