`‘779 Patent
`
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`IN THE UNITED STATES PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE
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`PATENT:
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`6,805,779, CLAIMS 5, 6, 8, 19, 22, 23 AND 43
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`INVENTOR: ROMAN CHISTYAKOV
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`
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`FILED:
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`MARCH 21, 2003
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`ISSUED: OCTOBER 19, 2004
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`PLASMA GENERATION USING MULTI-STEP IONIZATION
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`TITLE:
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`Mail Stop PATENT BOARD
`Patent Trial and Appeal Board
`U.S. Patent & Trademark Office
`P.O. Box 1450
`Alexandria, VA 22313-1450
`
`DECLARATION OF UWE KORTSHAGEN, PH.D., REGARDING
`CLAIMS 5, 6, 8, 19, 22, 23 AND 43 of U.S. PATENT NO. 6,805,779
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`I, Uwe Kortshagen, declare as follows:
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`1. My name is Uwe Kortshagen.
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`2.
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`I received my Diploma in Physics from the University of Bochum in
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`Germany in 1988. I received my Ph.D. in Physics from University of Bochum in
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`1991 and my Habilitation in Experimental Physics from University of Bochum in
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`1995.
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`3.
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`I am a Distinguished McKnight University Professor at the University
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`of Minnesota. I have been the Head of the Mechanical Engineering Department at
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`INTEL 1102
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`the University of Minnesota since July 2008. I have been a Professor at the
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`Mechanical Engineering Department at the University of Minnesota since August
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`2003. Between August 1999 and August 2003, I was an Associate Professor at the
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`Mechanical Engineering Department at the University of Minnesota. Between July
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`1996 and August 1999, I was an Assistant Professor at the Mechanical Engineering
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`Department at the University of Minnesota. Between April 1996 and July 1996, I
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`was a Lecturer at the Department of Physics and Astronomy at the University of
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`Bochum, Germany. Between August 2006 and June 2008, I was the Director of
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`Graduate Studies at the Mechanical Engineering Department at the University of
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`Minnesota.
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`4.
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`I have taught courses on Introduction to Plasma Technology and
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`Advanced Plasma Technology. These courses include significant amounts of
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`material on plasma technology. In addition, I have taught a Special Topics class
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`on Plasma Nanotechnology.
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`5.
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`Plasma processes for advanced technological applications has been
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`the primary area of my professional research for over 30 years. Most of my Ph.D.
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`students go on to work on plasmas either in academia or the semiconductor
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`industry.
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`6.
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`A copy of my latest curriculum vitae (CV) is attached as Appendix A.
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`7.
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`I have reviewed the specification, claims, and file history of U.S.
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`Patent No. 6,805,779 (the “‘779 Patent”) (Ex. 1101). I understand that the ‘779
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`Patent was filed on March 21, 2003. I understand that, for purposes determining
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`whether a publication will qualify as prior art, the earliest date that the ‘779 Patent
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`could be entitled to is March 21, 2003.
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`8.
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`I have reviewed the following publications:
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` D.V. Mozgrin, et al, High-Current Low-Pressure Quasi-Stationary
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`Discharge in a Magnetic Field: Experimental Research, Plasma Physics
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`Reports, Vol. 21, No. 5, pp. 400-409, 1995 (“Mozgrin” (Ex. 1103)).
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` A. A. Kudryavtsev, et al, Ionization relaxation in a plasma produced by a
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`pulsed inert-gas discharge, Sov. Phys. Tech. Phys. 28(1), January 1983
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`(“Kudryavtsev” (Ex. 1104)).
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` U.S. Patent No. 3,761,836 (“Pinsley” (Ex. 1105)).
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` U.S. Patent No. 3,514,714 (“Angelbeck” (Ex. 1106)).
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` U.S. Patent No. 5,753,886 (“Iwamura” (Ex. 1107)).
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`Of these, I understand that only Mozgrin was of record during prosecution of
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`the ‘779 Patent.
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`9.
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`I have read and understood each of the above publications. The
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`disclosure of each of these publications provides sufficient information for
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`someone to make and use the plasma generation and sputtering processes that are
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`described in the above publications.
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`10.
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`I have considered certain issues from the perspective of a person of
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`ordinary skill in the art at the time the ‘779 Patent application was filed. In my
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`opinion, a person of ordinary skill in the art for the ‘779 Patent would have found
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`the ’779 invalid.
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`11.
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`I have been retained by Intel Corporation (“Intel” or “Petitioner”) as
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`an expert in the field of plasma technology. I am being compensated at my normal
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`consulting rate of $350/hour for my time. My compensation is not dependent on
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`and in no way affects the substance of my statements in this Declaration.
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`12.
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`I have no financial interest in the Petitioner. I similarly have no
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`financial interest in the ‘779 Patent, and have had no contact with the named
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`inventor of the ‘779 Patent.
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`I.
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`RELEVANT LAW
`13.
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`I am not an attorney. For the purposes of this declaration, I have been
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`informed about certain aspects of the law that are relevant to my opinions. My
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`understanding of the law is as follows:
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`A. Claim Construction
`14.
`I have been informed that claim construction is a matter of law and
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`that the final claim construction will ultimately be determined by the Board. For
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`the purposes of my invalidity analysis in this proceeding and with respect to the
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`prior art, I have applied the broadest reasonable construction of the claim terms as
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`they would be understood by one skilled in the relevant art.
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`15.
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`I have been informed and understand that a claim in inter partes
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`review is given the “broadest reasonable construction in light of the specification.”
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`37 C.F.R. § 42.100(b). I have also been informed and understand that any claim
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`term that lacks a definition in the specification is therefore also given a broad
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`interpretation.
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`B. Anticipation
`16.
`I have been informed and understand that a patent claim can be
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`considered to have been anticipated at the time the application was filed. This
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`means that if all of the requirements of a claim are found in a single prior art
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`reference, the claim is not patentable. I have also been informed that a U.S. Patent
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`can incorporate by reference subject matter from another U.S. Patent or Patent
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`Publication. In such instances, I have been informed that I should consider them to
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`be a single prior art reference. I further understand that a claim is anticipated by a
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`reference when all the limitations of the claim are present in a single embodiment
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`described in the reference, even if there are multiple embodiments disclosed in the
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`reference.
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`C. Obviousness
`17.
`I have been informed and understand that a patent claim can be
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`considered to have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art at the time
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`the application was filed. This means that, even if all of the requirements of a
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`claim are not found in a single prior art reference, the claim is not patentable if the
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`differences between the subject matter in the prior art and the subject matter in the
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`claim would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art at the time
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`the application was filed.
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`18.
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`I have been informed and understand that a determination of whether
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`a claim would have been obvious should be based upon several factors, including,
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`among others:
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` the level of ordinary skill in the art at the time the application was filed;
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` the scope and content of the prior art;
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` what differences, if any, existed between the claimed invention and the
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`prior art.
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`19.
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`I have been informed and understand that the teachings of two or
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`more references may be combined in the same way as disclosed in the claims, if
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`such a combination would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the
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`art. In determining whether a combination based on either a single reference or
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`multiple references would have been obvious, it is appropriate to consider, among
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`other factors:
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` whether the teachings of the prior art references disclose known concepts
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`combined in familiar ways, and when combined, would yield predictable
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`results;
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` whether a person of ordinary skill in the art could implement a
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`predictable variation, and would see the benefit of doing so;
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` whether the claimed elements represent one of a limited number of
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`known design choices, and would have a reasonable expectation of
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`success by those skilled in the art;
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` whether a person of ordinary skill would have recognized a reason to
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`combine known elements in the manner described in the claim;
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` whether there is some teaching or suggestion in the prior art to make the
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`modification or combination of elements claimed in the patent; and
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` whether the innovation applies a known technique that had been used to
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`improve a similar device or method in a similar way.
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`20.
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`I understand that one of ordinary skill in the art has ordinary
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`creativity, and is not an automaton.
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`21.
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`I understand that in considering obviousness, it is important not to
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`determine obviousness using the benefit of hindsight derived from the patent being
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`considered.
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`II. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF TECHNOLOGY
`A.
`Plasma
`22. A plasma is a collection of ions, free electrons, and neutral atoms.
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`The negatively charged free electrons and positively charged ions are present in
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`roughly equal numbers such that the plasma as a whole has no overall electrical
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`charge. The “density” of a plasma refers to the number of ions or electrons that are
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`present in a unit volume.1
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`23. Plasmas had been used in research and industrial applications for
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`decades before the ‘779 Patent was filed. For example, sputtering is an industrial
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`process that uses plasmas to deposit a thin film of a target material onto a surface
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`1 The terms “plasma density” and “electron density” are often used interchangeably
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`because the negatively charged free electrons and positively charged ions are
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`present in roughly equal numbers in plasmas that do not contain negatively
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`charged ions or clusters.
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`called a substrate (e.g., silicon wafer during a semiconductor manufacturing
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`operation). Ions in the plasma strike a target surface causing ejection of a small
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`amount of target material. The ejected target material then forms a film on the
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`substrate.
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`B.
`Ions, excited atoms, and metastable atoms
`24. Atoms have equal numbers of protons and electrons. Each electron
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`has an associated energy state. If all of an atom’s electrons are at their lowest
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`possible energy state, the atom is said to be in the “ground state.”
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`25. On the other hand, if one or more of an atom’s electrons is in a state
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`that is higher than its lowest possible state, then the atom is said to be an “excited
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`atom.” A metastable atom is a type of excited atom that is relatively long-lived,
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`because it cannot transition into the ground state through dipole radiation, i.e.,
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`through the emission of electromagnetic radiation. See also ‘779 Patent at 7:22-25
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`(“The term ‘metastable atoms’ is defined herein to mean excited atoms having
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`energy levels from which dipole radiation is theoretically forbidden. Metastable
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`atoms have relatively long lifetimes compared with other excited atoms.”) (Ex.
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`1101). “All noble gases have metastable states.” ‘779 Patent at 7:37 (Ex. 1101).
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`When generating excited atoms, multiple levels of excited states are formed. Of
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`these, some of the lowest states are metastable, and would typically be more
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`common than the higher states. This would be generally known in the field of
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`plasma physics and sputtering, as indicated for example, in the articles cited at
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`Exhibits 1111 and 1112. Exhibit 1111 identifies two metastable levels among the
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`four lowest excited levels of argon. The other two levels are called resonant levels,
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`since they can transition directly to the ground state through emission of dipole
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`radiation. However, when they do so, the radiation can be absorbed by any ground
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`state atom nearby, which in practice happens with very high efficiency. Hence
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`even though they are not technically metastable (i.e., spin or dipole forbidden),
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`they have a high population since for every resonant state that decays into the
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`ground state, another ground state atom nearby is excited into a resonant state.
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`Hence the excitation was just passed from one atom to the next, which effectively
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`extends the life-time of the resonant states. Page 624 of Exhibit 1111 identifies the
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`levels with n=2 and n=4 as metastable. Table 1 shows that these states are among
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`the four lowest excited states, and, in fact, the n=2 level has the lowest excitation
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`energy. The levels with n=3 and n=5 are the resonant levels. Exhibit 1112 shows
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`experimental results and results of the model presented in Exhibit 1111 for argon.
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`Table 2 shows that some of the conditions shown are for a high density plasmas (ne
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`> 1x1012 cm-3), and others are for low density plasmas. Figure 5 and 6 show that
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`the four lowest excited states, called 4s levels, have at least 100 times higher
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`density than the next higher excited states, called 4p levels (Compare Table 1 in
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`Exhibit 1112 or in Exhibit 1111). Figure 9 of Exhibit 1112 compares the 4s, n=2
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`(metastable) and n=3 (resonant) levels, to some higher states such as 4p, 5p, 5d,
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`and 7s. It is clear that the population of the 4s lowest excited levels is several
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`orders of magnitude higher than that of the higher excited levels. Hence if we
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`assume that the vast majority (e.g. > 95%) of all excited atoms are in one of the 4s
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`levels, the metastable 4s levels n=2,4 account for at least 50% of all excited atoms,
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`with the remainder essentially being accounted for by the resonant 4s states n=3,5.
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`Thus, as indicated above, generating excited atoms means also generating
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`metastable atoms.
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`26. Excited and metastable atoms are electrically neutral – they have
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`equal numbers of electrons and protons. A collision with a low energy free
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`electron (e-) can convert a ground state atom to an excited or metastable atom. For
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`example, the ‘779 Patent uses the following equation to describe production of an
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`excited argon atom, Ar*, from a ground state argon atom, Ar. See ‘779 Patent at
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`8:7 (Ex. 1101).
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`Ar + e- Ar* + e-
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`27. An ion is an atom that has become disassociated from one or more of
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`its electrons. A collision between a free, high energy electron and a ground state,
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`excited, or metastable atom can create an ion. For example, the ‘779 Patent uses
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`the following equations to describe production of an argon ion, Ar+, from a ground
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`state argon atom, Ar, or an excited argon atom, Ar*. See ‘779 Patent at 3:40 and
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`8:9 (Ex. 1101).
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`Ar + e- Ar+ + 2e-
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`Ar* + e- Ar+ + 2e-
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`28. The production of excited atoms, metastable atoms, and ions was well
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`understood long before the ‘779 Patent was filed.
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`III. OVERVIEW OF THE ‘779 PATENT
`A.
`Summary of Alleged Invention of the ‘779 Patent
`29. The ‘779 Patent relates to generating a plasma using a multi-step
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`ionization process with an excited/metastable atom/molecule source that generates
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`excited atoms, or metastable atoms or molecules, and then provides the
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`excited/metastable atoms or molecules to a plasma chamber where the plasma is
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`formed, thereby generating a plasma with a “multi-step ionization” process. For
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`convenience, this section will just use the term “excited atom source.” In any
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`event, there appears to be no substantial difference between excited and metastable
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`sources. The ‘779 Patent does not indicate any particular difference in the
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`operation of an excited atom source when it is a metastable atom source. The
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`specification repeatedly refers to “an excited atom source such as a metastable
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`atom source”, see, e.g., ‘779 Patent at 2:13-14, 17-18, 22-24 (Ex. 1101), and says
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`that “[i]n some embodiments, the metastable atom source 204 generates some
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`excited atoms that are in excited states other than a metastable state.” ‘779 Patent
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`at 5:63-65 (Ex. 1101)
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`30. Admitted prior art FIG. 1 of the
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`‘779 Patent shows a plasma chamber,
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`consisting of a magnetron sputtering system,
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`without an excited atom source. It generates
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`plasma through a process that the patent
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`refers to as a direct ionization process. ‘779
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`Patent at 3:36-47 (“The ionization process in
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`known plasma sputtering apparatus is
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`generally referred to as direct ionization… The collision between the neutral argon
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`atom and the ionizing electron results in an argon ion (Ar+) and two electrons.”)
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`(Ex. 1101).
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`31. As is generally known, this system has an anode, a cathode assembly
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`114 for holding a target material to be sputtered, and a magnet 130 that generates a
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`magnetic field 132 proximate to the target to trap and concentrate electrons. ‘779
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`Patent at 2:46-3:18 (Ex. 1101).
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`32. The alleged invention generally relates to coupling an excited or
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`metastable atom source to some plasma chamber. ‘779 Patent at 5:27-34 (“The
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`metastable atom source 204 can be coupled to any type of process chamber, such
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`as the chamber 104 of FIG. 1. In fact, a plasma generator according to the present
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`invention can be constructed by coupling a metastable atom source to a
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`commercially available plasma chamber. Thus, commercially available plasma
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`generators can be modified to generate a plasma using a multi-step ionization
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`process according to the present invention.”) (Ex. 1101).
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`33. FIGS. 2 and 3 of the ‘779 Patent show such plasma generators
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`“according to the present invention” that are coupled with separate metastable
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`atom sources (annotated in color below). ‘779 Patent at 2:3-11; FIGS. 2 and 3 (Ex.
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`1101).
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`34. Specifically, FIG. 2 shows metastable atom source 204, and FIG. 3
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`shows metastable atom source 304 (annotated in color above). The metastable
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`atom sources 204 and 304 “generate[] a volume of metastable atoms 218 from [a]
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`volume of ground state atoms. See, e.g., ‘779 Patent at 4:56-58 (Ex. 1101).
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`Metastable atoms 218 are transported from the source where they are generated to
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`the region between the cathode 114/306 and substrate support 136/352, where
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`plasma 202/302 is formed.
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`35. Power supply 222 (also annotated in color above) provides power to
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`the metastable atom source. See, e.g., ‘779 Patent at 4:60-62 (Ex. 1101). Another
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`(pulsed) power supply 201 (in FIG. 2) or power supply 316 (in FIG. 3) raises the
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`energy of the metastable atoms to generate a plasma 202. See, e.g., ‘779 Patent at
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`11:4-14 (“A power supply 316 is electrically coupled to the volume of metastable
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`atoms 218. The power supply 316 can be any type of power supply, such as a
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`pulsed power supply, a RF power supply, an AC power supply, or a DC power
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`supply… . The power supply 316 generates an electric field 322 between the
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`cathode 306 and the anode 308 that raises the energy of the volume of metastable
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`atoms 218 so that at least a portion of the volume of metastable atoms 218 are
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`ionized, thereby generating the plasma 302.”) (Ex. 1101).
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`36. The metastable atom sources shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 can be mounted
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`to the inside wall of the chamber 230 (FIG. 3), or on the outside wall (FIG. 2).
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`‘779 Patent at 4:31-34) (Ex. 1101).
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`37. Consistent with the claim language, FIGS. 2 and 3, and the
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`specification, the “excited atom source” and “metastable atom source” generate the
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`excited atoms in a source that is distinct from, and coupled to, the components that
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`later raise the energy of the excited or metastable atoms to generate a plasma with
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`“multi-step ionization,” a term the ‘779 Patent defines as an ionization process
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`whereby ions are ionized in at least two distinct steps.” ‘779 Patent at 6:60-63
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`(Ex. 1101).
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`B.
`Prosecution History
`38. The first substantive office action for the application that led to the
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`‘779 Patent rejected all independent claims as being anticipated based on prior art
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`that showed a first chamber for generating excited/metastable atoms, and a second
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`chamber for increasing the energy of the excited atoms, and for generating a
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`plasma using multi-step ionization. See 02/11/04 Office Action at 2-3. (Ex. 1108).
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`39. The applicant did not dispute the rejection, but amended the
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`independent claims at issue here to require that the distinct source further includes
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`“a magnet that generates a magnetic field for substantially trapping electrons
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`proximate to the ground state atoms.” See 05/06/04 Resp. at 2, 4, 6, 8 and 10. (Ex.
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`1109). The claims were then allowed.
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`40. Notwithstanding this difference, the ‘779 Patent does not indicate that
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`an excited atom source with magnets has any special significance over other
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`energy sources for generating excited/metastable. For example, the ‘779 Patent
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`states:
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`In other embodiments, the ground state atoms 208 are energized to a
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`metastable state by using an energy source, such as a DC plasma
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`source, a radio frequency (RF) plasma source, an ultraviolet (UV)
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`radiation source, an X-ray radiation source, an electron beam radiation
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`source, an ion beam radiation source, an inductively coupled plasma
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`(ICP) source, a capacitively coupled plasma (CCP) source, a
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`microwave plasma source, an electron cyclotron resonance (ECR)
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`plasma source, a helicon plasma source, or a magnetron plasma
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`discharge source. ‘779 Patent at 19:1-10 (Ex. 1101)
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`41.
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`In other words, although the magnet embodiment was claimed, the
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`specification indicates that there were approximately twelve (12) different ways to
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`generate excited atoms, and shows multiple embodiments – e.g., FIGS. 4, 5, 8, 9,
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`and 11—without the magnets that were required for the claims to be allowed. The
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`“magnet” of the source chamber recited in the claims refers particularly to the
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`embodiments of FIGS. 6, 7 and 10, and specifically to magnets 504a, 504b, 506a,
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`and 506b in FIG. 6, magnets 566a-d and 570a-d in FIG. 7; and magnets 712 and
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`714 in FIG. 10. ‘779 Patent at FIGS. 6 and 7; 14:46-15:4516:12-20 (Ex. 1101).
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`42. European Counterpart. The applicants had also identified these
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`magnets, located in the separate excited atom source of FIG. 6, as the claimed
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`magnets in counterpart claims in Europe, which read in part:
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`characterised [sic] in that the excited atom source (204) comprises a
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`magnet (504, 506) that is arranged to generate a magnetic field (508)
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`that traps electrons proximate to the ground state atoms.
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`24 July 2007 Response in EP 1614136 (Ex. 1110)
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`43. However, as explained in detail below, and contrary to the Examiner’s
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`reasons for allowance, the prior art addressed herein teaches using magnets in this
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`manner, along with the other limitations of the challenged claims.
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`IV. OVERVIEW OF THE PRIMARY PRIOR ART REFERENCES
`A.
`Summary of the Prior Art
`44. As explained in detail below, limitation-by-limitation, there is nothing
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`new or non-obvious in the challenged claims of the ‘779 Patent.
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`B. Overview of Mozgrin
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`45. Fig. 7 of Mozgrin, copied below,
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`shows the current-voltage characteristic
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`(“CVC”) of a plasma discharge generated by
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`Mozgrin. As shown, Mozgrin divides this CVC
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`into four distinct regions.
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`46. Mozgrin calls region 1 “pre-ionization.” Mozgrin at 402, right col, ¶ 2
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`(“Part 1 in the voltage oscillogram represents the voltage of the stationary
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`discharge (pre-ionization stage).”) (Ex. 1103).
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`47. Mozgrin calls region 2 “high current magnetron discharge.” Mozgrin
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`at 409, left col, ¶ 4 (“The implementation of the high-current magnetron discharge
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`(regime 2)…”) (Ex. 1103). Application of a high voltage to the pre-ionized plasma
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`causes the transition from region 1 to 2. Mozgrin teaches that region 2 is useful for
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`sputtering. Mozgrin at 403, right col, ¶ 4 (“Regime 2 was characterized by an
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`intense cathode sputtering…”) (Ex. 1103).
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`48. Mozgrin calls region 3 “high current diffuse discharge.” Mozgrin at
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`409, left col, ¶ 5, (“The high-current diffuse discharge (regime 3)…”) (Ex. 1103).
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`Increasing the current applied to the “high-current magnetron discharge” (region 2)
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`causes the plasma to transition to region 3. Mozgrin also teaches that region 3 is
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`useful for etching, i.e., removing material from a surface. Mozgrin at 409, left col,
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`¶ 5 (“The high-current diffuse discharge (regime 3) is useful … Hence, it can
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`enhance the efficiency of ionic etching…”) (Ex. 1103).
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`49. Mozgrin calls region 4 “arc discharge.” Mozgrin at 402, right col, ¶ 3
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`(“…part 4 corresponds to the high-current low-voltage arc discharge…”) (Ex.
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`1103). Further increasing the applied current causes the plasma to transition from
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`region 3 to the “arc discharge” region 4.
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`C. Overview of Kudryavtsev
`50. Kudryavtsev is a technical paper that studies the ionization of a
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`plasma with voltage pulses. See, e.g., Kudryavtsev at 30, left col. ¶ 1 (Ex. 1104).
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`In particular, Kudryavtsev describes how ionization of a plasma can occur via
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`different processes. The first process is direct ionization, in which ground state
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`atoms are converted directly to ions. See, e.g., Kudryavtsev at Fig. 6 caption (Ex.
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`1104). The second process is multi-step ionization, which Kudryavtsev calls
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`stepwise ionization. See, e.g., Kudyravtsevt at Fig. 6 (Ex. 1104). Kudryavtsev
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`notes that under certain conditions multi-step ionization can be the dominant
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`ionization process. See, e.g., Kudryavtsev at Fig. 6 (Ex. 1104). Mozgrin took into
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`account the teachings of Kudryavtsev when designing his experiments. Mozgrin at
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`401, ¶ spanning left and right cols. (“Designing the unit, we took into account the
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`dependences which had been obtained in [Kudryavtsev]…”) (Ex. 1103).
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`
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`D. Overview of Iwamura
`51.
`Iwamura discloses “a plasma treatment apparatus for treating a
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`surface of an object…” Iwamura at 2:51-52 (Ex. 1107). “A first plasma
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`generation unit for preactivating the gas to generate a plasma is positioned
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`upstream along the flow path of the gas in the gas supply; and a second plasma
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`generation unit for activating the gas to generate a plasma downstream along the
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`flow path of the gas in the gas supply is also provided. Thus, the first plasma
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`generation unit preactivates the gas and the second plasma generation unit activates
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`the gas and forms activated gas species. Then, the activated gas species formed by
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`the second plasma generation unit treat the object to be treated.” Iwamura at 2:56-
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`65. (Ex. 1107).
`
`52.
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`Iwamura discloses multiple ways for generating excited/metastable
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`atoms, and discloses the desirability of providing a first excitation step followed by
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`a further energy providing step, and also claims such a system. Iwamura at 2:1-50,
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`claim 1 (Ex. 1107).
`
`E. Overview of Pinsley and Angelbeck
`53. Pinsley discloses a gas laser having a magnetic field that is oriented
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`transversely with respect to the flow of the gases. Pinsley at Abstract (“A flowing
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`gas laser having an electric discharge plasma with the electric field oriented
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`transversely with respect to the flow of gases therethrough is provided with a
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`- 21 -
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`
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`magnetic field which is oriented transversely with respect to both the flow and the
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`electric field to overcome the forces of flowing gases thereon.”) (Ex. 1105). The
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`transverse magnetic field traps electrons. Pinsley at 2:43-47 (“As is known, the
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`interaction between the current and the magnetic field will result in an upstream
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`force as indicated by the force vector 32. This force is exerted upon the electrons,
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`and tends to maintain the electrons in an area between the anode and cathode.”)
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`(Ex. 1105).
`
`54. Pinsley does not specifically use the words “excited atoms,” but one
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`of ordinary skill would understand that increasing the energy and using a magnetic
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`field to maintain the electrons in place would allow excited atoms to be generated
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`and pass through. The Angelbeck patent (with a lead inventor who is also a co-
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`inventor on the Pinsley patent) makes clear that gas lasers of the type disclosed by
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`Pinsley generate excited atoms as part of their operation. Angelbeck at 1:21-25
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`(“This invention relates to gas lasers, and particularly to a method and apparatus
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`for increasing and controlling the light output of a gas laser by applying a
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`transverse magnetic field to the laser.”); 2:18-20 (“A high gas pressure P is
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`advantageous, however, for creating a high density of excited atoms in the laser.”)
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`(Ex. 1103).
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`V. CLAIM CONSTRUCTION
`55.
`I have been informed and understand that a claim in inter partes
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`review is given the “broadest reasonable construction in light of the specification.”
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`37 C.F.R. § 42.100(b). I have also been informed and understand that any claim
`
`term that lacks a definition in the specification is therefore also given a broad
`
`interpretation. The following discussion proposes constructions of and support
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`therefore of those terms. I have been informed and understand that any claim
`
`terms not included in the following discussion are to be given their broadest
`
`reasonable interpretation in light of the specification as commonly understood by
`
`those of ordinary skill in the art. Moreover, should the Patent Owner, in order to
`
`avoid the prior art, contend that the claim has a construction different from its
`
`broadest reasonable interpretation, I have been informed and understand that the
`
`appropriate course is for the Patent Owner to seek to amend the claim to expressly
`
`correspond to its contentions in this proceeding.
`
`VI. SPECIFIC GROUNDS FOR REJECTION
`56. The below sections demonstrate in detail how the prior art discloses
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`each and every limitation of claims 5, 6, 8, 19, 22, 23 and 43 of the ‘779 Patent,
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`and how those claims are rendered obvious by the prior art.
`
`A. Ground I: Claims 5, 6, 8, 19, 22, 23 and 43 would have been
`obvious in view of the combination of Mozgrin, Kudryavtsev and
`Pinsley
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`
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`1.
`
`Independent claim 43
`a)
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`The preamble: “[a] plasma generator that generates a
`plasma with a multi-step ionization process, the plasma
`generator comprising”
`57. Mozgrin teaches a
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`plasma generator that generates
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`plasma using the power supply
`
`shown in Fig 2. The power supply includes a stationary discharge supply unit, to
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`generate a pre-ionized plasma. Mozgrin at 401, right col, ¶ 2 (“For pre-
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`ionization… the initial plasma density in the 109 – 1011 cm-3 range.”)
`
`58. The power supply further includes a high-voltage supply unit, to
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`deliver voltages pulses to the pre-ionized plasma. See Mozgrin at 401, left col, ¶ 4
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`(“…applying a square voltage pulse to the discharge gap which was filled up with
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`either neutral or pre-ionized gas.”) (Ex. 1103). Mozgrin explains that in
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`“[d]esigning the [pulsed power supply] unit, we took into account the dependences
`
`which had been obtained in [8] of ionization relaxation on pre-ionization
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`parameters, pressure, and pulse voltage amplitude.” Mozgrin at 401, ¶ spanning
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`left and right columns (Ex. 1103). The reference [8] is Kudryavtsev.
`
`59.
`
`It would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill to combine
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`Mozgrin with Kudryavtsev. In addition to the fact that Mozgrin itself cites
`
`Kudryavtsev and Mozgrin explicitly notes that its power supply unit was designed
`
`- 24 -
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`
`
`in accordance with Kudryavtsev, Kudryavtsev also states, “[s]ince the effects
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`studied in this work are characteristic of ionization whenever a field is suddenly
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`applied to a weakly ionized gas, they must be allowed for when studying emission
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`mechanisms in pulsed gas lasers, gas breakdown, laser sparks, etc.” Kudryavtsev
`
`at 34, right col, ¶ 4 (Ex. 1104). Because Mozgrin applies voltage pulses that
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`“suddenly generate an electric field,” one of ordinary skill reading Mozgrin would
`
`have been motivated to consider Kudryavtsev to further appreciate the effects of
`
`applying Mozgrin’s pulses.
`
`60. Kudryavtsev explains the contribution of multi-step ionization to the
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`overall ionization process. Referring to the annotated copy of Kudryavtsev’s Fig.
`
`1 copied below, ionization occurs with an initial “slow stage” (Fig 1a) followed by
`
`a “fast stage” (Fig. 1b). Kudryavtsev at 31, right col, ¶ 7 (Ex. 1104) (“The
`
`behavior of the increase in ne with time thus enables us to arbitrarily divide the
`
`ionization process into two stages, which we will call the slow and fast growth
`
`stages. Fig. 1 illustrates the relationships between the main electron currents in
`
`terms of the atomic energy levels during the slow and fast stages.”).
`
`61. During the initial slow stage, direct ionization provides a significant
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`contribution to the genera