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 .
DETAILED ACTION
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election of Applicant elects Group I and Species A1, B1, C1 and D1 set forth in at least claims 1-32, 34-37, and 46- 55 in the reply filed on December 4th, 2025 is acknowledged. Because applicant did not distinctly and specifically point out the supposed errors in the restriction requirement, the election has been treated as an election without traverse (MPEP § 818.01(a)).
Priority
The applicant’s priority to provisional application 63005688 filed on April 6th, 2020 has been accepted.
Information Disclosure Statement
The Information Disclosure Statements filed on October 4th, 2022, February 25th, 2025, April 8th, 2025, and November 18th, 2025 have been considered by the examiner.
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.
Claim(s) 1,10,14-15,20,27,32,34-37,46-48 and 50-53 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lim et al (US 8968474), hereafter Lim.
With regards to claim 1, Lim discloses a slide and pivot assembly (door operating means 150) for a process module bias assembly of a substrate processing system (110), the slide and pivot assembly comprising :a slide torsion plate (leading part 150a); a plurality of rails configured to attach to the slide torsion plate or a processing chamber or be integrally formed as part of the slide torsion plate or processing chamber (guiding means 156 with bar 156a) ; a bias mounting plate (door 112d) configured to hold a portion of a process module for processing a substrate; and a hinge assembly (combination region 166 with first and second uneven portions 154a,b) attached to the slide torsion plate and the bias mounting plate, wherein the slide torsion plate, the bias mounting plate and the hinge assembly are configured to slide via the plurality of rails and bearings in a lateral direction relative to the processing chamber (Col. 5, L6-10) wherein a body of the slide torsion plate spans across a gap between the plurality of rails over at least one of i) an entire length of the plurality of rails, and ii) an entire lateral pull out extension length of the bias mounting plate (Fig. 4C), and wherein the bias mounting plate is configured to pivot relative to the slide torsion plate while the slide and pivot assembly is in at least a partially pulled out state (Col. 5, L67-Col. 6, L5). Lim does not directly disclose bearings disposed adjacent to the plurality of rails.
However, the use of bearings to help components move is known in the art and therefore rendered obvious to a person with ordinary skill in the art to add bearings in order to reduce the need for maintenance.
With regards to claim 10, Lim discloses all the elements of claim 1 as outlined above. Lim further discloses wherein the plurality of rails includes two rails mounted on the slide torsion plate and configured to ride on bearing blocks mounted on the processing chamber (Fig. 3).
With regards to claim 14, Lim discloses all the elements of claim 1 as outlined above. Lim further discloses wherein the bias mounting plate closes off an open side of the processing chamber (Col. 6, L21-24).
With regards to claim 15, Lim discloses all the elements of claim 1 as outlined above. Lim does not directly disclose a jack screw assembly attached to the bias mounting plate and configured to detach the bias mounting plate from the processing chamber. However, making something detachable is considered to be obvious to a person with ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention in order to facilitate maintenance (MPEP2144.04.V.C)
With regards to claim 20, Lim discloses all the elements of claim 1 as outlined above. Lim does not directly disclose wherein the hinge assembly includes one or more bearing assemblies. However, the use of bearings to help components move is known in the art and therefore rendered obvious to a person with ordinary skill in the art to add bearings in order to reduce the need for maintenance.
With regards to claim 27, Lim discloses all the elements of claim 1 as outlined above. Lim further discloses :an end plate (clamping part 150b) ; and a plurality of bearing blocks (156b) configured to be mounted on the processing chamber, and the plurality of rails includes two rails mounted on the slide torsion plate and configured to ride on the bearing blocks (Fig. 3).
Lim does not directly disclose wherein the slide torsion plate is 'C'-shaped and the bearing blocks comprise the bearings. However, changes in shape are considered obvious to a person with ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to avoid interference with other components (MPEP 2144.04.IV.B). Furthermore, the use of bearings to help components move is known in the art and therefore rendered obvious to a person with ordinary skill in the art to add bearings in order to reduce the need for maintenance.
With regards to claim 46, Lim discloses all the elements of claim 1 as outlined above. Lim does not directly disclose wherein the body of the slide torsion plate is a rectangular-shaped unitary structure. However, changes in shape are considered obvious to a person with ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to avoid interference with other components (MPEP 2144.04.IV.B).
With regards to claim 47, Lim discloses all the elements of claim 1 as outlined above. Lim does not directly disclose wherein the slide torsion plate is a solid rectangular-shaped plate. However, changes in shape are considered obvious to a person with ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to avoid interference with other components (MPEP 2144.04.IV.B).
With regards to claim 48, Lim discloses all the elements of claim 1 as outlined above. Lim further discloses wherein a pivot location of at least one of the hinge assembly and the bias mounting plate is forward of the slide torsion plate and located laterally from a peripheral side edge of the bias mounting plate (Fig. 4C).
With regards to claim 34, Lim discloses a slide and pivot assembly (door operating means 150) for a process module bias assembly of a substrate processing system (110), the slide and pivot assembly comprising: a plurality of bearing blocks (blocks 156b) configured to attach to a processing chamber a plurality of rails (guiding means 156 with bar 156a) configured to slide relative to the plurality of bearing blocks; a bias mounting plate (door 112d) configured to hold a portion of a process module for processing a substrate; and a hinge assembly (combination region 166 with first and second uneven portions 154a,b) attached to the plurality of rails and the bias mounting plate and comprising a plurality of members (with first and second uneven portions 154a,b), one of the plurality of members being attached to ends of the plurality of rails, wherein the bias mounting plate and the hinge assembly are configured to slide via the plurality of rails in a lateral direction relative to the processing chamber (Col. 5, L6-10), and wherein the bias mounting plate is configured to pivot relative to the plurality of rails while the slide and pivot assembly is in at least a partially pulled out state (Col. 5, L67-Col. 6, L5). Lim does not directly disclose bearings on the bearing blocks.
However, the use of bearings to help components move is known in the art and therefore rendered obvious to a person with ordinary skill in the art to add bearings in order to reduce the need for maintenance.
With regards to claim 35, Lim discloses all the elements of claim 34 as outlined above. Lim further discloses wherein the plurality of rails comprise: a first rail (Fig. 3)a second rail disposed below the first rail (Fig 3). Lim does not directly disclose a third rail disposed below the second rail. However, this is a simple duplication of parts and is rendered obvious to a person with ordinary skill in the art based on the size of the bias mounting plate to avoid component warping (MPEP 2144.04.VI.B).
With regards to claim 36, Lim discloses all the elements of claim 34 as outlined above. Lim does not directly disclose wherein the plurality of rails are cylindrically-shaped rails. However, changes in shape are considered obvious to a person with ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to avoid interference with other components (MPEP 2144.04.IV.B).
With regards to claim 37, Lim discloses all the elements of claim 34 as outlined above. Lim does not directly disclose wherein: the plurality of rails comprise web rails; and each of the web rails includes cylindrically-shaped top and bottom edges extending along and attached to a longitudinal member. However, changes in shape are considered obvious to a person with ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention in order to reduce costs (MPEP 2144.04.IV.B).
With regards to claim 50, Lim discloses all the elements of claim 34 as outlined above. Lim further discloses wherein the plurality of rails are attached at front ends to the hinge assembly (Fig. 4C).
With regards to claim 51, Lim discloses all the elements of claim 34 as outlined above. Lim further discloses further comprising a slide torsion plate (leading part 150a) comprising the plurality of rails.
With regards to claim 52, Lim discloses all the elements of claim 51 as outlined above. Lim does not directly disclose wherein the plurality of rails are integrally formed as part of the slide torsion plate. However, making things integral is considered to be obvious to a person with ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to increase structural integrity (MPEP 2144.04.V.B).
With regards to claim 53, Lim discloses all the elements of claim 51 as outlined above. Lim further discloses wherein a body of the slide torsion plate spans across a gap between the plurality of rails over at least one of i) an entire length of the plurality of rails, and ii) an entire lateral pull out extension length of the bias mounting plate(Fig. 4C).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 54-55 are allowable.
Independent claim 54 is allowable for disclosing “a second one of the plurality of members is attached to the bias mounting plate.”
Claim 55 is allowable by virtue of its dependency.
Claims 2-9, 11-13, 16-19, 21-26, 28-31 and 49 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Claim 2 would be allowable for disclosing “ the second hinge member attached to the bias mounting plate and connected to pivot relative to the first hinge member.”
Claims 11-12, 16, 19, 21-23, 30 would be allowable for detailing the specifics of different components.
Claim 28-29 would be allowable for disclosing “the plurality of rails are telescopic rails.”
Claims 3-9, 13, 17-18, 24-26, 31, and 49 would be allowable by virtue of their dependencies.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JESSICA LYNN BURKMAN whose telephone number is (571)272-5824. The examiner can normally be reached M-Th 7:30am to 6:00pm EST.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Michael McCullough can be reached at (571)272-7805. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/J.L.B./Examiner, Art Unit 3653
/MICHAEL MCCULLOUGH/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3653
Prosecution Insights