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`RAUSCHENBACH PATENT LAW GROUP, LLP
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`MCDONALDRODNEY GLENN
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`1,95
`DATE MAILED: 08/19/2010
`
`APPLICATION NO.
`
`FILING DATE
`
`FIRST NAMED INVENTOR
`
`ATTORNEY DOCKET NO.
`
`CONFIRMATION NO.
`
`07/ 18/2005
`11/183,463
`TITLE OF INVENTION: HIGH DEPOSITION RATE SPUTTERING
`
`Roman Chistyakov
`
`ZON—003CN2
`
`9688
`
`APPLN. TYPE
`
`SMALL ENTITY
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`ISSUE FEE DUE
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`PUBLICATION FEE DUE
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`11/19/2010
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`PTOL—85 (Rev. 08/07) Approved for use through 08/31/2010.
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`EX 1217
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`
`07/ 18/2005
`11/183,463
`TITLE OF INVENTION: HIGH DEPOSITION RATE SPUTTERING
`
`Roman Chistyakov
`
`ZON-003CN2
`
`9688
`
`APPLN. TYPE
`
`SMALL ENTITY
`
`ISSUE FEE DUE
`
`PUBLICATION FEE DUE
`
`PREV. PAID ISSUE FEE
`
`TOTAL FEE(S) DUE
`
`DATE DUE
`
`nonprovisional
`
`YES
`
`MCDONALD, RODNEY GLENN
`
`$755
`
`1795
`
`$300
`
`$0
`
`$1055
`
`11/19/2010
`
`204- 192120
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`U.S. Patent and Trademark Office; U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
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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
`Address: COMMISSIONER FOR PATENTS
`P.O. Box 1450
`Alexandria, Virginia 22313-1450
`www.uspto.gov
`
`APPLICATION NO.
`
`FILING DATE
`
`FIRST NAMED INVENTOR
`
`ATTORNEY DOCKET NO.
`
`CONFIRMATION NO.
`
`11/183,463
`
`07/18/2005
`
`Roman Chistyakov
`
`zoN—003CN2
`
`9688
`
`RAUSCHENBACH PATENT LAW GROUP, LLP
`vosoxssv
`BEDFORD, MA 01730
`
`MCDONALDRODNEY GLENN
`
`1795
`DATE MAILED: 08/19/2010
`
`Determination of Patent Term Adjustment under 35 U.S.C. 154 (b)
`
`(application filed on or after May 29, 2000)
`
`The Patent Term Adjustment to date is 494 day(s). If the issue fee is paid on the date that is three months after the
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`Page 3 0”
`
`Page 3 of 8
`
`Page 3 of 8
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`
`
`Application No.
`
`App|icant(s)
`
`11/183,463
`
`CHISTYAKOV, ROMAN
`
`Rodney G. McDonald
`
`1795
`
`-- 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 filed 6-23-10.
`
`2. |Z| The allowed claim(s) is/are 31-78.
`
`3. El Acknowledgment is made ofa claim forforeign priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119(a)-(d) or (f).
`a) I:I All
`b) I:I Some*
`c) I:I None
`of the:
`
`1. I:I Certified copies of the priority documents have been received.
`
`2. I:I Certified copies of the priority documents have been received in Application No. j
`
`3. El 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:
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`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.
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`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. I] CORRECTED DRAWINGS (as “replacement sheets”) must be submitted.
`(a) I:I including changes required by the Notice of Draftsperson’s Patent Drawing Review ( PTO-948) attached
`
`1) I:I hereto or 2) I:I to Paper No./Mail Date
`
`(b) I:I including changes required by the attached Examiner’s Amendment / Comment or in the Office action of
`Paper No./Mail 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. I:I 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. I:I Notice of References Cited (PTO-892)
`
`2. I:I Notice of Draftperson's Patent Drawing Review (PTO-948)
`
`3. IX Information Disclosure Statements (PTO/SB/08),
`Paper No./Mail Date 6/2010 7/2010
`4. I:I Examiner's Comment Regarding Requirement for Deposit
`of Biological Material
`
`5. I:I Notice of Informal Patent Application
`
`6. I:I Interview Summary (PTO—413),
`Paper No./Mail Date
`.
`7. El Examiner's Amendment/Comment
`
`8. E Examiner's Statement of Reasons for Allowance
`
`9. I:I Other
`
`.
`
`
`
`/Rodney G. McDona|d/
`Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1795
`
`U.S. Patent and Trademark Office
`
`PTOL-37 (Rev. 08-06)
`
`Notice of Allowability
`
`Part of Pa er No./Mail Date 20100812
`Page 4 of 8
`
`Page 4 of 8
`
`
`
`Application/Control Number: 11/183,463
`
`Page 2
`
`Art Unit: 1795
`
`REASONS FOR ALLOWANCE
`
`The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance:
`
`Claims 31-46 are allowable over the prior art of record because the prior art of
`
`record does not teach the claimed subject matter including a power supply that
`
`generates a voltage pulse between the anode and the cathode assembly that creates a
`
`weakly—ionized plasma and then a strongly—ionized plasma from the weakly—ionized
`
`plasma without an occurrence of arcing between the anode and the cathode assembly,
`
`an amplitude, a duration and a rise time of the voltage pulse being chosen to increase a
`
`density of ions in the strongly—ionized plasma.
`
`Claims 47-63 are allowable over the prior art of record because the prior art of
`
`record does not teach the claimed subject matter including a power supply that
`
`generates a voltage pulse between the anode and the cathode assembly that creates a
`
`weakly—ionized plasma and then a strongly—ionized plasma from the weakly—ionized
`
`plasma without an occurrence of arcing between the anode and the cathode assembly,
`
`an amplitude and a rise time of the voltage pulse being chosen to increase a density of
`
`ions in the strongly—ionized plasma.
`
`Claim 64-75 are allowable over the prior art of record because the prior art of
`
`record does not teach a method including generating a voltage pulse between the
`
`anode and the cathode assembly comprising a sputtering target, the voltage pulse
`
`creating a weakly—ionized plasma and then a strongly—ionized plasma from the weakly-
`
`ionized plasma without an occurrence of arcing between the anode and the cathode
`
`Page 5 of 8
`
`Page 5 of 8
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`
`
`Application/Control Number: 11/183,463
`
`Page 3
`
`Art Unit: 1795
`
`assembly; and adjusting an amplitude and a rise time of the voltage pulse to increase a
`
`density of ions in the strongly—ionized plasma.
`
`Claim 76 is allowable over the prior art of record because the prior art of record
`
`does not teach a power supply that generates a voltage pulse between the anode and
`
`the cathode assembly that creates a weakly—ionized plasma and then a strongly—ionized
`
`plasma from the weakly—ionized plasma without an occurrence of arcing between the
`
`anode and the cathode assembly, an amplitude of the voltage pulse being chosen to
`
`increase a density of ions in the strongly—ionized plasma.
`
`Claim 77 is allowable over the prior art of record because the prior art of record
`
`does not teach a power supply that generates a voltage pulse between the anode and
`
`the cathode assembly that creates a weakly—ionized plasma and then a strongly—ionized
`
`plasma from the weakly—ionized plasma without an occurrence of arcing between the
`
`anode and the cathode assembly, a duration of the voltage pulse being chosen to
`
`increase a density of ions in the strongly—ionized plasma.
`
`Claim 78 is allowable over the prior art of record because the prior art of record
`
`does not teach a power supply that generates a voltage pulse between the anode and
`
`the cathode assembly that creates a weakly—ionized plasma and then a strongly—ionized
`
`plasma from the weakly—ionized plasma without an occurrence of arcing between the
`
`anode and the cathode assembly, a rise time of the voltage pulse being chosen to
`
`increase a density of ions in the strongly—ionized plasma.
`
`The closest prior art of record to Kouznetsov (WO 98/40532) teaches utilizing a
`
`pulse voltage to increase ionization so that a weakly ionized plasma becomes a strongly
`
`Page 6 of 8
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`Page 6 of 8
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`
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`Application/Control Number: 11/183,463
`
`Page 4
`
`Art Unit: 1795
`
`ionized plasma while going through an arc discharge phase. Applicant eliminates the
`
`arc discharge phase and uses a pulse voltage to increase ionization so that a weakly
`
`ionized plasma becomes a strongly ionized plasma. Applicant suggests controlling the
`
`amplitude and rise time of the voltage pulse to achieve the results. EP 788139 and
`
`GB 1339910 also fails to teach Applicant’s claimed subject matter as described above.
`
`Also Kouznetsov (WO 02/103078 A1) cited in the previous office action does not
`
`teach apparatus that generate a voltage pulse between the anode and the cathode
`
`assembly that creates a weakly—ionized plasma and then a strongly—ionized plasma from
`
`the weakly—ionized plasma in the same pulse and does not teach that strongly—ionized
`
`plasma is generated from the weakly—ionized plasma without an occurrence of arcing
`
`between the anode and the cathode assembly wherein the amplitude, the duration and
`
`the rise time of the voltage pulse is chosen to increase a density of ions in the strongly-
`
`ionized plasma. Instead, Kouznetsov describes a power supply configuration that
`
`generates either a pulse or a DC waveform that creates sputtering and deposition, and
`
`a separate and independent pulse that creates ionization. Also, Kouznetsov does not
`
`describe choosing an amplitude, a duration, and a rise time of the voltage pulse that
`
`increases a density of ions in the strongly—ionized plasma without the occurrence of
`
`arcing between the anode and the cathode assembly. In contrast, Kouznetsov
`
`describes varying the magnetic field intensity and the repetition frequency of the pulses
`
`to obtain discharges without any concentrated arc formation.
`
`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
`
`Page 7 of 8
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`Page 7 of 8
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`
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`Application/Control Number: 11/183,463
`
`Page 5
`
`Art Unit: 1795
`
`accompany the issue fee. Such submissions should be clearly labeled “Comments on
`
`Statement of Reasons for Allowance.”
`
`Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the
`
`examiner should be directed to Rodney G. McDonald whose telephone number is 571-
`
`272-1340. The examiner can normally be reached on M—Th with every Friday off.
`
`If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s
`
`supervisor, Nam X. Nguyen can be reached on 571-272-1342. 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.
`
`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
`
`Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a
`
`USPTO Customer Service Representative or access to the automated information
`
`system, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
`
`RM
`
`August 12, 2010
`
`/Rodney G. McDonald/
`Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1795
`
`Rodney G. McDonald
`Primary Examiner
`Art Unit 1795
`
`Page 8 of 8
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`Page 8 of 8