Prosecution Insights
Prosecution Insights
Technology areas: Chemistry & Materials • Semiconductors, Circuits & Optics
160 pending office actions • 41 art units • 125 examiners • 0 of 160 (0%) have an AI response strategy ready • 212 patents granted in the last 365 days
Lam Research Corporation maintains a significant presence in the Chemistry & Materials technology area with 156 pending office actions. This volume of active prosecution is distributed across 39 distinct art units, indicating a broad technical footprint within the USPTO. The portfolio involves 120 distinct examiners, which suggests that the company must manage a wide variety of examination styles and preferences simultaneously. This diversity of examiners across these 39 distinct art units requires a highly adaptable prosecution strategy to account for different internal cultures and standards.
Among the active examiners, SWEELY, KURT D is the busiest for this portfolio, currently handling 5 pending office actions. While this individual workload represents a small fraction of the 156 total pending actions, it marks the highest concentration of work with a single examiner. Practitioners should note that the high ratio of 120 distinct examiners to the total pending workload implies that the workload is widely distributed among the individuals assigned to the company. Managing this many individuals across the USPTO necessitates a decentralized approach to responding to the various office actions currently on the docket.
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 | 66 (41%) |
| §102 only | 9 (6%) |
| §112 only | 6 (4%) |
| Double-patenting only | 5 (3%) |
| Double-patenting + other | 6 (4%) |
| Multi-statute (no §101) | 66 (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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| FORD, NATHAN K | 5 | 32.8% | +35.4% |
| SWEELY, KURT D | 4 | 52.8% | +33.9% |
| CHEN, KEATH T | 4 | 30.2% | +24.7% |
| TADAYYON ESLAMI, TABASSOM | 3 | 49.5% | +26.5% |
| REMAVEGE, CHRISTOPHER | 3 | 58.4% | +26.0% |
| REYES, JOSHUA NATHANIEL PI | 3 | 41.4% | +51.2% |
| NUCKOLS, TIFFANY Z | 3 | 45.5% | +40.1% |
| BENNETT, CHARLEE | 3 | 58.6% | +34.9% |
| KLUNK, MARGARET D | 3 | 44.0% | +31.5% |
| KACKAR, RAM N | 3 | 40.2% | +57.9% |
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 |
| 18247060 | DEPOSITION RATE ENHANCEMENT OF AMORPHOUS CARBON HARD MASK FILM BY PURELY CHEMICAL MEANS | TUROCY, DAVID P | 100d overdue |
| 18017208 | THIN SHADOW RING FOR LOW-TILT TRENCH ETCHING | FORD, NATHAN K | 99d overdue |
| 18044336 | TEMPORARY CAPPING MATERIAL FOR OXIDE PREVENTION IN LOW TEMPERATURE DIRECT METAL-METAL BONDING | PHAM, THOMAS T | 60d 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 |
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 |
| 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 |
| 18035200 | PEDESTAL INCLUDING SEAL | CHEN, KEATH T | 3d overdue |
| Art Unit | Apps |
|---|---|
| 1716 | 20 |
| 1718 | 17 |
| 1713 | 10 |
| 2893 | 6 |
| 1737 | 4 |
| 2844 | 3 |
| 3652 | 3 |
| 1717 | 3 |
| 1714 | 2 |
| 1712 | 2 |
| App # | Title | Examiner | Art Unit | Statutes | Status | Due in | AI | Filed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| 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 | — | §102§103 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Apr 22, 2025 |
| 19096252 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR MULTI-LEVEL PULSING IN RF PLASMA TOOLS | HERNANDEZ, WILLIAM | — | §102 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Mar 31, 2025 |
| 19079410 | PROTECTION SYSTEM FOR SWITCHES IN DIRECT DRIVE CIRCUITS OF SUBSTRATE PROCESSING SYSTEMS | KAISER, SYED M | — | §103Other | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Mar 13, 2025 |
| 19053940 | ATOMIC LAYER ETCHING FOR SUBTRACTIVE METAL ETCH | DUCLAIR, STEPHANIE P. | — | 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 |
| 18994496 | PLASMA DETECTION IN SEMICONDUCTOR FABRICATION APPARATUSES | KIM, SEOKJIN | 2845 | §103 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Jan 14, 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 | — | §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 | — | §103 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Dec 26, 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 | — | DP | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Dec 16, 2024 |
| 18874526 | METAL-OXIDE VARISTOR (MOV) BASED SURGE PROTECTION CIRCUIT FOR PLASMA PROCESSING CHAMBER | WELLS, KENNETH B | 2842 | §102§103 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Dec 12, 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 | — | §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 |
| 18868349 | UNDERLAYER WITH BONDED DOPANTS FOR PHOTOLITHOGRAPHY | PERSAUD, DEORAM | 2882 | §102 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Nov 22, 2024 |
| 18956710 | EARLY WARNING SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR DETERMINING CAPACITOR FAILURES | MONSUR, NASIMA | — | §102§103§112 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Nov 22, 2024 |
| 18955355 | LONG-LIFE EXTENDED TEMPERATURE RANGE EMBEDDED DIODE DESIGN FOR ELECTROSTATIC CHUCK WITH MULTIPLEXED HEATERS ARRAY | BERHANE, ADOLF D | — | 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 | — | §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. | — | §103§112DP | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Oct 23, 2024 |
| 18856864 | LATERAL GAP FILL | TADAYYON ESLAMI, TABASSOM | 1718 | §103 | Final Rejection | — | Pending | Oct 14, 2024 |
| 18907429 | TOOL AND METHOD FOR CHANDELIER SHOWERHEAD INSTALLATION | CIGNA, JACOB JAMES | 3726 | §102§103 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Oct 04, 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 |
| 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 |
| 18846229 | FAST ATOMIC LAYER ETCH | REMAVEGE, CHRISTOPHER | — | §103 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Sep 11, 2024 |
| 18846216 | SPATIALLY TUNABLE INDUCTIVELY COUPLED PLASMA ANTENNA | LE, TUNG X | — | §102§103 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Sep 11, 2024 |
| 18844917 | SPARK PLASMA SINTERED COMPONENT FOR CRYO-PLASMA PROCESSING | RIVERA, JOSHEL | — | §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 | — | DP | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Aug 21, 2024 |
| 18840453 | THERMAL FILM DEPOSITION | TADAYYON ESLAMI, TABASSOM | 1718 | §102§103 | 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 |
| 18840069 | ATOMIC LAYER ETCHING USING AN INHIBITOR | LU, JIONG-PING | — | §102 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Aug 20, 2024 |
| 18839177 | SELECTIVE PRECISION ETCHING OF SEMICONDUCTOR MATERIALS | DEO, DUY VU NGUYEN | — | §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 | — | §102 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Aug 06, 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 | — | §103 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Jul 26, 2024 |
| 18771442 | EFFICIENT CLEANING AND ETCHING OF HIGH ASPECT RATIO STRUCTURES | DEO, DUY VU NGUYEN | 1713 | §112Other | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Jul 12, 2024 |
| 18728348 | SENSORS FOR SEMICONDUCTOR PROCESSING TOOLS | LIN, ERICA S Y | — | §102§103 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Jul 11, 2024 |
| 18727830 | ACTIVE TEMPERATURE CONTROL OF SHOWERHEADS FOR HIGH TEMPERATURE PROCESSES | NUCKOLS, TIFFANY Z | — | §103 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Jul 10, 2024 |
| 18767915 | RF POWER COMPENSATION TO REDUCE DEPOSITION OR ETCH RATE CHANGES IN RESPONSE TO SUBSTRATE BULK RESISTIVITY VARIATIONS | BENNETT, CHARLEE | 1718 | §103 | Final Rejection | 21d | Pending | Jul 09, 2024 |
| 18764079 | SELECTIVE SILICON DIOXIDE REMOVAL USING LOW PRESSURE LOW BIAS DEUTERIUM PLASMA | NUCKOLS, TIFFANY Z | — | §103 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Jul 03, 2024 |
| 18725503 | HIGH SELECTIVITY AND UNIFORM DIELECTRIC ETCH | CARTER, JONATHAN LANGDON | 1713 | §102§103§112 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Jun 28, 2024 |
| 18758576 | EDGE RING ARRANGEMENT WITH MOVEABLE EDGE RINGS | KLUNK, MARGARET D | — | §103DP | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Jun 28, 2024 |
| 18724531 | METHOD FOR REDUCING VARIATIONS IN MASK TOPOGRAPHY | REMAVEGE, CHRISTOPHER | 1713 | §102§103 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Jun 26, 2024 |
| 18721910 | ELECTROSTATIC CHUCKS WITH SELF-SEALING GAS CONDUITS AND/OR REDUCED CLOGGING DUE TO RESIDUE | GATES, ERIC ANDREW | — | §103 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Jun 20, 2024 |
| 18747743 | Method for Manufacturing ScAlN Target | LIANG, ANTHONY M | 1734 | §103 | Final Rejection | 30d | Pending | Jun 19, 2024 |
| 18720146 | HIGH PRESSURE PLASMA INHIBITION | ULLAH, ELIAS | — | §102§103 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Jun 14, 2024 |
| 18720153 | ATOMIC LAYER DEPOSITION PULSE SEQUENCE ENGINEERING FOR IMPROVED CONFORMALITY FOR LOW TEMPERATURE PRECURSORS | MILLER, MICHAEL G | — | §103 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Jun 14, 2024 |
| 18720496 | MULTI-ZONE COATINGS ON PARTS FOR GALLING PREVENTION AND HIGH-TEMPERATURE CHEMICAL STABILITY | BATES, ZAKIYA W | — | §103 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Jun 14, 2024 |
| 18719362 | HEXAPOD-BASED PEDESTAL SYSTEMS FOR USE IN SEMICONDUCTOR PROCESSING OPERATIONS | BESLER, CHRISTOPHER JAMES | — | §102§112 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Jun 13, 2024 |
| 18719047 | IMPROVED THERMAL AND ELECTRICAL INTERFACE BETWEEN PARTS IN AN ETCH CHAMBER | JELLETT, MATTHEW WILLIAM | — | §103 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Jun 12, 2024 |
| 18718751 | WAFER TRANSFER PADDLES WITH MINIMUM CONTACT AREA STRUCTURES FOR REDUCED BACKSIDE MARKING | JOERGER, KAITLIN S | — | §102§103 | Final Rejection | — | Pending | Jun 11, 2024 |
| 18717975 | CONFORMAL DEPOSITION OF SILICON NITRIDE | BRECHT, CHARLES MATTHEW | — | §102§103 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Jun 07, 2024 |
| 18717059 | TUNGSTEN WORDLINE FILL IN HIGH ASPECT RATIO 3D NAND ARCHITECTURE | HOANG, DZUNG T | — | §103 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Jun 06, 2024 |
| 18716846 | LOW TEMPERATURE MOLYBDENUM DEPOSITION ASSISTED BY SILICON-CONTAINING REACTANTS | MILLER, MICHAEL G | — | §103 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Jun 05, 2024 |
| 18715235 | DIRECT-PICK ROBOT FOR MULTI-STATION SEMICONDUCTOR PROCESSING CHAMBERS | LOWE, MICHAEL S | 3652 | §103 | Final Rejection | — | Pending | May 31, 2024 |
| 18714506 | DEPOSITION OF METALS IN RECESSED FEATURES WITH THE USE OF HALOGEN-CONTAINING DEPOSITION INHIBITORS | SNOW, COLLEEN ERIN | — | §103 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | May 29, 2024 |
| 18714550 | GRADIENT LINER IN METAL FILL | SANDVIK, BENJAMIN P | — | §102§103 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | May 29, 2024 |
| 18713068 | DEPOSITION OF HIGH COMPRESSIVE STRESS THERMALLY STABLE NITRIDE FILM | EMPIE, NATHAN H | 1712 | §103 | Final Rejection | — | Pending | May 23, 2024 |
| 18711773 | CONTROL OF ETCH PROFILES IN HIGH ASPECT RATIO HOLES VIA THERMAL ATOMIC LAYER ETCHING | LU, JIONG-PING | 1713 | §102§103 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | May 20, 2024 |
| 18710671 | SHOWERHEAD FACEPLATE CONFIGURATIONS | NUCKOLS, TIFFANY Z | — | §103 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | May 16, 2024 |
| 18663014 | LOW RESISTIVITY FILMS CONTAINING MOLYBDENUM | KIELIN, ERIK J | — | §102§103 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | May 13, 2024 |
| 18709780 | CONFORMAL, CARBON-DOPED SILICON NITRIDE FILMS AND METHODS THEREOF | HARRISTON, WILLIAM A | — | §102Other | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | May 13, 2024 |
| 18656209 | LOW-K ALD GAP-FILL METHODS AND MATERIAL | GHEYAS, SYED I | 2893 | §112 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | May 06, 2024 |
| 18654271 | SUBSTRATE SUPPORT WITH IMPROVED PROCESS UNIFORMITY | BENNETT, CHARLEE | 1718 | §102§103 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | May 03, 2024 |
| 18706772 | SUBSTRATE PROCESSING TOOL WITH RAPID AND SELECTIVE CONTROL OF PARTIAL PRESSURE OF WATER VAPOR AND OXYGEN | MYERS, GLENN F | 3652 | §102§103 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | May 02, 2024 |
| 18705428 | ATOMIC LAYER DEPOSITION SEAM REDUCTION | LEE, WOO KYUNG | — | §102§103 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Apr 26, 2024 |
| 18704173 | DEGAS SYSTEM USING INERT PURGE GAS AT CONTROLLED PRESSURE FOR A LIQUID DELIVERY SYSTEM OF A SUBSTRATE PROCESSING SYSTEM | MCDONALD, RODNEY GLENN | — | §103 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Apr 24, 2024 |
| 18643650 | RF SIGNAL PARAMETER MEASUREMENT IN AN INTEGRATED CIRCUIT FABRICATION CHAMBER | SATANOVSKY, ALEXANDER | — | §101§103DP | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Apr 23, 2024 |
| 18702320 | EXTREME EDGE FEATURE PROFILE TILT CONTROL BY ALTERING INPUT VOLTAGE WAVEFORM TO EDGE RING | BRAYTON, JOHN JOSEPH | 1713 | §103 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Apr 17, 2024 |
| 18701384 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR CARBON PLUG FORMATION | VU, HUNG K | — | §103 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Apr 15, 2024 |
| 18701458 | VALVE FOR SEMICONDUCTOR EQUIPMENT | PRICE, CRAIG JAMES | 3753 | §112 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Apr 15, 2024 |
| 18701479 | STRIP WITH BEVEL CLEANING | REMAVEGE, CHRISTOPHER | 1713 | §103 | Final Rejection | — | Pending | Apr 15, 2024 |
| 18698717 | END EFFECTOR PAD DESIGN FOR BOWED WAFERS | KIO, MICHAEL TAMUNOELEKIM | — | §103 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Apr 04, 2024 |
| 18622599 | ROTATIONAL INDEXER WITH WAFER EDGE GRIP | TIGHE, BRENDAN P | 3652 | §103 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Mar 29, 2024 |
| 18695337 | METHODS AND FORMULATIONS FOR SACRIFICIAL BRACING, SURFACE PROTECTION, AND QUEUE-TIME MANAGEMENT USING STIMULUS RESPONSIVE POLYMERS | SALERNO, SARAH KATE | — | §103 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Mar 25, 2024 |
| 18694949 | EDGE CAPACITIVELY COUPLED PLASMA CHAMBER STRUCTURE | CHAN, WEI | — | §103 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Mar 22, 2024 |
| 18612809 | PECVD DEPOSITION SYSTEM FOR DEPOSITION ON SELECTIVE SIDE OF THE SUBSTRATE | BALDWIN, GORDON | 1718 | §103§112Other | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Mar 21, 2024 |
| 18693940 | A METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR ENHANCING ION ENERGY AND REDUCING ION ENERGY SPREAD IN AN INDUCTIVELY COUPLED PLASMA | BENNETT, CHARLEE | 1713 | §102§103§112 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Mar 20, 2024 |
| 18690678 | PROCESS GAS RAMP DURING SEMICONDUCTOR PROCESSING | QUINTO, KEVIN V | 2893 | §103§112 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Mar 08, 2024 |
| 18684591 | IN-SITU CORE PROTECTION IN MULTI-PATTERNING | NGUYEN, THANH T | 2893 | §103 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Feb 16, 2024 |
| 18681597 | AMPLITUDE MODULATION OF VOLTAGE WITH RECTIFIER AND BUCK STAGE TO CONTROL HEATER TEMPERATURE | PAIK, SANG YEOP | — | §102§103§112 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Feb 06, 2024 |
| 18427691 | MINIMIZING RADICAL RECOMBINATION USING ALD SILICON OXIDE SURFACE COATING WITH INTERMITTENT RESTORATION PLASMA | SWEELY, KURT D | 1718 | §103 | Final Rejection | — | Pending | Jan 30, 2024 |
| 18291444 | SUBSTRATE SUPPORTS WITH MESOCHANNEL ASSEMBLIES | NIEVES, NELSON J | 3763 | §103§112 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Jan 23, 2024 |
| 18291200 | GRAPHENE-CAPPED COPPER IN DUAL DAMASCENE INTERCONNECT | YEUNG LOPEZ, FEIFEI | 2899 | §103 | Final Rejection | — | Pending | Jan 22, 2024 |
| 18580384 | SHOWERHEAD TEMPERATURE BASED DEPOSITION TIME COMPENSATION FOR THICKNESS TRENDING IN PECVD DEPOSITION SYSTEM | LUND, JEFFRIE ROBERT | 1716 | §102§103 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Jan 18, 2024 |
| 18577115 | YTTRIUM ALUMINUM PEROVSKITE (YAP) BASED COATINGS FOR SEMICONDUCTOR PROCESSING CHAMBER COMPONENTS | KURPLE, KARL | — | §103DP | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Jan 05, 2024 |
| 18572075 | IMAGE ANALYSIS OF PLASMA CONDITIONS | JIA, XIN | 2663 | §103 | Non-Final OA | 22d | Pending | Dec 19, 2023 |
| 18570061 | IN-LINE MACHINE VISION SYSTEM FOR PART TRACKING OF SUBSTRATE PROCESSING SYSTEM | COLLINS, MICHAEL | 3655 | §103 | Final Rejection | 12d | Pending | Dec 13, 2023 |
| 18569213 | DRY DEVELOPMENT APPARATUS AND METHODS FOR VOLATILIZATION OF DRY DEVELOPMENT BYPRODUCTS IN WAFERS | ISKRA, JOSEPH W | — | §103§112 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Dec 11, 2023 |
| 18565481 | IN SITU SENSOR AND LOGIC FOR PROCESS CONTROL | DINH, PAUL | — | §102§112 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Nov 29, 2023 |
| 18559958 | TUNGSTEN WORDLINE FILL IN HIGH ASPECT RATIO 3D NAND ARCHITECTURE | MOTT, ADAM JOSEPH | 2817 | §112 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Nov 09, 2023 |
| 18493614 | DEPOSITING A CARBON HARDMASK BY HIGH POWER PULSED LOW FREQUENCY RF | CHEN, KEATH T | 1716 | §103§112 | Final Rejection | 10d overdue | Pending | Oct 24, 2023 |
| 18554622 | CONTROL OF DISSOLVED GAS CONCENTRATION IN ELECTROPLATING BATHS | FORRY, COLTON BUSA | — | §103§112 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Oct 09, 2023 |
| 18550664 | ADJUSTABLE DIELECTRIC CONSTANT CERAMIC WINDOW | SWEELY, KURT D | 1718 | §103 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Sep 14, 2023 |
| 18282021 | CONDUCTIVE COOLING OF A LOW TEMPERATURE PEDESTAL OPERATING IN A HIGH TEMPERATURE DEPOSITION SEQUENCE | BERMAN, JASON | 1794 | §103 | Final Rejection | 16d overdue | Pending | Sep 14, 2023 |
| 18244905 | REFLECTOMETER TO MONITOR SUBSTRATE MOVEMENT | MALKOWSKI, KENNETH J | 3667 | §103 | Final Rejection | 29d | Pending | Sep 11, 2023 |
| 18465113 | APPARATUSES AND METHODS FOR AVOIDING ELECTRICAL BREAKDOWN FROM RF TERMINAL TO ADJACENT NON-RF TERMINAL | FORD, NATHAN K | 1716 | §103 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Sep 11, 2023 |
| 18259953 | GENERATING DIGITAL TWINS OF SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING EQUIPMENT | MARKS, AARIC R | — | §102§103§112 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Jun 29, 2023 |
| 18258973 | MOLYBDENUM DEPOSITION IN FEATURES | TRAN, TONY | 2893 | §103 | Final Rejection | — | Pending | Jun 22, 2023 |
| 18258497 | ADAPTIVE MODEL TRAINING FOR PROCESS CONTROL OF SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING EQUIPMENT | SOUNDRANAYAGAM, RAYAPPU NMN | 2851 | §102 | Final Rejection | — | Pending | Jun 20, 2023 |
| 18265825 | ATOMIC LAYER DEPOSITION WITH MULTIPLE UNIFORMLY HEATED CHARGE VOLUMES | THOMAS, BINU | 1717 | §102§103 | Non-Final OA | 30d overdue | Pending | Jun 07, 2023 |
| 18253196 | LOW RESISTANCE PULSED CVD TUNGSTEN | LOHAKARE, PRATIKSHA JAYANT | 2818 | §103 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | May 18, 2023 |
| 18035200 | PEDESTAL INCLUDING SEAL | CHEN, KEATH T | 1716 | §103 | Final Rejection | 3d overdue | Pending | May 03, 2023 |
| 18034834 | SUBSTRATE PROCESSING SYSTEM TOOLS FOR MONITORING, ASSESSING AND RESPONDING BASED ON HEALTH INCLUDING SENSOR MAPPING AND TRIGGERED DATALOGGING | BAHLS, JENNIFER E. S. | 2853 | §101 | Final Rejection | 35d overdue | Pending | May 01, 2023 |
| 18250740 | Wear Compensating Confinement Ring | KACKAR, RAM N | 1716 | §103 | Final Rejection | 17d overdue | Pending | Apr 26, 2023 |
| 18250349 | LOCALIZED PLASMA ARC PREVENTION VIA PURGE RING | CHEN, KEATH T | 1716 | §103§112 | Non-Final OA | 30d overdue | Pending | Apr 24, 2023 |
| 18029963 | SHOWERHEAD WITH INTEGRAL DIVERT FLOW PATH | ZERVIGON, RUDY | 1716 | §102§103 | Non-Final OA | 47d | Pending | Apr 03, 2023 |
| 18247060 | DEPOSITION RATE ENHANCEMENT OF AMORPHOUS CARBON HARD MASK FILM BY PURELY CHEMICAL MEANS | TUROCY, DAVID P | 1718 | §103§112 | Non-Final OA | 100d overdue | Pending | Mar 28, 2023 |
| 18187342 | ELECTRON EXCITATION ATOMIC LAYER ETCH | KLUNK, MARGARET D | 1716 | §103 | Final Rejection | 16d overdue | Pending | Mar 21, 2023 |
| 18044336 | TEMPORARY CAPPING MATERIAL FOR OXIDE PREVENTION IN LOW TEMPERATURE DIRECT METAL-METAL BONDING | PHAM, THOMAS T | 1713 | §103§112 | Non-Final OA | 60d overdue | Pending | Mar 07, 2023 |
| 18042198 | C-shroud Modification For Plasma Uniformity Without Impacting Mechanical Strength Or Lifetime Of The C-shroud | SWEELY, KURT D | 1718 | §103 | Final Rejection | — | Pending | Feb 17, 2023 |
| 18006552 | LOW CEILING TEMPERATURE HOMOPOLYMERS AS SACRIFICIAL PROTECTION LAYERS FOR ENVIRONMENTALLY SENSITIVE SUBSTRATES | KIELIN, ERIK J | 2814 | §103 | Non-Final OA | 48d | Pending | Jan 23, 2023 |
| 18017208 | THIN SHADOW RING FOR LOW-TILT TRENCH ETCHING | FORD, NATHAN K | 1716 | §103§112 | Final Rejection | 99d overdue | Pending | Jan 20, 2023 |
| 18005594 | PHOTORESISTS FROM SN(II) PRECURSORS | CHU, JOHN S Y | 1737 | §103 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Jan 13, 2023 |
| 18005571 | METAL CHELATORS FOR DEVELOPMENT OF METAL-CONTAINING PHOTORESIST | ANGEBRANNDT, MARTIN J | 1737 | §102§103§112DP | Final Rejection | — | Pending | Jan 13, 2023 |
| 18013742 | FRICTION STIR PROCESSING FOR CORROSION RESISTANCE | STONER, KILEY SHAWN | 1735 | §103§112 | Non-Final OA | 12d | Pending | Dec 29, 2022 |
| 18013749 | EXCLUSION RING FOR SUBSTRATE PROCESSING | WOLDEGEORGIS, ERMIAS T | 2893 | §103§112 | Final Rejection | — | Pending | Dec 29, 2022 |
| 18013475 | CONTROLLING TEMPERATURE PROFILES OF PLASMA CHAMBER COMPONENTS USING STRESS ANALYSIS | KACKAR, RAM N | 1716 | §103§112 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Dec 28, 2022 |
| 18013161 | SUBSTRATE TRANSFER DOOR ASSEMBLIES WITH RADIATING ELEMENTS FOR SUBSTRATE PROCESSING CHAMBERS | DANG, KET D | 3761 | §102§103 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Dec 27, 2022 |
| 18003139 | INTEGRATION OF VAPOR DEPOSITION PROCESS INTO PLASMA ETCH REACTOR | SWEELY, KURT D | 1718 | §102§103 | Final Rejection | — | Pending | Dec 22, 2022 |
| 18003137 | LOW RESISTANCE GATE OXIDE METALLIZATION LINER | TRAN, TIEN | 2812 | §103 | Non-Final OA | 14d | Pending | Dec 22, 2022 |
| 18012194 | IN-SITU HYDROCARBON-BASED LAYER FOR NON-CONFORMAL PASSIVATION OF PARTIALLY ETCHED STRUCTURES | LAOBAK, ANDREW KEELAN | 1713 | §103 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Dec 21, 2022 |
| 18011707 | DRY BACKSIDE AND BEVEL EDGE CLEAN OF PHOTORESIST | FORD, NATHAN K | 1716 | §103 | Final Rejection | — | Pending | Dec 20, 2022 |
| 18010423 | OPTIMIZING EDGE RADICAL FLUX IN A DOWNSTREAM PLASMA CHAMBER | KENDALL, BENJAMIN R | 2896 | §103 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Dec 14, 2022 |
| 17927328 | DISTRIBUTED PLASMA SOURCE ARRAY | ALEJANDRO MULERO, LUZ L | 1716 | §102§103 | Final Rejection | 30d overdue | Pending | Nov 22, 2022 |
| 17999255 | LOW RESISTIVITY CONTACTS AND INTERCONNECTS | TRAN, TONY | 2893 | §103 | Final Rejection | 60d | Pending | Nov 18, 2022 |
| 17916852 | SLIDE AND PIVOT ASSEMBLIES FOR PROCESS MODULE BIAS ASSEMBLIES OF SUBSTRATE PROCESSING SYSTEMS | BURKMAN, JESSICA LYNN | 3653 | §103 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Oct 04, 2022 |
| 17995461 | LOSS PREVENTION DURING ATOMIC LAYER DEPOSITION | FAYETTE, NATHALIE RENEE | 2812 | §103 | Final Rejection | 22d | Pending | Oct 04, 2022 |
| 17995243 | ELECTROFILL FROM ALKALINE ELECTROPLATING SOLUTIONS | WITTENBERG, STEFANIE S | 1795 | §102§103§112 | Final Rejection | 27d | Pending | Sep 30, 2022 |
| 17915573 | EDGE RING FOR LOCALIZED DELIVERY OF TUNING GAS | REYES, JOSHUA NATHANIEL PI | 1718 | §103 | Final Rejection | 14d | Pending | Sep 29, 2022 |
| 17912358 | CERAMIC ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING TECHNIQUES FOR GAS INJECTORS | KLUNK, MARGARET D | 1716 | §102§103§112 | Non-Final OA | 41d | Pending | Sep 16, 2022 |
| 17910139 | SUBSTRATE SUPPORTS INCLUDING BONDING LAYERS WITH STUD ARRAYS FOR SUBSTRATE PROCESSING SYSTEMS | CHEN, KEATH T | 1716 | §102§103§112 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Sep 08, 2022 |
| 17905321 | CONTROL OF WAFER BOW DURING INTEGRATED CIRCUIT PROCESSING | STEVENSON, ANDRE C | 2899 | §103§112 | Final Rejection | 34d | Pending | Aug 30, 2022 |
| 17799866 | HIGH TEMPERATURE SUBSTRATE SUPPORT WITH HEAT SPREADER | LEE, AIDEN Y | 1718 | §102§103§112 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Aug 15, 2022 |
| 17904005 | COOLING PLATE FOR SEMICONDUCTOR PROCESSING CHAMBER WINDOW | FORD, NATHAN K | 1716 | §103 | Non-Final OA | 29d overdue | Pending | Aug 10, 2022 |
| 17795843 | ETCHING AND PLASMA UNIFORMITY CONTROL USING MAGNETICS | KACKAR, RAM N | 1716 | §102§103§112 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Jul 27, 2022 |
| 17759096 | PROTECTIVE COATING FOR A SEMICONDUCTOR REACTION CHAMBER | HERNANDEZ-KENNEY, JOSE | 1717 | §103 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Jul 19, 2022 |
| 17792109 | YTTRIUM ALUMINUM COATING FOR PLASMA PROCESSING CHAMBER COMPONENTS | LAW, NGA LEUNG V | 1717 | §103 | Final Rejection | — | Pending | Jul 11, 2022 |
| 17758567 | POST APPLICATION/EXPOSURE TREATMENTS TO IMPROVE DRY DEVELOPMENT PERFORMANCE OF METAL-CONTAINING EUV RESIST | LEE, ALEXANDER N | 1737 | §103 | Final Rejection | — | Pending | Jul 08, 2022 |
| 17790009 | MIXED METAL BASEPLATES FOR IMPROVED THERMAL EXPANSION MATCHING WITH THERMAL OXIDE SPRAYCOAT | MACARTHUR, SYLVIA | 1716 | §103 | Final Rejection | 37d overdue | Pending | Jun 29, 2022 |
| 17781447 | PRESSURE BATCH COMPENSATION TO STABILIZE CD VARIATION FOR TRIM AND DEPOSITION PROCESSES | ZERVIGON, RUDY | 1716 | §102§103 | Non-Final OA | 317d overdue | Pending | Jun 01, 2022 |
| 17769430 | MONOLITHIC ANISOTROPIC SUBSTRATE SUPPORTS | DODSON, JUSTIN C | 3700 | §112 | Final Rejection | — | Pending | Apr 15, 2022 |
| 17753110 | POSITIVE TONE DEVELOPMENT OF CVD EUV RESIST FILMS | CHACKO DAVIS, DABORAH | 1737 | §102§103 | Final Rejection | — | Pending | Feb 18, 2022 |
| 17631984 | EDGE RING SYSTEMS FOR SUBSTRATE PROCESSING SYSTEMS | MOORE, KARLA A | 1716 | §103§112 | Non-Final OA | 150d overdue | Pending | Feb 01, 2022 |
| 17620201 | USE OF ROTATION TO CORRECT FOR AZIMUTHAL NON-UNIFORMITIES IN SEMICONDUCTOR SUBSTRATE PROCESSING | MILLS JR., JOE E | 3761 | §102§103 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Dec 17, 2021 |
| 17612536 | SHOWERHEAD INSERT FOR UNIFORMITY TUNING | REYES, JOSHUA NATHANIEL PI | 1718 | §103§112 | Non-Final OA | 22d | Pending | Nov 18, 2021 |
| 17429909 | ELECTROSTATIC CHUCK WITH POWDER COATING | DINH, TUAN T | 2847 | §102§103 | Non-Final OA | 19d overdue | Pending | Aug 10, 2021 |
| 17419841 | METAL ATOMIC LAYER ETCH AND DEPOSITION APPARATUSES AND PROCESSES WITH METAL-FREE LIGANDS | FORD, NATHAN K | 1716 | §103§112 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Jun 30, 2021 |
| 18874572 | SYSTEM FOR PROCESSING WAFER-SHAPED ARTICLES | MCCLAIN, GERALD | — | §102§103§112 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Dec 12, 2024 |
| 18572355 | DEVICE FOR HOLDING A WAFER-SHAPED ARTICLE | ZAWORSKI, JONATHAN R | 3723 | §103 | Final Rejection | 45d overdue | Pending | Dec 20, 2023 |
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