DETAILED ACTION
For this Office action, Claims 1-5 and 7-10 are pending. Claim 6 has been canceled.
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 Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 05 January 2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive. Applicant has incorporated the limitations of now canceled Claim 6 into the claim language of independent Claims 1 and 8. Applicant further argues that Ogawa (WO 2020/039764; the primary reference in all grounds of rejection) discloses a reservoir and therefore cannot read on the incorporated limitation. Upon further consideration, the examiner respectfully disagrees. Claims 1 and 8 now require no reservoir provided in only the circulation-type cleaning water supply pipe. If one turns to Figure 2, the circulation-type cleaning water supply pipe is considered the pipe between the functional substance addition device 2 to L1; this pipe is also designated as W1” in Figure 2c. This pipe does not comprise a reservoir of any kind within the pipe. The same holds true for Claim 8, although the circulation pipe is the pipe referred to as “L1”, which lacks a reservoir. For these reasons, the grounds of rejection are maintained in view of the arguments.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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.
Claims 1, 2, 4-5, and 7-10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Ogawa (WO 2020/039764; found in IDS filed 03/16/2023).
Regarding instant Claim 1, Ogawa discloses a wafer cleaning supply system (Abstract; Figure 1; system for producing washing water for electronic components such as silicon wafer) comprising:
a wafer cleaning water production unit that dissolves a chemical agent in ultrapure water thereby to produce wafer cleaning water having a predetermined concentration of the chemical agent (Figure 1; Figure 2a-c; Paragraph [0009]; Paragraph [0010]; see functional substance addition device 2 with addition of chemical agent of varying type to raw/ultrapure water to make washing water as seen in W1);
a circulation-type cleaning water supply pipe that supplies the wafer cleaning water produced by the wafer cleaning water production unit to a use point (Figure 1; Figure 2c; Paragraph [0009]; Paragraph [0010]; Paragraph [0014]; see storage tank 4 and line of W1 produced by functional substance addition device 2 that goes to L1 from said tank, especially as seen in Fig. 2c);
a replenishment pipe that connects the wafer cleaning unit production unit and the circulation-type cleaning water supply pipe (Figure 1; Figure 2a-c; Paragraph [0009]; Paragraph [0010]; Paragraph [0014]; see L1);
a measurement means for calculating a usage amount of cleaning water at the use point of the wafer cleaning water that circulates through the circulation-type cleaning water supply pipe (Figure 1; Figure 2a-c; Paragraph [0007]; Paragraphs [0015]-[0018]; first flow meter and second flow meter 1 and 5 measure amount used at L1); and
a control means that controls a replenishment amount of the wafer cleaning water from the wafer cleaning water production unit to the circulation-type cleaning water supply pipe based on a measurement result of the measurement means (Figures 1-2a-c; Paragraphs [0015]-[0018]; control means 7 uses flow meter values to determine amount of flow of fluid from replenishment device 2 to L1 via W1”),
wherein no reservoir is provided in the circulation-type cleaning water supply pipe (Figure 1; Figure 2a-c; Paragraph [0009]; Paragraph [0010]; Paragraph [0014]; reservoir 4 is not located between the functional substance addition device 2 and pipe L1).
Regarding instant Claim 2, Claim 1, upon which Claim 2 is dependent, has been rejected above. Ogawa discloses wherein the measurement means is a flowmeter, the usage amount of the wafer cleaning water at the use point is calculated based on a measurement value of the flowmeter, and the replenishment amount of the wafer cleaning water is controlled by the control means (Figures 1-2a-c; Paragraphs [0015]-[0018]; flow meters are used in control means 7 operations).
Regarding instant Claim 4, Claim 1, upon which Claim 4 is dependent, has been rejected above. Ogawa further discloses wherein the use point has a plurality of cleaning machines (Figure 1; Paragraph [0003]; Paragraph [0007]; plurality of use points at branching point 8).
Regarding instant Claim 5, Claim 1, upon which Claim 5 is dependent, has been rejected above. Ogawa further discloses wherein the circulation-type cleaning water supply pipe has a relief valve (Figure 1; Figure 2c; Paragraph [0009]; Paragraph [0010]; Paragraph [0014]; see valve in line upstream from flow meter 5).
Regarding instant Claim 7, Claim 1, upon which Claim 7 is dependent, has been rejected above. Ogawa further discloses wherein the wafer cleaning water production unit is supplied with a liquid chemical agent component by a pump to supply the liquid chemical agent component from a tank that stores the liquid chemical agent component (Figure 1; Paragraph [0011]; pump may be used for transfer of functional substance from 2 when substance is a liquid).
Regarding instant Claim 8, Ogawa disclose a method of supplying wafer cleaning water (Abstract; Figure 1; method of using system for producing washing water for electronic components such as silicon wafer), the method comprising:
dissolving a chemical agent in ultrapure water thereby to produce wafer cleaning water having a predetermined concentration of chemical agent (Figure 1; Figure 2a-c; Paragraph [0009]; Paragraph [0010]; see functional substance addition device 2 with addition of chemical agent of varying type to raw/ultrapure water to make washing water as seen in W1);
feeding the wafer cleaning water to a circulation-type cleaning water supply pipe thereby to supply the wafer cleaning water to a use point (Figure 1; Figure 2a-c; Paragraph [0009]; Paragraph [0010]; Paragraph [0014], line L1);
circulating, by the circulation-type cleaning water supply pipe, the wafer cleaning water unused at the use point and reusing the unused wafer cleaning water (Figure 1; Figure 2a-c; Paragraph [0007]; return line L2),
wherein
no reservoir is provided in the circulation-type cleaning water supply pipe (Figures 2a-c; Paragraph [0009]; Paragraph [0010]; Paragraph [0014], line L1 does not comprise a reservoir);
an index for calculating a usage amount of cleaning water is measured at the use point of the wafer cleaning water that circulates through the circulation-type cleaning water supply pipe (Figure 1; Figure 2a-c; Paragraph [0007]; Paragraphs [0015]-[0018]; first flow meter and second flow meter 1 and 5 measure amount used at L1; measured flow rates serve as index for usage by control means 7); and
replenishment amount of the wafer cleaning water based on the measurement result is controlled by a control means (Figures 1-2a-c; Paragraphs [0015]-[0018]; control means 7 uses flow meter values to determine amount of flow of fluid from replenishment device 2 to L1 via W1”).
Regarding instant Claim 9, Claim 8, upon which Claim 9 is dependent, has been rejected above. Ogawa further discloses wherein the wafer cleaning water is not supplied to the circulation-type cleaning water supply pipe until a chemical agent component of the water cleaning water reaches a predetermined concentration (see at least comparative example 1, wherein ammonia is added to ultrapure water until a certain conductivity is reached).
Regarding instant Claim 10, Claim 8, upon which Claim 10 is dependent, has been rejected above. Ogawa further discloses wherein a small amount of cleaning water is supplied to the circulation-type cleaning water supply pipe even when the wafer cleaning water is not used at the use point (Figure 2B; Paragraph [0018]; see that control means may determine that washing water was not used at the use point, indicating cleaning water may be delivered to use point when not in use).
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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
Claim 3 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ogawa (WO 2020/039764; found in IDS filed 03/16/2023) in view of Ukai et al. (herein referred to as “Ukai”, US Pat Pub. 2017/0029306) .
Regarding instant Claim 3, Claim 1, upon which Claim 3 is dependent, has been rejected above. Ogawa further discloses at least one flow meter, the usage amount of the wafer cleaning water at the use point is calculated based on a measurement value of the flowmeter, and the replenishment amount of the wafer cleaning water is controlled by the control means (Figures 1-2a-c; Paragraphs [0015]-[0018]).
However, the reference is silent on a pressure gauge.
Guo discloses a converter valve cooling water system using cleaning device in the same field of endeavor as the instant application, as it solves the mutual problem of providing water for semiconductor purposes (Abstract; Paragraph [0056]; Paragraph [0138]). Guo further discloses wherein pressure gauges may be used along with flow meters to determine the pressure of flow through the respective lines (Figure 10; Paragraph [0138]; see pressure gauges 106 A to C, wherein pressure gauges are on different lines).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to modify the measurement means of Ogawa by further making said means a pressure gauge as taught by Guo because Guo discloses pressure gauges work to measure the pressure of water flowing through the pipes (Figure 10; Paragraph [0138]).
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 RICHARD C GURTOWSKI whose telephone number is (571)272-3189. The examiner can normally be reached 9:00 am-6:30pm MT.
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/RICHARD C GURTOWSKI/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1773 01/27/2026