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 Species Group I (Fig.6) and Species A (Fig.8) in the reply filed on 10/28/2025 is acknowledged. Applicant further indicated that claims 1-7,10-14 and 18-20 reads on the elected invention and claims 8-9 and 15-17 are withdrawn from consideration.
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 04/18/2023, 11/13/2024, and 02/04/2025 are being considered by the examiner.
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.
Claims 1-7,10-14, and 18-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Park (KR 20210044431).
Regarding claim 1, Park teaches an apparatus for dispensing treatment liquid (figs.3,5), comprising:
a substrate support unit (100 figs.3,5) on which a substrate (10) is seated;
a three-dimensional (3D) measurement device (300 figs.3,5) configured to three-dimensionally measure the substrate (10) seated on the substrate support unit (100);
a head unit (200 figs.3,5) configured to dispense treatment liquid onto the substrate (10) seated on the substrate support unit; and
a controller (400 figs.3,5) configured to receive actually measured 3D substrate information of the substrate from the 3D measurement device (300), generate printing pattern image information based on the actually measured 3D substrate information, and apply printing command information to the head unit (200) according to the generated printing pattern image information (figs.3-6; paragraphs 0013,0017,0019, 0020,0048,0051,0063,0075,0076).
Regarding claim 2, Park further teaches wherein the 3D measurement device (300 figs.3,5) is an optical measurement device which emits a first incident light to a first portion having a first height, formed on the substrate (10), and analyzes characteristics of a first reflected light produced at the first portion to obtain actually measured 3D substrate information of the first portion and emits a second incident light to a second portion having a second height different from the first height, formed on the substrate, and analyzes characteristics of a second reflected light produced at the second portion to obtain the actually measured 3D substrate information of the second portion (figs.3-6, paragraphs 0019, 0048,0050,0051,0053, 0062, 0063,0073,0075-0078).
Regarding claim 3, Park further teaches wherein the controller adjusts a first partial printing portion of the printing pattern image information that corresponds to the first portion to a first dispensing amount according to the first height and adjusts a second partial printing portion of the printing pattern image information that corresponds to the second portion to a second dispensing amount according to the second height (figs.1-4,6; paragraphs 0019, 0048,0051,0053, 0062, 0063,0073,0075-0078).
Regarding claim 4, Park further teaches wherein the controller adjusts the first partial printing portion of the printing pattern image information that corresponds to the first portion to a first width according to the first height and adjusts the second partial printing portion of the printing pattern image information that corresponds to the second portion to a second width according to the second height (figs.2-4,6; paragraphs 0019, 0048,0051,0053, 0062, 0063,0073,0075-0078).
Regarding claim 5, Park further teaches wherein the controller adjusts the first partial printing portion of the printing pattern image information that corresponds to the first portion to a first head movement speed according to the first height and adjusts the second partial printing portion of the printing pattern image information that corresponds to the second portion to a second head movement speed according to the second height (figs.1-4,6; paragraphs 0019, 0048,0051,0053, 0062, 0063,0073,0075-0078).
Regarding claim 6, Park further teaches wherein the 3D measurement device (300 figs.3,5) is a bar-type scanning device having a bar-type light emitting part and a bar-type light-receiving part (paragraphs 0049,0050).
Regarding claim 7, Park further teaches wherein the 3D measurement device (300 figs.3,5) is fixed to the head unit or fixed in the vicinity of the head unit and may move along with the head unit (figs.3,5).
Regarding claim 10, Park further teaches further comprising: a first moving unit configured to move the head unit and the 3D measurement device (300 figs.3,5) in a first direction; and a second moving unit configured to move the head unit and the 3D measurement device in a second direction (figs.3,5, paragraphs 0039,0041,0044,0054).
Regarding claim 11, Park teaches a method of dispensing treatment liquid (figs.3-6), comprising: (a) seating a substrate (10 figs.3,5) on a substrate support unit (100); (b) three-dimensionally measuring, by a 3D measurement device (300 figs.3,5), the substrate seated on the substrate support unit; (c) receiving, at a controller, actually measured 3D substrate information of the substrate from the 3D measurement device (100 figs.3,5), generating printing pattern image information based on the actually measured 3D substrate information, and applying printing command information to a head unit (200) according to the generated printing pattern image information; and (d) dispensing, at the head unit (200), treatment liquid onto the substrate according to the printing command information (figs.3-6; paragraphs 0013,0017,0019, 0020,0048, 0051,0063,0075,0076).
Regarding claim 12, Park further teaches wherein in operation (c), the controller (400 figs.3,5) adjusts a first partial printing portion of the printing pattern image information that corresponds to a first portion to a first dispensing amount according to a first height and adjusts a second partial printing portion of the printing pattern image information that corresponds to a second portion to a second dispensing amount according to a second height (figs.3-6, paragraphs 0019, 0048,0050,0051,0053, 0062, 0063,0073,0075-0078).
Regarding claim 13, Park further teaches wherein in operation (c), the controller (400 figs.3,5) adjusts a first partial printing portion of the printing pattern image information that corresponds to a first portion to a first width according to a first height and adjusts a second partial printing portion of the printing pattern image information that corresponds to a second portion to a second width according to a second height (figs.3-6, paragraphs 0019, 0048,0050,0051,0053, 0062, 0063,0073,0075-0078).
Regarding claim 14, Park further teaches wherein in operation (c), the controller adjusts the first partial printing portion of the printing pattern image information that corresponds to a first portion to a first head movement speed according to a first height and adjusts a second partial printing portion of the printing pattern image information that corresponds to a second portion to a second head movement speed according to a second height (figs.3-6, paragraphs 0019, 0048,0050,0051,0053, 0062, 0063, 0073, 0075-0078).
Regarding claim 18, Park further teaches wherein in operation (b), a first moving unit moves the head unit in a first direction and a second moving unit moves the head unit in a second direction (figs.3,5, paragraphs 0039,0041,0044,0054).
Regarding claim 19, Park further teaches wherein in operation (d), the first moving unit moves the 3D measurement device in the first direction and the second moving unit moves the 3D measurement device in the second direction (figs.3,5, paragraphs 0039,0041,0044,0054).
Regarding claim 20, Park further teaches an apparatus (figs.3,5) for dispensing treatment liquid, comprising:
a substrate support unit (100 figs.3,5) on which a substrate (10) is seated;
a three-dimensional (3D) measurement device (300 figs.3,5) configured to three-dimensionally measure the substrate seated on the substrate support unit;
a head unit (200 figs.3,5) configured to dispense treatment liquid onto the substrate seated on the substrate support unit;
a first moving unit (figs.3,5, paragraphs 0039,0041,0044,0054) configured to move the head unit and the 3D measurement device in a first direction (first or second direction);
a second moving unit (figs.3,5, paragraphs 0039,0041,0044,0054) configured to move the head unit and the 3D measurement device in a second direction (first or second direction); and
a controller (400 figs.3,5) configured to receive actually measured 3D substrate information of the substrate from the 3D measurement device (300), generate printing pattern image information based on the actually measured 3D substrate information, and apply printing command information to the head unit according to the generated printing pattern image information (figs.3-6; paragraphs 0013,0017,0019, 0020,0048, 0051,0063,0075,0076),
wherein the 3D measurement device (300 figs.3,5) is an optical measurement device which emits a first incident light to a first portion having a first height, formed on the substrate, and analyzes characteristics of a first reflected light produced at the first portion to obtain actually measured 3D substrate information of the first portion and emits a second incident light to a second portion having a second height different from the first height, formed on the substrate, and analyzes characteristics of a second reflected light produced at the second portion to obtain the actually measured 3D substrate information of the second portion (figs.3-6, paragraphs 0019, 0048,0049, 0050, 0051,0053,0062, 0063,0073,0075-0078).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to HENOK D LEGESSE whose telephone number is (571)270-1615. The examiner can normally be reached General Schedule 9:00 am- 5:00 pm, IFP.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Douglas Rodriguez can be reached at (571)431-0716. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/HENOK D LEGESSE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2853