DETAILED ACTION
Status of Claims
Claims 1-4 are pending.
It is noted that there are 3 claim sets dated 05/16/2023. Two claim sets appear to be amended, however, one of the amended claim sets indicates that it was received 03/11/2022 by another Bureau. Therefore the claim set that is amended and has claims 1-4 pending is being examined.
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 .
Specification
The disclosure is objected to because of the following informalities: the term “silicon” found throughout the specification appears to be a typo for “silicone”. Silicon is the element having the symbol Si and is a hard solid. Silicone however is a polymeric based compound that appears to be chemical composition of the ring (10) given that it is casted and referred to as a resin.
Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Objections
Claim 1 is objected to because of the following informalities: “silicon” may be more appropriately written as “silicone” (line 11). See explanation above. Appropriate correction is required.
Claim 1 is objected to because of the following informalities: “an” diaphragm (lines 4, 6) may be more appropriately written as “a” diaphragm. Appropriate correction is required.
Claim 1 objected to because of the following informalities: “for to separate” (line 4) may be more appropriately written as “to separate” Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 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(s) 1-4 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Matsubara et al. (JP 2002-004099) in view of Woodruff et al. (US 2016/0348263).
Regarding claim 1, Matsubara discloses a plating tank (1) [0030] (= a plating equipment comprising a plating tank) including:
An opening part (2) of the cathode chamber (7) which a substrate (W) is placed [0031] (Figure 3) (= an opening part in which an object to be plated is placed);
A supply pipe (9) for a copper sulfate solution (L1) [0034] (= a solution supply piping that supplies a plating solution toward the object to be plated);
An insoluble anode (4) arranged opposite to the substrate [0030] (= an insoluble anode that is arranged so as to be opposed to the object to be plated);
A membrane sheet (6) (= and a diaphragm to separate the object to be plated and the insoluble anode from each other),
Ends (6b) fixed to the inner portion of the plating tank (= a diaphragm outer peripheral end being fixed to a plating tank inner wall),
A through hole at the openings (6a) (= a through-hole being provided in a diaphragm center; not labeled),
The ends (6a) fixed to the solution piping (9) (= a hole peripheral end of the through-hole being fixed to the solution supply piping),
The membrane (6) being inclined as depicted in Figure 3 [0049] (= the diaphragm being thus arranged so as to be inclined upward in an outer circumferential direction from the solution supply piping),
The copper sulfate solution (L1) flowing through supply pipe (9) towards the substrate (W), the supply pipe connected to the cathode tank (11) [0034]-[0036] (= the solution supply piping supplies the plating solution to an upper catholyte chamber in the plating tank, the upper catholyte chamber being formed by the diaphragm and the placed object to be plated), and
A supply pipe (10) which is disposed radially around the supply pipe (9) and supplies solution (L2) [0034]-[0036] (= an annular flow passage including a solution ejection hole in an upper part thereof is provided in an outer circumference of the solution supply piping),
Solution (L2) is supplied to the anode side from the supply pipe outlet (Figure 3, [0034]-[0036]) (= a lower anolyte chamber solution is supplied from the solution ejection hole to the lower anolyte chamber in the plating tank),
The lower anolyte chamber being formed below the membrane (6) (Figure 3) (= the lower anolyte chamber being formed below the diaphragm,
Arrows depict the flow of solution towards a circumferential direction or periphery direction in the anolyte chamber originating from the supply pipe which is around the through-hole (Figure 3) [0044] (= and a flow that moves from around the through-hole of the diaphragm toward the outer circumferential direction of the diaphragm is thus formed in the lower anolyte chamber solution; although the circular elements depict bubbles, Matsubara indicates that the plating liquid discharges together with the bubbles [0023]),
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Figure 3 of JP 2002-004099
Matsubara differs from the instant claim in that Matsubara is silent in regards to a silicon(e) ring is firmly fixed to each of the outer peripheral end of the diaphragm and a hole edge of the through-hole of the diaphragm.
In the same or similar field of electroplating devices, Woodruff discloses a processor comprising a membrane plate (114) that is sealed to the anode cup by the compression applied to o-ring seal (102) [0034], Figure 9. Alternatively, Woodruff discloses an annular membrane seal (122) [0022]. Woodruff discloses providing a rigid membrane assembly (110) having improved sealing characteristics [0021]-[0022].
Before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to produce a device comprising a silicon(e) ring because Woodruff discloses that anode and cathode chambers are separated by a membrane and the membrane can be secured and provide improved sealing with the use of an o-ring seal. O-ring seals are known to be formed of silicone rubber or other elastomeric material. Regarding the ring being fixed to a hole edge of the through-hole, use of a sealing element for abutting elements such as the diaphragm opening and the supply pipes for example would have been an obvious engineering design choice in order to seal off the anode and cathode chambers at positions that would be susceptible to leakage.
Regarding claim 2, Matsubara illustrates arrows depicting the flow of solution towards a circumferential direction or periphery direction in the anolyte chamber originating from the supply pipe which is around the through-hole (Figure 3) [0023], [0044]. Although the circular elements depict bubbles, Matsubara indicates that the plating liquid discharges together with the bubbles [0023].
Regarding claims 3-4, Matsubara discloses the use of pumps (13, 14) [0036]. Woodruff discloses a computer (65, or an electronic controller [0030]) controlling a servo valve (75) to control the liquid supply [0030] and including one or more pumps [0025]. It would have been obvious to utilize the computer (= flow rate controller) of Woodruff with the pumping system of Matsubara for controlling the flow rate in the lower anolyte chamber.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
US 2007/0114127 plating apparatus with diaphragm (F)
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/Stefanie S Wittenberg/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1795