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 .
Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
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and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114.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 9 July 2026 has been entered.
Election/Restrictions
Claims 15 and 17 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected invention, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on 22 August 2025.
Applicant is reminded that upon the cancelation of claims to a non-elected invention, the inventorship must be corrected in compliance with 37 CFR 1.48(a) if one or more of the currently named inventors is no longer an inventor of at least one claim remaining in the application. A request to correct inventorship under 37 CFR 1.48(a) must be accompanied by an application data sheet in accordance with 37 CFR 1.76 that identifies each inventor by his or her legal name and by the processing fee required under 37 CFR 1.17(i).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of the first paragraph of 35 U.S.C. 112(a):
(a) IN GENERAL.—The specification shall contain a written description of the invention, and of the manner and process of making and using it, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and use the same, and shall set forth the best mode contemplated by the inventor or joint inventor of carrying out the invention.
The following is a quotation of the first paragraph of pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112:
The specification shall contain a written description of the invention, and of the manner and process of making and using it, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and use the same, and shall set forth the best mode contemplated by the inventor of carrying out his invention.
Claim 13 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(a) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), first paragraph, as failing to comply with the written description requirement. The claim(s) contains subject matter which was not described in the specification in such a way as to reasonably convey to one skilled in the relevant art that the inventor or a joint inventor, or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the inventor(s), at the time the application was filed, had possession of the claimed invention.
Claim 13 has been amended to require that the transport section transports the object in the direction intersecting the short side direction. The specification as originally-filed does not describe the direction of transport in such a way as to reasonably convey to one skilled in the relevant art that the inventor or a joint inventor, or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the inventor(s), at the time the application was filed, had possession of the claimed invention. The specification as originally-filed describes what might be called a “short-side direction” of a supply port that is slit-shaped in terms of an Xu-direction width (interval)Dg of the slit aperture portion AP that is preferably set to be short than an Xu-direction width Da of the inlet port 13a (Figs. 2, 14, [0027]; the specification does not define another “short-side direction” of a supply port (Fig. 2). Also, the specification as originally-filed describes a transport section capable of transporting an object (substrate P) in a Xu direction (Figs. 1-3, 17, 19, 20, 24, 25, and 26; see arrows). Thus, to the extent that one can reasonably infer a “short-side direction” from the description, which does not expressly use the term “short-side direction,” the specification rather describes a transport section capable of transporting an object in the direction parallel to the short-side direction, not intersecting the short-side direction.
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.
Claim(s) 1-4, 7, 10,12-13, 16, 25, and 32-34 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Li (WO 2018/220756, citing US 2020/0171514 as the English translation).
Regarding Claim 1, Li (WO’756) teaches a deposition apparatus that supplies mist to a front surface of an object and deposits a film made of a material substance containing the mist on the front surface of the object (Abstract; Figs. 1-2), the deposition apparatus comprising: a mist generating section 50 that generates the mist [0029]; and a mist supplying section configured to supply (i.e. capable of supplying) the mist generated by the mist generating section to the front surface of the object (“object” is an aspect of an intended use, not a structural feature of the claimed apparatus and not given patentable weight), the mist supplying section including an inner wall surface (current plates 81-1 to 81-4 can each be considered an inner wall surface: Fig. 3; [0061]), defining a space into which the mist is introduced via the inlet port; an inlet port (supply port 87a) configured to introduce the mist into the space (Fig. 3; [0055-0056]; and a supply port (main body slit 85a/guide channel 83a) that supplies the mist from the space to the front surface of the object, wherein the inner wall surface includes two wall surfaces facing each other, at least one of the two wall surfaces being connected to one end portion of the supply port (e.g. 85 at end of 83a -- at 85a) (Fig. 3; [0045-0046, 0057]), the supply port is a slit (i.e. “slit-shaped”) [0046], and in a short-side direction of the supply port that is slit-shaped, the supply port is provided at a different position than the inlet port (e.g. the supply port has a horizontal short-side direction at the end where slit plate 84 is located (Fig. 3), and inlet port 87a is located in a short-side direction (horizontally) at a different position than the inlet port (Fig. 3).
Regarding Claim 2, WO’756 teaches that the inlet port of the mist supplying section comprises a plurality of inlet ports, the inlet port 87a comprises inlet ports from 25 and 22 (Fig. 3; [0029,0056]).
Regarding Claim 3, WO’756 teaches that the plurality of inlet ports are provided along the predetermined direction (Fig. 3; See, also last sentence of the rejection of Claim 1 above).
Regarding Claim 4, WO’756 teaches that the inner wall surface includes two wall surfaces facing each other (e.g. 80,88, or 81-3 facing 81-4), and the mist is capable of being sprayed from the inlet port at least onto 81-4 (Fig. 3).
Regarding Claim 7, WO’756 teaches that the mist supplying section includes a recovery section 26 capable of recovering mist that has adhered to the part of the inner wall surface and become a liquid [0058,0075].
Regarding Claim 10, WO’756 the mist supplying section is capable of being provided at a position facing the object, and capable of supplying the mist to the object from the supply port (intended use recitation, not given patentable weight for the claimed apparatus, capable of performing the recited intended use).
Regarding Claim 12, WO’756 teaches that the object holding section includes a transport section that transports the object; and the mist supplying section supplies the mist to the object being transported [0048-0050].
Regarding Claim 13, WO’756 teaches that the transport section is capable of transporting the object in the direction (generally horizontal) intersecting the short-side direction to the same extent that the present application considers a transport section to be capable of transport section to transport the object in a direction intersecting the short-side direction (Fig. 2; [0048,0050]).
Regarding Claim 16, WO’756 teaches the claimed apparatus, capable of performing the recited intended use, wherein the object is a flexible substrate. The claim recites an intended use for a flexible substrate, which is not itself a structure of the claimed apparatus itself, and the intended use is not given significant patentable weight for the claimed apparatus, capable of performing the intended use.
Regarding Claim 25, WO’756 teaches that a size of the space continuously decreases from the inlet port toward the supply port for at least part of the way from the inlet port toward the supply port (Fig. 3).
Regarding Claim 32, the inlet port is directed in a manner so that a center line of the inlet port intersects a part of the inner wall surface (Fig. 3).
Regarding Claim 33, an angle formed between an extension line through a center of an ejection vector of the mist from the inlet port and the inner wall surface intersecting with the extension line for a first time forms an acute angle (Fig. 3).
Regarding Claim 34, the inlet port is disposed above the space (Fig. 3).
Claim(s) 1-4, 8, 10, 16, 25, and 32-34 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Choi et al. (KR 20180099024A).
Regarding Claim 1, Choi et al. (KR’024) teach a deposition apparatus that is capable of supplying mist (steam) to a front surface of an object and of depositing a film made of a material substance contained in the mist on the front surface of the object, the deposition apparatus comprising: an inner wall surface 111,112 defining a space into which the mist is introduced [0055]; an inlet port 150,160, 320,330 configured to introduce the mist into the space [0058,0084]; and a supply port 130,440 that is capable of supplying the mist from the space to the front surface of the object (Figs. 2-5; [0111,0130]), wherein the inner wall surface includes two wall surfaces facing each other, at least one of the two wall surfaces being connected to one end portion of the supply port, the supply port is slit-shaped, and in a short-side direction of the supply port that is slit-shaped, the supply port is provided at a different position than the inlet port (Figs. 2,4,9).
Regarding Claim 2, KR’024 teaches that the inlet port of the mist supplying section comprises a plurality of inlet ports (Figs. 3-4).
Regarding Claim 3, KR’024 teaches that the plurality of inlet ports are provided along the short-side direction (Figs. 2-4,9).
Regarding Claim 4, KR’024 teaches that one of the two wall surfaces is inclined relative to another of the two wall surfaces, and the mist is sprayed from the inlet port onto the one of the two wall surfaces that is inclined, necessarily since the flow of the spray follows the inclined surface (Figs. 2-4,9; [0056,0061]).
Regarding Claim 8, KR’024 teaches that the inner wall surface has a curved surface (Figs. 2,9).
Regarding Claim 10, KR’024 teaches that the mist supplying section is capable of being provided at a position facing the object (intended use) and of supplying (intended use) the mist to the object from the supply port. See, also, [0005].
Regarding Claim 16, KR’024 teaches that the apparatus is capable of being used with a flexible substrate (intended use, not given patentable weight for the claimed apparatus).
Regarding Claim 25, KR’024 teaches that a size of the space continuously decreases from the inlet port toward the supply port (Figs. 2, 9).
Regarding Claim 32, KR’024 teaches that the inlet port is directed in a manner so that a center line of the inlet port intersects a part of the inner wall surface (Figs. 3,9).
Regarding Claim 33, KR’024 teaches that an angle formed between an inlet port and an extension line through a center of an ejection vector of the mist from the inlet port and the inner wall surface intersecting with the extension line for a first time is an acute angle (Figs. 2,9).
Regarding Claim 34, KR’024 teaches that the inlet port is disposed above the space (Figs. 2-5 and 9).
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s amendment to the claims, filed 09 July 2026, with respect to the rejections of Claims 25 and 33 under 35 USC 112(b) have been fully considered. The rejections of Claims 25 and 33 under 35 USC 112(b) have been withdrawn.
Applicant’s amendment to the claims, filed 09 July 2026, with respect to the rejection of Claims 1-4,6-8,10,12,16, and 25 under 35 USC 102 as anticipated by Nishi (WO’823) has been fully considered. The rejection of Claims 1-4,6-8,10,12,16, and 25 under 35 USC 102 as anticipated by Nishi (WO’823) has been withdrawn.
Applicant’s amendment to the claims, filed 09 July 2026, with respect to the rejection of Claims 1-4,6-8,10,12,16, and 25 under 35 USC 102 as anticipated by Nishi (WO’823) has been fully considered. The rejection of Claims 1-4,6-8,10,12,16, and 25 under 35 USC 102 as anticipated by Nishi (WO’823) has been withdrawn.
Applicant's arguments, filed 09 July 2026, with respect to the rejections of 1-4, 7, 10,12-13, 16, 25, and 32-34 under 35 USC 102(a)(1) as anticipated by Li(WO’756) have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
In response to Applicant’s argument that WO’756 discloses at paragraph [0046] that chamber 80a is partitioned by one or more current plates and at paragraph [0053] that a mist supplied from a supply port 87a has a path obstructed by the plate surface of the current plate 81-4 (Remarks, p. 9), it is not clear how these descriptions in WO’756 address the rejections. Moreover, plates 81-1 to 81-4 can reasonably be considered to be surfaces of an inner wall surface, including two wall surfaces facing each other, wherein at least one of the two wall surfaces is connected to one end portion of the supply port. WO’756 teaches that “the mist that is supplied from the supply port 87a has its path obstructed by the plate surface of the current plate 81-4, is dispersed in the two-dimensional directions in which the current plate 81-4 spreads, and is supplied to the next current plate 81-3 while being dispersed in the direction in which the end portion 81-4a extends.” Thus, the plate/ inner wall surface (a portion of an inner wall surface, which includes two wall surfaces facing each other and wherein at least one of the two wall surfaces is connected to one end portion of the supply port 85a/83a) obstructs the mist (i.e. the mist strikes an inner wall surface on the plate) and deflects it to the next plate/ inner wall surface as it guides the mist to supply port 85a/83a [0068].
In response to Applicant’s argument concerning Nishi (WO 2020/026823) (Remarks, p. 9), while WO’823 continues to be pertinent art, the amendment of Claim 1 to require “in a short-side direction of the supply port that is slit-shaped, the supply port is provided at a different position than the inlet port” makes Choi et al. (KR 20180099024A), now cited, closer prior art than Nishi (WO’823).
Conclusion
No claim is allowed.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ALEXANDER M WEDDLE whose telephone number is (571)270-5346. The examiner can normally be reached 9:30-6:30.
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ALEXANDER M WEDDLE
Examiner
Art Unit 1712
/ALEXANDER M WEDDLE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1712
