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 .
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 12/11/2024 is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
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.
Claims 1-4, 12-13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Endoh et al. (Pub. No.: US 20040261946 A1), hereafter Endoh in view of Kimball et al. (Pub. No.: US 20180166312 A1), hereafter Kimball.
Regarding claim 1, Endoh teaches a substrate processing system (FIG. 1, 6-12) comprising:
a plasma processing apparatus (FIG 1, FIG. 6, FIG. 12 and paragraph [0018], “a plasma processing apparatus”);
a decompressed transferrer (FIG. 1, a buffer chamber 39, pressured gas decompressed when put in a bigger volume, hence chamber) connected to the plasma processing apparatus (FIG. 1); and processing circuitry (FIG. 1, CONTROLLER 43),
wherein the plasma processing apparatus includes
a processing container being decompressible (FIG. 1, chamber 10),
a gas supply (Processing gas supply, 40),
a substrate support (FIG. 1, holding member 12) provided in the processing container, the substrate support including a substrate placing surface, a ring placing surface (FIG. 1, an annular outer peripheral portion 25b) on which an edge ring (FIG. 1, focus ring 30) is placeable to surround the substrate placing surface (FIG. 1), and an electrostatic chuck (FIG. 1, The electrostatic chuck 25) configured to electrostatically attract the edge ring to the ring placing surface (FIG. 1),
a lifter configured to vertically move the edge ring with respect to the ring placing surface (FIG. 12 and paragraph [0215]).
a supply path to supply a gas (FIG. 1, gas supply piping 41) to a space between a rear surface of the edge ring and the ring placing surface, and a pressure sensor connected to the supply path and for measuring a pressure in the supply path, the decompressed transferrer includes a transfer robot (FIG. 1 42, and FIG. 12, rotating mechanism 124) configured to transfer the edge ring, and the processing circuitry is configured to control the transfer robot to transfer the edge ring into the processing chamber (FIG. 6 and paragraph [0141], “The wafer section line 46a has a PCV (pressure control valve) 80 and an opening/closing valve 81; the PCV 80 and the opening/closing valve 81 are connected to the controller 43, which controls the operation of the PCV 80 and the opening/closing valve 81. The PCV 80 controls the pressure of the He gas supplied onto the rear surface of the wafer W from the wafer section line 46a, and the opening/closing valve 81 closes off the wafer section line 46a from the heat transfer gas supply unit 35 in response to a command from the controller 43”); control the gas supply to supply the gas (FIG. 1, 35) to the supply path to maintain a pressure in the supply path to be higher than a pressure in the processing container after the electrostatic attracting (paragraph [0141], “the PCV 80 controls the pressure of the He gas supplied onto the rear surface of the wafer W from the wafer section line 46a, and the opening/closing valve 81 closes off the wafer section line 46a from the heat transfer gas supply unit 35 in response to a command from the controller 43”).
Endoh does not disclose control the lifter to lower the edge ring on to the ring placing surface, control the electrostatic chuck to electrostatically attract the edge ring to the ring placing surface, control the pressure sensor to measure the pressure in the supply path, and determine a placing state of the edge ring on the ring placing surface based on the measured pressure.
Kimball teaches control the lifter to lower the edge ring on to the ring placing surface, control the electrostatic chuck to electrostatically attract the edge ring to the ring placing surface (FIG. 3 and paragraph [0022], “control the lifter to lower the edge ring on to the ring placing surface, control the electrostatic chuck to electrostatically attract the edge ring to the ring placing surface, control the gas supply to supply the gas to the supply path to maintain a pressure in the supply path to be higher than a pressure in the processing container after the electrostatic attracting, control the pressure sensor to measure the pressure in the supply path, and determine a placing state of the edge ring on the ring placing surface based on the measured pressure”), control the pressure sensor to measure the pressure in the supply path, and determine a placing state of the edge ring on the ring placing surface based on the measured pressure (FIG. 5 and paragraph [0024], “When the pressure is lowered to a threshold pressure, a ring clamping voltage is applied (step 512). The pressure threshold indicates that the edge ring 116 has been forced to a threshold distance, which will allow the edge ring clamping electrodes 312 to clamp the edge ring 116. The application of the vacuum is then discontinued (step 516). Pressure in the backside temperature channels 328 is measured (step 520). If the measured pressure increase is larger than a threshold rate”).
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Endoh in view of Kimball to incorporate pressure measuring technique that the seal is sufficient it indicates that the seal is sufficient (Kimball, paragraphs [0024]-[0025]).
Regarding claim 2, Endoh as modified above further teaches the electrostatic chuck includes a first electrode (Endoh , FIG. 1, electrode plate 25b) and a second electrode (Endoh , FIG. 1, electrode plate 25d) , the first electrode and the second electrode being located at positions different from each other (Endoh , FIG. 1).
Regarding claim 3, Endoh as modified above further teaches the gas supply is configured to supply another gas into the processing container (Endoh, FIG. 1, HEAT TRANSFER GAS SUPPLY UNIT, paragraph [0101], “Furthermore, a heat transfer gas, for example He gas, from a heat transfer gas supply unit 35”), and the processing circuitry is further configured to control the lifter to place the edge ring on the ring placing surface while the another gas is supplied into the processing container (Endoh, paragraph [0101], “a heat transfer gas supply unit 35 is supplied into a gap between an upper surface of the electrostatic chuck 25 and a rear surface of the wafer W via a gas supply line 36, thus improving heat transfer ability between the wafer W and the electrostatic chuck 25”).
Regarding claim 4, Endoh as modified above further teaches the plasma processing apparatus further includes a plasma generator configured to generate plasma in the processing container (Endoh, FIG. 1, 21 and paragraph [0098], “A high-frequency power source 21 for plasma production and RIE is electrically connected to the lower electrode 11 via a matching unit 22 and a power-feeding rod 23”), and the electrostatically attracting includes electrostatically attracting the edge ring with the plasma generated in the processing container (Endoh, FIG. 1, and paragraph [0099]).
Regarding claim 12, Endoh as modified above further teaches wherein in response to the processing circuitry determining that the placing state of the edge ring on the ring placing surface is appropriate, the processing circuitry is further configured to control the electrostatic chuck and gas supply to stabilize the electrostatic attracting of the edge ring (Endoh, paragraphs [0053]-[0054]).
Regarding claim 13, Endoh as modified above further teaches the gas is a heat transfer gas (Endoh, paragraph [0101], “Furthermore, a heat transfer gas, for example He gas).
Claims 15, 17-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Endoh et al. (Pub. No.: US 20040261946 A1), hereafter Endoh in view of Amikura et al. (Pub. No.: US 20220130651 A1), hereafter Amikura.
Regarding claim 15, Endoh teaches a substrate processing system (FIG. 1, 6-12) comprising:
a plasma processing apparatus (FIG 1, FIG. 6, FIG. 12 and paragraph [0018], “a plasma processing apparatus”);
a decompressed transferrer (FIG. 1, a buffer chamber 39, pressured gas decompressed when put in a bigger volume, hence chamber) connected to the plasma processing apparatus (FIG. 1); and
processing circuitry (FIG. 1, CONTROLLER 43), wherein the plasma processing apparatus includes
a processing container being decompressible (FIG. 1, chamber 10),
a substrate support (FIG. 1, holding member 12) provided in the processing container, the substrate support including a substrate placing surface (FIG. 1, an annular outer peripheral portion 25b), a ring placing surface on which an edge ring is placeable to surround the substrate placing surface (FIG. 1, focus ring 30), and an electrostatic chuck (FIG. 1, The electrostatic chuck 25) configured to electrostatically attract the edge ring to the ring placing surface (FIG. 1),
a lifter configured to vertically move the edge ring with respect to the ring placing surface (FIG. 12 and paragraph [0215]), and
a supply path (FIG. 1, gas supply piping 41) to supply a gas (paragraph [0005], “a processing gas comprised of C4F8, O2 and Ar”) to a space between a rear surface of the edge ring and the ring placing surface, the decompressed transferrer includes a transfer robot (FIG. 1, 42, and FIG. 12, rotating mechanism 124) configured to transfer the edge ring (FIG. 6 and paragraph [0141], “The wafer section line 46a has a PCV (pressure control valve) 80 and an opening/closing valve 81; the PCV 80 and the opening/closing valve 81 are connected to the controller 43, which controls the operation of the PCV 80 and the opening/closing valve 81. The PCV 80 controls the pressure of the He gas supplied onto the rear surface of the wafer W from the wafer section line 46a, and the opening/closing valve 81 closes off the wafer section line 46a from the heat transfer gas supply unit 35 in response to a command from the controller 43”), the transfer robot includes
a holder (FIG. 1, cylindrical holding member12) configured to hold the edge ring to be transferred (FIG .1).
Endoh does not disclose a measurer provided in the holder, the measurer being configured to measure information relating to a misalignment amount of the edge ring with respect to the electrostatic chuck, and the processing circuitry is configured to control the lifter to lower the edge ring on the ring placing surface, control the electrostatic chuck to electrostatically attract the placed edge ring to the ring placing surface, control the measurer to perform measurement after the electrostatically attracting, and calculate the misalignment amount of the edge ring based on a measurement result of the measurer.
Amikura teaches a measurer provided in the holder, the measurer being configured to measure information relating to a misalignment amount of the edge ring with respect to the electrostatic chuck, and the processing circuitry is configured to control the lifter to lower the edge ring on the ring placing surface (paragraph [0041], “The electrostatic chuck 112 is provided on the lower electrode 111. The electrostatic chuck 112 is a member configured to attract and hold the wafer W and the edge ring 113 by electrostatic forces. In the electrostatic chuck 112, an upper surface of a central portion is higher than an upper surface of a peripheral portion”), control the electrostatic chuck to electrostatically attract the placed edge ring to the ring placing surface, control the measurer to perform measurement after the electrostatically attracting, and calculate the misalignment amount of the edge ring based on a measurement result of the measurer (paragraph [0052], “The electrostatic chuck 112 is provided on the lower electrode 111. The electrostatic chuck 112 is a member configured to attract and hold the wafer W and the edge ring 113 by electrostatic forces. In the electrostatic chuck 112, an upper surface of a central portion is higher than an upper surface of a peripheral portion” and paragraph [0107], “a distance sensor for detecting the height position of the upper surface of the edge ring 113 as the sensor 75 may be employed on the lower surface of the fork 71f which is a surface facing the upper surface of the edge ring 113. In such a case, the raising and lowering of the second lifter pin 117 may be controlled so that the height position of the upper surface of the edge ring 113 is kept constant during the plasma processing of the preceding wafer W and the subsequent wafer W. In other words, the height position of the edge ring 113 is adjusted by driving the second lifter pin 117, thereby performing control such that the sheath end position is not changed during the plasma processing”).
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Endoh in view of Amikura to measure and set the height position that the height position of the edge ring 113 is adjusted by driving the second lifter pin 117, thereby performing control such that the sheath end position is not changed during the plasma processing (Amikura, paragraphs [0107]).
Regarding claim 17, Endoh as modified above further teaches the electrostatic chuck includes a first electrode (Endoh , FIG. 1, electrode plate 25b) and a second electrode (Endoh , FIG. 1, electrode plate 25d) , the first electrode and the second electrode being located at positions different from each other (Endoh , FIG. 1).
Regarding claim 18, Endoh as modified above further teaches wherein the plasma processing apparatus further includes a gas supply (Processing gas supply, 40) configured to discharge another gas into the processing container (Endoh, paragraph [0101], “Furthermore, a heat transfer gas, for example He gas), and wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to control the lifter to place the edge ring on the ring placing surface while the another gas is supplied into the processing container (Endoh, FIG. 12 and paragraph [0215]).
Regarding claim 19, Endoh as modified above further teaches the plasma processing apparatus further includes a plasma generator configured to generate plasma in the processing container (Endoh, FIG. 1, 21 and paragraph [0098], “A high-frequency power source 21 for plasma production and RIE is electrically connected to the lower electrode 11 via a matching unit 22 and a power-feeding rod 23”), and the electrostatically attracting includes electrostatically attracting the edge ring with the plasma generated in the processing container (Endoh, FIG. 1, and paragraph [0099]).
Regarding claim 20, Endoh as modified above further teaches wherein in response to the processing circuitry determining that the calculated misalignment amount exceeds a threshold, the processing circuitry further controls the transfer robot to adjust a position of the edge ring on the ring placing surface (Amikura, paragraph [0107], “the raising and lowering of the second lifter pin 117 may be controlled so that the height position of the upper surface of the edge ring 113 is kept constant during the plasma processing of the preceding wafer W and the subsequent wafer W. In other words, the height position of the edge ring 113 is adjusted by driving the second lifter pin 117, thereby performing control such that the sheath end position is not changed during the plasma processing”).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 5-11, 14, 16, 21-22 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:
Regarding claim 5, prior arts whether stand alone or in combination fail to teach or reasonably suggest the substrate processing system according to Claim 1, comprising “wherein the measuring the pressure by the pressure sensor includes measuring the pressure in the supply path after a predetermined time elapses from stopping the supply of the gas, and the determining the placing state includes determining the placing state of the edge ring on the ring placing surface based on whether the measured pressure in the supply path is less than a threshold”, as required in combination with the other limitations of the claim.
Dependent claims 6-8 are also objected by virtue of its dependency.
Regarding claim 9, prior arts whether stand alone or in combination fail to teach or reasonably suggest the substrate processing system according to Claim 1, comprising “the measurer being configured to measure information related to a misalignment amount of the edge ring with respect to the electrostatic chuck, and in response to the processing circuitry determining that the placing state of the edge ring on the ring placing surface is appropriate”, as required in combination with the other limitations of the claim.
Dependent claims 10-11 are also objected by virtue of its dependency.
Regarding claim 14, prior arts whether stand alone or in combination fail to teach or reasonably suggest the substrate processing system according to Claim 1, comprising “wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to control the vacuum pump to vacuum-attract the edge ring to the ring placing surface before the electrostatically attracting the edge ring placed on the ring placing surface to the ring placing surface”, as required in combination with the other limitations of the claim.
Regarding claim 16, prior arts whether stand alone or in combination fail to teach or reasonably suggest the substrate processing system according to Claim 15, comprising “before the electrostatically attracting, control the measurer to perform measurement, and calculate the misalignment amount of the edge ring based on the measurement result of the measurer”, as required in combination with the other limitations of the claim.
Regarding claim 21, prior arts whether stand alone or in combination fail to teach or reasonably suggest the substrate processing system according to Claim 15, comprising “wherein in response to the processing circuitry determining that the calculated misalignment amount is less than or equal to a threshold, the processing circuitry is further configured to control at least the electrostatic chuck to stabilize the electrostatic attracting of the edge ring”, as required in combination with the other limitations of the claim.
Regarding claim 22, prior arts whether stand alone or in combination fail to teach or reasonably suggest the substrate processing system according to Claim 15, comprising “control the vacuum pump to vacuum attract the edge ring to the ring placing surface before electrostatically attracting the edge ring placed on the ring placing surface to the ring placing surface”, as required in combination with the other limitations of the claim.
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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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Abdullah Riyami can be reached at 571-270-3119. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/SYED M KAISER/Examiner, Art Unit 2831 /ABDULLAH A RIYAMI/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2831