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 § 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) 1-3 and 5-6 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ito (US 20050030017 A1) in view of Lee (US 20210079517 A1) and Yanagi (JP 2006265681 A).
Regarding claim 1, Ito (US 20050030017 A1) teaches a magnetron sputtering apparatus comprising a sputter coating apparatus 200 (chamber) providing an internal space (203) comprising sputter gas and in which a coated material 208 (workpiece) is arranged to be coated, an ion source comprising a sputtering target 206 that deposits sputtered material on the substrate due to gas ions colliding with the target due to a voltage applied between the target and substrate (electric field formed in the internal space) and a magnetic field 67 generated by a superconducting body 2 (magnet) arranged on one side of the target 206, and a cooling unit comprising a cooling portion 43 (cooling device) provided outside the chamber 200 and a cold head 41 directly connecting the cooling device 43 to the ion source unit disposed in the internal space of the chamber 200 (Abstract, para 0043, 0085, 0088, 0090; Fig. 10, 13).
Ito fails to explicitly teach the cooling head is made of metal. However, Lee (US 20210079517 A1), in the analogous art of cooling, teaches that a cooling head may be made of a metal plate (para 0040). Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to substitute the cold head material of Ito with the metal cooling head material of Lee because this is a substitution of known elements yielding predictable results of cooling. See MPEP 2143(I)(B).
Ito teaches a voltage is applied between the target and coated material (para 0090-0091), thus necessitating a power supply unit for providing power/voltage to the ion source unit. Alternatively, Yanagi (JP 2006265681 A), in the analogous art of sputtering, teaches a voltage is applied to the backing plate and target from a high voltage power supply to initiate a discharge in the chamber and bombard the surface of the target with ionized gas particles (para 0041). Ito teaches that the voltage applied between the target and substrate causes a plasma discharge in the chamber, ionizes gas, and leads to bombardment of the target by sputter gas ions (para 0090). Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to substitute the voltage applying device/method of Ito with a high voltage power supply, as described by Yanagi, because this is a substitution of known elements yielding predictable results of generating a plasma discharge. See MPEP 2143(I)(B).
Regarding claim 2, the combination of Ito, Lee, and Yanagi teaches the cold head 41 is surrounded by a space 30 that may be at vacuum (vacuum layer) (Ito para 0043-0044; Fig. 10).
Regarding claim 3, the combination of Ito, Lee, and Yanagi teaches the cold head directly connects the ion source unit to the cooling device to keep the superconducting body 2 (magnet) below room temperature (approximately 20°C) or below critical temperature of the superconducting body (Ito para 0057; Fig. 10), which is at least capable of maintaining the magnet at a temperature of -270 to 20°C by thermal conduction.
Alternatively, or in addition, Yanagi teaches that a superconducting magnet body may be cooled to a temperature of 10 to 100 K (-263 to -173°C) to maintain the magnetic field generated, where cooling is achieved by a cold head (para 0035-0037). Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to cool the superconducting magnet body of Ito to a temperature of -263 to -173°C, as described by Yanagi, to ensure that the superconductor continues to generate a magnetic field.
Regarding claim 5, the combination of Ito, Lee, and Yanagi teaches the cooling portion 43 (cooling device) may be a pulse tube cooler (refrigerator) and may be formed integrally with the chamber 200 when the cooling portion 43 and cold head 41 are fixed to a magnetic yoke and the yoke is fixed to the vacuum chamber (Ito para 0004, 0006, 0010, 0043, 0069-0070; Fig. 10-13).
Regarding claim 6, the combination of Ito, Lee, and Yanagi teaches the magnetic field 67 may be generated by a superconducting body 2 (first magnet) and a permanent magnet 64 (second magnet) having polarities with respect to the sputtering target 206 (Ito para 0078-0079; Fig. 6, 10).
Claim(s) 4 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ito (US 20050030017 A1) in view of Lee (US 20210079517 A1) and Yanagi (JP 2006265681 A), as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Nakagawasai (US 20200135434 A1) and Monroe (US 20190348251 A1).
Regarding claim 4, the combination of Ito, Lee, and Yanagi teaches the cooling device is connected to, or provided on, the chamber by a connecting portion comprising a damper 210X (vibration proof part) with coupling parts at opposite sides of the damper, where the damper surrounds the cold head 41 (Ito para 0010-0011; Fig. 13) but fails to explicitly teach the vibration proof part includes a metal bellows surrounding the cold head. However, Nakagawasai (US 20200135434 A1), in the analogous art of cooling, teaches a cold head 52a for transferring cold heat from a chiller 52 may be surrounded by a metal bellows 64 disposed between an outer fixing part 62c and a bottom surface of the vacuum chamber 10 (coupling parts at opposite ends of the bellows) to separate the vacuum space from the space of atmospheric atmosphere (para 0032, 0064; Fig. 1). Additionally, Monroe (US 20190348251 A1), in the analogous art of cooling, teaches that a Gifford-McMahon cold head compression/expansion cycle produces acoustic vibrations and a bellows may be used as a vibration damper (para 0076). Ito teaches the cooling portion may be a Gifford-McMahon Cycle Cryo-cooler and the damper is used to prevent misalignment (para 0010, 0043). Therefore, It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to substitute the damper of Ito with a metal bellows, as described by Nakagawasai, because this is a substitution of known elements yielding predictable results of dampening vibrations from the cooling system. See MPEP 2143(I)(B).
Claim(s) 7 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ito (US 20050030017 A1) in view of Lee (US 20210079517 A1) and Yanagi (JP 2006265681 A), as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Tang (US 20080083610 A1).
Regarding claim 7, the combination of Ito, Lee, and Yanagi teaches a ferromagnetic body 6 (frame) including a ring yoke 61 and a lower yoke 63 that the superconducting body 2 (magnet) and target 206 are disposed on and the cold head 41 comes into surface contact with the lower yoke (one side surface of the frame) (Ito para 0006, 0046, 0057; Fig. 2, 6, 10, 13). The aforementioned combination fails to explicitly teach a plurality of cores inserted in the form of male screws on one side of the frame and the cold head is in contact with the plurality of cores. However, Tang (US 20080083610 A1), in the analogous art of magnetron sputtering, teaches that a plurality of screws/pins (cores) may be inserted through holes in a yoke plate to fix magnets and/or magnetic pole pieces to the yoke (para 0042-0043). Ito teaches that the superconducting body (magnet) and lower yoke are each fixed to the cold head (para 0006; Fig. 11). Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to attach the cold head, lower yoke (frame) and superconducting body (magnet) using multiple screws, each disposed in a separate region of the yoke/magnet, passing through the yoke and into the magnet/superconductor, as described by Tang, in order to ensure a strong connection between the superconducting body/magnet and the yoke and cold head. As a result, the yoke (frame) contains a plurality of cores inserted on one side of the frame and the cold head is in contact with the plurality of cores.
Claim(s) 9 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ito (US 20050030017 A1) in view of Lee (US 20210079517 A1) and Yanagi (JP 2006265681 A), as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Nakagawasai (US 20200135434 A1).
Regarding claim 9, the combination of Ito, Lee, and Yanagi teaches a ferromagnetic body 6 (frame) including a ring yoke 61 and a lower yoke 63 that the superconducting body 2 (magnet) and target 206 are disposed on and the cold head 41 comes into surface contact with the lower yoke (one side surface of the frame) (Ito para 0006, 0046, 0057; Fig. 2, 6, 10, 13). The aforementioned combination fails to explicitly teach one side surface of the frame is formed to have a recess part and a protrusion part, and an end portion of the cold head is formed in a complementary shape to the one side surface of the frame to couple with the one side surface of the frame. However, Nakagawasai (US 20200135434 A1), in the analogous art of cooling, teaches that a cold heat transfer part 54b (cold head) may have a recess and protrusion corresponding/complementary to a recess and protrusion in the stage to be cooled 56c to increase the cold heat transfer efficiency between the cold heat transfer body and the stage due to the larger surface area of heat transfer (Abstract, para 0035, 0041-0045; Fig. 2). Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to substitute the flat surface contact of the cold head 41 and lower yoke 63 (frame) of Ito (Fig. 10, 13) with complementary shaped contact surfaces having recesses and protrusions in each opposing surface, as described by Nakagawasai, in order to improve cooling transfer efficiency. See MPEP 2143(I)(B).
Claim(s) 10 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ito (US 20050030017 A1) in view of Lee (US 20210079517 A1) and Yanagi (JP 2006265681 A), as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Takeda (US 20210249295 A1) and Black (US 20120048726 A1).
Regarding claim 10, the combination of Ito, Lee, and Yanagi fails to explicitly teach a control unit configured to control the cooling unit and the power supply unit and a sensing unit capable of measuring temperature of the ion source unit. However, Takeda (US 20210249295 A1), in the analogous art of cooling, teaches a controller 90 for controlling individual components of a processing apparatus including voltage applied to the target by a power supply and a cooling temperature of a chiller (configured to control the cooling unit and the power supply unit) (para 0017-0018, 0022; Fig. 1). Ito teaches maintaining the temperature of the superconducting body (magnet) below a critical temperature with a cooling portion/chiller (para 0042-0043) and Yahagi teaches a power supply for generating the discharge (para 0041). Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to include a controller, as described by Takeda, for controlling both the power supply of Yahagi and cooling unit of Ito in order to improve the control/accuracy of the overall deposition process.
Additionally, Black (US 20120048726 A1), in the analogous art of sputtering, teaches that a magnetron sputtering cathode may include temperature sensors (sensing unit) included on or within the cathode to monitor the sputtering temperature (capable of measuring temperature of the ion source) and ensure a constant temperature is maintained across the surface (para 0024, 0047). It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to include temperature sensors, as described by Black, in/around the target of Ito (ion source) to monitor the temperature and ensure that the temperature is uniform across the target surface.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 8 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 8, the aforementioned references teach the ion source unit includes a frame on which the sputtering target and magnet are provided and the cold head is in surface contact with one side surface of the frame and a screw/core inserted into the frame. However, there is no teaching, suggestion, or motivation to modify the aforementioned references to include “a plurality of disks having an inner circumferential surface in contact with an outer circumferential surface of the core and spaced apart in a direction in which the core extends” where the plurality of disks are also inserted into the frame. Therefore, claim 8 contains allowable subject matter.
Conclusion
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/PATRICK S OTT/Examiner, Art Unit 1794