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 is a response to the Applicants' file on 7/9/25. In virtue of this filing, claims 1-13 are currently presented in the instant application.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 7/9/25 is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97 &1.98. Accordingly, the information disclosure statements are 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 1,12-13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(1) as being anticipated by Hirayama et al (US Pub. No: 2022/0028666).
With respect to claim 1, Hirayam et al disclose in figures 1-5 that, a plasma processing apparatus (1), comprising: a chamber(10); a substrate support(12 ) provided inside the chamber(10); an emitter (16) provided to emit an electromagnetic wave into a plasma generation space(SP)(Paragraphs [17,44] for the radio frequency waves are VHF waves or UHF waves); an upper electrode(14) provided above the plasma generation space(SP); and a waveguide (201)configured to supply the electromagnetic wave to the emitter, wherein the waveguide(201) includes a resonator (200) that provides a waveguide path(20B,20C)(paragraphs [64-67,72,92]) wherein the waveguide path (20B,20C) of the resonator (200) is partially composed of the upper electrode(14), and wherein the resonator (200) includes: a first end(202); a second end (203)electromagnetically coupled to the emitter (16) and provided to cause the electromagnetic wave to resonate between the first end and the second end(paragraphs [17,44. 64-67]); and an insulating portion (13,18) configured to electrically separate the upper electrode (14) from a conductive wall of the resonator(200) that is conductively connected with the first end(202)(paragraphs [38-39, 51]).
With respect to claim 12, Hirayam et al disclose in figures 1-3, wherein the chamber (10) provides a processing space (SP) inside the chamber (10), and wherein the processing space includes the plasma generation space.
With respect to claim 13, Hirayam et al disclose figure 1 or 3, further comprising a radio frequency power source (30) electrically coupled to the waveguide path (20) of the resonator (200) and configured to generate radio frequency power having a variable frequency and supply the electromagnetic wave into the waveguide path. Paragraphs [49 or 67].
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 2 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over by Hirayama et al (US Pub. No: 2022/0028666).
With respect to claim 2, Hirayam et al disclose the waveguide path(20B) between the first end and the insulating portion of the resonator (200).
Hirayam et al do not explicitly disclose wherein a length of the waveguide path between the first end and the insulating portion of the resonator is substantially equal to 1/4 of a wavelength of the electromagnetic wave in the waveguide path.
This different is not patentable merit, since select/intend to use “the length of the waveguide path between the first end and the insulating portion of the resonator is substantially equal to 1/4 of a wavelength of the electromagnetic wave in the waveguide path” is intended or design choice and the length of the waveguide path between the first end and the insulating portion of the resonator of Hirayam et al is capable of design choice as well, therefore, it has been held to be within the general skill of a worker in the art to intend/design choice for the length of the waveguide path and the insulating portion of the resonator on the basis of its suitability for the intended use as a matter of obvious design choice.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 3-11 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.
Citation of pertinent prior art
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicants' disclosure. See prior arts/references listed on the PTO-892 form attached.
Inquiry
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Minh Tran whose telephone number is (571)272-1817. The examiner can normally be reached on 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Taningco Alexander H can be reached on 571-272-8048. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300. Information regarding the status of an application may be obtained from the Patent Application Information Retrieval (PAIR) system. Status information for published applications may be obtained from either Private PAIR or Public PAIR. Status information for unpublished applications is available through Private PAIR only. For more information about the PAIR system, see http://pair-direct.uspto.gov. Should you have questions on access to the Private PAIR system, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from USPTO Customer Service Representative or access to the automated information system, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/Minh Tran/
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2845
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