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.
Claim 3 recites the limitation "the second chemical liquid supply line" and “the second chemical liquid recovery line” in page 1. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 17 recites the limitation "the process chamber" in page 6. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim Interpretation
Claims 1-20 use the limitations of a “chemical liquid supply line” and “a chemical liquid recovery line.” From the drawings and specification, it is interpreted that the “supply line” is the outlet of the tank, and the “recovery line” is the inlet into the tank. This is not explicitly clear in the claims and therefore they are interpreted as such.
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.
Claim(s) 1-10 and 12-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by KR605 (KR20220150605A, attached translation will be referenced).
Claim 1: KR605 teaches a method of circulating chemical liquid ([0001] and figures 4-9 teach the liquid supply method), the method comprising: a chemical liquid circulation step of circulating chemical liquid through a chemical liquid supply line and a chemical liquid recovery line installed in a tank of a chemical liquid circulation portion (There are currently two tanks 4120 and 4130. Each of these has supply lines such as internal circulation supply lines 4161 and 4162 and external supply lines 4151 and 4152. They also have internal circulation recovery lines 4161 and 4162 as well as external supply lines 4171 and 4172.); and a chemical liquid circulation preparation step of removing air bubbles in chemical liquid recovered to the chemical liquid recovery line by opening the chemical liquid recovery line before the chemical liquid supply line is opened, before the chemical liquid circulation step (This claim appears to state that air bubbles are being removed by this step, and the step is what is actually being claimed. Looking at figures 4-9, it can be seen that there are instances where the recovery/inlet is opened first before the supply/outlet. Figure 6 shows that the line 4162 is open first, then figure 7 shows the supply line 4152 is open. Finally figure 8 shows that both are open and therefore circulating liquid between the supply/outlet and the recovery/inlet. This is also true for the first tank 4120 with figures 9, 4, and 5.).
Claim 2: KR605 teaches the chemical liquid circulation portion includes at least a first chemical liquid circulation portion and a second chemical liquid circulation portion (Each portion can refer to each tank), wherein the chemical liquid circulation preparation step includes a first chemical liquid circulation preparation step of opening a first chemical liquid recovery line installed in a first tank before opening a first chemical liquid supply line installed in the first tank of the first chemical liquid circulation portion (Taught in claim 1, applicant is just stating there are two circulation lines, which the prior art teaches.), and wherein the chemical liquid circulation step includes a first chemical liquid circulation step performed after the first chemical liquid circulation preparation step and circulating the chemical liquid through the first chemical liquid supply line and the first chemical liquid recovery line (Taught in claim 1, applicant is just stating there are two circulation lines, which the prior art teaches.).
Claim 3: KR605 teaches in the first chemical liquid circulation step, the second chemical liquid supply line and the second chemical liquid recovery line installed in a second tank of the second chemical liquid circulation portion are in a closed state (Figure 5 shows that 4172 and 4152 are closed when the first liquid is in the circulation step).
Claim 4: KR605 teaches the method further includes a first chemical liquid exchanging step of closing the second chemical liquid recovery line and opening the first chemical liquid supply line between the first chemical liquid circulation preparation step and the first chemical liquid circulation step (Figures 6 and 7 show this. Figure 6 shows the second recovery line being open 4171 and first supply line 4152 closed, and figure 7 shows that the second recovery line 4171 is closed while first supply line 4152 open.).
Claim 5: KR605 teaches the chemical liquid circulation preparation step includes a second chemical liquid circulation preparation step of opening the second chemical liquid recovery line before opening the second chemical liquid supply line after the first chemical liquid circulation step, and wherein the chemical liquid circulation step includes a second chemical liquid circulation step of circulating the chemical liquid through the second chemical liquid supply line and the second chemical liquid recovery line after the second chemical liquid circulation preparation step (These are the same steps for the first circulation preparation step. The same applies to the other tank 4120. Figure 9 shows the second recovery line 4161 being open first. Figure 4 then shows the first supply line 4151 being open. Then Figure 5 shows the circulation of the liquid.).
Claim 6: KR605 teaches in the second chemical liquid circulation step, the first chemical liquid supply line and the first chemical liquid recovery line are in a closed state (Figure 8 shows that 4171 and 4151 are closed.).
Claim 7: KR605 teaches the method further includes a second chemical liquid exchanging step of closing the first chemical liquid recovery line and opening the second chemical liquid supply line between the second chemical liquid circulation preparation step and the second chemical liquid circulation step (Figure 4 shows first recovery line 4172 closed and second supply line 4151 opened.).
Claim 8: KR605 teaches the first chemical liquid circulation preparation step, the first chemical liquid exchanging step, the first chemical liquid circulation step, the second chemical liquid circulation preparation step, the second chemical liquid exchanging step, and the second chemical liquid circulation step are repeated in order (Either of the processes can be used for the first and second, and vice versa. [0074] teaches that the steps are repeated from 4-7 and then 8 and 9.).
Claim 9: KR605 teaches the first chemical liquid supply line and the second chemical liquid supply line is connected to a main supply line in which a pump is installed, and the first chemical liquid recovery line and the second chemical liquid recovery line are connected to a main recovery line (Each of the lines are fluidly connected to the main circulation lines either 4160 or 4170. Both of these have pumps as seen in 4166 and the same icon at the bottom labeled 4152 next to 4154 but is clearly a pump as 4152 is already designated as another line.).
Claim 10: KR605 teaches the main supply line is connected to the main recovery line, and wherein the main supply line is connected to the process chamber by at least one chamber supply line (See figures 4-9. The line 4170 connects the supply and recovery lines.).
a deaeration unit is installed in the chemical liquid supply line, and air bubbles of the chemical liquid are removed by the deaeration unit.
Claim 12: KR605 teaches a method of circulating chemical liquid, the method comprising: a first chemical liquid circulation step of circulating chemical liquid through a first chemical liquid supply line and a first chemical liquid recovery line installed in a first tank of a first chemical liquid circulation portion (This is taught in the rejection of claims 1 and 2); and a first chemical liquid circulation preparation step of removing air bubbles in chemical liquid recovered to the first chemical liquid recovery line by opening a first recovery valve of the first chemical liquid recovery line before a first supply valve of the first chemical liquid supply line is opened, before the chemical liquid circulation step (This is taught in the rejection of claims 1 and 2. The figures of the prior art show there are valves in the lines which would control the flow.), wherein, in the first chemical liquid circulation step, a second supply valve of a second chemical liquid supply line installed in a second tank of a second chemical liquid circulation portion and a second recovery valve of a second chemical liquid recovery line installed in the second tank are in a closed state (This is taught in the rejection of claim 3).
Claim 13: KR605 teaches the method further includes a first chemical liquid exchanging step of closing the second recovery valve of the second chemical liquid recovery line and opening the first supply valve of the first chemical liquid supply line between the first chemical liquid circulation preparation step and the first chemical liquid circulation step (This is taught in the rejection of claim 4).
Claim 14: KR605 teaches the method further includes: a second chemical liquid circulation preparation step of opening the second recovery valve of the second chemical liquid recovery line before opening the second supply valve of the second chemical liquid supply line, after the first chemical liquid circulation step; and a second chemical liquid circulation step of circulating the chemical liquid through the second chemical liquid supply line and the second chemical liquid recovery line, after the second chemical liquid circulation preparation step, wherein, in the second chemical liquid circulation step, the first supply valve of the first chemical liquid supply line and the first recovery valve of the first chemical liquid recovery line are in a closed state (This is taught in the rejections of claims 5 and 6).
Claim 15: KR605 teaches the method further includes a second chemical liquid exchanging step of closing the first recovery valve of the first chemical liquid recovery line and opening the second supply valve of the second chemical liquid supply line between the second chemical liquid circulation preparation step and the second chemical liquid circulation step (This is taught in the rejection of claim 7).
Claim 16: KR605 teaches the first chemical liquid circulation preparation step, the first chemical liquid exchanging step, the first chemical liquid circulation step, the second chemical liquid circulation preparation step, the second chemical liquid exchanging step, and the second chemical liquid circulation step are repeated in order (This is taught in the rejection of claim 8).
Claim 17: KR605 teaches a method of processing a substrate, the method comprising: a first chemical liquid circulation step of circulating chemical liquid through a first chemical liquid supply line and a first chemical liquid recovery line installed in a first tank of a first chemical liquid circulation portion, wherein a second supply valve of a second chemical liquid supply line installed in a second tank of a second chemical liquid circulation portion and a second recovery valve of a second chemical liquid recovery line installed in the second tank are in a closed state (This is taught in the rejection of claim 12); and a first chemical liquid circulation preparation step of removing air bubbles of chemical liquid recovered to the first chemical liquid recovery line by opening a first recovery valve of the first chemical liquid recovery line before a first supply valve of the first chemical liquid supply line is opened, wherein the chemical liquid circulation preparation step is performed before the chemical liquid circulation step (This is taught in the rejection of claim 12); and a chemical liquid supplying step of supplying the chemical liquid from the first chemical liquid supply line or the second chemical liquid supply line to the process chamber to discharge the chemical liquid to the substrate disposed in the process chamber when the substrate is processed in the process chamber (Figure 4 shows the liquid being supplied to the substrate through the nozzles 5010, 5020, 5030).
Claim 18: KR605 teaches the method further includes a chemical liquid exchanging step of closing the second recovery valve of the second chemical liquid recovery line and opening the first supply valve of the first chemical liquid supply line between the first chemical liquid circulation preparation step and the first chemical liquid circulation step (Taught in the rejection of claim 13).
Claim 19: KR605 teaches a second chemical liquid circulation preparation step of opening the second recovery valve of the second chemical liquid recovery line before opening the second supply valve of the second chemical liquid supply line, after the first chemical liquid circulation step; and a second chemical liquid circulation step of circulating chemical liquid through the second chemical liquid supply line and the second chemical liquid recovery line, after the second chemical liquid circulation preparation step, wherein, in the second chemical liquid circulation step, the first supply valve of the first chemical liquid supply line and the first recovery valve of the first chemical liquid recovery line are in a closed state (Taught in the rejection of claim 14).
Claim 20: KR605 teaches a second chemical liquid exchanging step of closing the first recovery valve of the first chemical liquid recovery line and opening the second supply valve of the second chemical liquid supply line between the second chemical liquid circulation preparation step and the second chemical liquid circulation step (Taught in the rejection of claim 15).
Examiner’s note: Examiner notes that the supply/recovery line could be made a bit more clear as well as the actual steps of the method made clear as the exchanging step in relation to the other two steps. Examiner is interpreting the actual method being:
First prep step: opens first inlet line
First exchanging step: closes second inlet and opens first outlet line
First circulation step: both first open, both second closed
Second prep step: opens second inlet line
Second exchanging step: closing first inlet, open second outlet
Second circulation step: both second open, both first closed
Examiner suggests making this the main focus of the claims as it appears to be the method for the invention. It would be better if both tanks were claimed so that the method of the exchanging step be more clearly shown and the steps of closing and opening the two tanks.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 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.
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) 11 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over KR605 in view of Miyashita (US20070214964).
Claim 11: KR605 does not explicitly state a deaeration unit is installed in the chemical liquid supply line, and air bubbles of the chemical liquid are removed by the deaeration unit. Miyashita teaches an analogous art of dispensing and teaches in the abstract and [0005] that slurries require bubble removal as air bubbles within the slurry can act as an obstacle for uniformity and denseness. Miyashita teaches in the figures a deaeration unit 20 for the slurry before it is dispensed to 6. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill before the effective filing date of the invention to have a deaeration unit as taught by Miyashita in the device of KR605. As Miyashita teaches that air bubbles can be an obstacle to concentration, uniformity and denseness.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to PHILLIP Y SHAO whose telephone number is (571)272-8171. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Fri; 9-5:30.
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/P.Y.S/Examiner, Art Unit 1776 02/02/2026
/Jennifer Dieterle/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 1776