Last updated: July 17, 2026

Application No. 18/974,593

MATCHLESS PLASMA SOURCE FOR SEMICONDUCTOR WAFER FABRICATION

Non-Final OA

Filed

Dec 09, 2024

Priority

Oct 18, 2017 — continuation of 10/264,663 +4 more

Examiner

LE, TUNG X

Art Unit

2844

Tech Center

2800 — Semiconductors & Electrical Systems

Assignee

Lam Research Corporation

OA Round

1 (Non-Final)

Interview Optional

— +3.2% interview lift. Interview already conducted in this application's prosecution history. This examiner has a 87% grant rate with +3.2% interview lift. Since an interview has already been tried, recommend written response with narrowed claims based on precedent claim evolution patterns.

Based on 1666 resolved cases, 2023–2026

Examiner Intelligence

LE, TUNG X View full profile →

Grants 87% — above average

Career Allowance Rate

1448 granted / 1666 resolved

+18.9% vs TC avg

Minimal +3% lift

Without

With

+3.2%

Interview Lift

resolved cases with interview

Fast prosecutor

2y 0m

Avg Prosecution

23 currently pending

Career history

1688

Total Applications

across all art units

Statute-Specific Performance

§101

0.1%

-39.9% vs TC avg

§103

50.8%

+10.8% vs TC avg

§102

29.0%

-11.0% vs TC avg

§112

7.9%

-32.1% vs TC avg

Black line = Tech Center average estimate • Based on career data from 1666 resolved cases

Prosecution Timeline

Dec 09, 2024

Application Filed

Apr 15, 2026

Non-Final Rejection mailed

Jul 02, 2026

Applicant Interview (Telephonic)

Jul 02, 2026

Examiner Interview Summary

Jul 07, 2026

Response Filed

Precedent Cases

Applications granted by this same examiner with similar technology

18/511,514

Patent 12684669

LIGHTING DEVICE

2y 8m to grant Granted Jul 14, 2026

18/794,026

Patent 12683503

BOOST CONVERTER

1y 11m to grant Granted Jul 14, 2026

18/001,683

Patent 12676400

ANTENNA DEVICE, RECTIFIER CIRCUIT, POWER SUPPLY DEVICE, AND ELECTRONIC DEVICE

3y 6m to grant Granted Jul 07, 2026

18/836,293

Patent 12666516

LOCATIONS DETERMINATIONS

1y 10m to grant Granted Jun 23, 2026

18/924,866

Patent 12665167

PLASMA GENERATING APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR OPERATING SAME

1y 8m to grant Granted Jun 23, 2026

Study what changed to get past this examiner. Based on 5 most recent grants.

Strategy Recommendation AI-generated — please review before filing

Get a prosecution strategy drawn from examiner precedents, rejection analysis, and claim mapping.

Typically takes 5-10 seconds — AI-generated, attorney review required before filing

Prosecution Projections

1-2

Expected OA Rounds

87%

Grant Probability

90%

With Interview (+3.2%)

2y 0m (~5m remaining)

Median Time to Grant

Low

PTA Risk

Based on 1666 resolved cases by this examiner. Grant probability derived from career allowance rate.