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 .
Claim Objections
Claims 5, 8, and 11 are objected to because of the following informalities:
Claims 5, 8 and 11 recite a phrase “using a VCSEL” including an abbreviation for VCSEL which should be fully written, such as the following: “using a VCSEL (vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser) device”. Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 4, 6 and 9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
In claims 4 and 6, line 3 each, the use of a pronoun “it” in the phrases “the cooling gas discharged from the gas discharging pipe and supplies it to the gas supply pipe” and “the filter unit to cool the cooling gas supplied from the blower and supply it to the filter unit” respectively make the claim unclear. For the purpose of examination, the phrase “the cooling gas discharged from the gas discharging pipe and supplies the cooling gas to the gas supply pipe”, and “the filter unit to cool the cooling gas supplied from the blower and supply the cooling gas to the filter unit are assumed.
In claim 9, lines 1-2, the phrase “the substrate rotating module” lacks proper antecedent basis. For the purpose of examination, claim 9 depending from claim 8 is assumed.
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.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claim(s) 1-3 and 7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Miller et al (US 2015/0122190A1) in view of JP H0839030A (see English Translation pages 1-15 and Figs 1-9) and Suzuki et al (US 2015/0122190A1).
As to claim 1, Miller et al teaches (see Figs 2-3) a substrate heat-treating apparatus comprising: a process chamber (200) in which a flat substrate (122) to be heat treated is placed, the process chamber (200) comprising a beam irradiating plate (radiant source window 206) placed below the flat substrate (122) and an infrared transmitting plate (cover 252) placed above the flat substrate(122); a beam irradiating module (energy source 208, see para [0029]) for irradiating a beam to a lower surface of the flat substrate (122) through the beam irradiating plate (206); and a gas circulation cooling module (a fluid delivery device 290) for delivering a cooling gas (fluid) to the surface of the infrared transmitting plate, thereby cooling the infrared transmitting plate (see para [0031] for the reflector plate and upper wall maintaining at a desirable temperature). Miller et al teaches a radiant energy source (lamps 208A) for irradiating lower surface of the substrate, but lacks specifically teaching the radiant energy source irradiating a laser beam and a spraying type gas circulation cooling module spraying cooling gas to an upper surface of the infrared transmitting plate. However, JP’030 teaches (see Figs 1 and 9) an air-cooling gas spray nozzle (6) spraying a cooling gas to an upper surface of infrared transmitting plate (7, 17, see Fig 1 and English Translation on page 7 for the air-cooled gas spray nozzle 6 sprayed onto the upper and lower plates 7, 7). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to include a gas circulation cooling module spraying a cooling gas to un upper surface of the infrared transmitting plate in Miller et al to make the temperature uniform, accelerating the light irradiation and heating treatment of the works as taught by JP’030 (see Abstract). Regarding a laser beam irradiating module, Suzuki teaches laser elements (60) irradiating the lower surface of the substrate (see Fig 1). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to include a laser beam irradiating module in Miller et al to perform an annealing process as taught by Suzuki et al (see para [0001]).
As to claim 2, in Miller et al the process chamber (200) comprises; a side wall (ring 216) in which the flat substrate is seated, an outer housing in which the infrared transmitting plate (252) and an upper plate (wall 212) are placed above the flat substrate in the side wall (216), and an inner housing placed below the flat substrate inside the outer housing (see Fig 2) and having an upper portion on which the beam irradiating plate (206) is placed, wherein the beam irradiating module (208) is placed below the beam irradiating plate inside the inner housing (see Fig 2).
As to claim 3, in Miller et al the gas circulation cooling module comprises; a gas delivering plate having a gas hole (channel 229) penetrating from an upper surface to a lower surface thereof, and being placed between the upper plate (wall 212) and the infrared transmitting plate (252) to deliver the cooling gas to an upper surface of the infrared transmitting plate through the gas hole (channel); a gas supply pipe (see Fig 2 for the lines). Miller lacks teaching a gas supply pipe configured to supply the cooling gas to a region above the gas delivering plate, and a gas discharging pipe configured to discharge the cooling gas sprayed to the infrared transmitting plate. However, JP’030 teaches a gas supply pipe (6, 16) configured to supply the cooling gas to a region above the gas delivering plate (see Figs 3-4 and 9); and a gas discharging pipe (discharge means 9, 19, 29) configured to discharge the cooling gas sprayed to the infrared transmitting plate (7, 17). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to supply the cooling gas to a region above the gas delivering plate in Miller et al to increase the flow of air cool gas within the heat treating/irradiation apparatus housing as taught by JP’030 (see Abstract). As to a gas discharging pipe, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to include a discharging device in Miller et al to exhaust the irradiating apparatus housing as taught by JP’030 (see English Translation on pages 6 and 8).
Regarding claim 7, Miller et al teaches the infrared transmitting plate is formed of transparent quartz (see para [0029]).
Claims 4-5 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Miller et al (US 2015/0122190A1) in view of JP H0839030A (see English Translation pages 1-15 and Figs 1-9) and Suzuki et al (US 2015/0122190A1) as applied to claim 2 and further in view of CN 103000555A
Regarding claim 4, Miller et al as modified lacks a gas circulation cooling module cooling the cooling gas discharged from discharging pipe. JP’030 teaches a gas discharging pipe (discharge means 9, 19, 29) configured to discharge the cooling gas sprayed to the infrared transmitting plate (7, 17) in exhausting the substrate heating apparatus. However, CN’555 teaches (see Fig 4 and English Translation pages 1-11, para [0072], [0074], [0077], ) a heat treatment apparatus comprising a gas circulation cooling module which cools the cooling gas discharged from the gas discharging pipe and supplies the cooling gas to the gas supply pipe, wherein the gas circulation cooling module comprises; a first cooling unit (90) connected to the gas discharging pipe (94) and configured to cool the cooling gas discharged from the gas discharging pipe; a blower (91) connected to the first cooling unit to allow the cooling gas to be suctioned and to flow into the first cooling unit; and a filter unit (see para [0077]) connected to the blower and configured to filer the cooling gas; and wherein the gas circulation cooling module further comprises a second cooling unit (hear exchanger 95) placed between the blower (91) and the filter unit (see para [0077]) to cool the cooling gas supplied from the blower (91) and supply the cooling gas to the filter unit. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to include circulation cooling module having filter unit, blower, first and second cooling units as claimed in Miller et al so as to recycle and use the cooling gas (see para [0077]) to in efficiently operating the heat treatment apparatus.
Claims 8-11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Miller et al (US 2015/0122190A1) in view of JP H0839030A (see English Translation pages 1-15 and Figs 1-9) and Suzuki et al (US 2015/0122190A1) as applied to claim 2 and further in view of WO 2021246579A1 (see Kim et al (US 2023/0274955A1 for English Translation).
As to claim 8, Miller et al teaches a substrate support (see Fig 2 for supporting ring 216) configured to support an outer side of the flat substrate and a substrate rotating during processing (see para [0043]), but lacks teaching the process chamber the substrate heating apparatus utilizing a VCSE (vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser). However, Kim et al teaches (see Fig 1-2 and para [0056], [0060-0062] and [0073]) a substrate heat-treating apparatus (heat treating apparatus including a processing chamber utilizing a VCSEL device (see Fig 2 for the irradiation devices 200 including VCSEL devices) and a substrate rotating module configured to support and rotate the substrate support (150). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to include a VCSEL device in Miller et al as modified to uniformly heat the semiconductor wafer through overlapping of laser beams emitted from the VCSEL devices adjacent to each other as taught by Kim et al (see para [0005]).
Regarding claim 9, Miller et al teaches a substrate rotating during processing (see para [0043]), but lacks teaching the substrate rotating modules comprising an inner rotating means having a ring shape in which N and S poles alternatively formed in a circumferential direction and an outer rotating means configured to generate a magnetic force. Suzuki et al teaches rotating means generating a magnetic force (see para [0115]). Kim et al also teaches (see para [0074] and claims 8) the substrate rotating module comprises; an inner rotating means having a ring shape in which N poles and S poles are alternately formed in a circumferential direction and being coupled to a lower portion of the substrate support within the chamber lower space, and an outer rotating means placed outside the outer housing to face the inner rotating means and configured to generate a magnetic force to rotate the inner rotating means. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to include an inner and an outer rotating means as claimed in Miller as modified such that the substrate rotating module vibration is prevented during rotation or it can be rotated smoothly
As to claim 10, Miller et al teaches (see para [0010]) radiant energy source (108) configured to heat the substrate edge ring (118), but lacks teaching the beam irradiating module comprises a laser light-emitting device comprises a surface light-emitting laser device or an edge light-emitting laser device. Suzuki et al teaches a laser module with edge light-emitting laser device (see Fig 12). Kim et al also teaches module 220 irradiating a laser beam to the edge portion of the wafer (see para [0094]) with independently controlled power supply. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to include a laser light-emitting device comprises a surface light-emitting laser device or an edge light-emitting laser device in Miller et al as modified to uniformly heat the entire semiconductor wafer or substrate as taught by Kim et al (see para [0094]).
Regarding claim 11, Miller et al lacks teaching the beam irradiating module comprising a laser light-emitting device comprising a VCSEL device. However, Kim et al teaches (see Fig 2 for the irradiation devices 200 including VCSEL devices) the beam irradiating module comprises a laser light-emitting device comprising a VCSEL device. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to include a VCSEL device in Miller et al as modified to uniformly heat the semiconductor wafer through overlapping of laser beams emitted from the VCSEL devices adjacent to each other as taught by Kim et al (see para [0005]).
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to YEWEBDAR T TADESSE whose telephone number is (571)272-1238. The examiner can normally be reached 7.00-3:30 PM.
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YEWEBDAR T. TADESSE
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 1717
/YEWEBDAR T TADESSE/