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 05/14/2025 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, 6-7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by
Yoshida et al (Pub. No.: US 20220157564 A1).
Regarding claim 1, Yoshida teaches a plasma processing apparatus (FIG. 1, Plasma Processing Apparatus 1) comprising:
a gas supply (FIG. 1, gas source 56) configured to supply a processing gas (paragraph [0034], “Gas is supplied from the gas source 56”);
a radio-frequency power source (FIG. 1, RF1, RF2);
a pair of plasma electrodes (FIG. 1, first electrode 16, and second electrode 46); and
a matching box disposed between the pair of plasma electrodes and the radio- frequency power source (FIG. 1, matcher 40, 42)
wherein the matching box includes:
a radio-frequency power supply line (FIG. 1, 43, 45) configured to receive radio- frequency power (FIG. 1, RF1, RF2) from the radio-frequency power source (FIG. 1, 36, 38).
a ground line that is grounded (FIG. 1, ground),
a first load line connected to one of the pair of plasma electrodes (paragraph [0030], “The matcher 40 includes a circuit configured to cause an impedance on a load side”),
a second load line connected to a remaining one of the pair of plasma electrodes (paragraph [0030], “The matcher 42 includes a circuit configured to cause an impedance on a load side”),
impedance matching circuitry (FIG. 1 & 2, 40) connected to the radio-frequency power supply line, the first load line, the second load line, and the ground line, and including a first reactance element (paragraph [0053], “the power supply controller 36e to adjust a frequency of the high frequency power RF1 to set a reactance on the load side”),
a radio-frequency sensor (FIG. 2, power sensor 36c) provided in the radio-frequency power supply line and configured to detect the radio-frequency power (paragraph [0042], “The traveling wave detector of the power sensor 36c is configured to generate a measured value of a power level of a component having a frequency identical to the set frequency of the high frequency power RF1”), and
a matching box controller (FIG. 2, controller 36e) the power supply controller configured to receive a detection value from the radio-frequency sensor and control the first reactance element , and wherein the first reactance element includes (paragraph [0053], “he controller 40c instructs, when it is determined that no plasma is generated in the chamber 10, the power supply controller 36e to adjust a frequency of the high frequency power RF1 to set a reactance on the load side to zero or to a value closer to zero. The reactance on the load side is identified from the impedance Z1. The controller 40c sends an instruction to the power supply controller 36e directly or via the main control part 70. Specifically, the controller 40c calculates, when it is determined that no plasma is generated in the chamber 10”):
a first variable capacitor having a continuously variable capacitance, and a second variable capacitor connected in parallel with the first variable capacitor and configured to switch between a first state having a first capacitance and a second state having a second capacitance (paragraph [0003], “a matcher as explained above include mechanically controlled matchers each configured to cause a motor to adjust a variable capacitor and electronically controlled matchers each configured to electronically control switching elements forming, with capacitors, a plurality of series circuits coupled to each other in parallel”) and paragraph [0007], “the matcher includes a lower circuit in which a plurality of lower series circuits each including a capacitor and a switching element are coupled to each other in parallel”).
Regarding claim 2, Yoshida further teaches the first reactance element is disposed between the radio-frequency power supply line and the ground line (FIG. 2).
Regarding claim 6, Yoshida further teaches the matching box controller is configured to: set the second variable capacitor (paragraph [0003], “a variable capacitor and electronically controlled matchers each configured to electronically control switching elements forming”) to the first state when a first plasma is generated by supplying a first processing gas from the gas supply (paragraph [0027], “a gas supply line 34 is provided in the plasma processing apparatus 1”); and set the second variable capacitor to the second state when a second plasma is generated by supplying a second processing gas different from the first processing gas from the gas supply ( and paragraph [0082], “a difference in the state of the plasma 39 due to the machine difference of the substrate processing apparatus 100 may be suppressed. Also, the influence of the process result due to the machine difference of the substrate processing apparatus 100 may be reduced by the matcher 35”).
Regarding claim 7, Yoshida teaches a matching device (FIG. 1 & 2, 40) disposed between a pair of plasma electrodes (FIG. 1, first electrode 16, and second electrode 46) and a radio- frequency power source (FIG. 1, RF1, RF2), the matching device comprising:
a radio-frequency power supply line (FIG. 1, 43, 45) configured to receive radio- frequency power (FIG. 1, RF1, RF2) from the radio-frequency power source (FIG. 1, 36, 38).
a ground line that is grounded (FIG. 1, ground),
a first load line connected to one of the pair of plasma electrodes (paragraph [0030], “The matcher 40 includes a circuit configured to cause an impedance on a load side”),
a second load line connected to a remaining one of the pair of plasma electrodes (paragraph [0030], “The matcher 42 includes a circuit configured to cause an impedance on a load side”),
impedance matching circuitry (FIG. 1 & 2, 40) connected to the radio-frequency power supply line, the first load line, the second load line, and the ground line, and including a first reactance element (paragraph [0053], “the power supply controller 36e to adjust a frequency of the high frequency power RF1 to set a reactance on the load side”),
a radio-frequency sensor (FIG. 2, power sensor 36c) provided in the radio-frequency power supply line and configured to detect the radio-frequency power (paragraph [0042], “The traveling wave detector of the power sensor 36c is configured to generate a measured value of a power level of a component having a frequency identical to the set frequency of the high frequency power RF1”), and
a matching box controller (FIG. 2, controller 36e) the power supply controller configured to receive a detection value from the radio-frequency sensor and control the first reactance element , and wherein the first reactance element includes (paragraph [0053], “he controller 40c instructs, when it is determined that no plasma is generated in the chamber 10, the power supply controller 36e to adjust a frequency of the high frequency power RF1 to set a reactance on the load side to zero or to a value closer to zero. The reactance on the load side is identified from the impedance Z1. The controller 40c sends an instruction to the power supply controller 36e directly or via the main control part 70. Specifically, the controller 40c calculates, when it is determined that no plasma is generated in the chamber 10”):
a first variable capacitor having a continuously variable capacitance, and a second variable capacitor connected in parallel with the first variable capacitor and configured to switch between a first state having a first capacitance and a second state having a second capacitance (paragraph [0003], “a matcher as explained above include mechanically controlled matchers each configured to cause a motor to adjust a variable capacitor and electronically controlled matchers each configured to electronically control switching elements forming, with capacitors, a plurality of series circuits coupled to each other in parallel”) and paragraph [0007], “the matcher includes a lower circuit in which a plurality of lower series circuits each including a capacitor and a switching element are coupled to each other in parallel”).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 3-5 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 3, prior arts whether stand alone or in combination fail to teach or reasonably suggest the plasma processing apparatus according to Claim 2, comprising “a third variable capacitor having continuously variable capacitance, and a fourth variable capacitor connected in parallel with the third variable capacitor and configured to switch between a third state having a third capacitance and a fourth state having a fourth capacitance, and wherein the matching box controller is configured to receive the detection value from the radio-frequency sensor and control the first reactance element and the second reactance element”, as required in combination with the other limitations of the claim.
Dependent claims 4-5 are also objected by virtue of its dependency.
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
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