Prosecution Insights
Prosecution Insights
Technology areas: Chemistry & Materials • Semiconductors, Circuits & Optics
164 pending office actions • 53 art units • 126 examiners • 0 of 164 (0%) have an AI response strategy ready • 208 patents granted in the last 365 days
Based on the USPTO statutory response window for each pending office action. 39 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. 39 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 | 1 (1%) |
| §101 + other | 1 (1%) |
| §103 only | 69 (42%) |
| §102 only | 8 (5%) |
| §112 only | 6 (4%) |
| Double-patenting only | 5 (3%) |
| Double-patenting + other | 7 (4%) |
| Multi-statute (no §101) | 67 (41%) |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| SWEELY, KURT D | 5 | 52.6% | +34.0% |
| FORD, NATHAN K | 5 | 32.8% | +35.4% |
| TADAYYON ESLAMI, TABASSOM | 4 | 49.4% | +26.7% |
| CHEN, KEATH T | 4 | 30.2% | +24.8% |
| DUCLAIR, STEPHANIE P. | 3 | 72.3% | +19.6% |
| REYES, JOSHUA NATHANIEL PI | 3 | 41.4% | +51.2% |
| BERMAN, JASON | 3 | 63.9% | +21.0% |
| BENNETT, CHARLEE | 3 | 58.6% | +34.9% |
| KLUNK, MARGARET D | 3 | 44.0% | +31.5% |
| KACKAR, RAM N | 3 | 40.5% | +57.7% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 17781447 | PRESSURE BATCH COMPENSATION TO STABILIZE CD VARIATION FOR TRIM AND DEPOSITION PROCESSES | ZERVIGON, RUDY | 317d overdue |
| 17631984 | EDGE RING SYSTEMS FOR SUBSTRATE PROCESSING SYSTEMS | MOORE, KARLA A | 150d overdue |
| 18017208 | THIN SHADOW RING FOR LOW-TILT TRENCH ETCHING | FORD, NATHAN K | 99d overdue |
| 18034834 | SUBSTRATE PROCESSING SYSTEM TOOLS FOR MONITORING, ASSESSING AND RESPONDING BASED ON HEALTH INCLUDING SENSOR MAPPING AND TRIGGERED DATALOGGING | BAHLS, JENNIFER E. S. | 35d overdue |
| 18265825 | ATOMIC LAYER DEPOSITION WITH MULTIPLE UNIFORMLY HEATED CHARGE VOLUMES | THOMAS, BINU | 30d overdue |
| 18250349 | LOCALIZED PLASMA ARC PREVENTION VIA PURGE RING | CHEN, KEATH T | 30d overdue |
| 17927328 | DISTRIBUTED PLASMA SOURCE ARRAY | ALEJANDRO MULERO, LUZ L | 30d overdue |
| 17921930 | BLENDED CONTACT FINGERS FOR PREVENTING CRACKS DURING THIN SUBSTRATE HANDLING | CONTRERAS, CIEL P | 28d 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 18017208 | THIN SHADOW RING FOR LOW-TILT TRENCH ETCHING | FORD, NATHAN K | 99d overdue |
| 18250349 | LOCALIZED PLASMA ARC PREVENTION VIA PURGE RING | CHEN, KEATH T | 30d overdue |
| 17904005 | COOLING PLATE FOR SEMICONDUCTOR PROCESSING CHAMBER WINDOW | FORD, NATHAN K | 29d overdue |
| 18250740 | Wear Compensating Confinement Ring | KACKAR, RAM N | 17d overdue |
| 18282021 | CONDUCTIVE COOLING OF A LOW TEMPERATURE PEDESTAL OPERATING IN A HIGH TEMPERATURE DEPOSITION SEQUENCE | BERMAN, JASON | 16d overdue |
| 18187342 | ELECTRON EXCITATION ATOMIC LAYER ETCH | KLUNK, MARGARET D | 16d overdue |
| 18854240 | NONCONFORMAL OXIDE FILM DEPOSITION USING CARBON-CONTAINING INHIBITOR | TADAYYON ESLAMI, TABASSOM | 10d overdue |
| 18493614 | DEPOSITING A CARBON HARDMASK BY HIGH POWER PULSED LOW FREQUENCY RF | CHEN, KEATH T | 10d overdue |
| Art Unit | Apps |
|---|---|
| 1716 | 24 |
| 1718 | 19 |
| 1713 | 13 |
| 2893 | 6 |
| 1712 | 5 |
| 3652 | 5 |
| 1794 | 5 |
| 2899 | 5 |
| 2844 | 4 |
| 2845 | 4 |
| App # | Title | Examiner | Art Unit | Statutes | Status | Due in | AI | Filed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 19393253 | TAPERED UPPER ELECTRODE FOR UNIFORMITY CONTROL IN PLASMA PROCESSING | CHAN, LAUREEN | 1716 | §103 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Nov 18, 2025 |
| 19310794 | METHOD OF CLEANING CHAMBER COMPONENTS WITH METAL ETCH RESIDUES | ZHANG, RICHARD Z | 1714 | §103§112Other | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Aug 26, 2025 |
| 19246617 | ELECTROSTATIC EDGE RING MOUNTING SYSTEM FOR SUBSTRATE PROCESSING | PHAM, THAI N | 2844 | §103 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Jun 23, 2025 |
| 19124236 | SELECTIVE MOLYBDENUM FILL | TADAYYON ESLAMI, TABASSOM | — | §102§103 | Final Rejection | — | Pending | Apr 24, 2025 |
| 19186588 | Systems and Methods for Use of Low Frequency Harmonics in Bias Radiofrequency Supply to Control Uniformity of Plasma Process Results Across Substrate | LAM, TUAN THIEU | 2836 | §102§103 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Apr 22, 2025 |
| 19120426 | COMPONENT WITH A DUAL LAYER HERMETIC ATOMIC LAYER DEPOSITION COATINGS FOR A SEMICONDUCTOR PROCESSING CHAMBER | PHAM, THAI N | 2845 | §103 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Apr 11, 2025 |
| 19096252 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR MULTI-LEVEL PULSING IN RF PLASMA TOOLS | HERNANDEZ, WILLIAM | 2836 | §102 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Mar 31, 2025 |
| 19079410 | PROTECTION SYSTEM FOR SWITCHES IN DIRECT DRIVE CIRCUITS OF SUBSTRATE PROCESSING SYSTEMS | KAISER, SYED M | 2831 | §103Other | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Mar 13, 2025 |
| 19053940 | ATOMIC LAYER ETCHING FOR SUBTRACTIVE METAL ETCH | DUCLAIR, STEPHANIE P. | 1713 | DP | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Feb 14, 2025 |
| 19042816 | PEDESTAL THERMAL PROFILE TUNING USING MULTIPLE HEATED ZONES AND THERMAL VOID | WEDDLE, ALEXANDER MARION | 1712 | §102§103DP | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Jan 31, 2025 |
| 18881608 | IMPROVED PEDESTALS FOR SUBSTRATE PROCESSING SYSTEMS | NEJAD, MAHDI H | 3723 | §103 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Jan 06, 2025 |
| 18881084 | MULTI-PLENUM GAS MANIFOLDS FOR SUBSTRATE PROCESSING SYSTEMS | LUONG, HENRY T | 2844 | §103 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Jan 03, 2025 |
| 18880670 | END EFFECTOR | LU, WILLIAM | 2624 | §102§103 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Jan 02, 2025 |
| 19002171 | SUBSTRATE PROCESSING APARATUSES WITH ROTATING MECHANISMS INCLUDING SHAFTS WITH GAS FLOW PATHS | WILSON, LEE D | 3723 | §103 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Dec 26, 2024 |
| 18877152 | ISOLATION VALVE | ROST, ANDREW J | 3753 | §102§103 | Final Rejection | — | Pending | Dec 19, 2024 |
| 18876567 | ROBOT ARM WITH VACUUM-COMPATIBLE SEALS AND INTERNAL COOLING FLOW PATHS | DIAZ, THOMAS C | 3617 | §102Other | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Dec 18, 2024 |
| 18983038 | JOINING TECHNIQUES FOR COMPOSITE CERAMIC BODIES | WILLIAMS, JOSEPH L | 2875 | DP | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Dec 16, 2024 |
| 18974593 | MATCHLESS PLASMA SOURCE FOR SEMICONDUCTOR WAFER FABRICATION | LE, TUNG X | 2844 | DP | Final Rejection | — | Pending | Dec 09, 2024 |
| 18871372 | CHUCKING SYSTEM WITH SILANE COUPLING AGENT | SREEVATSA, SREEYA | 2838 | §103 | Final Rejection | — | Pending | Dec 03, 2024 |
| 18959448 | HEAT AND VOLATILE-ORGANIC-COMPOUNDS DETECTING SYSTEMS | KIM, KIHO | — | §102§103 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Nov 25, 2024 |
| 18955355 | LONG-LIFE EXTENDED TEMPERATURE RANGE EMBEDDED DIODE DESIGN FOR ELECTROSTATIC CHUCK WITH MULTIPLEXED HEATERS ARRAY | BERHANE, ADOLF D | 2838 | DP | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Nov 21, 2024 |
| 18866767 | CUSTOMIZING ETCH SELECTIVITY AND HIGH ASPECT RATIO FEATURE LOADING THROUGH MULTI-LEVEL PULSING SCHEMES UTILIZING SINUSOIDAL AND CUSTOM RF WAVEFORMS | SATHIRAJU, SRINIVAS | 1713 | §103 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Nov 18, 2024 |
| 18948444 | DUAL-FREQUENCY, DIRECT-DRIVE INDUCTIVELY COUPLED PLASMA SOURCE | LEE, WILSON | 2845 | §103 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Nov 14, 2024 |
| 18936877 | UNIFORMITY CONTROL CIRCUIT FOR IMPEDANCE MATCH | HOUSTON, ADAM D | 2842 | §102§103 | Non-Final OA | 22d | Pending | Nov 04, 2024 |
| 18859433 | ORGANOCHLORIDE ETCH WITH PASSIVATION AND PROFILE CONTROL | DUCLAIR, STEPHANIE P. | 1713 | §103§112DP | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Oct 23, 2024 |
| 18856864 | LATERAL GAP FILL | TADAYYON ESLAMI, TABASSOM | 1718 | §103 | Final Rejection | — | Pending | Oct 14, 2024 |
| 18854240 | NONCONFORMAL OXIDE FILM DEPOSITION USING CARBON-CONTAINING INHIBITOR | TADAYYON ESLAMI, TABASSOM | 1718 | §102§103§112 | Final Rejection | 10d overdue | Pending | Oct 04, 2024 |
| 18907429 | TOOL AND METHOD FOR CHANDELIER SHOWERHEAD INSTALLATION | CIGNA, JACOB JAMES | 3726 | §102§103 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Oct 04, 2024 |
| 18902729 | TEMPERATURE MONITORING | KAO, CHIH CHENG G | 2884 | §112Other | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Sep 30, 2024 |
| 18847683 | REDUCING CAPACITANCE IN SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES | MCCLURE, CHRISTINA D | 1718 | §103 | Final Rejection | 77d overdue | Pending | Sep 17, 2024 |
| 18847308 | FEEDBACK CONTROL SYSTEMS FOR IMPEDANCE MATCHING | FERNANDEZ, PEDRO C | 2844 | §103 | Non-Final OA | 24d overdue | Pending | Sep 16, 2024 |
| 18847652 | LOW-K DIELECTRIC PROTECTION DURING PLASMA DEPOSITION OF SILICON NITRIDE | GAMBETTA, KELLY M | 1718 | §103 | Non-Final OA | 23d overdue | Pending | Sep 16, 2024 |
| 18846229 | FAST ATOMIC LAYER ETCH | REMAVEGE, CHRISTOPHER | 1713 | §103 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Sep 11, 2024 |
| 18846216 | SPATIALLY TUNABLE INDUCTIVELY COUPLED PLASMA ANTENNA | LE, TUNG X | 2845 | §102§103 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Sep 11, 2024 |
| 18844917 | SPARK PLASMA SINTERED COMPONENT FOR CRYO-PLASMA PROCESSING | RIVERA, JOSHEL | 1746 | §102 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Sep 06, 2024 |
| 18813749 | MODEL-BASED SCHEDULING FOR SUBSTRATE PROCESSING SYSTEMS | PATEL, JIGNESHKUMAR C | 2116 | §103 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Aug 23, 2024 |
| 18811234 | CHILLER MAKE-BREAK CONNECTOR FOR SUBSTRATE PROCESSING SYSTEMS | MYERS, GLENN F | 3652 | DP | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Aug 21, 2024 |
| 18840339 | APPARATUS AND METHODS FOR REDUCING WAFER BACKSIDE DAMAGE | SREEVATSA, SREEYA | 2838 | §103§112 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Aug 21, 2024 |
| 18840453 | THERMAL FILM DEPOSITION | TADAYYON ESLAMI, TABASSOM | 1718 | §102§103 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Aug 21, 2024 |
| 18840069 | ATOMIC LAYER ETCHING USING AN INHIBITOR | LU, JIONG-PING | 1713 | §102 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Aug 20, 2024 |
| 18839177 | SELECTIVE PRECISION ETCHING OF SEMICONDUCTOR MATERIALS | DEO, DUY VU NGUYEN | 1713 | §102§103DP | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Aug 16, 2024 |
| 18806234 | SEMICONDUCTOR SUBSTRATE BEVEL CLEANING | GOLIGHTLY, ERIC WAYNE | 1714 | §102§103§112 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Aug 15, 2024 |
| 18800410 | HIGH POWER ELECTROSTATIC CHUCK WITH FEATURES PREVENTING HE HOLE LIGHT-UP/ARCING | REYES, JOSHUA NATHANIEL PI | 1718 | §103§112 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Aug 12, 2024 |
| 18837560 | LOW RESISTANCE MOLYBDENUM DEPOSITION FOR LOGIC SOURCE/DRAIN CONTACTS | CHEN, BRET P | 1718 | §103§112 | Non-Final OA | 22d | Pending | Aug 09, 2024 |
| 18836104 | RF ASSEMBLY FOR SUBSTRATE PROCESSING SYSTEMS | KIM, SEOKJIN | 2845 | §102 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Aug 06, 2024 |
| 18835982 | WAFER EDGE TILT AND ETCH RATE UNIFORMITY | SWEELY, KURT D | 1718 | §102§103 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Aug 05, 2024 |
| 18834982 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR RADIO FREQUENCY GRID DESIGN IN AN ESC TO REDUCE FILM ASYMMETRY | PATEL, DHARTI HARIDAS | 2838 | §102§103 | Non-Final OA | 2d overdue | Pending | Jul 31, 2024 |
| 18834451 | PORTABLE ROBOT FOR SEMICONDUCTOR EQUIPMENT MAINTENANCE TASKS | LAUGHLIN, CHARLES S | 2837 | §102 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Jul 30, 2024 |
| 18785926 | FILM STACK SIMPLIFICATION FOR HIGH ASPECT RATIO PATTERNING AND VERTICAL SCALING | MUSE, ISMAIL A | 2812 | §103 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Jul 26, 2024 |
| 18832925 | RF POWER PATH SYMMETRY | BERMAN, JASON | 1794 | §102§103 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Jul 25, 2024 |
IP Author helps IP teams respond to office actions faster with AI-generated responses, examiner analytics, and prosecution intelligence.
Start Free TrialLam Research Corporation has 164 pending office actions as of October 2026, spread across 53 art units and 126 examiners.
Kurt D Sweely has the most, with 5 of Lam Research Corporation's pending office actions.
Mostly Chemistry & Materials (USPTO Tech Center 1700), based on where its pending office actions are examined.