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
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
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.
1. Claims 1-6, 9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102 (a)(1) as being anticipated by Ono et al (USPN 2023/0311258).
Regarding claim 1, Ono discloses an electrostatic chuck device (an electrostatic chuck 10, shown in figure 2A) which clamps a target object (a wafer W) via an electrostatic force (via electrodes 200), comprising:
a clamping plate (a ceramic plate 100) having a clamping surface that clamps the target object (the wafer W) to its front surface side; and
a cooling plate (a coolant base 300) which is provided on a back surface side of the clamping plate (100)(see figure 2A) and which has an internal flow channel (an internal flow channel 301, see figure 2A, 12) through which a coolant flows, wherein the internal flow channel forms a flow channel geometry (a flow channel geometry shown in figures 12) in which flow channel elements of an identical pattern (identical patterns 31, 32 shown in figure 4) in a plan view are systematically connected.
Regarding claim 2, Ono discloses wherein the internal flow channel (the internal flow channel 301) communicates with a coolant introducing port (an inlet 301c) and a coolant discharging port (an outlet 301d) of the cooling plate (300), and repeats a change in which a distance from a central portion (CR) of the cooling plate (300) in a radial direction increases (such as a distance increases when a coolant gas flows from the inlet 301c to the outlet 301d) and a change in which the distance from the central portion in the radial direction decreases from the coolant introducing port (301c) toward the coolant discharging port (301d) (distances repeatedly increase and decrease from the inlet 301c to the outlet 301d along the convex and concave portions of the flow channel 301, see figure 12).
Regarding claim 3, Ono discloses wherein the flow channel elements (31-34) have a curved flow channel portion, a bent flow channel portion, or a folded flow channel portion therebetween (see figure 12).
Regarding claim 4, Ono discloses wherein the internal flow channel (301) has a meandering flow channel geometry by systematically connecting (311, 312) the flow channel elements (31-34).
Regarding claim 5, Ono discloses wherein the internal flow channel (301) has a geometry that can be expressed by a periodic function (a periodic function is formed by convex and concave potions of the channel 301, see figure 12).
Regarding claim 6, Ono discloses wherein the internal flow channel has a geometry that can be expressed by a Fourier series (a Fourier series formed by the coolant channel (301) which meanders on a radially inner side (CR) and the radially outer side of the cooling plate (300) (see figure 12).
Regarding claim 9, One discloses a cooling plate (a cooling base 300) used in an electrostatic chuck device (100) which clamps a target object (a wafer W) via an electrostatic force (by apply a voltage to electrodes 200), comprising an internal flow channel (a flow channel 301) through which a coolant flows, wherein the internal flow channel forms a flow channel geometry (311, 312) in which flow channel elements (31-34) of an identical pattern in a plan view are systematically connected (see figures 2A, 12).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
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.
2. Claims 7-8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ono et al (USPN 2023/0311258) in view of Hamed et al (USPN 2021/0180837).
Regarding claims 7-8, One discloses all limitations of claim 1 as discussed above, but does not explicitly disclose the flow channel as claimed.
Hamed discloses a cooling structure comprises a cooling channel (4)
has a fractal geometry and wherein the internal flow channel (4) has a geometry that can be expressed by a Gosper curve (see par. 0033) or a Minkowski curve.
It 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 to have modified the flow channel of Ono to incorporate a fractal or Gosper curve flow channel as disclosed by Hamed in order to enhance a heat transfer therefore improving thermal stability in an electrostatic chuck device.
Conclusion
3. Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to DANNY NGUYEN whose telephone number is (571)272-2054. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8:00AM-4:30PM.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Monica Lewis can be reached at 571-271-1838. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/DANNY NGUYEN/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2838
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