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 7/15/25. In virtue of this filing, claims 1-12 are currently presented in the instant application.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 7/15/25 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 § 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.
Claims 1,12 and 18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over by Kwon et al (US Pub.No:2024/0203701) in view of Lin et al (US Pub.No:2021/0102292).
With respect to claim 1, Kwon et al disclose a substrate processing apparatus(figure 1 or 9 or 11), comprising: a chamber(11,101); a supporting member (12) inside the chamber (11) to support a substrate(W); and a shower head (ion blocker which include a shower head, paragraph [52]))connected to the chamber(11,101), wherein the shower head comprises a plurality of regions (131,132).Paragraphs [29-42].
Kwon et al do not explicitly disclose wherein at least two regions of the plurality of regions of the shower head have different surface recombination coefficients for radicals. Note that, Kwin et al also disclose the recombination coefficient of fluorine may vary with temperatures. Radicals react with and thus are recombined with a metal surface as shown in paragraph [64].
Lin et al disclose at least two regions of the plurality of regions of the shower head have different surface recombination coefficients for radicals. Figure 11, paragraph [71] for a shower head (1106) which includes two regions of the plurality of regions of the shower head have different surface.
It would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the features of Lin et al into the substrate processing apparatus
Of Kwon et al to design different size of each region to change in the recombination coefficient depending on temperatures of the metal surface.
With respect to claim 12, Kwon et al disclose in figures 1,9 or 11, a substrate processing apparatus(1) comprising: a chamber(11); a supporting member(12) inside the chamber(11) to support a substrate(W); a plasma source (142) configured to supply plasma into the interior of the chamber(11); and a shower head connected to the chamber and having a plurality of distribution holes(13h), wherein the shower head comprises a plurality of regions(132,134). Paragraphs [29-42].
Kwon et al do not explicitly disclose wherein at least two regions of the plurality of regions of the shower head have different surface recombination coefficients for radicals. Note that, Kwin et al also disclose the recombination coefficient of fluorine may vary with temperatures. Radicals react with and thus are recombined with a metal surface as shown in paragraph [64].
Lin et al disclose at least two regions of the plurality of regions of the shower head have different surface recombination coefficients for radicals. Figure 11, paragraph [71] for a shower head (1106) which includes two regions of the plurality of regions of the shower head have different surface.
It would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the features of Lin et al into the substrate processing apparatus
Of Kwon et al to design different size of each region to change in the recombination coefficient depending on temperatures of the metal surface.
With respect to claim 18, Kwon et al disclose in figure 10, a substrate processing apparatus(1), comprising: a chamber(31); a supporting member (32) inside the chamber(31) to support a substrate(W); a shower head dividing an interior of the chamber(11) into a process space and a gas distribution space, the shower head having a plurality of distribution holes(13h); and a plasma source (34)configured to supply plasma to the gas distribution space, wherein the shower head has a plurality of regions(331,332).Paragraphs [82-86].
Kwon et al do not explicitly disclose wherein at least two regions of the plurality of regions of the shower head have different surface recombination coefficients for radicals. Note that, Kwin et al also disclose the recombination coefficient of fluorine may vary with temperatures. Radicals react with and thus are recombined with a metal surface as shown in paragraph [64].
Lin et al disclose at least two regions of the plurality of regions of the shower head have different surface recombination coefficients for radicals. Figure 11, paragraph [71] for a shower head (1106) which includes two regions of the plurality of regions of the shower head have different surface.
It would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the features of Lin et al into the substrate processing apparatus
of Kwon et al to design different size of each region to change in the recombination coefficient depending on temperatures of the metal surface.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 2-11, 13-17,19-20 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
