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`UNITED STATES PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE
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`UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
`United States Patent and Trademark Office
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`LE, TUNGX
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`2821
`DATE MAILED: 06/28/2010
`
`APPLICATION NO.
`
`FILING DATE
`
`FIRST NAMED INVENTOR
`
`ATTORNEY DOCKET NO.
`
`CONFIRMATION NO.
`
`ZON—016CN2
`Roman Chistyakov
`08/18/2006
`11/465 ,574
`TITLE OF INVENTION: METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR GENERATING STRONGLY—IONIZED PLASMAS WITH IONIZATIONAL
`INSTABILITIES
`
`1473
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`APPLN. TYPE
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`SMALL ENTITY
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`ISSUE FEE DUE
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`PUBLICATION FEE DUE
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`PREV. PAID ISSUE FEE
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`TOTAL FEE(S) DUE
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`nonprovisional
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`YES
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`$755
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`$300
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`$0
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`$1055
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`DATE DUE
`
`09/28/2010
`
`THE APPLICATION IDENTIFIED ABOVE HAS BEEN EXAMINED AND IS ALLOWED FOR ISSUANCE AS A PATENT.
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`THIS APPLICATION IS SUBJECT TO WITHDRAWAL FROM ISSUE AT THE INITIATIVE OF THE OFFICE OR UPON
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`TSMC 101 1
`Page 1 of3
`TSMC v. Zond, Inc.
`Page 1 Of 5
`
`PTOL—85 (Rev. 08/07) Approved for use through 08/31/2010.
`
`TSMC-1011
`TSMC v. Zond, Inc.
`Page 1 of 5
`
`

`

`
`
`Notice of Allowability
`
`Application No.
`
`Applicant(s)
`
`11/465,574
`Examiner
`
`TUNG x. LE
`
`CHISTYAKOV, ROMAN
`Art Unit
`
`2821
`
`-- The MAILING DA TE of this communication appears on the cover sheet with the correspondence address--
`All claims being allowable, PROSECUTION ON THE MERITS IS (OR REMAINS) CLOSED in this application.
`If not included
`herewith (or previously mailed), a Notice of Allowance (PTOL-85) or other appropriate communication will be mailed in due course. THIS
`NOTICE OF ALLOWABILITY IS NOT A GRANT OF PATENT RIGHTS. This application is subject to withdrawal from issue at the initiative
`of the Office or upon petition by the applicant. See 37 CFR 1.313 and MPEP 1308.
`
`1. IXI This communication is responsive to amendment submitted on 06/03/2010.
`
`2. IZI The allowed claim(s) is/are 64-83.
`
`3. El Acknowledgment is made ofa claim forforeign priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119(a)—(d) or (f).
`a) D All
`b) D Some*
`0) El None
`of the:
`
`1. El Certified copies of the priority documents have been received.
`
`2. El Certified copies of the priority documents have been received in Application No.
`
`3. I] Copies of the certified copies of the priority documents have been received in this national stage application from the
`
`International Bureau (PCT Rule 17.2(a)).
`
`* Certified copies not received:
`
`Applicant has THREE MONTHS FROM THE “MAILING DATE” of this communication to file a reply complying with the requirements
`noted below. Failure to timely comply will result in ABANDONMENT of this application.
`THIS THREE-MONTH PERIOD IS NOT EXTENDABLE.
`
`4. D A SUBSTITUTE OATH OR DECLARATION must be submitted. Note the attached EXAMINER’S AMENDMENT or NOTICE OF
`INFORMAL PATENT APPLICATION (PTO-152) which gives reason(s) why the oath or declaration is deficient.
`
`5. El CORRECTED DRAWINGS (as “replacement sheets”) must be submitted.
`(a) I] including changes required by the Notice of Draftsperson’s Patent Drawing Review ( PTO-948) attached
`
`
`1) D hereto or 2) I] to Paper No./Mai| Date
`
`(b) I] including changes required by the attached Examiner’s Amendment / Comment or in the Office action of
`
`Paper No./Mai| Date
`Identifying indicia such as the application number (see 37 CFR 1.84(c)) should be written on the drawings in the front (not the back) of
`each sheet. Replacement sheet(s) should be labeled as such in the header according to 37 CFR 1.121(d).
`
`6. El DEPOSIT OF and/or INFORMATION about the deposit of BIOLOGICAL MATERIAL must be submitted. Note the
`attached Examiner’s comment regarding REQUIREMENT FOR THE DEPOSIT OF BIOLOGICAL MATERIAL.
`
`Attachment(s)
`1. IX Notice of References Cited (PTO-892)
`
`2. El Notice of Draftperson's Patent Drawing Review (PTO-948)
`
`3. IX Information Disclosure Statements (PTO/SB/08),
`Paper No./Mai| Date 06/15/2010
`4. I] Examiner's Comment Regarding Requirement for Deposit
`of Biological Material
`
`5. El Notice of Informal Patent Application
`
`6. El Interview Summary (PTO-413),
`Paper No./Mai| Date
`.
`7. I] Examiner's Amendment/Comment
`
`8. X Examiner's Statement of Reasons for Allowance
`
`
`9. D Other
`
`/Doug|as W Owens/
`
`Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2821
`
`
`
`U.S. Patent and Trademark Office
`
`PTOL-37 (Rev. 08-06)
`
`Notice of Allowability
`
`Part of Paper No./Mai| Date 06192010
`
`TSMC-1011 / Page 2 of 5
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`TSMC-1011 / Page 2 of 5
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`

`

`Application/Control Number: 11/465,574
`
`Page 2
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`Art Unit: 2821
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`DETAILED ACTION
`
`This Office Action is in response to the Applicant’s amendment submitted on
`
`June 03, 2010.
`
`In virtue of this amendment, claims 1-63 and 84-86 are cancelled; and
`
`thus, claims 64-83 remain pending in the instant application.
`
`Information Disclosure Statement
`
`1.
`
`The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 06/15/2010 is in
`
`compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure
`
`statement is being considered by the examiner.
`
`2.
`
`3.
`
`Allowable Subject Matter
`
`Claims 64-83 are allowed.
`
`The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance:
`
`Prior art of record fails to disclose or fairly suggest the following limitations:
`
`0 A method
`
`comprising
`
`“the voltage pulse having at least one of a controlled
`
`amplitude and a controlled rise time that increase an ionization rate so that a
`
`rapid increase in electron density"
`
`in combination with the remaining claimed
`
`limitations as claimed in independent claim 64 (claims 65-73 are allowed as
`
`being dependent on claim 64).
`
`o A method
`
`comprising
`
`“the voltage pulse having at least one of a controlled
`
`amplitude and a controlled rise time that shifts an electron energy distribution in
`
`the plasma to higher energies that increase an ionization rate so as to result in a
`
`rapid increase in electron density"
`
`in combination with the remaining claimed
`
`TSMC-1011 / Page 3 of 5
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`TSMC-1011 / Page 3 of 5
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`

`

`Application/Control Number: 11/465,574
`
`Page 3
`
`Art Unit: 2821
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`limitations as claimed in independent claim 74 (claims 75-83 are allowed as
`
`being dependent on claim 74).
`
`Any comments considered necessary by applicant must be submitted no later
`
`than the payment of the issue fee and, to avoid processing delays, should preferably
`
`accompany the issue fee. Such submissions should be clearly labeled “Comments on
`
`Statement of Reasons for Allowance.”
`
`Conclusion
`
`4.
`
`The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to
`
`applicant's disclosure.
`
`Prior art Yamazaki et al. (US. Publication No. 2002/0008480 A1) discloses
`
`plasma treatment apparatus and plasma treatment method.
`
`Prior art Sohval et al. (US. Patent No. 4,458,180) discloses plasma electron
`
`source for cold cathode discharge device or the like.
`
`5.
`
`Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the
`
`examiner should be directed to TUNG X. LE whose telephone number is (571 )272—
`
`6010. The examiner can normally be reached on 8:30 AM - 5:30 PM.
`
`If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s
`
`supervisor, Douglas Owens can be reached on 571-272-1662. 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.
`
`TSMC-1011 / Page 4 of 5
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`TSMC-1011 / Page 4 of 5
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`

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`Application/Control Number: 11/465,574
`
`Page 4
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`Art Unit: 2821
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`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
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`Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a
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`USPTO Customer Service Representative or access to the automated information
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`system, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
`
`TXL 06/19/2010
`
`/Douglas W Owens/
`Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2821
`June 21, 2010
`
`TSMC-1011 / Page 5 of 5
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`TSMC-1011 / Page 5 of 5
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`