DETAILED ACTION
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 .
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of in the reply filed on 08/20/2025 is acknowledged.
Claims 9-48 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected species, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on 08/20/2025. The Examiner notes that claim 35, which was not indicated as being withdrawn in the claim set, is dependent on withdrawn independent claim 33 and as such is also withdrawn.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
The following is a quotation of the appropriate paragraphs of 35 U.S.C. 102 that form the basis for the rejections under this section made in this Office action:
A person shall be entitled to a patent unless –
(a)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale, or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1-8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a1/a2) as being anticipated by United States Patent Application No. 2019/0249911 to Yamaguchi et al.
In regards to Claim 1, Yamaguchi teaches a baseplate 18a, 18b Fig. 11 of a substrate support assembly CS Fig. 11 comprising: a cavity VP between an upper region (in blue), a lower region (in yellow), and sidewalls (in red) of the baseplate; a plurality of pillars PP arranged in the cavity between the upper and lower regions; an inlet RT and JO to supply a liquid to the cavity; and an outlet RK and DLu, DLd to vent vapor of the liquid, [0034-0154].
PNG
media_image1.png
376
678
media_image1.png
Greyscale
In regards to Claim 2, Yamaguchi teaches the pillars are coated with a wicking material, as the pillars and 18b are made out of aluminum [0040], which is supported by the instant application [0100], which teaches the wicking material can be aluminum, the outer aluminum surface of PP is considered suitable material for the pillar coating.
In regards to Claim 3, Yamaguchi teaches the cavity is cylindrical (as shown in Fig. 12) and a height of the cavity is less than a diameter of the cavity (as generally shown in Fig. 11).
In regards to Claim 4, Yamaguchi teaches the pillars are cylindrical and extend from a bottom of the cavity to a top of the cavity, as shown in Fig. 11.
In regards to Claim 5, Yamaguchi teaches the pillars are cylindrical and extend vertically from a bottom of the cavity to a top of the cavity, as shown in Fig. 11.
In regards to Claim 6, Yamaguchi teaches the baseplate and the cavity are cylindrical and wherein the cavity extends radially along a diameter of the baseplate, as it is cylindrical and shown in Fig. 12.
In regards to Claim 7, Yamaguchi teaches the inlet is smaller in size than the outlet, as the size of RT is not as large as the size of RK as shown in Fig. 11.
In regards to Claim 8, Yamaguchi teaches the inlet JO is adjacent to a bottom of the cavity and wherein the outlet DLu is adjacent to a top of the cavity, as shown in Fig. 11.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. United States Patent Application No. 2003/0228772 to Cowans with condensing posts 38.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to TIFFANY Z NUCKOLS whose telephone number is (571)270-7377. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 10AM-7PM.
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, PARVIZ HASSANZADEH can be reached at (571)272-1435. 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.
/TIFFANY Z NUCKOLS/Examiner, Art Unit 1716
/Jeffrie R Lund/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1716