Patent Application 17993996 - PROCESS GAS SUPPLYING UNIT AND SUBSTRATE - Rejection

Patent Application 17993996 - PROCESS GAS SUPPLYING UNIT AND SUBSTRATE

Title: PROCESS GAS SUPPLYING UNIT AND SUBSTRATE TREATING APPARATUS INCLUDING THE SAME

Application Information

• Invention Title: PROCESS GAS SUPPLYING UNIT AND SUBSTRATE TREATING APPARATUS INCLUDING THE SAME
• Application Number: 17993996
• Submission Date: 2025-05-14T00:00:00.000Z
• Effective Filing Date: 2022-11-25T00:00:00.000Z
• Filing Date: 2022-11-25T00:00:00.000Z
• National Class: 156
• National Sub-Class: 345240
• Examiner Employee Number: 100022
• Art Unit: 1718
• Tech Center: 1700

Rejection Summary

• 102 Rejections: 1
• 103 Rejections: 2

Cited Patents

No patents were cited in this rejection.

Office Action Text

    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 .

Claim Status
Claims 1-20 are pending.

Claim Objections
Claim 14 is objected to because of the following informalities: 
Claim 14, lines 9 and 15: sentences end in a period (.) instead of a comma (,)
Appropriate correction is required.

Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b)  CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.


The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.


Claim 2, 8, 11, 13-16, and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA  35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Claims 2, 14 and 16 recite the claim limitation “wherein the rotation controller automatically rotates the injection nozzle…”. As written, it is unclear as to how “automatically” is defined and how the rotation controller is associated with said control. For instance, does “automatically” mean the rotation controller moves the nozzle without any assistance from another movement device, or does it refer to the rotation controller enacting movement of the nozzle without any external input (ie user or computer)? For the purposes of examination, the Examiner interprets “wherein the rotation controller automatically rotates the injection nozzle” to mean the rotation controller assembly is able to rotate the nozzles without any outside manual manipulation or inputs.
Claims 8 and 20 recite the claim limitation “…and moves the process gas to the injection nozzle via the rotation controller”. As written, it is unclear if the rotation controller has a separate element that serves as a function to move the process gas, or if the rotation controller assembly itself is just a path through which the process gas flows from the supply source to the injection nozzle. For the purposes of examination, the Examiner interprets the claim limitation to mean that the rotation controller assembly itself serves as a flow medium path for the process gas to be transmitted from the gas supply to the injection nozzle.
 Claim 11 recites the claim limitation “….further comprising a shower head unit disposed on an upper part of the substrate in the housing…”. As written, it is unclear as to what “on an upper part of the substrate” refers. Does it mean the shower head is located on the top of the substrate, or does it mean the shower head is located in an area above the substrate? For the purposes of examination, the Examiner interprets the claim limitation to mean wherein the shower head unit is disposed above the substrate in the upper housing of the chamber, in line with Fig. 7 of the instant specification.
Claims 13 and 15 recites the claim limitation “wherein the substrate treating apparatus is a vacuum chamber”. Does it mean that the sum of the components comprising the substrate treating apparatus as previously presented are a vacuum chamber, or does it mean that the substrate treating apparatus contains a vacuum chamber, and if so, is this the same chamber as previously presented or is there another vacuum chamber? For the purposes of examination, the Examiner interprets the claim limitation to mean wherein the chamber of the substrate treating apparatus is under vacuum.

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.


(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.

Claims 1-8, 10, and 13-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Saito (US 20110303362 A1).

Regarding claim 1, Saito teaches a substrate treating apparatus (Fig. 3, [0034], plasma etching apparatus 100a), comprising: 
a housing (Fig. 3, [0036], processing chamber 1a); 
a second electrode disposed inside the housing and configured to support a substrate (Fig. 3, [0021], high frequency power supply 9 supplies power to susceptor 8, upon which a substrate is mounted); 
a first electrode disposed inside or outside the housing and configured to face the second electrode (Fig. 3, [0019] high frequency power supply 6 supplies power to antenna 5, which faces susceptor 8); 
a process gas supplying unit configured to supply a process gas into the housing (Fig. 1, [0027], non-illustrated gas supply source supplies gas into process spaces 10 within chamber 1); and 
a plasma generation unit configured to generate plasma in the housing using a first high frequency power source connected to the first electrode and a second high frequency power source connected to the second electrode, when the process gas is supplied ([0032], plasma is generated from gas in process space 10 by supplying power from power supply 6 to antenna 5 and by supplying power from power supply 9 to susceptor 8), 
wherein the process gas supplying unit comprises: an injection nozzle installed on an inner sidewall of the housing and configured to inject the process gas (Fig. 3, [35], inner ends of gas nozzle 20a, installed through sidewall of chamber 1a, injects gas into process space 10 via discharge holes 22 and 22a); and 
a rotation controller installed on an outer sidewall of the housing (Fig. 3, [0034], revolution device 30 is installed outside chamber 1a), connected to the injection nozzle via a hole formed to penetrate the inner sidewall of the housing and configured to rotate the injection nozzle (Fig. 3, [0034]-[0036], gas nozzles 20a revolve around the inner circumference of the chamber sidewall 1a via connection to revolution device 30, driven by revolution driving unit 31).

Regarding claim 2, Saito teaches wherein the rotation controller automatically rotates the injection nozzle along the circumference of the inner sidewall of the housing (Fig. 3, [0036],  gas nozzles 20a revolve around the inner circumference of the chamber sidewall 1a via connection to revolution device 30, driven by revolution driving unit 31 during the plasma process without need for manual intervention).

Regarding claim 3, Saito teaches wherein the rotation controller comprises: a body (Fig. 3, whole portion of nozzle 20a); a process gas inlet installed in the body and configured to introduce the process gas from the outside (Fig. 3, [0035], processing gas communicates from outside chamber 1a to the process space 10 via fixed member 24 and processing gas inlet 28a); and a shaft coupled to the body and interlocked with a drive unit to supply a rotational force to the body (Fig. 3, [0034]-[0036], revolution device 30 is coupled to nozzle 20a, and rotates via coupling to revolution drive unit 31).

Regarding claim 4, Saito teaches wherein the rotation controller further comprises a sealing member configured to maintain airtightness between the body and the shaft (Fig. 3, [0026], sealing members 25b airtightly seal between nozzle 20a and revolution device 30).

Regarding claim 5, Saito teaches wherein the sealing member is a magnetic seal (Fig. 3, [0026], sealing members 25b may be composed of a ferrofluid seal).

Regarding claim 6, Saito teaches wherein the process gas inlet is formed by using the height direction of the housing as a longitudinal direction or formed by using a direction opposite to the height direction of the housing as a longitudinal direction (Fig. 3,  processing gas inlet 28a extends horizontally, which is perpendicular to the height direction of chamber 1a which extends vertically).

Regarding claim 7, Saito teaches wherein the process gas supplying unit further comprises: a process gas supply source configured to supply the process gas (Fig. 1, [0027], non-illustrated gas supply source supplies gas into process spaces 10 within chamber 1); and a process gas supplying line configured to move the process gas to the injection nozzle (Fig. 3, [0035], processing gas communicates from outside chamber 1a to the process space 10 via fixed member 24 and processing gas inlet 28a, and finally through discharge holes 21/22/22a in nozzle 20a).

Regarding claim 8, wherein the process gas supplying line connects the process gas supply source and the rotation controller and moves the process gas to the injection nozzle via the rotation controller (Fig. 3, [0035], processing gas communicates from outside chamber 1a to the process space 10 via fixed member 24 and processing gas inlet 28a, and finally through discharge holes 21/22/22a in nozzle 20a, all of which go through revolution device 30).

Regarding claim 10, Saito teaches wherein a plurality of injection nozzles are installed along the circumference of the inner sidewall of the housing (Figs. 2&3, [0023] multiple gas nozzles 20/20a are provided at a sidewall of the processing chamber 1/1a), and the rotation controller is connected to at least one injection nozzle among the plurality of injection nozzles (Fig. 3, revolution device 30 is connected to both nozzles 20a as shown in the figure).

Regarding claim 13, Saito teaches wherein the substrate treating apparatus is a vacuum chamber ([0022], gas exhaust space 11 is connected to a gas exhaust device that maintains the inside of chamber 1 at a preset vacuum level).

Regarding claim 14, Saito teaches a substrate treating apparatus (Fig. 3, [0034], plasma etching apparatus 100a), comprising: 
a housing (Fig. 3, [0036], processing chamber 1a); 
a second electrode disposed inside the housing and configured to support the substrate (Fig. 3, [0021], high frequency power supply 9 supplies power to susceptor 8, upon which a substrate is mounted); 
a first electrode disposed inside or outside the housing and configured to face the second electrode (Fig. 3, [0019] high frequency power supply 6 supplies power to antenna 5, which faces susceptor 8); 
a process gas supplying unit configured to supply a process gas into the housing (Fig. 1, [0027], non-illustrated gas supply source supplies gas into process spaces 10 within chamber 1); and 
a plasma generation unit configured to generate plasma in the housing using a first high frequency power source connected to the first electrode and a second high frequency power source connected to the second electrode, when the process gas is supplied ([0032], plasma is generated from gas in process space 10 by supplying power from power supply 6 to antenna 5 and by supplying power from power supply 9 to susceptor 8), 
wherein the process gas supplying unit comprises: an injection nozzle installed on an inner sidewall of the housing and configured to inject the process gas (Fig. 3, [35], inner ends of gas nozzle 20a, installed through sidewall of chamber 1a, injects gas into process space 10 via discharge holes 22 and 22a); and 
a rotation controller installed on an outer sidewall of the housing (Fig. 3, [0034], revolution device 30 is installed outside chamber 1a), connected to the injection nozzle via a hole formed to penetrate the inner sidewall of the housing and configured to rotate the injection nozzle (Fig. 3, [0034]-[0036], gas nozzles 20a revolve around the inner circumference of the chamber sidewall 1a via connection to revolution device 30, driven by revolution driving unit 31), 
wherein the rotation controller comprises: a body (Fig. 3, whole portion of nozzle 20a); 
a process gas inlet installed in the body and configured to introduce the process gas from the outside (Fig. 3, [0035], processing gas communicates from outside chamber 1a to the process space 10 via fixed member 24 and processing gas inlet 28a); 
a shaft coupled to the body and interlocked with a drive unit to supply a rotational force to the body (Fig. 3, [0034]-[0036], revolution device 30 is coupled to nozzle 20a, and rotates via coupling to revolution drive unit 31); 
a sealing member configured to maintain airtightness between the body and the shaft (Fig. 3, [0026], sealing members 25b airtightly seal between nozzle 20a and revolution device 30), 
wherein the rotation controller automatically rotates the injection nozzle along the circumference of the inner sidewall of the housing (Fig. 3, [0036],  gas nozzles 20a revolve around the inner circumference of the chamber sidewall 1a via connection to revolution device 30, driven by revolution driving unit 31 during the plasma process without need for manual intervention), and the sealing member is a magnetic seal (Fig. 3, [0026], sealing members 25b may be composed of a ferrofluid seal).

Regarding claim 15, Saito teaches a process gas supplying unit which supplies a process gas into a substrate treating apparatus that is a vacuum chamber (Fig. 1, [0027], non-illustrated gas supply source supplies gas into process space 10 within chamber 1, where gas exhaust space 11 is connected to a gas exhaust device that maintains the inside of chamber 1 at a preset vacuum level, [0022]), and treats a substrate using plasma (Fig. 3, [0034], plasma etching apparatus 100a), comprising: 
a process gas supply source configured to supply the process gas (Fig. 1, [0027], non-illustrated gas supply source supplies gas into process spaces 10 within chamber 1); 
an injection nozzle installed on an inner sidewall of the substrate treating apparatus and configured to inject the process gas into the substrate treating apparatus (Fig. 3, [0035], processing gas communicates from outside chamber to processing space 10 through discharge holes 21/22/22a in nozzle 20a, where nozzle 20a is installed through chamber sidewall 1a); 
a process gas supplying line configured to move the process gas to the injection nozzle (Fig. 3, [0035], processing gas communicates from outside chamber 1a to the process space 10 via fixed member 24 and processing gas inlet 28a, and finally through discharge holes 21/22/22a in nozzle 20a); and 
a rotation controller installed on an outer sidewall of the housing (Fig. 3, [0034], revolution device 30 is installed outside chamber 1a), connected to the injection nozzle via a hole formed to penetrate the inner sidewall of the housing and configured to rotate the injection nozzle (Fig. 3, [0034]-[0036], gas nozzles 20a revolve around the inner circumference of the chamber sidewall 1a via connection to revolution device 30, driven by revolution driving unit 31).

Regarding claim 16, Saito teaches wherein the rotation controller automatically rotates the injection nozzle along the circumference of the inner sidewall of the housing (Fig. 3, [0036],  gas nozzles 20a revolve around the inner circumference of the chamber sidewall 1a via connection to revolution device 30, driven by revolution driving unit 31 during the plasma process without need for manual intervention).

Regarding claim 17, Saito teaches wherein the rotation controller comprises: a body (Fig. 3, whole portion of nozzle 20a); a process gas inlet installed in the body and configured to introduce the process gas from the outside (Fig. 3, [0035], processing gas communicates from outside chamber 1a to the process space 10 via fixed member 24 and processing gas inlet 28a); and a shaft coupled to the body and interlocked with a drive unit to supply a rotational force to the body (Fig. 3, [0034]-[0036], revolution device 30 is coupled to nozzle 20a, and rotates via coupling to revolution drive unit 31).

Regarding claim 18, Saito teaches wherein the rotation controller further comprises a sealing member configured to maintain airtightness between the body and the shaft (Fig. 3, [0026], sealing members 25b airtightly seal between nozzle 20a and revolution device 30).

Regarding claim 19, wherein the sealing member is a magnetic seal (Fig. 3, [0026], sealing members 25b may be composed of a ferrofluid seal).

Regarding claim 20, Saito teaches wherein the process gas supplying line connects the process gas supply source and the rotation controller and moves the process gas to the injection nozzle via the rotation controller (Fig. 3, [0035], processing gas communicates from outside chamber 1a to the process space 10 via fixed member 24 and processing gas inlet 28a, and finally through discharge holes 21/22/22a in nozzle 20a, all of which go through revolution device 30).


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 9 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Saito (US 20110303362 A1) as applied in claims 1-8, 10, and 13-20, and further in view of Koizumi (US 20080178810 A1).
The limitations of claims 1-8, 10, and 13-20 are set forth above.

Regarding claim 9, Saito fails to explicitly teach wherein the rotation controller controls a rotation speed of the injection nozzle.
However, Koizumi teaches wherein the rotation controller controls a rotation (Koizumi, Fig. 1, [0058], revolution speed of rotary base 56 and gas injection ring member 60 are rotated at a predetermined speed, such as 100 rpm by control unit 106).
Koizumi is considered analogous art to the claimed invention because they are in the same field of semiconductor processing. It would have been obvious at the time of filing to apply the concept of controlling the rotational speed of the gas nozzles as taught by Koizumi to the apparatus of Saito as doing so would allow gas to be supplied uniformly into the region of the processing space, thereby enhancing uniformity (Koizumi, [0063]).  

Claims 11-12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Saito (US 20110303362 A1) as applied in claims 1-8, 10, and 13-20, and further in view of Sriraman (US 20160293431 A1).
The limitations of claims 1-8, 10, and 13-20 are set forth above.

Regarding claim 11, Saito fails to teach a shower head unit disposed on an upper part of the substrate in the housing and including a plurality of gas injection holes on a surface thereof, wherein the process gas supplying unit is connected to the shower head unit via a hole formed to penetrate the upper part of the housing.
However, Sriraman teaches a shower head unit disposed on an upper part of the substrate in the housing and including a plurality of gas injection holes on a surface thereof (Sriraman, Fig. 2-3B, [0057], injector 104 is located above substrate 112 in dielectric window 106, where injector 104 has plural holes 304 and 306 and where injector 104 may be a showerhead, [0055]), wherein the process gas supplying unit is connected to the shower head unit via a hole formed to penetrate the upper part of the housing (Fig. 2, gas source 128 connects to injector 104, which is installed through a hole in dielectric window 106).
Sriraman is considered analogous art to the claimed invention because they are in the same field of semiconductor processing. It would have been obvious at the time of filing to incorporate the showerhead of Sriraman with the nozzle apparatus of Saito as doing so would allow for control of the spatial plasma dissociation profile, resulting in uniform byproduct distribution on the wafer (Sriraman, [0055]).

Regarding claim 12, Saito fails to teach wherein the process gas supplying unit supplies the process gas into the housing by using one of the injection nozzle and the shower head unit, or supplies the process gas into the housing by using one of the injection nozzle and the shower head unit and then supplies the process gas into the housing by using the other thereof.
However, Sriraman teaches wherein the process gas supplying unit supplies the process gas into the housing by using one of the injection nozzle and the shower head unit, or supplies the process gas into the housing by using one of the injection nozzle and the shower head unit and then supplies the process gas into the housing by using the other thereof (Sriraman, Fig. 2, gas source 128 supplies process gas to both injector 104 located on the top of the chamber body 114 and second side gas injectors 110 located in the sidewall of chamber body 114, all of which inject gas into the interior of chamber 132).
It would have been obvious at the time of filing to incorporate the showerhead of Sriraman with the nozzle apparatus of Saito as doing so would allow for control of the spatial plasma dissociation profile, resulting in uniform byproduct distribution on the wafer (Sriraman, [0055]).
To clarify the record, the limitation “wherein the process gas supplying unit supplies the process gas into the housing by using one of the injection nozzle and the shower head unit, or supplies the process gas into the housing by using one of the injection nozzle and the shower head unit and then supplies the process gas into the housing by using the other thereof “ is merely an intended use and is given patentable weight to the extent that the prior art is capable of performing the intended use. The gas source and manifolds of Sriraman are connected to the respective top and side gas injectors, whereby gas is injected through either or both injectors into the chamber, thereby being capable of meeting the above claim limitations.  A claim containing a “recitation with respect to the manner in which a claimed apparatus is intended to be employed does not differentiate the claimed apparatus from a prior art apparatus” if the prior art apparatus teaches all the structural limitations of the claim. See MPEP 2114(II). 

Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure:
Jung (KR 20090117470 A, disclosed in IDS submitted 11/25/22) teaches rotating nozzles in a plasma reactor.

Kim (KR 20070094201 A, disclosed in IDS submitted 7/22/24) teaches rotating nozzles.

Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to TODD M SEOANE whose telephone number is (703)756-4612. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9-5.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Gordon Baldwin can be reached on 571-272-5166. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/TODD M SEOANE/Examiner, Art Unit 1718                                                                                                                                                                                                        
/GORDON BALDWIN/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 1718