UNITED STATES PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE
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`
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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 2231371450
`www.uspto.gov
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`16/354,005
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`03/14/2019
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`ShingO YASUDA
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`101716000198
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`7971
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`03/10/2020
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`”377
`B akerHostetler
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`759°
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`Cira Centre 12th Floor
`2929 Arch Street
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`Philadelphia, PA 19104-2891
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`CHUNG” HO'SUNG
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`1794
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`PAPER NUMBER
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`NOTIFICATION DATE
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`DELIVERY MODE
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`03/10/2020
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`ELECTRONIC
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`Please find below and/or attached an Office communication concerning this application or proceeding.
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`The time period for reply, if any, is set in the attached communication.
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`Notice of the Office communication was sent electronically on above—indicated "Notification Date" to the
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`following e—mail address(es):
`eofficemonitor @ bakerlawcom
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`PTOL-90A (Rev. 04/07)
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`

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`017/09 A0170” Summary
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`Application No.
`16/354,005
`Examiner
`Ho-Sung Chung
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`Applicant(s)
`YASU DA et al.
`Art Unit
`1794
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`AIA (FITF) Status
`Yes
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`- The MAILING DA TE of this communication appears on the cover sheet wit/7 the correspondence address -
`Period for Reply
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`A SHORTENED STATUTORY PERIOD FOR REPLY IS SET TO EXPIRE g MONTHS FROM THE MAILING
`DATE OF THIS COMMUNICATION.
`Extensions of time may be available under the provisions of 37 CFR 1.136(a). In no event, however, may a reply be timely filed after SIX (6) MONTHS from the mailing
`date of this communication.
`|f NO period for reply is specified above, the maximum statutory period will apply and will expire SIX (6) MONTHS from the mailing date of this communication.
`-
`- Failure to reply within the set or extended period for reply will, by statute, cause the application to become ABANDONED (35 U.S.C. § 133).
`Any reply received by the Office later than three months after the mailing date of this communication, even if timely filed, may reduce any earned patent term
`adjustment. See 37 CFR 1.704(b).
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`Status
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`1). Responsive to communication(s) filed on 2/25/2020.
`CI A declaration(s)/affidavit(s) under 37 CFR 1.130(b) was/were filed on
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`2a)[:] This action is FINAL.
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`2b)
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`This action is non-final.
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`3)[:] An election was made by the applicant in response to a restriction requirement set forth during the interview
`on
`; the restriction requirement and election have been incorporated into this action.
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`4):] Since this application is in condition for allowance except for formal matters, prosecution as to the merits is
`closed in accordance with the practice under Expade Quay/e, 1935 CD. 11, 453 O.G. 213.
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`Disposition of Claims*
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`5)
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`Claim(s) E is/are pending in the application.
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`5a) Of the above Claim(s) 3 is/are withdrawn from consideration.
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`
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`E] Claim(ss)
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`is/are allowed.
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`Claim(ss) 1 —2 and 4—5 is/are rejected.
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`[:1 Claim(ss_) is/are objected to.
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`) ) ) )
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`S)
`are subject to restriction and/or election requirement
`C] Claim(s
`* If any claims have been determined allowable. you may be eligible to benefit from the Patent Prosecution Highway program at a
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`participating intellectual property office for the corresponding application. For more information, please see
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`httpfiwww.”smogovmatentszinit_events[pph[index.'sp or send an inquiry to PPeredhack@g§ptg.ggv.
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`Application Papers
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`10):] The specification is objected to by the Examiner.
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`11). The drawing(s) filed on 3/14/2019 is/are: a). accepted or b)D objected to by the Examiner.
`Applicant may not request that any objection to the drawing(s) be held in abeyance. See 37 CFR 1.85(a).
`Replacement drawing sheet(s) including the correction is required if the drawing(s) is objected to. See 37 CFR 1.121 (d).
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`Priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119
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`12)D Acknowledgment is made of a claim for foreign priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119(a)-(d) or (f).
`Certified copies:
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`a)I:i All
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`b)C] Some**
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`c)[j None of the:
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`1C] Certified copies of the priority documents have been received.
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`2E] Certified copies of the priority documents have been received in Application No.
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`3C] 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)).
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`** See the attached detailed Office action for a list of the certified copies not received.
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`Attachment(s)
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`1)
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`Notice of References Cited (PTO-892)
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`Information Disclosure Statement(s) (PTO/SB/08a and/or PTO/SB/08b)
`2)
`Paper No(s)/Mail Date 3/14/2019.
`U.S. Patent and Trademark Office
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`3) E] Interview Summary (PTO-413)
`Paper No(s)/Mail Date
`4) CI Other-
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`PTOL-326 (Rev. 11-13)
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`Office Action Summary
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`Part of Paper No./Mai| Date 20200228
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`

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`Application/Control Number: 16/354,005
`Art Unit: 1794
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`Page 2
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`Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
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`The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the
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`first inventor to file provisions of the AIA.
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`Election/Restrictions
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`Applicant’s election without traverse of claim 2 in the reply filed on 2/25/2020 is
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`acknowledged.
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`Claim 3 is withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being
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`drawn to a nonelected species, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was
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`made without traverse in the reply filed on 2/25/2020.
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`Claim Rejections - 35 U.S. C. § 103
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`The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. § 103 which forms the basis for all obviousness
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`rejections set forth in this Office action:
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`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 of this title, 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.
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`Claims 1-2 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. § 103(a) as being unpatentable over Yasuda et
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`al., U.S. Patent App. Pub. No. 2012/0152749 A1 [hereinafter Yasuda] in view of Gabe et al.,
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`U.S. Patent App. Pub. No. 2003/0066756 A1 [hereinafter Gabe].
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`1. The following reference(s) render this claim obvious.
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`I. Yasuda
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`

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`Application/Control Number: 16/354,005
`Art Unit: 1794
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`Page 3
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`Yasuda teaches a method for plating a substrate (electroplating method; Yasuda
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`abstract, [0036], figs. lA—lB)
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`'
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`lnbiblts—bot—tom—up—platlng—of—tbe—subst-Fale, comprising:
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`preparing a substrate having a recess formed in a surface thereof, a conductive layer
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`being formed in at least a part of the recess (substrate W with vias 12 with copper seed layer
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`16; id.);
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`placing an lnsoluble anode (anode 220; Yasuda abstract, [0058], fig. 7) and the substrate
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`in contact with a eobber—sulf-ale plating solution containing an additive (placed into contact with
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`solution with additives such as SPS as accelerator for copper electroplating; Yasuda abstract,
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`[0025], [0054], fig. 7);
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`applying a predetermined plating voltage between the substrate and the lnsoluble
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`anode (current supplied thus a voltage must have been applied; Yasuda [0074], [0089], figs. 10—
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`11) by a plating power source to plate the substrate (power source 250; Yasuda [0063], fig. 7);
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`and
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`applying a forward voltage, which is lower than the predetermined plating voltage,
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`between the substrate and the insoluble anode when the predetermined plating voltage is not
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`applied (a weak current may be passed during the current stop time to stop dissolution of the
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`plated film; Yasuda [0023], fig. 7), thereby decreasing a reverse electric current which flows
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`from the lnsoluble anode to the substrate via the plating power source (the weak current would
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`decrease any resulting reverse current which would have dissolved the plated film; id.).
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`ll. lnsolubleAnodes, Copper Sulfate — Gabe
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`Application/Control Number: 16/354,005
`Art Unit: 1794
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`Page 4
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`Yasuda does not explicitly teach insoluble anodes, copper sulfate, and while preventing
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`a generation of an electrolyte component which inhibits bottom—up plating ofthe substrate.
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`However, Gabe teaches that using insoluble anodes in conjunction with a copper source
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`such as copper sulfate are preferred over soluble anodes because they are more versatile,
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`permit higher plating speeds, require smaller apparatus size, easier to maintain, improve
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`solution flow and agitation, and may be placed closer to cathodes. Gabe [0005], [0046], [0050],
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`fig. 1.
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`It therefore would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before
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`the effective filing date ofthe claimed invention to have modified the aforementioned prior
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`art’s anode and copper source with Gabe’s insoluble anodes and copper sulfate because
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`insoluble anodes are more versatile, permit higher plating speeds, require smaller apparatus
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`size, easier to maintain, improve solution flow and agitation, and/or may be placed closer to
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`cathodes.
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`The Applicant’s specification teaches that an insoluble anode causes a reverse electric
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`current. App. Spec. p. 2 l. 20 — p. 3 l. 16. The specification further teaches that copper dissolves
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`into monovalent copper, that monovalent copper reduces SPS into MP5, and that this coupled
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`with the reverse current will inhibit bottom—up plating. Id.
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`Because the prior art teaches insoluble anodes and dissolving copper, the prior art’s
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`method would also create a reverse current, reduce SPS into MP5, and inhibit bottom—up
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`plating, which the weak current would then prevent.
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`

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`Application/Control Number: 16/354,005
`Art Unit: 1794
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`Page 5
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`2. The aforementioned prior art teaches the method according to claim 1, wherein the
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`forward voltage is applied by the plating power source (only plating power source 250 used
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`thus would have been used to apply the weak current), alternatively it also would have been
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`obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the
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`invention to have used plating power source 250 to have applied the weak current to use
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`existing equipment). Yasuda [0063], fig. 7.
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`Claim 4 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. § 103(a) as being unpatentable over the references
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`as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Shimoyama et al., U.S. Patent App. Pub.
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`No. 2014/0042032 A1 [hereinafter Shimoyama].
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`4. Yasuda does not explicitly teach the method according to claim 1, wherein an inert
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`gas is supplied into the copper sulfate plating solution while applying the forward voltage
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`between the substrate and the insoluble anode, thereby lowering a concentration of dissolved
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`oxygen in the copper sulfate plating solution.
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`However, Shimoyama teaches that an insoluble anode produces dissolved oxygen which
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`causes oxidative decomposition of additives. Shimoyama [0067]—[0068]. The additives includes
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`suppressors, levelers, and accelerators of an ionic compound. Id. at [0072]. Shimoyama teaches
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`bubbling a plating solution with nitrogen ”for preventing the concentration dissolved oxygen
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`from unduly rising on the insoluble anode side." See id.
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`It therefore would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before
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`the effective filing date ofthe claimed invention to have modified the recited prior art’s method
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`

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`Application/Control Number: 16/354,005
`Art Unit: 1794
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`Page 6
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`with Shimoyama’s nitrogen bubbling to prevent dissolved oxygen which would otherwise cause
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`oxidative decomposition ofthe additives.
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`Claim 5 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. § 103(a) as being unpatentable over the references
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`as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Yoshioka et al., U.S. Patent App. Pub. No.
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`2002/0027080 A1 [hereinafter Yoshioka].
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`5. Yasuda does not explicitly teach the method according to claim 1, wherein the copper
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`sulfate plating solution is passed through a deaerator while applying the forward voltage
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`between the substrate and the insoluble anode, thereby lowering a concentration of dissolved
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`oxygen in the copper sulfate plating solution.
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`However, Yoshioka recognizes that air bubbles are a problem in plating. Yoshioka
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`[0005].
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`Yoshioka teaches a method comprising using a monitoring unit 340 and deaerator 328
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`to lower the oxygen level which achieves a constant, stable, high—quality, and satisfactory
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`plating process which restrains side reactions and degradation of plating liquid. Yoshioka
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`[0016]—[0017], [0078]—[0079], [0084], fig. 2.
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`It therefore would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before
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`the effective filing date ofthe claimed invention to have modified the aforementioned prior
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`art’s deaerator to Yoshioka’s method comprising using a deaerator to lower the oxygen level
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`which achieves a constant, stable, high—quality, and/or satisfactory plating process and/or to
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`restrain side reactions and degradation of plating liquid.
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`

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`Application/Control Number: 16/354,005
`Art Unit: 1794
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`Page 7
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`Conclusion
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`Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the
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`examiner should be directed to Ho—Sung Chung whose telephone number is (571) 270—7578.
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`The examiner can normally be reached on Monday—Friday, 9 AM — 6 PM CT.
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`If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s
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`supervisor, James Lin can be reached on (571) 272—8902. The fax phone number for the
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`organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is (571) 273—8300.
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`/HO—SUNG CHUNG/
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`Examiner, Art Unit 1794
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`/BRIAN W COHEN/
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`Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1794
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`