DETAILED ACTION
This office action is in response to amendments filed on 06/12/2026. Claims 1-17 are pending.
Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after allowance or after an Office action under Ex Parte Quayle, 25 USPQ 74, 453 O.G. 213 (Comm'r Pat. 1935). Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, prosecution in this application has been reopened pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on 06/12/2026 has been entered.
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 .
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 06/12/2026 was filed after the filing date of the application. The submission is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
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.
Claims 1-2 and 14-16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Binnard et al. US 20040252287 A1 (Hereinafter “Binnard”).
Regarding Claim 1, Binnard teaches a stage apparatus (Fig. 2A, 224) comprising:
a first stage (Fig. 2A, 206) configured to be movable in a first direction (Fig. 2A, X);
a first driving unit (Fig. 2A, 236A) configured to generate a first thrust force to move the first stage in the first direction ([0053-0054]);
a second driving unit (Fig. 2A, 240) configured to generate a second thrust force to move the first stage in a second direction (Fig. 2A, Y) perpendicular to the first direction ([0058]); and
a reaction force reducing unit (Fig. 2A, 289) configured to generate a third thrust force to reduce a reaction force generated by the generation of the first thrust force of the first driving unit ([0075]),
wherein at least part of the reaction force reducing unit is coupled to a part of the second driving unit (Abstract, the first mass assembly (256) is coupled to the stage mover assembly (204)), and
wherein the reaction force reducing unit is configured to generate third thrust forces with different magnitudes from each other at a plurality of positions in the second direction, and to generate third thrust forces with different magnitudes from each other at a plurality of positions in a third direction (Fig. 2A, Z) perpendicular to the first direction and the second direction ([0075]).
Regarding Claim 2, Binnard teaches the stage apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:
a measuring unit (Fig. 1, 28) configured to measure a position of the first stage; and
a controller (Fig. 2A, 226) configured to control the reaction force reducing unit,
wherein the reaction force reducing unit includes a plurality of thrust force generating units (Fig. 2A, 290 & 292) each of which is arranged at respective positions, and
wherein the controller is configured to determine at least one thrust force generating unit generating the third thrust force to reduce the reaction force based on the position in the second direction of the first stage measured by the measuring unit ([0075], the control system 226 can direct current to the flywheel mover 292 secured to the Y mass 266A to rotate the flywheel 290 about the Z axis in the first rotational direction. This causes a theta Z correction torque from the flywheel mover 292 to be imparted upon the Y mass 266A about the Z axis in the second rotational direction that counteracts, reduces and/or cancels the theta Z reaction force).
Regarding Claim 14, Binnard teaches the stage apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the reaction force reducing unit is provided on both sides in the first direction of the first stage ([0075] Additionally, the reaction frame assembly 230 can include one or more torque reducers 289 that reduce the magnitude of torque experienced by one or both of the mass assemblies 256, 266).
Regarding Claim 15, Binnard teaches a pattern forming apparatus for forming a pattern on a substrate, comprising the stage apparatus according to claim 1 configured to control driving of the first stage on which the substrate is mounted ([0012] The present invention is also directed to an exposure apparatus, a device made with the exposure apparatus, a wafer made with the exposure apparatus, a method for making a stage assembly, a method for making an exposure apparatus, a method for making a device and a method for manufacturing a wafer).
Regarding Claim 16, Binnard teaches a method for manufacturing an article, comprising: forming a pattern on the substrate by using the pattern forming apparatus according to claim 15; and processing the substrate on which the pattern is formed to obtain the article ([0012] The present invention is also directed to an exposure apparatus, a device made with the exposure apparatus, a wafer made with the exposure apparatus, a method for making a stage assembly, a method for making an exposure apparatus, a method for making a device and a method for manufacturing a wafer).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 17 is allowed.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
determining the magnitudes of the third thrust forces generated at each of the plurality of positions in the second direction based on the position in the second direction of the first stage measured in the measuring step and a gain parameter.
Claims 3-13 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.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Binnard US 6844694 B2 teaches a stage assembly comprising: a guide assembly including: a guide bar movable in a first direction, the guide bar having a center of gravity and a guiding portion; a stage movable along the guiding portion of the guide bar in a second direction substantially perpendicular to the first direction and exerting a reaction force on the guide bar, the stage having a center of gravity spaced apart from the center of gravity of the guide bar in the first direction; a first actuator component positioned on the guide bar and aligned with the center of gravity of the stage in the second direction to apply a compensating force on the guide bar to cancel the reaction force exerted by the stage; and a second actuator component positioned on the guide bar and aligned with the center of gravity of the guide bar in the second direction to apply a force on the guide bar to control a position of the guide bar in the second direction. Mayama US 20020104950 A1 teaches a vibration suppression apparatus adjusts the driving force generated by the linear-acting actuator 51 to drive the inertial load 52 so as to control a thrust applied as a reaction force to the vibration suppression target.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to CORTEZ M COOK whose telephone number is (571)270-7954. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Thursday 7:30-5pm.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Eduardo Colon-Santana can be reached at 571-272-2060. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/CORTEZ M COOK/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2837
Prosecution Insights