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 .
A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after final rejection. Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on 02/03/26 has been entered.
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 7, 10-11, 13-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Yukio Tomifuji et al (KR 10-2020-0004260, here after Tomifuji).
Claim 7 is rejected. Tomifuji teaches a method for measuring a floating amount of a substrate of an apparatus for dispensing droplets, the apparatus including a stage (33) on which a substrate(W) is disposed and spraying holes (31 h, 33h) through which gas is sprayed from a lower portion of the substrate to the substrate are disposed [fig. 1, and fig.10a]; a substrate moving unit (101, 102) for moving the substrate disposed on the stage [fig. 1]; a droplet dispensing unit(61) disposed in a vertical direction(z) above the substrate[fig. 10a]; and a droplet dispensing unit moving unit connected to the droplet dispensing unit(76), and moving the droplet dispensing unit[abstract], the method comprising:
a floating amount measuring operation for measuring a floating amount of a
substrate at multiple positions by measuring a distance from the substrate in the vertical(z) direction through a distance measuring unit(72) connected to the droplet dispensing unit while changing a position of the distance measuring unit with respect to the substrate[page 9 paragraph 6, page 10 paragraphs 3-4], and a state checking operation of a distance measuring unit for checking a state of the distance measuring unit, wherein the state checking operation of the distance measuring unit includes a communication initialization operation for initializing communication between the distance measuring unit and a control unit of the apparatus for dispensing droplets[page 12 paragraphs 1-3, last 3 lines to page 12 lines 1-6], wherein the floating amount measuring operation comprises a moving and measuring operation in a first direction(X-direction) for moving the substrate in a first direction, in which the stage is formed to be extended through the substrate moving unit, and a moving operation in a second direction for moving the distance measuring unit in a second direction(Y-direction), perpendicular to the first direction and the vertical(Z) direction, through the droplet dispensing unit moving unit, and wherein the moving and measuring operation in the first direction and the moving operation of in the second direction are alternately performed[page 10 paragraphs 2-4, page 12 paragraphs 1-5].
Claim 10 is rejected. Tomifuji teaches in the moving and measuring operation in the first direction(X), the substrate is moved by a first distance in a first direction and then measured, and in the moving and measuring operation in the second direction(Y), the distance measuring unit is moved by a second distance [page 11 paragraph 3].
Claim 11 so rejected. Tomifuji teaches in the moving and measuring operation in the first direction, the movement in the first direction comprises forward movement and backward movement, and in the moving and measuring operation in the first direction after performing the moving operation in the second direction, the forward direction and backward direction in the first direction are converted [page 11 paragraphs 3-end to page 12 paragraph 2, fig. 10 a-c].
Claim 13 is rejected as Tomifuji teaches the state checking operation further comprises a setting position moving operation for moving the distance measuring unit to a first position above the substrate through the substrate moving unit or the droplet dispensing unit moving unit [page 12 paragraphs 3-4].
Claim 14 is rejected as Tomifuji teaches the state checking operation further
comprises a zero-set setting operation for measuring a distance from the substate at the first position through the distance measuring unit and then changing setting based on a measured value; and
an off-set reflection operation for reflecting a basic setting to the distance measuring unit, zero-set in the zero-set setting operation [page 12 paragraphs 1-5].
Claim 15 is rejected as Tomifuji teaches in the moving operation, the
floating amount measuring operation, and the state checking operation are performed separately from dispensing droplets of the droplet dispensing unit (see claim rejection above), and after droplets are dispensed to a predetermined number of substrates, the moving operation, the floating amount measuring operation, and the state checking operation are performed [page 14 paragraph 5].
Claim 16 is rejected. an unloading operation for unloading the substrate on which the floating amount measuring operation has been performed should perfume to remove the substrate after processing.
Claim 17 is rejected as Tomifuji teaches a data providing operation for providing position information on clogging of spraying holes based on the floating amount measured in the floating amount measuring operation and position information of the distance measuring unit from the substrate [page 11 paragraph 1].
Claim 18 is rejected. Tomifuji teaches a method for measuring a floating amount of a substrate of an apparatus for dispensing droplets, the apparatus including a stage (32) on which a substrate is disposed and spraying holes (31h, 33h) through which gas(air) is sprayed from a lower portion of the substrate to the substrate are disposed; a substrate moving unit (rollers, and 110) for moving the substrate disposed on the stage;
a droplet dispensing unit disposed (61) in a vertical direction above the substrate(W); and a droplet dispensing unit moving unit (76) connected to the droplet dispensing unit [fig. 1, fig. 10], and moving the droplet dispensing unit, the method comprising:
a state checking operation of a distance measuring unit (72) for checking a state of a distance measuring unit connected to the droplet dispensing unit at intervals of a predetermined number of substrates (it happens when the process is on number of substrates);
a floating amount measuring operation of measuring a floating amount of a substrate at multiple positions by measuring a distance from the substrate in the vertical direction(z) through the distance measuring unit while changing a position of the distance measuring unit with respect to the substrate[page 11 paragraph 2, page 12 last 3 lines to page 12 lines 1-6], wherein the floating amount measuring operation includes a moving and measuring operation in a first direction(x) for moving the position of the distance measuring unit from the substrate in a first direction, in which the stage is formed to be extended through the substrate moving unit, and a moving operation in a second direction(y) for moving the position of the distance measuring unit from the substrate in a second direction, perpendicular to the first direction and the vertical direction, through the substrate moving unit or the droplet dispensing unit moving unit[fig. 10, fig. 1], wherein the moving and measuring operation in the first direction and the measuring operation in the second direction are alternately performed, wherein the state checking operation of the distance measuring unit includes a communication initialization operation for initializing communication between the distance measuring unit and a control unit of the apparatus for dispensing droplets[page 11 paragraphs 2 to page 12 paragraph 3].
Claim 19 is rejected as Tomifuji teaches the state checking operation of the distance measuring unit comprises a communication initialization operation for initializing communication between the distance measuring unit and a control unit of the apparatus for dispensing droplets;
a setting position moving operation for moving the distance measuring unit to a first position above the substrate through the substrate moving unit or the droplet dispensing unit moving unit;
a zero-set setting operation for measuring a distance from the substrate at the first position through the distance measuring unit and then changing setting based on a measured value; and
an off-set reflection operation for reflecting a basic setting to the distance measuring unit, zero-set in the zero-set setting operation [page 11 paragraphs 2 to page 13 paragraph 1].
Claim 20 is rejected as Tomifuji teaches a data providing operation of providing position information on clogging of spraying holes based on the floating amount measured in the floating amount measuring operation and the position information of the distance measuring unit from the substrate in the moving operation [page 13 paragraph 2].
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 02/03/26 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive. The applicant argues Ota does not teach second direction perpendicular to the first direction and vertical direction. The examiner disagrees, in fact Tomifuji teaches moving the nozzle and distance measuring unit (72) in Y direction which is perpendicular to vertical (z) direction and the first direction(x). Tomifuji also teaches communication between the distance measuring unit and control unit of the apparatus for dispensing the droplet [page 12 last 3 lines to page 12 lines 1-6].
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to TABASSOM TADAYYON ESLAMI whose telephone number is (571)270-1885. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9:30-6.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Gordon Baldwin can be reached at 5712725166. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/TABASSOM TADAYYON ESLAMI/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1718