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 .
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of Invention II, claims 9-20 in the reply filed on 12/10/2025 is acknowledged.
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.
Claim 9 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kobayashi et al. (JP 200539123, hereinafter ‘Kobayashi’) in view of Angelov et al. (US 20170154804, hereinafter ‘Angelov’) and Takada et al. (US 20220139755, hereinafter ‘Takada’).
Regarding claim 9, Kobayashi discloses (in e.g. Fig. 6) a wafer chuck system comprising a support portion 6 and a wafer chuck 7 in a disk shape positioned on the support portion. An air member 8 is disposed between the support portion and the wafer chuck and is connected to an external air pump. Kobayashi does not disclose the claimed hinge and vacuum channels (Kobayashi continuously references the apparatus being ‘controlled’ but does not disclose an explicit controller, while not explicitly disclosed, it is considered to be inherent that any modern automated apparatus such as the one taught by Kobayashi that controls elements thereof is equipped with a controller configured to control the same).
Angelov discloses a similar wafer chuck apparatus comprising a support portion 115 with a wafer chuck. A hinge 408 is disposed at the center of a lower portion of the wafer chuck to keep the chuck centered while allowing it to pivot while raised and lowered by respective actuators 402. A controller 408 is provided to operate the system.
Takada discloses another similar wafer chuck apparatus wherein the wafer chuck is provided with a plurality of vacuum channels 113 therein, wherein a single vacuum suction pipe is provided to the suction unit/vacuum pump 103.
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time of filing to incorporate the hinge of Angelov and vacuum channels/pump of Takada to the apparatus of Kobayashi in order to more securely hold the wafer chuck in place while allowing a vacuum system to securely hold the substrate to the wafer chuck. The controller of Kobayashi/Angelov would then be configured to control the vacuum pump, air pump and vacuum suction pipe of the modified apparatus in order to provide a cohesive automated machine for processing wafers.
Claims 10-16 and 18-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kobayashi et al. (JP 200539123) in view of Angelov et al. (US 20170154804) and Takada et al. (US 20220139755) as applied to claim 9 above, and further in view of KR 19980004871.
Regarding claims 10 and 11, Kobayashi discloses at least one inner air holder (inflatable bellows 8) disposed around a central through hole surrounding the vacuum suction pipe on an upper surface of the base in a circumferential direction and connecting the upper surface of the base with a lower surface of the wafer chuck in the modified apparatus of claim 9. The combination of Kobayashi, Angelov and Takada do not disclose the claimed outer air holder.
KR ‘871 discloses a similar wafer chuck apparatus, wherein an outer air member 165 in the form of a circular pleated tube having a plurality of pleats and a base on the upper surface of a support portion 40 connects the edges of two elements and provides a seal.
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time of filing to provide the modified apparatus of claim 9 with an outer air holder, as taught by KR ‘871 in order to seal the gap between the edge of the wafer chuck and support portion to keep the vacuum sealed, and preventing foreign debris from entering.
Regarding claim 12, the modified apparatus of claim 10 includes the outer air holder and inner air holder being formed of a membrane.
Regarding claim 13, Kobayashi discloses a plurality of inner air holders being provided around the center of the chuck, and each of the plurality of air holders has the shape of a circular pleated tube having a plurality of pleats (see e.g. Fig. 7).
Regarding claims 14 and 15, Kobayashi discloses the controller being configured to divide the plurality of inner air holders into left and right inner air holes around the center of the device and to inject a different amount of air into each of a plurality of inner air holders positioned in an opposite direction to a tilting direction in order to tilt the wafer chuck to a predetermined angle (see e.g. Fig. 9). It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time of filing to calculate the differing amounts of air to inject based on a length of an arc from an inner air holder in the center of the plurality of inner air holders to an adjacent inner air holder, an area ratio based on how many inner air holders there are, and a desired tilt angle of the wafer chuck in order to provide an accurate angle to the workpiece.
Regarding claim 16, the inner air holders are disposed around a central through hole surrounding the vacuum suction pipe on the upper surface of the base at equal intervals of the modified apparatus of claim 10 (see e.g. Fig. 7 of Kobayashi).
Regarding claim 18, Kobayashi discloses (in e.g. Fig. 6) a wafer chuck system comprising a support portion 6 and a wafer chuck 7 in a disk shape positioned on the support portion. An air member 8 is disposed between the support portion and the wafer chuck and is connected to an external air pump. The air member includes at least one inner air holder (inflatable bellows 8) disposed around a central through hole surrounding the vacuum suction pipe on an upper surface of the base in a circumferential direction and connecting the upper surface of the base with a lower surface of the wafer chuck. Kobayashi does not disclose the claimed hinge and vacuum channels or outer air member (Kobayashi continuously references the apparatus being ‘controlled’ but does not disclose an explicit controller, while not explicitly disclosed, it is considered to be inherent that any modern automated apparatus such as the one taught by Kobayashi that controls elements thereof is equipped with a controller configured to control the same).
Angelov discloses a similar wafer chuck apparatus comprising a support portion 115 with a wafer chuck. A hinge 408 is disposed at the center of a lower portion of the wafer chuck to keep the chuck centered while allowing it to pivot while raised and lowered by respective actuators 402. A controller 408 is provided to operate the system.
Takada discloses another similar wafer chuck apparatus wherein the wafer chuck is provided with a plurality of vacuum channels 113 therein, wherein a single vacuum suction pipe is provided to the suction unit/vacuum pump 103.
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time of filing to incorporate the hinge of Angelov and vacuum channels/pump of Takada to the apparatus of Kobayashi in order to more securely hold the wafer chuck in place while allowing a vacuum system to securely hold the substrate to the wafer chuck. The controller of Kobayashi/Angelov would then be configured to control the vacuum pump, air pump and vacuum suction pipe of the modified apparatus in order to provide a cohesive automated machine for processing wafers. The combination of Kobayashi, Angelov and Takada do not disclose the claimed outer air holder.
KR ‘871 discloses a similar wafer chuck apparatus, wherein an outer air member 165 in the form of a circular pleated tube having a plurality of pleats and a base on the upper surface of a support portion 40 connects the edges of two elements and provides a seal.
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time of filing to provide the modified apparatus with an outer air holder, as taught by KR ‘871 in order to seal the gap between the edge of the wafer chuck and support portion to keep the vacuum sealed, and preventing foreign debris from entering.
Regarding claims 19 and 20, Kobayashi discloses the controller being configured to divide the plurality of inner air holders into left and right inner air holes around the center of the device and to inject a different amount of air into each of a plurality of inner air holders positioned in an opposite direction to a tilting direction in order to tilt the wafer chuck to a predetermined angle (see e.g. Fig. 9). It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time of filing to calculate the differing amounts of air to inject based on a length of an arc from an inner air holder in the center of the plurality of inner air holders to an adjacent inner air holder, an area ratio based on how many inner air holders there are, and a desired tilt angle of the wafer chuck in order to provide an accurate angle to the workpiece.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 17 is objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Alan Snyder whose telephone number is (571)272-4603. The examiner can normally be reached M-R 7:00a - 5:00p.
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/Alan Snyder/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3722