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
Response to Amendment
Applicants’ amendment of the claims, filed on 06/25/2026, in response to the rejection of claims 1, 4-10 from the non-final office action, mailed on 03/25/2026, by amending claim 1, is acknowledged and will be addressed below.
Claim Objections
Claim(s) is/are objected to because of the following informalities:
(1) The “a bellows configured to be compressed and decompressed connecting the auxiliary chamber and the heater” of Claim 1 should be:
“a bellows configured to be compressed and decompressed and connect the heater to the auxiliary chamber”.
(2) The “a load unit configured to connect the auxiliary chamber and the main chamber to load the deposition material from the auxiliary chamber into a cell of the main chamber” of Claim 1 would have a better form if amended to be:
“a load unit configured to connect the auxiliary chamber to the main chamber and load the deposition material from the auxiliary chamber into a cell of the main chamber”.
(3) The “a vacuum unit for creating a vacuum state” of Claim 5 would have a better form if amended to be:
“a vacuum unit configured for creating a vacuum state” or “a vacuum unit configured to create a vacuum state”.
(4) The “a compressor for maintaining” of Claim 8 would have a better form if amended to be:
“a compressor configured for maintaining” or “a compressor configured to maintain”.
(5) The “a motor compressing and decompressing” of Claim 10 would have a better form if amended to be:
“a motor configured for compressing and decompressing” of “a motor configured to compress and decompress”.
Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The text of those sections of Title 35, U.S. Code not included in this action can be found in a prior Office action.
Claims 1 and 4-10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor, or for pre-AIA the applicant regards as the invention.
(1) The “wherein the load unit is provided in two levels including a first level when the main chamber and the auxiliary chamber are not connected, and a second level configured to be protrudable and insertable into the cell of the main chamber connecting the main chamber and the auxiliary chamber” of Claim 1 is not clear.
First, it is not clear whether each of the two levels indicate an operational status of a function or a structure itself. Currently, the claim is constructed such that they appear to be functional status, however, the applicants’ specification discloses the two levels are a physical structural components.
Second, it is not clear whether the “rotrudable and insertable” indicate a physical structural component performing the function or merely the functional capability of the component regardless of its actual existence.
Third, it is not clear which part of the limitation is modified by the “connecting the main chamber and the auxiliary chamber”.
For the purpose of examination, it will be examined inclusive of:
“wherein the load unit comprises two levels, and the two levels further comprise:
a first level when the main chamber is not connected with the auxiliary chamber, and
a second level configured to be protruded and inserted into the cell of the main chamber and connect the auxiliary chamber to the main chamber”.
Allowable Subject Matter
If the claims are amended as above, claims 1 and 4-10 are allowable.
Response to Arguments
Applicants’ arguments filed on 06/25/2026 have been fully considered but they are not convincing in light of the new ground of rejection above.
Conclusion
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 AIDEN Y LEE whose telephone number is (571)270-1440. The examiner can normally be reached on M-F: 9am-5pm PT.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Gordon Baldwin can be reached on 571-272-5166. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/AIDEN LEE/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1718
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