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 application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
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 5/23/2025 was 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
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
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.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 1-3, and 20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Funk (US 20220367149 A1).
With regards to claim 1. Funk disclose(s):
A plasma control apparatus (figs 1-7), comprising:
a first radio frequency RF circuit (155, 130, 190; fig 1) connected to an upper electrode (120; [0046]) of a plasma chamber (105; [0046]), a first RF generator (130; [0047]) associated with the first RF circuit, the first RF generator configured to supply a first RF source power signal (135; [0047]) to the upper electrode (120; [0047]);
a second RF circuit (157, 140) connected to a lower electrode (125; [0046]) of the plasma chamber, a second RF generator (140; [0051]) associated with the second RF circuit, the second RF generator (140) configured to supply a second RF source power signal (145; [0053]) to the lower electrode (125);
a first voltage sensor (180; [0057]) configured to obtain a first voltage signal information associated with the first RF circuit [0060];
a second voltage sensor (182; [0057]) configured to obtain a second voltage signal information associated with the second RF circuit [0060];
and a controller (170, 190) communicatively coupled with the first and the second RF circuits, the controller configured to:
determine a first waveform of a first RF voltage signal component at the upper electrode based on the first voltage signal information (180; [0060]);
determine a second waveform of a second RF voltage signal component at the lower electrode based on the second voltage signal information (182; [0060]);
adjust a first phase of the first RF source power signal such that a first error between the first waveform of the first RF voltage signal component and a first target waveform of the first RF voltage signal component is minimized ([0071]);
and adjust a second phase of the second RF source power signal such that a second error between the second waveform of the second RF voltage signal component and a second target waveform of the second RF voltage signal component is minimized ([0072]).
Examiner note: the examiner takes the position that “adjust[ing] the amplitude, frequency, phase, pulse on-time (i.e., pulse width), and/or pulse off-time of the source power” to a certain value involves minimizing an error between a value and a target value [0071-0072].
With regards to claim 2. Funk disclose(s):
The plasma control apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first voltage signal information comprises voltage information associated with at least one of a waveform of a first fundamental voltage signal and waveforms of a first plurality of harmonic voltage signals [0059].
With regards to claim 3. Funk disclose(s):
The plasma control apparatus of claim 2, wherein the second voltage signal information comprises voltage information associated with at least one of a waveform of a second fundamental voltage signal and waveforms of a second plurality of harmonic voltage signals [0059].
With regards to claim 20. Funk disclose(s):
A plasma control apparatus (figs 1-7), comprising:
an upper electrode (120) arranged in an upper portion of a plasma formation space (105);
a lower electrode (125) arranged in a lower portion of the plasma formation space;
a first radio frequency RF generator (130) configured to supply a first RF source power signal (135) to the upper electrode (120);
a first voltage sensor (180 [0057]) connected to the upper electrode (120) and configured to obtain a first voltage signal information [0057];
a second radio frequency RF generator (140) configured to supply a second RF source power signal (145) to the lower electrode (125);
a second voltage sensor (182 [0057]) connected to the lower electrode (125) and configured to obtain a second voltage signal information [0057];
a controller (170) communicatively coupled with the first (130) and the second RF generators (140), the controller configured to:
determine a first waveform of a first RF voltage signal component at the upper electrode based on the first voltage signal information (180; [0060]);
determine a second waveform of a second RF voltage signal component at the lower electrode based on the second voltage signal information (180; [0060]);
adjust a first phase of the first RF source power signal such that a first error between the first waveform of the first RF voltage signal component and a first target waveform of the first RF voltage signal component is minimized([0071]);
and adjust a second phase of the second RF source power signal such that a second error between the second waveform of the second RF voltage signal component and a second target waveform of the second RF voltage signal component is minimized([0072]).
Examiner note: the examiner takes the position that “adjust[ing] the amplitude, frequency, phase, pulse on-time (i.e., pulse width), and/or pulse off-time of the source power” to a certain value involves minimizing an error between a value and a target value [0071-0072].
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
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 of this title, 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) 18-19 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Funk (US 20220367149 A1) in view of Guo (US 20230343555 A1).
With regards to claim 18. Funk disclose(s):
A plasma control apparatus (figs 1-7), comprising:
a housing (fig 1)
an upper electrode (120) arranged in an upper portion of the plasma formation space (105);
a lower electrode (125) arranged in a lower portion of the plasma formation space, the lower electrode comprising an upper surface configured to receive a substrate (110 [0045]);
a first RF circuit (155, 130, 190; fig 1) connected to the upper electrode (120), the first RF circuit comprising:
a first radio frequency RF generator (130 [0047]) configured to supply a first RF source power signal to the upper electrode [0047];
a first matching circuit (155) connected to the first RF generator (130) and configured to adjust an impedance of the first RF source power signal [0047];
and a first voltage sensor (180 [0057]) connected to the first matching circuit (155) and the upper electrode (120) and configured to obtain a first voltage signal information [0057];
a second RF circuit (140, 157) connected to the lower electrode (125), the second RF circuit comprising:
a second radio frequency RF generator (140) configured to supply a second RF source power signal (145) to the lower electrode (125);
a second matching circuit (157 [0047]) connected to the second RF generator (140) and configured to adjust an impedance of the second RF source power signal [0048];
and a second voltage sensor (182 [0057]) connected to the second matching circuit (157) and the lower electrode (125) and configured to obtain a second voltage signal information [0057], wherein the upper electrode and the lower electrode are configured to generate a plasma for treating the substrate (160 [0051]);
and a controller (170) communicatively coupled with the first (130) and the second RF circuits (140), the controller configured to:
determine a first waveform of a first RF voltage signal component at the upper electrode based on the first voltage signal information (180; [0060]);
determine a second waveform of a second RF voltage signal component at the lower electrode based on the second voltage signal information (182; [0060]);
adjust a first phase of the first RF source power signal such that a first error between the first waveform of the first RF voltage signal component and a first target waveform of the first RF voltage signal component is minimized ([0071]);
and adjust a second phase of the second RF source power signal such that a second error between the second waveform of the second RF voltage signal component and a second target waveform of the second RF voltage signal component is minimized ([0072]).
Examiner note: the examiner takes the position that “adjust[ing] the amplitude, frequency, phase, pulse on-time (i.e., pulse width), and/or pulse off-time of the source power” to a certain value involves minimizing an error between a value and a target value [0071-0072].
Funk does not disclose(s):
the housing connected to a ground potential
Guo teaches:
a housing connected to a ground potential (the chamber lid can be grounded [0036])
Before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, it would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art to have modified the device/method/system of Funk by implementing the housing connected to a ground potential as disclosed by Guo in order to provide electrical safety, establish a stable reference potential for the plasma, and complete the circuit for electrical discharges as taught/suggested by Guo ([0036]).
With regards to claim 19. Funk as modified disclose(s):
The plasma control apparatus of claim 18,
Funk further disclose(s):
wherein the first voltage signal information comprises voltage information associated with at least one of a waveform of a first fundamental voltage signal and waveforms of a first plurality of harmonic voltage signals [0059], and wherein the second voltage signal information comprises voltage information associated with at least one of a waveform of a second fundamental voltage signal and waveforms of a second plurality of harmonic voltage signals [0059].
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim(s) 4-17 is/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.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Kitano US 20130320852 A1 discloses:
The system includes a phase difference detector as set forth above, an AC voltage detector that detects AC voltages at respective input ends of the paired electrodes and outputs to the phase difference detector one of voltages detected as the first AC signal and the other one of the voltages detected as the second AC signal, an input unit for inputting control values of the frequency and the phase difference, a computation unit that computes difference between the control value of the phase difference inputted by the input unit and a phase difference detected by the phase difference detector, a first high-frequency instruction signal generator that generates, based on the control value of the frequency, a first high-frequency instruction signal having the frequency and a zero phase angle, a second high-frequency instruction signal generator that generates, based on the control value of the frequency and the difference between phase differences computed by the computation unit, a second high-frequency instruction signal having the frequency and a phase angle of the difference between the phase differences, a first high-frequency generator for outputting, based on the first high-frequency instruction signal, a high-frequency voltage having the frequency of the control value and a zero phase angle to one of the paired electrodes, and a second high-frequency generator for outputting, based on the second high-frequency instruction signal, a high-frequency voltage having the frequency of the control value and a phase angle of the difference between phase differences to the other one of the paired electrodes.
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Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Renan Luque whose telephone number is (571)270-1044. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9:30AM-5:30PM.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Alexander 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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/RENAN LUQUE/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2845
