DETAILED ACTION
Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
1. The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Priority
2. Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Claim Status
3. Claims 1-20 are pending in this application.
Specification
4. The specification has not been checked to the extent necessary to determine the presence of all possible minor errors. Applicant’s cooperation is requested in correcting any errors of which applicant may become aware in the specification. MPEP § 608.01.
Claim Objections
5. Claims 6 and 19 are objected to because of the following informalities: these claims recite the term “distorted” and “distortion” with respect to substrates. Although applicant does not formally define these terms, in the context of applicant’s specification and figures, we interpret these terms as referring to an improper positioning of the substrates, not a distorted or warped structure of the substrate itself as the plain English meaning of the word suggests. If applicant were only claiming an alignment system this interpretation would be routine, but as the common meaning of distortion suggests warpage, and as applicant also claims warpage detection, the usage is confusing in the absence of a formal lexicographic definition. Appropriate correction is required.
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.
6. Claims 1-3, 5, and 7-15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Choi, et al., KR 101843473 (hereinafter Choi) in view of Garssen, et al., US 2005/0035313 (hereinafter Garssen).
7. Regarding claim 1,
Choi discloses:
A load port module (10: fig. 1)
comprising: a mounting table (11: fig. 1) configured to receive a container (20: fig. 1), wherein the container is configured to hold a substrate (S: fig. 2B);
a door opener (12: fig. 1) configured to open and close a door (21: fig. 1) of the container;
an image generator (40: fig. 1) on the door opener, wherein the image generator is configured to generate a first image of the substrate at a first angle with respect to an extension direction relative to a slot of the container, and a second image of the substrate at a second angle with respect to the extension direction that is different from the first angle;Choi discloses three cameras 42-1, 42-2, and 42-3 in figs. 2A-B. Each of these cameras necessarily generates images from different angles because the cameras are mounted in different positions.
and a controller (50: fig. 1, [0043]) configured to determine a warpage of the substrate based on the first imageChoi discloses its system determines substrate warpage in [0001] and [0032]; its specification is largely concerned with disclosing its system and method for this purpose.
However, Choi does not disclose:
and an alignment of the substrate based on the second image.Choi’s invention only determines warpage, not alignment, even though its structures are capable of being used for that purpose.
Garssen, an invention in the field of wafer mapping, teaches:
and a controller configured to determine a warpage of the substrate based on the first image and an alignment of the substrate based on the second image.Garssen teaches wafer mapping in [0004], detecting improper loading. Garssen’s mapping method determines all aspects of wafer arrangement in a FOUP including position and orientation, which together constitute alignment. One arrangement of Garssen’s cameras is taught in fig. 4A, which we consider to exemplify the capture of applicant’s “second image”.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to configure the system and method of Choi, with a controller configured to determine a warpage of the substrate based on the first image and an alignment of the substrate based on the second image, as taught by Garssen because both substrate warpage and substrate alignment are widely acknowledged to be of crucial importance in substrate handling, with both warpage and misalignment leading to costs incurred due to damaged substrates and delay in processing them.
8. Regarding claim 2,
Choi in view of Garssen teaches the limitations of claim 1 and also:
wherein the first angle is a direction parallel to the slot of the container and the slot is configured to receive the substrate therein, and the second angle is a direction obliquely facing down with respect to the slot of the container.Garssen teaches multiple camera angles for multiple cameras. In figs. 3A-C a camera with a first angle parallel to substrate slots is taught. In fig. 4A a second camera facing obliquely down is taught. In combination with Choi, we incorporate Garssen’s camera angles with Choi’s structures.
9. Regarding claim 3,
Choi in view of Garssen teaches the limitations of claim 1 and also:
wherein the controller is configured to map a position of the substrate within the container based on the second image.Garssen teaches wafer mapping in [0004] based on camera position as in its fig. 4A.
10. Regarding claim 5,
Choi in view of Garssen teaches the limitations of claim 1 and also:
wherein the substrate (Choi, S: fig. 2B) is one of a plurality of substrates in the container, the image generator images a first one of the plurality of substrates in the container at the first angle and the second angle at a first height of the door opener, the door opener descends from the first height to a second height, and the image generator images a second one of the plurality of substrates in the container at the first angle and the second angle at the second height of the door opener.We note that FOUPs standard in the art comprise a plurality of stacked slots each of which may carry a substrate. Choi discloses the lowering of its FOUP door-opener and attached arrangement of multiple cameras in [0012]. This sequence, as depicted in fig. 2A (door closed, camera unit at the top of the FOUP) and fig. 2B (door fully open, camera unit at the base of the FOUP) necessarily has the effect of moving the “image generator” or camera unit past each of the substrates in the FOUP at multiple heights as the device descends. As Garssen teaches multiple camera angles for imaging substrates, the combination teaches the descending door opener and cameras imaging a plurality of substrates from a first height, a second height, a first angle, and a second angle.
11. Regarding claim 7,
Choi in view of Garssen teaches the limitations of claim 1 and also:
wherein the image generator includes: a body (Choi, 41: fig. 2A), a head (Choi, 42: fig. 2A) connected to the body and configured to adjust an angle with respect to the substrate, and a camera unit (42: fig. 2A) on the head.Choi discloses these components in fig. 2A without disclosing the angle adjustment, which is taught by Garssen. We consider that Choi’s integrated camera unit 42 depicted in its fig. 2A has the same structural purpose as applicant’s head and camera unit combined in applicant’s fig. 3. It appears from this figure that applicant’s cameras 42 (421, 422, 423) are directly mounted in the “head” 49, and we see the same arrangement in Choi’s fig. 2A. Choi, however, does not disclose an adjustable angle; we make use of Garssen’s adjustable cameras that it teaches in [0037] without teaching a specific adjustment mechanism. Considering that applicant has not claimed any particular arrangement of pivoting or hinged mechanisms to adjust its camera angle, we suppose that a person of ordinary skill in the art would be able to select one of many different widely known devices of this sort.
12. Regarding claim 8,
Choi in view of Garssen teaches the limitations of claim 7 and also:
wherein the camera unit includes: a first camera (Choi, 42-1: fig. 2A) configured to image a first edge area of the substrate, a second camera (Choi, 42-3: fig. 2A) configured to image a second edge area of the substrate, and a third camera (Choi, 42-2: fig. 2A) configured to image a center area between the first edge area and the second edge area.
13. Regarding claim 9,
Choi in view of Garssen teaches the limitations of claim 8 and also:
further comprising a light unit (Choi, 43: fig. 2A) on the head and above the first to third cameras.
14. Regarding claim 10,
Choi in view of Garssen teaches the limitations of claim 7 and also:
wherein the door opener is configured to ascend or descend between a first position and a second position, when the door opener descends to the second position, the body is configured to descend along a surface of the door opener to prevent the head and the camera unit from protruding beyond an uppermost surface of the door opener,Choi discloses this raising and lowering arrangement in figs. 2A (raised) and 2B (lowered). As seen in 2A the head and camera unit can be configured not to protrude beyond an uppermost surface of the door opener, which in this figure is the unnumbered square structure on which camera structural elements 41-43 are mounted (the cylinder lifting unit 41 can optionally raise the head and camera unit above the uppermost surface so as to view the interior of the FOUP, as seen in some other figures).
and a robot hand is configured to enter the container from an upper side of the door opener and is further configured to hold and move the substrate. Choi discloses this operation of a robot hand in [0040].
15. Regarding claim 11,
Choi discloses:
A load port module (10: fig. 1)
comprising: a mounting table (11: fig. 1) configured to receive a container (20: fig. 1), wherein the container is configured to hold a substrate therein (S: fig. 2B);
a door opener (12: fig. 1) configured to open and close a door (21: fig. 1) of the container and to move between a first position (fig. 2A) and a second position (fig. 2B);
an image generator (40: fig. 1) on the door opener and configured to generate a plurality of images of the substrate;Choi discloses three cameras 42-1, 42-2, and 42-3 in fig. 2A-B. These cameras generate at least three images of the substrate.
and a controller (50: fig. 1, [0043]) configured to determine a state of the substrate based on the plurality of images,
wherein the image generator includes: a body configured to ascend and descend along one surface of the door opener (41: fig. 2A),
wherein the camera unit is configured to generate a first image of the substrate in a direction parallel to the slot of the container,Garssen teaches multiple camera angles for multiple cameras. In figs. 3A-C a camera with a first angle parallel to substrate slots is taught. In combination with Choi, we incorporate Garssen’s camera angles with Choi’s structures.
and the controller (50: fig. 1) is configured to determine a warpage of the substrate based on the first image,Choi discloses its system determines substrate warpage in [0001] and [0032]; its specification is largely concerned with disclosing its system and method for this purpose.
However, Choi does not disclose all aspects of:
a head connected to the body and configured to adjust an angle formed with a slot of the container,While Choi discloses a head 42, this head is not disclosed to adjust its angle.
and a camera unit on the head and configured so that an angle of imaging the substrate is changed according to the angle adjustment of the head,While Choi discloses three cameras 42-1, 42-2, and 42-3 mounted on its head, it does not disclose the angular adjustment.
and wherein the camera unit is configured to generate a second image of the substrate in a direction obliquely facing down with respect to the slot of the container, and the controller is configured to determine an alignment of the substrate based on the second image and to map a position of the substrate in the container.While Choi discloses its cameras are used to determine substrate warpage, it does not disclose their use for substrate alignment or mapping nor does it disclose the oblique downward angle.
Garssen, an invention in the field of wafer mapping teaches the missing aspects of:
a head connected to the body and configured to adjust an angle formed with a slot of the container,Garssen teaches its cameras may adjust their angles in [0037].
and a camera unit on the head and configured so that an angle of imaging the substrate is changed according to the angle adjustment of the head,Garssen teaches its cameras may adjust their angles in [0037]. Different camera angles are seen in Garssen’s figs. 3A and 4A.
and wherein the camera unit is configured to generate a second image of the substrate in a direction obliquely facing down with respect to the slot of the container, and the controller is configured to determine an alignment of the substrate based on the second image and to map a position of the substrate in the container.Garssen discloses substrate mapping in [0004] (which process includes determining alignment as mapping determines substrate position and orientation). The oblique downward facing angle is seen in camera 12 in fig. 4A.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to configure the system and method of Choi, with a head connected to the body and configured to adjust an angle formed with a slot of the container, and a camera unit on the head and configured so that an angle of imaging the substrate is changed according to the angle adjustment of the head, and wherein the camera unit is configured to generate a second image of the substrate in a direction obliquely facing down with respect to the slot of the container, and the controller is configured to determine an alignment of the substrate based on the second image and to map a position of the substrate in the container, as taught by Garssen because both substrate warpage and substrate alignment are widely acknowledged to be of crucial importance in substrate handling, with both warpage and misalignment leading to costs incurred due to damaged substrates and delay in processing them.
16. Regarding claim 12,
Choi in view of Garssen teaches the limitations of claim 11 and also:
wherein the substrate (S: fig. 2B) is one of a plurality of substrates that are in the container, the image generator is configured to image the plurality of substrates in the container in a direction parallel to the slot of the container, after the door opener opens the door of the container and as the door opener descends, and the door opener is configured ascends after the image generator images the plurality of substrates in the direction parallel to the slot of the container, and the image generator is configured to image the plurality of substrates in the container in a direction obliquely facing down with respect to the slot of the container, as the door opener descends.We first note that the slots and substrates of the container are elements of a standard “FOUP” substrate carrier standard in the art. Each of the plurality of slots in a FOUP may carry a substrate. Choi discloses most of this arrangement in its figs. 2A-B, where the descent of the camera unit on the door opener is depicted, traversing the entire array of substrates in the FOUP and affording its camera “first angle” views of the substrates in the slots parallel to the slots. Garssen teaches the aspect in its fig. 4A wherein the camera faces obliquely down instead of parallel.
17. Regarding claim 13,
Choi in view of Garssen teaches the limitations of claim 11 and also:
wherein the substrate is one of a plurality of substrates in the container, and the slot is one of a plurality of slots in the container, each of the plurality of substrates being received by corresponding ones of the plurality of slots in the container, the image generator is configured to perform an imaging operation in a direction parallel to and a direction inclined with a first slot of the plurality of slots of the container at a first height of the door opener after the door opener opens the door of the container, the image generator is configured to perform the imaging operation in the direction parallel to and the direction inclined with a second slot of the plurality of slots of the container at a second height of the door opener after the door opener descends from the first height to the second height.We first note that the slots and substrates of the container are elements of a standard “FOUP” substrate carrier standard in the art. Each of the plurality of slots in a FOUP may carry a substrate. Choi discloses this arrangement in its figs. 2A-B, where the descent of the camera unit on the door opener is depicted, traversing the entire array of substrates in the FOUP and affording its camera views of the substrates in a camera direction parallel to the slots for each slot and substrate in the FOUP.
18. Regarding claim 14,
Choi in view of Garssen teaches the limitations of claim 11 and also:
wherein the camera unit includes: a first camera (Choi, 42-1: fig. 2A) configured to image a first edge area of the substrate, a second camera (Choi, 42-3: fig. 2A) configured to image a second edge area of the substrate, and a third camera (Choi, 42-2: fig. 2A) configured to image a center area between the first edge area and the second edge area.
19. Regarding claim 15,
Choi in view of Garssen teaches the limitations of claim 14 and also:
further comprising a light unit (Choi, 43: fig. 2A) on the head and above the first to third cameras.
20. Claim 6 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Choi in view of Garssen and further in view of Bacchi, et al., US 2001/0020199 (hereinafter Bacchi).
Choi in view of Garssen teaches the limitations of claim 1 and also:
wherein the controller is configured to determine that the substrate is a distorted substrate that is distorted in at least one of an x-direction, a y-direction, and a θ-direction by determining the alignment of the substrate,We interpret applicant’s “θ-direction” as the angle θ3 in applicant’s fig. 10 according to [0062] of applicant’s specification. Thus, θ-direction is an angle of rotation about the z axis and not a direction of the same sort as the x- and y- directions.Per Claim Objections above, we interpret “distortion” as an improper positioning or misalignment of the substrate, i.e. a deviation in the x or y direction or at an angle θ, and not as a warpage of the substrate as the plain English meaning of the word might suggest.Garssen teaches wafer mapping that includes alignment in two horizontal directions in its claim 4; we relate those two directions to applicant’s x- and y-directions. Thus Garssen teaches detection of “distortion” in at least one of an x-direction, a y-direction, and a θ-direction.
However, neither Choi nor Garssen teaches:
and is further configured to control a robot hand to hold the distorted substrate in a distorted state to compensate for the distortion of the distorted substrate.Garssen only teaches substrate mapping and the detection of misalignment, and not compensatory positioning after detecting misalignment. Choi’s robot hand is at least capable of performing the claimed compensation, however.
Bacchi, an invention in the field of wafer repositioning, teaches:
and is further configured to control a robot hand to hold the distorted substrate in a distorted state to compensate for the distortion of the distorted substrate.Bacchi teaches compensating for detected wafer misalignment by positioning a robot arm in [0143].
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to configure the system of Choi and Garssen, to control a robot hand to hold the distorted substrate in a distorted state to compensate for the distortion of the distorted substrate, as taught by Bacchi, because having detected a misalignment that is not so severe as to require a halt to substrate processing, it is natural to continue operation by compensating for the misalignment. A person of ordinary skill in the art would recognize the substantial cost savings in executing a compensation step over halting operation and requiring manual intervention to correct the faulty substrate and/or FOUP.
Allowable Subject Matter
21. Claims 16-20 are allowed.
22. Claim 4 is 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.
23. The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: For both independent claim 16 and dependent claim 4/1, the allowable subject matter is essentially the same. Reference Choi, structurally similar to applicant, mounts a camera unit on a FOUP door-opener for the purpose of scanning substrates in the FOUP in exactly the same manner as applicant. However, Choi does not disclose applicant’s particular two-pass approach, namely that as the door opener descends while opening the FOUP door it scans first images of the substrates (for purposes of detecting warpage) and then, after the door opener ascends again with the camera, it performs a second descent pass scanning all the substrates from a second angle in order to perform substrate mapping and to verify substrate alignment. Choi discloses only a single pass, and only for warpage detection. While prior art teaches both warpage detection and substrate mapping from the different angles claimed by applicant, applicant’s two-pass approach involving a first descent, a raising stage, and a second descent was neither found, nor taught, nor fairly suggested by the prior art of record. Dependent claims 17-20 inherit the allowability of parent claim 16.
Conclusion
24. The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. US 2018/0323095 teaches substrate warpage detection via cameras. US 6,014,965 teaches substrate alignment determination via cameras. US 6,175,418 teaches compensating for a detected substrate misalignment.
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/ERNESTO A SUAREZ/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3655
LAURENCE RAPHAEL BROTHERS
Examiner
Art Unit 3655A
/L.R.B./ Examiner, Art Unit 3655