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 Group I, claims 1-8, in the reply filed on 08/12/2026 is acknowledged.
Claims 9-20 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected Groups II & III, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on 08/12/2026.
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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
Claims 1, 3 and 8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lee et al. (US 2013/0145640; hereinafter Lee) in view of Ode (US 2009/0020068).
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Regarding claim 1, Lee discloses a substrate processing apparatus (figs. 9-11), comprising:
a drying chamber housing (100, figs. 9, 11) defining an internal drying space (internal chamber of item 100, figs. 9, 11); and
a drying chuck (200, figs. 9-11) in the internal drying space (internal chamber of item 100, figs. 9, 11),
wherein the drying chamber housing (100, figs. 9, 11) comprises:
a lower chamber (120, figs. 9, 11); and
an upper chamber (110, figs. 9, 11) attached to the lower chamber (120, figs. 9, 11),
wherein the drying chuck (200, figs. 9-11) comprises a first supporting member (first supporting portion of item 200, ANNOTATED fig. 10), a second supporting member (second supporting portion of item 200, ANNOTATED fig. 10), and a third supporting member (third supporting portion of item 200, ANNOTATED fig. 10),
wherein each of the first, second, and third supporting members (first supporting portion of item 200, ANNOTATED fig. 10) (second supporting portion of item 200, ANNOTATED fig. 10) (third supporting portion of item 200, ANNOTATED fig. 10) is connected to the upper chamber (110, figs. 9, 11) and is spaced apart from the lower chamber (120, figs. 9, 11) in a first direction (vertical direction, fig. 9),
wherein the first supporting member (first supporting portion of item 200, ANNOTATED fig. 10) comprises:
a first rod (210 of first supporting portion of item 200, figs. 9, 11, ANNOTATED fig. 10) (first and second vertical rods or members 210 and 220, [0060]) having opposite first and second ends (upper end of item 210 of first supporting portion of item 200, figs. 9, 11, ANNOTATED fig. 10) (lower end of item 210 of first supporting portion of item 200, figs. 9, 11, ANNOTATED fig. 10), the first end (upper end of item 210 of first supporting portion of item 200, figs. 9, 11, ANNOTATED fig. 10) secured to the upper chamber (110, figs. 9, 11);
a first block (230 of first supporting portion of item 200, figs. 9, 11, ANNOTATED fig. 10) secured to the first rod second end (lower end of item 210 of first supporting portion of item 200, figs. 9, 11, ANNOTATED fig. 10), the first block (230 of first supporting portion of item 200, figs. 9, 11, ANNOTATED fig. 10) extending outward from the first rod (210 of first supporting portion of item 200, figs. 9, 11, ANNOTATED fig. 10) (first and second vertical rods or members 210 and 220, [0060]) in a second direction (rightward direction of item 230 of first supporting portion of item 200, ANNOTATED fig. 10) transverse to the first direction (vertical direction, fig. 9); and
a first pin (231 of first supporting portion of item 200, figs. 9, 11, ANNOTATED fig. 10) on the first block (230 of first supporting portion of item 200, figs. 9, 11, ANNOTATED fig. 10),
wherein the second supporting member (second supporting portion of item 200, ANNOTATED fig. 10) comprises:
a second rod (210 of second supporting portion of item 200, figs. 9, 11, ANNOTATED fig. 10) (first and second vertical rods or members 210 and 220, [0060]) having opposite first and second ends (upper end of item 210 of second supporting portion of item 200, figs. 9, 11, ANNOTATED fig. 10) (lower end of item 210 of second supporting portion of item 200, figs. 9, 11, ANNOTATED fig. 10), the second rod first end (upper end of item 210 of second supporting portion of item 200, figs. 9, 11, ANNOTATED fig. 10) secured to the upper chamber (110, figs. 9, 11);
a second block (230 of second supporting portion of item 200, figs. 9, 11, ANNOTATED fig. 10) secured to the second rod second end (lower end of item 210 of second supporting portion of item 200, figs. 9, 11, ANNOTATED fig. 10), the second block (230 of second supporting portion of item 200, figs. 9, 11, ANNOTATED fig. 10) extending outward from the second rod (210 of second supporting portion of item 200, figs. 9, 11, ANNOTATED fig. 10) (first and second vertical rods or members 210 and 220, [0060]) in a third direction (leftward direction of item 230 of second supporting portion of item 200, ANNOTATED fig. 10) transverse to the first direction (vertical direction, fig. 9); and
a second pin (231 of second supporting portion of item 200, figs. 9, 11, ANNOTATED fig. 10) on the second block (230 of second supporting portion of item 200, figs. 9, 11, ANNOTATED fig. 10), and
wherein a distance between the first rod (210 of first supporting portion of item 200, figs. 9, 11, ANNOTATED fig. 10) (first and second vertical rods or members 210 and 220, [0060]) and the second rod (210 of second supporting portion of item 200, figs. 9, 11, ANNOTATED fig. 10) (first and second vertical rods or members 210 and 220, [0060]) is equal to or larger than diameter of W (as shown in fig. 9).
Lee does not disclose a distance between the first rod and the second rod is equal to or larger than 301 mm.
Ode teaches wherein a distance between the first support member (Ode, vertical supporting member of first one of items 12, fig. 15A) and the second support member (Ode, vertical supporting member of second one of items 12, fig. 15A) is equal to or larger than 301 mm (Ode recites “… a semiconductor silicon wafer having a diameter of 300 mm, …”, [0078]; thus, in other words, a distance between the vertical supporting member of the first one of items 12 and the vertical supporting member of the second one of items 12 is larger than 301 mm as shown in fig 15A).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claim invention to modify the substrate processing apparatus of Lee with the distance between the first rod and the second rod is equal to or larger than 301 mm, as taught by Ode, for providing a greater flexibility of drying a larger object to be dried such as a 300 mm diameter wafer or substrate which would result in promoting a greater use of the substrate processing apparatus. Thus, the substrate processing apparatus is effectively utilized and thus benefits the consumer.
Regarding claim 3, Lee as modified discloses wherein the drying chuck (200, figs. 9-11) further comprises a fourth supporting member (fourth supporting portion of item 200, ANNOTATED fig. 10), which is connected to (via item 120, fig. 9) the upper chamber (110, figs. 9, 11) and is spaced apart from the lower chamber (120, figs. 9, 11) in the first direction (vertical direction, fig. 9).
Regarding claim 8, Lee as modified discloses wherein the first, second, and third supporting members (first supporting portion of item 200, ANNOTATED fig. 10) (second supporting portion of item 200, ANNOTATED fig. 10) (third supporting portion of item 200, ANNOTATED fig. 10) are spaced apart from each other (as shown in figs. 4, 5).
Claim 2 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lee and Ode as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Yokouchi et al. (US 9,330,949; hereinafter Yokouchi).
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Regarding claim 2, Lee as modified discloses wherein the third supporting member (third supporting portion of item 200, ANNOTATED fig. 10) comprises:
a third rod (220 of third supporting portion of item 200, figs. 9, 11, ANNOTATED fig. 10) (first and second vertical rods or members 210 and 220, [0060]) having opposite first and second ends (lower end of item 220 of third supporting portion of item 200, fig. 9, ANNOTATED fig. 10) (upper end of item 220 of third supporting portion of item 200, fig. 9, ANNOTATED fig. 10), the third rod first end (lower end of item 220 of third supporting portion of item 200, fig. 9, ANNOTATED fig. 10) secured to (via item 120, fig. 9) the upper chamber (110, figs. 9, 11);
a third block (240 of third supporting portion of item 200, figs. 9, 11, ANNOTATED fig. 10) secured to the third rod second end (upper end of item 220 of third supporting portion of item 200, fig. 9, ANNOTATED fig. 10), the third block (240 of third supporting portion of item 200, figs. 9, 11, ANNOTATED fig. 10) extending outward from the third rod (220 of third supporting portion of item 200, figs. 9, 11, ANNOTATED fig. 10) (first and second vertical rods or members 210 and 220, [0060]) in a fourth direction (upward direction of item 240 of third supporting portion of item 200, ANNOTATED fig. 10) transverse to the first direction (vertical direction, fig. 9); and
Lee does not disclose a third pin on the third block.
Yokouchi teaches a third pin (Yokouchi, 179 of third item 175wherein the first supporting member further comprises a first protruding member on the first block, wherein the first protruding member extends from the first rod toward the first pin, and wherein the first protruding member and the first pin are spaced apart from each other, figs. 11, 13) on the third block (Yokouchi, third item 175, figs. 11, 13).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claim invention to further modify the substrate processing apparatus of Lee with the third pin on the third block, as taught by Yokouchi, for reducing a surface contact between an object to be dried, such as a wafer or substrate, and the supporting member(s) which would result in preventing the object to be dried from being contaminated and thus the substrate processing apparatus produces high quality products. Consequently, a product scrap is reduced. Thus, manufacturing costs are reduced and thus benefit the consumer.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 4-7 are 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.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
As to claim 4, the prior art of record fails to disclose or suggest alone or in combination as claimed the substrate processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first supporting member further comprises a first protruding member on the first block,
wherein the first protruding member extends from the first rod toward the first pin, and
wherein the first protruding member and the first pin are spaced apart from each other.
The art of record does not disclose the above limitations, nor would it be obvious to modify the art of record so as to include the above limitations. Although Lee as modified discloses “The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1”. However, Lee does not disclose the limitations of “wherein the first supporting member further comprises a first protruding member on the first block, wherein the first protruding member extends from the first rod toward the first pin, and wherein the first protruding member and the first pin are spaced apart from each other.”
Therefore, allowance of claims 4-7 is indicated because the prior art of record does not show or fairly suggest “wherein the first supporting member further comprises a first protruding member on the first block, wherein the first protruding member extends from the first rod toward the first pin, and wherein the first protruding member and the first pin are spaced apart from each other” in combination with the structural elements and/or method steps recited in at least claims 4-7.
Any comments considered necessary by applicant must be submitted no later than the payment of the issue fee and, to avoid processing delays, should preferably accompany the issue fee. Such submissions should be clearly labeled “Comments on Statement of Reasons for Allowance.”
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to BAO D NGUYEN whose telephone number is (571)270-5141. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday, 8:00am - 5:00pm EST.
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/BAO D NGUYEN/Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3762 /MICHAEL G HOANG/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3762
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