DETAILED ACTION
Status of Claims
Claims 1-4, 6-29 and 31-40 are pending.
Claims 27-29 and 31-40 are withdrawn from consideration.
Claims 5 and 30 are cancelled.
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 .
Status of Objections and Rejections
The previous objection to claim 15 is withdrawn in view of Applicant’s amendment.
All other rejections from the previous Office action are withdrawn in view of Applicant’s amendment.
New grounds of rejection are necessitated by amendment.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of the first paragraph of 35 U.S.C. 112(a):
(a) IN GENERAL.—The specification shall contain a written description of the invention, and of the manner and process of making and using it, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and use the same, and shall set forth the best mode contemplated by the inventor or joint inventor of carrying out the invention.
The following is a quotation of the first paragraph of pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112:
The specification shall contain a written description of the invention, and of the manner and process of making and using it, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and use the same, and shall set forth the best mode contemplated by the inventor of carrying out his invention.
Claims 1-4 and 6-26 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(a) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), first paragraph, as failing to comply with the written description requirement. The claim(s) contains subject matter which was not described in the specification in such a way as to reasonably convey to one skilled in the relevant art that the inventor or a joint inventor, or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the inventor(s), at the time the application was filed, had possession of the claimed invention.
Regarding claim 1, the phrase “a controller…the controller configured to control; the pipeline to supply the electrolyte…substrate with a flow rate V2” contains subject matter which was not described in the specification in such a way as to reasonably convey to one skilled in the relevant art that the inventor or a joint inventor, or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the inventor(s), at the time the application was filed, had possession of the claimed invention. The instant specification includes a controller [0009] configured to control the rotating actuator…[0009]…connecting to the rotating actuator…controls the rotation speed [0081]…control the rotating actuator [0082]. The specification does not support the phrasing that the controller is controlling the pipeline to supply the electrolyte. The original specification includes the pipeline [0030]…connected to the tank [0033]. There does not appear to be any disclosure connecting the controller to the pipeline to supply the electrolyte as claimed. The specification does state that rotating of the actuator can generate liquid motion [0082], however the disclosure does not sufficiently support the claimed phrasing.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 23 December 2025 have been fully considered. The remarks on pages 8-11 are directed towards the previous grounds of rejection which have been withdrawn in view of Applicant’s amendment and therefore will not be specifically addressed at this time. New grounds of rejection under 35 U.S.C. 112(a) are presented above.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
US 7,947,161 – vibrating of workpiece
US 2021/0102307
US 8,329,006 – frequency of vibration
US 6,610,189 – flow of electrolyte; movement of substrate
US 2001/0040100 – flow direction; center to edge
US 2020/0048786
US 2015/0345039 – oscillating substrate
US 2008/0035475 – flow of electrolyte; controller
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). 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 STEFANIE S WITTENBERG whose telephone number is (571)270-7594. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday, 7:00 am -4:00 pm EST.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Luan Van can be reached at (571) 272-8521. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/Stefanie S Wittenberg/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1795
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