Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Response to Amendment
The amendment filed 11/26/25 has been entered.
Claim Status
Claims 1, 3, 5-17 and 21-23 are pending.
Claim 11 is currently amended.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 103 which forms the basis for all obviousness rejections set forth in this Office action:
A patent for a claimed invention may not be obtained, notwithstanding that the claimed invention is not identically disclosed as set forth in section 102, if the differences between the claimed invention and the prior art are such that the claimed invention as a whole would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the claimed invention pertains. Patentability shall not be negated by the manner in which the invention was made.
Claims 1, 5, 8-9, 12-13, 21, and 23 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hinode (US 20160300727 A1) in view of Ten Berge (US 20180307135 A1).
Regarding claim 1, Hinode teaches a substrate treating apparatus (Fig. 1, [0037], substrate processing apparatus 1), comprising:
a support unit configured to support and rotate a substrate (Fig. 1, [0039], spin chuck 5 supports substrate W and rotates about axis A1);
a liquid supply unit configured to supply a treatment liquid to the substrate supported on the support unit (Fig. 1, [0045], acid supply device 6 supplies liquid to substrate W via nozzle 18); and
a heating unit configured to locally heat any one of the first pattern and the second pattern (Fig. 3, [0054], heater 31 moves the heater lamp 34 across different positions on substrate W to irradiate the surface of substrate W);
a controller (Fig 1, control device 3) configured to control the heating unit ([0070], controls infrared heater 31), the liquid supply unit ([0066], controls the phosphoric acid nozzle moving device 23 and valve 20), and the support unit ([0060], controls the spin chuck 5),
wherein the heating unit (Fig 3, [0054], heater 31) includes:
an emitting member configured to emit light having thermal energy to the substrate (Fig. 3, [0055], heater 31 includes infrared lamp 34 which transmits radiant heat to substrate W); and
a moving member configured to change a position of the emitting member (Fig. 3, [0054], heater moving device 33 moves heater arm 32 and lamp 34 to different positions above substrate W).
Hinode fails to explicitly teach wherein the controller is configured to control the support unit so that the substrate does not rotate during an entire period in which the emitting member emits the light to the substrate.
However, Ten Berge teaches wherein the controller (Ten Berge, Fig. 4, [0108], controller 480 and computer system 460) is configured to control the support unit (Ten Berge, Fig. 4, [0108], table 420 can rotate about the Z-axis) so that the substrate does not rotate during an entire period in which the emitting member emits the light to the substrate (Ten Berge, Fig. 4, [0106]-[0108], pattern device modification tool 320 emits radiation 435 to patterning device 410 via laser source 430). Ten Berge teaches error corrections calculated at a specific XY coordinate of the patterning device 410 via mathematical models (Ten Berge, [0096]-[0100]) are transmitted to pattern device modification tool 320 which writes corrections via laser 430 into the substrate at a specific local element like one pattern element without impacting any other pattern elements (Ten Berge, [0107]-[0108]), where positioning stage 450 can move laser objective in the X and Y direction parallel to the table 420 (Ten Berge, [0108]).
Ten Berge is considered analogous art to the claimed invention because it is in the same field of semiconductor processing. It would have been obvious to one ordinarily skilled in the art at the time of filing to have incorporated the controller logic of not rotating the support unit during emitting of light in the manner of Ten Berge into the apparatus of Hinode as doing so would allow local process modifications or corrections to be implemented at a specific target location without inducing a change in other non-targeted locations (Ten Berge, [0107]).
The Examiner construes the ‘substrate on which a first pattern and a second pattern’ as a material or article worked upon by the apparatus. The courts have held that such an inclusion does not impart patentability to the claims. See MPEP 2115.
Regarding claim 5, Hinode teaches wherein the controller (Hinode, [0078], control device 3) is configured to control the support unit (Hinode, [0060], control device 3 controls the spin chuck 5) so as to rotate the substrate while the liquid supply unit supplies a cleaning liquid to the substrate (Hinode, [0078], pure water is discharged to the upper surface of the substrate W, while rotating the substrate W).
Regarding claim 8, Hinode teaches wherein the controller is configured to control the liquid supply unit to supply the cleaning liquid onto the substrate to form a liquid film, and to control the heating unit so as to heat the substrate in a state in which the liquid film is formed (Hinode, Fig. 4, [0061], during step S4, control device 3 controls heater arm 32 to irradiate the substrate W while also controlling pure water nozzle 38 to dispense pure water).
Regarding claim 9, Hinode teaches a bowl having a treatment space in which the substrate is treated (Fig. 1, [0042], cup 9 is disposed around spin chuck 5, which supports substrate W) and providing a recovery path through which the treatment liquid is recovered (Fig 1, [0042], upper end portion 9a of cup 9 is open in order to receive and collect the treatment liquid), wherein the support unit is configured to support the substrate in the treatment space (Fig. 1, [0042], spin chuck 5 supports substrate W within the treatment space of processing unit 2).
Regarding claim 12, Hinode teaches a substrate treating apparatus (Fig. 1, [0037], substrate processing apparatus 1), comprising:
a support unit configured to support and rotate a substrate (Fig. 1, [0039], spin chuck 5 supports substrate W and rotates about axis A1) on which a first pattern and a second pattern performing a different function from a function of the first pattern are formed;
a heating unit configured to locally heat the substrate only at an area where the second pattern is formed (Fig. 3, [0054], heater 31 moves the heater lamp 34 across different positions on substrate W to irradiate the surface of substrate W); and
a liquid supply unit configured to supply an etching liquid to any one of the first pattern and the second pattern (Fig. 1, [0045], acid supply device 6 supplies liquid to substrate W via nozzle 18); and
a controller (Fig 1, control device 3) configured to control the support unit ([0060], controls the spin chuck 5), the heating unit ([0070], controls infrared heater 31), and the liquid supply unit ([0066], controls the phosphoric acid nozzle moving device 23 and valve 20).
Hinode fails to explicitly teach wherein the controller is configured to control the support unit so that the substrate does not rotate during an entire period in which the emitting member emits the light to the substrate.
However, Ten Berge teaches wherein the controller (Ten Berge, Fig. 4, [0108], controller 480 and computer system 460) is configured to control the support unit (Ten Berge, Fig. 4, [0108], table 420 can rotate about the Z-axis) so that the substrate does not rotate during an entire period in which the emitting member emits the light to the substrate (Ten Berge, Fig. 4, [0106]-[0108], pattern device modification tool 320 emits radiation 435 to patterning device 410 via laser source 430). Ten Berge teaches error corrections calculated at a specific XY coordinate of the patterning device 410 via mathematical models (Ten Berge, [0096]-[0100]) are transmitted to pattern device modification tool 320 which writes corrections via laser 430 into the substrate at a specific local element like one pattern element without impacting any other pattern elements (Ten Berge, [0107]-[0108]), where positioning stage 450 can move laser objective in the X and Y direction parallel to the table 420 (Ten Berge, [0108]).
Ten Berge is considered analogous art to the claimed invention because it is in the same field of semiconductor processing. It would have been obvious to one ordinarily skilled in the art at the time of filing to have incorporated the controller logic of not rotating the support unit during emitting of light in the manner of Ten Berge into the apparatus of Hinode as doing so would allow local process modifications or corrections to be implemented at a specific target location without inducing a change in other non-targeted locations (Ten Berge, [0107]).
The Examiner construes the ‘substrate on which a first pattern and a second pattern’ as a material or article worked upon by the apparatus. The courts have held that such an inclusion does not impart patentability to the claims. See MPEP 2115.
Regarding claim 13, Hinode teaches wherein the liquid supply unit includes a discharge unit configured to supply the etching liquid in a form of droplets (Hinode, Fig. 2, [0057], switching between the start and stop of the discharge or droplets is performed by valve 40); and a moving unit configured to change a position of the discharge unit (Hinode, Fig 3, [0059], heater movement device 33 serves as droplet discharge position moving device).
Regarding claim 21, Hinode teaches the substrate treating apparatus of claim 1 (Fig. 1, [0037], substrate processing apparatus 1), wherein the substrate is a photomask.
The Examiner construes the ‘wherein the substrate is a photomask’ as a material or article worked upon by the apparatus. The courts have held that such an inclusion does not impart patentability to the claims. See MPEP 2115.
Regarding claim 23, Hinode teaches wherein the heating unit is configured to locally heat only an area where the second pattern is formed (Fig. 3, [0054], heater 31 moves the heater lamp 34 across different positions on substrate W to irradiate the surface of substrate W).
The Examiner construes the ‘second pattern’ as a material or article worked upon by the apparatus. The courts have held that such an inclusion does not impart patentability to the claims. See MPEP 2115.
Claim 3 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hinode (US 20160300727 A1) in view of Ten Berge (US 20180307135 A1), as applied to claims 1, 5, 8-9, 12-13, 21, and 23 above, and further in view of Heo (KR 20150136216, using attached machine English translation) with Kawabuchi (US 20200126818 A1) as a supporting reference.
The limitations of claims 1, 5, 8-9, 12-13, 21, and 23 are set forth above.
Regarding claim 3, Hinode fails to teach wherein the emitting member is configured such that the light emitted to the substrate is a laser.
However, Heo teaches wherein the emitting member is configured such that the light emitted to the substrate is a laser (Heo, Fig 3, [0071], heating unit 900 includes laser member 910 which heats the substrate).
Heo is considered analogous art to the claimed invention because it is in the same field of endeavor of semiconductor substrate processing. Therefore, it would have been obvious to someone of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have utilized the laser of Heo in place of the infrared lamp of Hinode since the two elements are recognized in the art as equivalents for substrate heating (Kawabuchi, Fig. 7A, [0078]). See MPEP 2144.06(II).
Claims 6, 14, and 15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hinode (US 20160300727 A1) in view of Ten Berge (US 20180307135 A1), as applied to claims 1, 5, 8-9, 12-13, 21, and 23 above, and further in view of Kwon (US 20200075362 A1).
The limitations of claims 1, 5, 8-9, 12-13, 21, and 23 are set forth above.
Regarding claim 6, Hinode fails to teach wherein the heating unit includes an image acquiring member configured to acquire an image of at least one or more reference marks marked on the substrate, and to transmit the acquired image to the controller, and the controller is configured to derive substrate position information from the image and to control the moving member so that the emitting member emits the light to any one of the first pattern and the second pattern based on the substrate position information and pattern position information, the pattern position information including position values of the first pattern and the second pattern in the substrate and being stored in advance in the controller.
However, Kwon teaches wherein the heating unit includes an image acquiring member configured to acquire an image of at least one or more reference marks marked on the substrate (Fig 4, [0079], photographing member 430 takes an image of the substrate), and to transmit the acquired image to the controller ([0090], controller 470 obtains images from photographing member 430), and the controller is configured to derive substrate position information from the image ([0090], controller 470 calculates travel distances from plurality of images taken by photographing member 430) to control the moving member so that the emitting member emits the light to any one of the first pattern and the second pattern based on the substrate position information and pattern position information ([0090], controller 470 controls the drive member 460 to move light irradiating member 451), the pattern position information including position values of the first pattern and the second pattern in the substrate and being stored in advance in the controller (Fig 7, center of substrate in correct position is stored ahead of time and used for positional calculations).
Kwon is analogous art to the claimed invention because it is in the same field of endeavor of semiconductor substrate processing. Therefore, it would have been obvious to someone of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the photographing member of Kwon to the emitting member of Hinode in order to calculate an offset distance between the current position and target position (Kwon, [0030]).
Regarding claim 14, Hinode fails to teach wherein the liquid supply unit includes an image acquiring member configured to acquire an image of at least one or more reference marks marked on the substrate, and to transmit the acquired image to the controller, and the controller is configured to derive substrate position information from the image and to control the moving member unit so that the discharge unit discharges the etching liquid to any one of the first pattern and the second pattern based on the substrate position information and pattern position information, the pattern position information including position values of the first pattern and the second pattern in the substrate and being stored in advance in the controller.
However, Kwon teaches wherein the liquid supply unit includes an image acquiring member configured to acquire an image of at least one or more reference marks marked on the substrate (Kwon, Fig 4, [0079], photographing member 430 takes an image of the substrate), and to transmit the acquired image to the controller (Kwon, [0090], controller 470 obtains images from photographing member 430), and the controller is configured to derive substrate position information from the image (Kwon, [0090], controller 470 calculates travel distances from plurality of images taken by photographing member 430) and to control the moving member unit so that the discharge unit discharges the etching liquid to any one of the first pattern and the second pattern based on the substrate position information and pattern position information (Kwon, [0090], controller 470 controls the liquid dispensing nozzle 441 to move the liquid dispensing nozzle 441 according to the calculated values), the pattern position information including position values of the first pattern and the second pattern in the substrate and being stored in advance in the controller (Kwon, Fig 7, center of substrate in correct position is stored ahead of time and used for positional calculations).
It would have been obvious to someone of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the photographing member of Kwon to the liquid supply member of Hinode in order to calculate an offset distance between the current position and target position (Kwon, [0030]).
Regarding claim 15, Hinode teaches wherein the controller is configured to control the support unit so as not to rotate the substrate while the liquid supply unit supplies the etching liquid to the substrate (Hinode, [0068], during puddle step S3, control device 3 controls spin chuck 5 to keep the substrate still, and heating step S4 is performed in parallel with puddle step S3, where liquid droplets are supplied to the substrate).
Claim 7 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hinode (US 20160300727 A1) in view of Ten Berge (US 20180307135 A1) and Kwon (US 20200075362 A1), as applied to claims 6, 14, and 15 above, and further in view of Miyake (US 20180200149 A1).
The limitations of claims 6, 14 and 15 are set forth above.
Regarding claim 7, Hinode does not teach wherein the heating unit further includes a body in which the image acquiring member and the emitting member are installed and whose position is changeable by driving force generated by the moving member.
However, Kwon teaches wherein the heating unit further includes a body in which the image acquiring member and the emitting member are installed (Kwon, Fig 4, photographing member 430 and light irradiating member 451), and is changeable in position by driving force generated by the moving member (Kwon, Fig 4, [0088], drive member 460 moves light irradiating member 451).
It would have been obvious to someone of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the photographing member of Kwon to the emitting member of Hinode in order to apply the light irradiated member to a region different than the original position based on feedback from the photographing member (Kwon, [0030]).
Modified Hinode fails to explicitly teach wherein the image acquiring member and the emitting member are installed on the same body.
However, Miyake teaches wherein the image acquiring member and the emitting member are installed on the same body (Miyake, Figs. 1 and 2, [0053]-[0054], image acquisition part 30 and exposure part 40 are installed on printing part).
Miyake is considered analogous art to the claimed invention because it is in the same field of treating a target substrate with liquid dispensing nozzles and light irradiation. It would have been obvious to one ordinarily skilled in the art at the time of filing to have installed the image acquiring member and the light emitting member into the same body as the printing part of Miyake as doing so would enable the controller to select the appropriate set of process commands based on information provided by the imaging part, such as feature target orientation (Miyake, [0056]).
Claims 10 and 11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hinode (US 20160300727 A1) in view of Ten Berge (US 20180307135 A1), as applied to claims 1, 5, 8-9, 12-13, 21, and 23 above, further in view of Park (US 20200124987 A1).
The limitations of claims 1, 5, 8-9, 12-13, 21, and 23 are set forth above.
Regarding claim 10, Hinode teaches wherein the support unit includes: a rotation shaft (Fig. 1, [0041], rotary shaft 16); a support plate coupled to the rotation shaft (Fig. 1, [0041], spin base 14 is coupled to rotary shaft 16), and at least one support pin installed in the support plate (Fig. 1, [0041], multiple chuck pins 15 hold substrate W on spin base 14).
Hinode fails to teach that the support pin supports the edge region of a substrate having a quadrangular shape.
However, Park teaches at least one support pin (Fig. 6, [0076], guide pins 432) installed in the support plate (Fig. 6, [0076], guide pins 432 are provided on upper surface of supporting plate 431) and supporting an edge region of the substrate having a quadrangular shape (Fig 9, [0098], photomask 500 is supported by guide pins 432 on the edge regions.
Park is analogous art to the claimed invention because it is in the same field of endeavor of photomask substrate processing. Therefore, it would have been obvious to someone of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the support pins of Hinode to incorporate the guide pins of Park as it may help to eliminate a scratch generation factor on the photomask surface when the photomask is rotated (Park, [0115]).
Regarding claim 11, Hinode teaches at least one support pin (Fig. 1, [0041], multiple chuck pins 15 hold substrate W on spin base 14).
Hinode fails to teach a first face configured to support a lower portion of the substrate; and a second face facing a side portion of the substrate so as to limit a movement in a lateral direction of the substrate when the substrate is rotated.
However, Park teaches a first face configured to support a lower portion of the substrate (Fig 7 and 8, [0105], second sliding portion 540 supports bottom of substrate); and a second face facing a side portion of the substrate (Fig 7 and 8, [0119], first column 510 supports a side of substrate) so as to limit a movement in a lateral direction of the substrate when the substrate is rotated ([0079], when the supporting plate 431 rotates, guide pins 432 prevent the photo mask 500 from departing the supporting plate 431 in a side direction).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to someone of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the support pins of Hinode to incorporate the guide pins of Park as it eliminates a scratch generation factor on the photo masks (Park, [0115]).
Claim 16 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hinode (US 20160300727 A1) in view of Ten Berge (US 20180307135 A1), as applied to claims 1, 5, 8-9, 12-13, 21, and 23 above, and further in view of Heo (KR 20150136216).
The limitations of claims 1, 5, 8-9, 12-13, 21, and 23 are set forth above.
Regarding claim 16, Hinode teaches a chuck stage coupled to the rotation shaft (Fig. 1, [0041], spin base 14 is coupled to rotary shaft 16).
Hinode fails to teach a rotation shaft having a hollow and a window disposed above the chuck stage, wherein the heating unit includes a heating element disposed between the chuck stage and the window.
However, Heo teaches a rotation shaft having a hollow (Fig 4, [0063], rotation unit 230 has a hollow shape) and a window disposed above the chuck stage (Fig 4, quartz window 220 is located above chuck stage 210), wherein the heating unit includes a heating element disposed between the chuck stage and the window (Fig 4, heating unit 250 is located between quartz and chuck stage 210, and has heating lamps 252).
It would have been obvious to someone of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the chuck base of Hinode to incorporate the lower chuck heating assembly of Heo as doing so would allow for heating zones below the wafer to be individually controlled as necessitated by the process conditions (Heo, [0066]).
Claim 17 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hinode (US 20160300727 A1) in view of Ten Berge (US 20180307135 A1) and Heo (KR 20150136216), as applied to claim 16 above, and further in view of Kim (US 20190311923 A1) with Muta (US 20170032983 A1) as a supporting reference.
The limitations of claim 16 are set forth above.
Regarding claim 17, Hinode fails to teach wherein the heating element includes at least one of an IR lamp or an LED lamp.
However, Heo teaches wherein the heating element includes at least one of an IR lamp (Heo, Fig 4, [0066], heating unit 250 has lamps 252 which may be a plurality of IR lamps).
It would have been obvious to someone of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the chuck base of Hinode to incorporate the lower chuck heating assembly of Heo as doing so would allow for heating zones below the wafer to be individually controlled as necessitated by the process conditions (Heo, [0066]).
Modified Hinode fails to teach wherein the heating element includes at least one of an LED lamp.
However, Kim teaches an LED lamp (Kim, Fig 6, [0088], heating members 250 may be an LED). Kim is analogous art to the claimed invention because it is in the same field of endeavor of semiconductor substrate processing.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to someone of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to utilize the LEDs of Kim in place of the IR lamps of Heo since the two elements are recognized in the art as equivalents for substrate heating (Muta, [0003]). See MPEP 2144.06(II).
Claim 22 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hinode (US 20160300727 A1) in view of Ten Berge (US 20180307135 A1), as applied to claims 1, 5, 8-9, 12-13, 21, and 23 above, and further in view of Naohara (US 20200111715 A1).
The limitations of claims 1, 5, 8-9, 12-13, 21, and 23 are set forth above.
Regarding claim 22, Hinode teaches the discharge unit on a moving body (Hinode, Fig 2, [0057], switching between the start and stop of the discharge or droplets is performed by valve 40, and [0059] heater movement device 33 serves as droplet discharge position moving device).
Hinode fails to teach an image acquisition unit and wherein the discharge unit and image acquisition unit are on a same moving body.
However, Naohara teaches an image acquisition unit and wherein the discharge unit and image acquisition unit are on a moving body (Naohara, Fig. 13, [0144], discharge nozzle 31 and camera 70 are installed on fixing member 30, which is moveable via movement mechanism 33).
Naohara is considered analogous art to the claimed invention because it is in the same field of substrate processing. It would have been obvious to one ordinarily skilled in the art at the time of filing to have installed the image acquiring member and the discharge unit onto the same moving body as doing so enables the camera to be mounted with high precision with respect to the discharge nozzle (Naohara, [0147]).
Response to Arguments
On page 10 of the Applicant’s response filed 11/26/25, the Applicant asserts that reference Hinode fails to teach the claim limitation “locally heat any one of the first pattern and the second pattern” of independent claim 1, stating that the apparatus of Hinode “would appear to heat all regions of the substrate uniformly”. The Examiner has carefully considered the arguments but does not find them to be persuasive. The claim limitation recites “a heating unit configured to locally heat any one of the first pattern and the second pattern”. To clarify the record, the limitation is merely an intended use and is given patentable weight to the extent that the prior art is capable of performing the intended use. The apparatus of Hinode has a heater moving device 33 that moves heater arm 32 and lamp 34 to different positions above substrate W to irradiate the substrate (Hinode, [0054]), thereby being capable of meeting the claim limitation wherein separate areas of the substrate are heated. A claim containing a “recitation with respect to the manner in which a claimed apparatus is intended to be employed does not differentiate the claimed apparatus from a prior art apparatus” if the prior art apparatus teaches all the structural limitations of the claim. See MPEP 2114(II).
Additionally, the Examiner maintains that the limitation 'substrate on which a first pattern and a second pattern' is construed as a material or article worked upon by the apparatus, MPEP 2115. The recitation of a first and second pattern on the substrate does not impart a further patentable limitation to the claim because the support unit is capable of at least supporting a substrate, and as previously stated, inclusion of the material or article worked upon by a structure being claimed does not impart patentability to the claims. The claim language recites "a heating unit configured to locally heat any one of the first pattern and the second pattern" in reference to the substrate, not, for instance, different discrete locations on the support unit surface, nor does the claim positively recite any bounds to define the size or location(s) of the region(s) "locally heat[ed]". Therefore, taking the claim language as currently presented, the apparatus of Hinode has heater 31 with a lamp 34 that irradiates a region of a substrate (opposed to an entirety of a substrate), is movable to heat different regions across a substrate (Fig. 3, [0054]), and has a controllable spin chuck 5 which is configured to rotate during some processing steps ([0078]) and not rotate during others ([0068]), thereby being structurally capable of meeting the claim limitations.
On pages 10-11 of the Applicant’s response filed 11/26/25, the Applicant disagrees with “the combination of including the heating unit/emitting device of Ten Berge to the apparatus of Hinode” wherein “the heating unit of Ten Berge…were to replace the heating unit of Hinode” would be unsatisfactory to perform the intended purposes of “uniformly heating the substrate and liquid thereon” of Hinode. The Examiner has carefully considered the arguments but does not find them to be persuasive. In the rejection of claim 1 from the Non-Final Office Action mailed 8/29/25, and reproduced above in this Office Action, the Examiner does not propose replacement of the heating unit of Ten Berge for the heating unit of Hinode, but rather “incorporate[ing] the controller logic of not rotating the support unit during emitting of light in the manner of Ten Berge into the apparatus of Hinode as doing so would allow local process modifications or corrections to be implemented at a specific target location without inducing a change in other non-targeted locations (Ten Berge, [0107])”. There is no object of evidence that incorporation of such controller logic would prevent or make incapable the apparatus of Hinode from performing the intended purpose of uniform heating, but rather would additionally provide the capability and advantage of local process modifications or corrections to be implemented at a specific target location using the existing controllable heating unit and spin chuck of Hinode.
Conclusion
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to TODD M SEOANE whose telephone number is (703)756-4612. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9-5.
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/TODD M SEOANE/Examiner, Art Unit 1718 /GORDON BALDWIN/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 1718