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 .
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 1-5 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.
The claims are indefinite because it is not clear from the following clause of claim 1:
“A cleaning device for a wafer- suction chuck mechanism, which rotates, comprising a wafer-suction chuck section that suction-holds a wafer attached to a ring frame with an adhesive film interposed therebetween and an annular frame suction-holding section that suction-holds the ring frame outside the wafer-suction chuck section”
what rotates.
Is it a cleaning device?
Is it a wafer- suction chuck mechanism?
The claims are further indefinite because it is not clear from claim 1 what is “comprising a wafer-suction chuck section that suction-holds a wafer attached to a ring frame with an adhesive film interposed therebetween and an annular frame suction-holding section that suction-holds the ring frame outside the wafer-suction chuck section”.
Is it a cleaning device?
Is it a wafer- suction chuck mechanism?
The claims are further indefinite because it is not clear what structure is required by the recitation that frame suction-holding section cleaning means being movable onto the frame suction-holding section and for cleaning the frame suction-holding section.
The claims are further indefinite because the term “the frame suction-holding section” in claim 1 lacks proper antecedent basis. It is not clear whether or not this term is used to refer “an annular frame suction-holding section” previously recited by the claim.
The claims are further indefinite because it is not clear from claim 1 how the recitation of a wafer- suction chuck mechanism, a wafer-suction chuck section, a wafer, a ring frame, an adhesive film, an annular frame suction-holding section are parts of the claimed device in the preamble of claim 1 limits the structure of the claimed device.
The claims are further indefinite because it is not clear from claim 1 what structure is required by the recitation of rotation and rotation direction of the frame suction-holding section recited by the “wherein” clause, since the referenced frame suction-holding section is not recited as a part of the claimed device.
The claims are further indefinite because claim 1 recites “movable onto the frame suction-holding section” and “a rotation direction”, but recite no structure to make the referenced means “movable”, nor recite any structure to provide the referenced “rotation direction”. As the result it is not clear what structure is required by the claims.
Claim 2 is further indefinite because it is not clear whether or not the recited “stone section” is movable.
The claim is further indefinite because it is not clear what structure is required by the recitation of the abilities and intended functioning of the recited “stone section.
The claim is further indefinite because it is not clear whether or not “the frame suction-holding section cleaning means” is movable integrally with the suction chuck cleaning grinding stone section.
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.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 1-5 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by JP 2017-073457.
JP 2017-073457 teaches an apparatus as claimed.
The apparatus comprises:
A washing apparatus 1 (readable on the claimed cleaning means).
The apparatus is disclosed as movable by moving means (DESCRIPTION-OF-EMBODIMENTS).
The apparatus is disclosed as comprising two brushes 35 and two water nozzles 37.
See at least Figure 3 and the related description.
The nozzles are disclosed as connected to a water source 20 through the pipes 310 and 300 (at least DESCRIPTION-OF-EMBODIMENTS).
JP 2017-073457 teaches that brushes 35 also serve as scrapers.
See at least BACKGROUND-ART and DESCRIPTION-OF-EMBODIMENTS.
JP 2017-073457 states that “the brush 35 are rotated in a horizontal plane, grinding scraps scraped or scraped off from the holding surface to be cleaned fall from the gap S and are collected and discarded”, “the cleaning unit 35a (the tip of the brush 35) of the rotating brush 35 enters from the holding surface 60a to a fine hole inside the suction unit 60, and scrapes and discharges the grinding dust and the like that has entered the suction unit 60”, “The grinding scraps scraped to the holding surface 60a by the brush 35”.
Thus, the disclosed brushes 35 of JP 2017-073457 are readable on both claimed “a scraper” and “a brush”, with one can be considered to correspond to the claimed “scraper” and the other one corresponding to the claimed “brush”.
Since the water nozzles 37 are shown in-between the brushes 35 the claimed sequence of the claimed water nozzle, scraper and brush will be met at any rotational direction of the object to be cleaned (at least Figure 3). Please, note the claims are written using the language “comprising” and do not exclude any additional structural parts.
See at least Figures 1-7 and the related description.
Since the apparatus of JP 2017-073457 has the same structure as claimed it is fully capable of performing the intended use recited by the claims or the invention is not disclosed/claimed in the correspondence with the requirements of 35 USC 112(a).
As to claim 2:
The apparatus of JP 2017-073457 is also disclosed as comprising a grinding stone 34.
The stone 34 is disclosed as movable together with the stone.
See at least Figures 4-7.
As to claim 3:
Since the apparatus of JP 2017-073457 has the same structure as claimed it is fully capable of performing the intended use recited by the claim or the invention is not disclosed/claimed in the correspondence with the requirements of 35 USC 112(a).
As to claim 4:
JP 2017-073457 teaches that the apparatus comprises spring 38 as claimed. See at least Figures 6-7 and the related description.
As to claim 5:
JP 2017-073457 teaches that the apparatus comprises nozzle 37 as claimed.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
TW I706458, KR 20110081024, JP 2009032846, Nonomura et al (US 2009/0025763) are cited to show that in the semiconductor cleaning art the terms brush, scraper, wipe, brushing, scraping, wiping are used interchangeable to reference the same device, process. See TW I706458 (at least the description of Figure 4), KR 20110081024 (at least the description of the cleaning device 6), JP 2009032846 (at least Abstract), Nonomura et al (at least [0117]).
US 2005/0118938 is cited to show that it was known to use stone in addition to brushes for cleaning chucks.
US 2013/0102227 is cited to show that it was known to use a blade scraper in addition to brushes.
US 2013/0130593 is cited to that it was known to use water, brushes, stone and blade cleaning for cleaning chucks.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ALEXANDER MARKOFF whose telephone number is (571)272-1304. The examiner can normally be reached 9:00 am - 5:30 pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Michael Barr can be reached at 571-272-1414. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/ALEXANDER MARKOFF/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1711