Technology areas: Chemistry & Materials • Semiconductors, Circuits & Optics
542 pending office actions • 103 art units • 344 examiners • 0 of 542 (0%) have an AI response strategy ready • 897 patents granted in the last 365 days
Applied Materials Inc. has 559 pending office actions in Chemistry & Materials. The portfolio spans 350 distinct examiners and 103 distinct art units, reflecting very substantial prosecution activity across a large examiner network and a wide range of technical assignments. The assignment pattern also indicates repeated work within those art units, making technical organization essential.
BENNETT, CHARLEE is the busiest examiner, with 14 pending matters. That concentration warrants dedicated review of recurring issues, interview history, and amendment positions for the relevant cases. It remains only one part of the portfolio, so counsel also needs standardized processes for issue coding, ownership, and response quality across 350 examiner relationships and 103 art-unit assignments.
Based on the USPTO statutory response window for each pending office action. 145 of the docket's apps have a known mailing date; the rest are excluded from the tile counts.
Every pending office action with a known statutory deadline, placed on a days-until-due axis. Dots left of Today are overdue; the further right, the more runway. Cases that share a deadline window stack vertically. 145 of the docket's apps have a known mailing date.
Difficulty is derived from the rejection statutes on the most recent pending office action. §101-driven and multi-statute cases are graded Hard; §112-only and obviousness-type double-patenting cases are graded Easy; everything else is Medium. "Unknown" means we have not yet parsed a statute for that office action.
| Bucket | Cases |
|---|---|
| §101 only | 4 (1%) |
| §101 + other | 9 (2%) |
| §103 only | 245 (45%) |
| §102 only | 22 (4%) |
| §112 only | 18 (3%) |
| Double-patenting only | 3 (1%) |
| Double-patenting + other | 11 (2%) |
| Multi-statute (no §101) | 228 (42%) |
| No statute on record | 2 (0%) |
How the docket's pending cases split across USPTO tech-center bands.
Manual office-action response work runs about 10 hours per case. The time-saved bands below show what IP Author's prosecution pipeline typically delivers — a conservative 20% on the low end, 35% in the middle, 50% on the high end.
| Examiner | Apps on this docket | Allow rate | Interview lift |
|---|---|---|---|
| BENNETT, CHARLEE | 13 | 58.8% | +35.1% |
| MCDONALD, RODNEY GLENN | 8 | 63.7% | +24.3% |
| ZERVIGON, RUDY | 7 | 66.9% | -5.4% |
| CHEN, KEATH T | 7 | 30.2% | +24.7% |
| REYES, JOSHUA NATHANIEL PI | 7 | 42.3% | +50.5% |
| MOORE, KARLA A | 6 | 43.1% | +13.6% |
| MILLER, JR, JOSEPH ALBERT | 6 | 68.5% | +16.2% |
| KLUNK, MARGARET D | 6 | 44.0% | +31.5% |
| ROLLAND, ALEX A | 5 | 47.7% | +27.0% |
| LUND, JEFFRIE ROBERT | 5 | 60.6% | +29.3% |
Multi-statute / §101-driven matters, or cases in front of an examiner with an allow rate under 30%. The top 8 ordered by deadline are shown.
| App # | Title | Examiner | Due in |
|---|---|---|---|
| 18360074 | METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR AUTOMATIC IHC MARKER-HER2 SCORE | TAYLOR, MEREDITH IREENE DUPAI | 97d overdue |
| 18136970 | HYBRID MOLYBDENUM FILL SCHEME FOR LOW RESISTIVITY SEMICONDUCTOR APPLICATIONS | PARKER, JOHN M | 73d overdue |
| 18306187 | METHOD OF METROLOGY ON PATTERN WAFER USING REFLECTOMETRY | WEGNER, AARON MICHAEL | 60d overdue |
| 18319876 | EPITAXIAL SILICON CHANNEL GROWTH | STEPHENSON, KENNETH STEPHEN | 46d overdue |
| 18182856 | DISPLAY PIXELS MADE FROM STACKED MICRO-LED STRUCTURES AND PHOTOLUMINESCENT MATERIALS | HAN, JONATHAN | 43d overdue |
| 18238107 | METHODS FOR FORMING LOW-K DIELECTRIC MATERIALS WITH REDUCED DIELECTRIC CONSTANT AND HIGH MECHANICAL STRENGTH | RODRIGUEZ, MICHAEL P | 42d overdue |
| 18417124 | POLISHING HEAD WITH RETAINING RING WEAR SENSING | DION, MARCEL T | 31d overdue |
| 17693037 | SEMICONDUCTOR CHAMBER COMPONENTS WITH MULTI-LAYER COATING | CHEN, KEATH T | 30d overdue |
Cases in front of an examiner whose interview lift is 10 percentage points or more — i.e. interviewed cases historically resolve more favorably than non-interviewed ones. The top 8 ordered by deadline are shown.
| App # | Title | Examiner | Due in |
|---|---|---|---|
| 18093156 | PLASMA-ENHANCED MOLYBDENUM DEPOSITION | ROLLAND, ALEX A | 42d overdue |
| 17693037 | SEMICONDUCTOR CHAMBER COMPONENTS WITH MULTI-LAYER COATING | CHEN, KEATH T | 30d overdue |
| 18138733 | MULTI-ELECTRODE SOURCE ASSEMBLY FOR PLASMA PROCESSING | REYES, JOSHUA NATHANIEL PI | 23d overdue |
| 17893430 | CLAMPED DUAL-CHANNEL SHOWERHEAD | KLUNK, MARGARET D | 2d overdue |
| 18131212 | HIGH TEMPERATURE METAL SEALS FOR VACUUM SEGREGATION | MOORE, KARLA A | 1d overdue |
| 18144747 | HIGH EFFICIENCY MICROWAVE PLASMA APPLICATOR | MCDONALD, RODNEY GLENN | 9d |
| 18379915 | SHOWERHEAD DESIGN FOR PLASMA-ENHANCED DEPOSITION | BENNETT, CHARLEE | 12d |
| 17510111 | HORIZONTAL BUFFING MODULE | REYES, JOSHUA NATHANIEL PI | 13d |
| Art Unit | Apps |
|---|---|
| 1716 | 53 |
| 1718 | 43 |
| 1713 | 28 |
| 3723 | 28 |
| 2818 | 20 |
| 2893 | 17 |
| 2899 | 17 |
| 2898 | 17 |
| 1712 | 15 |
| 1714 | 15 |
| App # | Title | Examiner | Art Unit | Statutes | Status | Due in | AI | Filed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 19303500 | TFT STRUCTURES AND ELECTRICAL SIGNAL CONNECTIONS IN GOA AND PIXEL CIRCUITS FOR LCD AND OLED DISPLAYS | KETEMA, BENYAM | 2626 | §102§103 | Final Rejection | — | Pending | Aug 19, 2025 |
| 19282056 | HIGH CONDUCTANCE VARIABLE ORIFICE VALVE | ROST, ANDREW J | 3753 | §101§102§103Other | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Jul 28, 2025 |
| 19261609 | ION SOURCE FOR CONTROLLING DECOMPOSITION BUILDUP USING CHLORINE CO-GAS | KING, MONICA C | 2845 | §102Other | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Jul 07, 2025 |
| 19243488 | PLASMA ENHANCED NUCLEATION LAYER FORMATION | GAMBETTA, KELLY M | 1718 | §102§103§112 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Jun 19, 2025 |
| 19208337 | CYCLIC PLASMA AND THERMAL PROCESS TO IMPROVE PECVD TI SILICIDE DEPOSITION SELECTIVITY | TALBOT, BRIAN K | — | §103 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | May 14, 2025 |
| 19206441 | METHOD OF COATING A SUBSTRATE INCLUDING A MULTI-LAYER COATING | HERNANDEZ-KENNEY, JOSE | 1717 | §103 | Final Rejection | — | Pending | May 13, 2025 |
| 19195644 | HIGH BANDGAP SWITCHED SHUNT CAPACITOR ARCHITECTURE | SKIBINSKI, TOMI SWEET | 2836 | §102§103 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Apr 30, 2025 |
| 19123123 | OPTICAL COATING FOR ELIMINATING GHOST IMAGES IN OPTICAL METROLOGY TOOLS | BOLOGNA, DOMINIC JOSEPH | 2877 | §102§103 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Apr 22, 2025 |
| 19173421 | PRECURSOR, GAS MIXTURE, AND METHOD FOR DEPOSITING A LOW K DIELECTRIC FILM | WALTERS JR, ROBERT S | 1717 | §103§112 | Final Rejection | — | Pending | Apr 08, 2025 |
| 19173702 | IMPEDANCE TUNING UTILITY OF VECTOR SPACE DEFINED BY TRANSMISSION LINE QUANTITIES | NGUYEN, HAI L | 2836 | §112 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Apr 08, 2025 |
| 19096353 | DELIVERY OF CONFIGURABLE PULSED VOLTAGE WAVEFORMS FOR SUBSTRATE PROCESSING | OTT, PATRICK S | 1794 | §103 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Mar 31, 2025 |
| 19093677 | SYSTEM AND METHOD TO MAP THICKNESS VARIATIONS OF SUBSTRATES IN MANUFACTURING SYSTEMS | RIZVI, AKBAR HASSAN | 2877 | §102§103Other | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Mar 28, 2025 |
| 19111758 | METHODS TO MEASURE LIGHT LOSS AND EFFICIENCY OF DIFFRACTION GRATINGS ON OPTICAL SUBSTRATES | AYUB, HINA F | 2877 | §103§112 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Mar 13, 2025 |
| 19076106 | MULTISCALE CONTROL OF SUBSTRATE DEFORMATION IN DEVICE MANUFACTURING | KIM, PETER B | — | §102§103§112 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Mar 11, 2025 |
| 19075466 | REMOTE PLASMA SOURCES | PHAM, THAI N | 2845 | §103Other | Final Rejection | — | Pending | Mar 10, 2025 |
| 19074857 | APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR CONTACTLESS TRANSPORTATION OF A CARRIER | JACKSON, STEPHEN W | 2838 | §101DP | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Mar 10, 2025 |
| 19073823 | ELECTROSTATIC CHUCK WITH LIGHT-UP RESISTANT FLOW ENHANCEMENT PLUG | CADUGAN, ERICA E | 3722 | §102§112 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Mar 07, 2025 |
| 19070718 | METHODS OF DEPOSITING SILICON NITRIDE | TALBOT, BRIAN K | 1712 | §103DP | Final Rejection | — | Pending | Mar 05, 2025 |
| 19071301 | MATCHING PROCESS CONTROLLERS FOR IMPROVED MATCHING OF PROCESS | NORTON, JENNIFER L | 2117 | §101Other | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Mar 05, 2025 |
| 19070247 | APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR CLEANING SUSCEPTORS WITH PLASMA | CAMPBELL, NATASHA N. | 1714 | §103 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Mar 04, 2025 |
| 19064042 | SEMICONDUCTOR PROCESSING CHAMBER WITH ENHANCED PRESSURE TUNING | MURPHY, KEVIN F | 3753 | §102§103§112 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Feb 26, 2025 |
| 19058316 | TUNABILITY OF DOPANT CONCENTRATION IN THIN HAFNIUM OXIDE FILMS | DUMBRIS, SETH M | 1784 | §102§103§112 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Feb 20, 2025 |
| 19057024 | DIFFUSER-LESS GRAY-TONE LITHOGRAPHY PROCESS, MASK DESIGN, AND FABRICATION METHOD | NGUYEN, HUNG | — | §102§112 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Feb 19, 2025 |
| 19104809 | HIGH ASPECT RATIO GAP FILL USING CYCLIC DEPOSITION AND ETCH | PROCTOR, CACHET I | 1712 | §103§112 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Feb 19, 2025 |
| 19052990 | METHOD FOR DETERMINING WAFER UNIFORMITY | NAH, JONGBONG | 2674 | §103§112 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Feb 13, 2025 |
| 19051244 | ELECTROSTATIC CHUCK FOR NON-PLANAR SUBSTRATES | THOMAS, LUCY M | 2838 | §103 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Feb 12, 2025 |
| 19051385 | METAL OXIDE DIRECTIONAL REMOVAL | PHAM, THOMAS T | 1713 | §103 | Final Rejection | 2d overdue | Pending | Feb 12, 2025 |
| 19051679 | HIGH DENSITY AMORPHOUS CARBON FILM WITH REDUCED HYDROGEN CONTENT | ROLLAND, ALEX A | 1759 | §103§112 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Feb 12, 2025 |
| 19051154 | SEALING STRUCTURES FOR PROCESSING CHAMBERS | FOSTER, NICHOLAS L | 3675 | §102§112 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Feb 11, 2025 |
| 19049659 | INSPECTION OF LITHOGRAPHIC LAYERS AND DYNAMIC DATA VIA INLINE METROLOGY | PERSAUD, DEORAM | 2882 | §103 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Feb 10, 2025 |
| 19047868 | METHODS AND MECHANISMS FOR ADJUSTING PROCESS CHAMBER PARAMETERS DURING SUBSTRATE MANUFACTURING | JARRETT, RYAN A | 2116 | §102§103 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Feb 07, 2025 |
| 19037527 | ENCAPSULATION MATERIALS FOR FLAT OPTICAL DEVICES | KHAN, TAHSEEN | 1781 | §103Other | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Jan 27, 2025 |
| 19034051 | ULTRAVIOLET AND OZONE CLEANING APPARATUS AND METHOD OF USING | GOLIGHTLY, ERIC WAYNE | 1714 | §103 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Jan 22, 2025 |
| 19028671 | LIFT PIN INTERFACE IN A SUBSTRATE SUPPORT | NEJAD, MAHDI H | 3723 | §102§103 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Jan 17, 2025 |
| 18995474 | PROCESSING APPARATUS FOR PROCESSING A FLEXIBLE SUBSTRATE AND METHODS THEREFOR | ZHANG, HAI Y | 1717 | §102§103 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Jan 16, 2025 |
| 19018386 | EPI ISOLATION PLATE AND PARALLEL BLOCK PURGE FLOW TUNING FOR GROWTH RATE AND UNIFORMITY | LUND, JEFFRIE ROBERT | 1714 | §102§103Other | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Jan 13, 2025 |
| 19019158 | MULTI-CHAMBER LASER SENSING USING SPLIT BEAMS | RAHMAN, MD M | 2877 | §103 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Jan 13, 2025 |
| 19013048 | Bowed Substrate Clamping Method, Apparatus, and System | PATEL, DHARTI HARIDAS | 2838 | Other | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Jan 08, 2025 |
| 19003394 | Cassette for Vapor Processing Chamber | IMPINK, MOLLIE LLEWELLYN | 3799 | §103§112 | Final Rejection | — | Pending | Dec 27, 2024 |
| 18987976 | PLASMA TREATMENT FACILITATING SELECTIVE METAL GROWTH AND PREVENTING DIELECTRIC DAMAGE | DAGENAIS, KRISTEN A | 1717 | §103 | Final Rejection | — | Pending | Dec 19, 2024 |
| 18984643 | GAS DELIVERY SYSTEM | JELLETT, MATTHEW WILLIAM | 3753 | §102§103 | Final Rejection | 27d | Pending | Dec 17, 2024 |
| 18983235 | APPARATUS, SYSTEMS, AND METHODS OF USING ATOMIC HYDROGEN RADICALS WITH SELECTIVE EPITAXIAL DEPOSITION | MOORE, KARLA A | 1716 | §103 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Dec 16, 2024 |
| 18980063 | HYDROGEN ADDITION TO LOW-K DIELECTRIC BARRIER FILMS | TADAYYON ESLAMI, TABASSOM | 1718 | §103 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Dec 13, 2024 |
| 18977686 | TEMPERATURE CONTROL OF CHEMICAL MECHANICAL POLISHING | CRANDALL, JOEL DILLON | 3723 | §103 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Dec 11, 2024 |
| 18973504 | RADICAL SPECIES RECOMBINATION IN SUBSTRATE PROCESSING SYSTEMS | MURATA, AUSTIN | 1712 | §103 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Dec 09, 2024 |
| 18968156 | DETECTION OF SURFACE PARTICLES ON CHAMBER COMPONENTS WITH CARBON DIOXIDE | WEST, PAUL M | 2855 | §103 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Dec 04, 2024 |
| 18960809 | COOLING ARRANGEMENTS FOR PROCESSING SYSTEMS, CHAMBERS, AND RELATED METHODS TO MODIFY SUBSTRATE TEMPERATURE PROFILES | KUNEMUND, ROBERT M | 1714 | §103 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Nov 26, 2024 |
| 18958006 | NANOCRYSTALLINE DIAMOND AND ULTRA-NANOCRYSTALLINE DIAMOND FILMS BY CATALYTIC CVD | PROCTOR, CACHET I | 1712 | §103 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Nov 25, 2024 |
| 18957056 | REAL-TIME IMAGE PROCESSING TO MEASURE SUBSTRATE OFFSETS AND APPLY CORRECTIONS TO ROBOT END EFFECTOR POSITIONING | BODNARK, MATTHEW JAMES | 2668 | §103 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Nov 22, 2024 |
| 18948311 | OPTICAL SPECTRUM SENSOR WAFER OR ROBOT FOR CHAMBER CONDITION MONITORING | LYONS, MICHAEL A | 2877 | §102§103 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Nov 14, 2024 |
IP Author helps IP teams respond to office actions faster with AI-generated responses, examiner analytics, and prosecution intelligence.
Start Free TrialApplied Materials Inc. has 542 pending office actions as of October 2026, spread across 103 art units and 344 examiners.
Charlee Bennett has the most, with 13 of Applied Materials Inc.'s pending office actions.
Mostly Chemistry & Materials (USPTO Tech Center 1700), based on where its pending office actions are examined.
