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 .
This Office Action is in response to the Applicant’s communication filed on February 18, 2025 and the preliminary amendment concurrently filed therewith. In virtue of this preliminary amendment, claims 1-6 are now pending in the instant application.
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 02/18/2025 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 § 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)(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.
Claims 1-2 and 6 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Kishida et al. (US 2021/0151292).
With respect to claim 1, Kishida discloses in figure 2 an antenna device for flowing a high-frequency current to generate plasma, the antenna device comprising: an antenna (5, e.g., antennas) forming a straight line shape (figure 2 shows a straight line shape of the antenna 5); an insulating cover (13, e.g., an insulating cover) covering an outer circumferential surface (having an outer surface of the cover 13 thereof) of the antenna and forming a straight tube shape (figure 2 shows the cover 13 formed as a straight tube thereof); and a protruding insulating part (52-53, e.g., formed as a protruding insulating part thereof as described in paragraph 0073, e.g., “one insulating pipe 52 and one capacitor 53”) provided between both axial ends (E1-E2, e.g., ends) of the antenna (see figure 2), protruding to an inner circumferential surface side (figure 3 shows an inner surface of the cover 13 thereof) of the insulating cover beyond the outer circumferential surface of the antenna (see figure 3), and is composed of an insulating material (see paragraphs 0069 and 0073, e.g., formed by an insulating material thereof).
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With respect to claim 2, Kishida discloses that wherein the antenna further comprises: at least two conductor elements (51A-51B, e.g., conductor elements); an insulating element (52, e.g., an insulating element) provided between the conductor elements adjacent to each other to insulate the conductor elements (see figure 2); and a capacitive element (53, e.g., a capacitor) electrically connected in series with the conductor elements adjacent to each other (see figures 2-3).
With respect to claim 6, Kishida discloses that a plasma processing device (100, e.g., a plasma apparatus) comprising: the antenna device according to claim 1, a vacuum vessel (2, e.g., a vacuum container) inside which or outside which the antenna is disposed (see figure 2); and a high frequency power supply (6, e.g., an RF source) applying a high frequency current (IR) to the antenna (see figure 2).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 3 is 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 (claims 4-5 are also objected as being dependent upon objected claim 3).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Prior art Tonotani et al. – US 6,181,069
Prior art Calkins et al. – US 2023/0102972
Prior art Ando et al. – US 2019/0373710
Prior art Sakai – US 2008/0218086
Prior art Yeom et al. – US 2004/0060662
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to TUNG X LE whose telephone number is (571)272-6010. The examiner can normally be reached Monday to Friday from 10am to 6pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Alexander H. Taningco can be reached at 571-272-8048. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/TUNG X LE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2845 August 4, 2026
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