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 § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 11-15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Claim 11 recites the limitation "the first RF power" in line 6. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 11 recites the limitation " the second RF power " in line 8. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claims 12-15 are also rejected under 35 USC 112(b) as depended from claim 11.
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 11-13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Lim et al. (Pub. No.: US 20230109672 A1), hereafter Lim.
Regarding claim 11, Lim teaches a semiconductor processing equipment (FIG. 4, plasma process equipment 100) comprising:
a chamber housing (FIG. 4 process chamber 110);
an electrostatic chuck (FIG. 4, Wafer W) in the chamber housing FIG. 4);
a lower electrode below the electrostatic chuck (FIG. 4 electrode 112) in a first direction that is perpendicular to an upper surface of the electrostatic chuck (FIG. 4), and connected to a lower rod providing a first transmission path of the first RF power (FIG. 4, first power supply 161 and paragraph [0003], “RF power may cause arcing in a process chamber in which plasma etching is performed”) ;
an upper electrode (FIG. 4, electrode 11) above the electrostatic chuck in the first direction and connected to an upper rod (FIG. 4) providing a second transmission path of the second RF power (FIG. 4, second power supply 141 and paragraph [0003], “RF power may cause arcing in a process chamber in which plasma etching is performed”);
a first voltage and current (VI) sensor (FIG. 4, sensor 160) coupled to the lower rod in the chamber housing; and
a second VI sensor (VI sensor 140) coupled to the upper rod in the chamber housing (FIG. 4).
Regarding claim 12, Lim further teaches the first VI sensor is in direct contact with the lower electrode (FIG. 4, electrode 112 direct contact with VI sensor 160 ), and the second VI sensor is in direct contact with the upper electrode (FIG. 4, electrode 111 direct contact with VI sensor 140).
Regarding claim 13, Lim further teaches the first VI sensor is separated from the lower electrode by a first gap (FIG. 4, gap between 160 and 112) , and the second VI sensor is separated from the upper electrode by a second gap (gap (FIG. 4, gap between 140 and 111)
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 14-15 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 and if rewritten to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
Regarding claim 14, prior arts whether stand alone or in combination fail to teach or reasonably suggest the vehicle cabin lighting system according to Claim 1, comprising “wherein the second VI sensor includes a second coil having a toroidal shape and surrounding the upper rod, a second floating electrode having a cylindrical shape and surrounding the upper rod, and at least one second insulating layer in which the second coil and the second floating electrode are embedded”, as required in combination with the other limitations of the claim.
Dependent claim 15 is 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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