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 .
Drawings
The drawings are objected to under 37 CFR 1.83(a). The drawings must show every feature of the invention specified in the claims. Therefore, the following must be shown or the feature(s) canceled from the claim(s). No new matter should be entered.
Claim 2, 9 and 15 states the limitation: “the exhaust system is disposed at a top of the tank”. The top of the tank is not depicted in any figure, nor is the relationship between the exhaust system and the tank. Furthermore, the specification provides no further information regarding any benefit to placing the exhaust system at the top of the tank.
Claim Objections
Claims 4, 7, 11, 14 and 20 are objected to because of the following informalities:
Claim 4 Ln 2, please amend to --of [[a]] the substrate--.
Claim 7 Ln 2, please amend to --exhaust the ozone--.
Claim 11 Ln 2, please amend to --of [[a]] the substrate--.
Claim 14 Ln 2, please amend to --exhaust the ozone--.
Claim 20 Ln 2, please amend to --exhaust the ozone--.
Appropriate correction is required.
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 of this title, 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.
Claims 1-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Chen; Ssutzu et al. US 11694889 B2, hereinafter Chen, in view of OKITA; Nobuaki et al. US 20220023923 A1, hereinafter Okita. The references is/are considered analogous art to the claimed invention because the references is/are from the same field of endeavor as the claimed invention (polishing/cleaning apparatuses for substrates). MPEP2141.01(a) I.
Regarding claim 1, Chen discloses (Fig. 1-2) a substrate processing system, comprising:
a polishing station (106); and
a cleaning system (104) comprising:
a substrate handler (140) configured to transport a substrate (102) between the polishing station and the cleaning system (Col 4 Ln 15-18);
a first cleaning module (150a); and
a second cleaning module (150b/c) comprising a tank (fundamentally, the module comprises some form of basin/catcher/tank to receive the “cleaning solution”),
a processing fluid delivery system (300), the processing fluid delivery system configured to deliver a processing fluid (“cleaning solution” Col 5 Ln 59-Col 6 Ln 2).
Chen fails to explicitly state that the processing fluid comprises ozone, and the cleaning system comprises an exhaust system.
Okita discloses (Fig. 1, 3) a cleaning system (104) comprising:
a second cleaning module (120) comprising a tank (121),
a processing fluid delivery system (51), the processing fluid delivery system configured to deliver a processing fluid (“processing liquid” [0066-0067, 0082]), wherein the processing fluid comprises ozone [0083], and
an exhaust system (6A) for the purpose of removing specific components (such as ozone) contained in the processing fluid [0093].
One of ordinary skill in the art could have applied the known technique (processing fluid comprising ozone, an exhaust system) in the same way to the "base" device and the results (rinsing/cleaning the substrate) would have been predictable to one of ordinary skill in the art. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to use processing fluid comprising ozone and an exhaust system in the device of Chen to rinse/clean the substrate as taught by Okita as this is a known technique amongst similar devices.
Regarding claim 2, Okita discloses (Fig. 1, 3) the exhaust system (6A) is disposed at a top of the tank ((121), as depicted at least a portion of (6A) is located at the top of (121)).
Regarding claim 3, Chen discloses (Fig. 1-2) the processing fluid delivery system comprises:
a front side spray bar port (228/238) coupled to a front side spray bar (226/234) located within the second cleaning module; and
a back side spray bar port (228/238) coupled to a back side spray bar (226/234) located within the second cleaning module opposite the front side spray bar.
Regarding claim 4, Chen discloses (Fig. 1-2) the front side spray bar and the back side spray bar are configured to rinse a front side and a back side of a substrate with the processing fluid (Col 5 Ln 61-64).
Regarding claim 5, Okita discloses (Fig. 1-2) the processing fluid further comprises water [0083].
Regarding claim 6, Chen further fails to explicitly state that the processing fluid is flowed to the second cleaning module at about 0.5 liters per minute to 3 liters per minute.
Since applicant has not disclosed that having the processing fluid flowed at 0.5 to 3 liters per minute solves any stated problem or is for any particular purpose, and it appears that the undisclosed/generic flow rate, of Chen would perform equally well with the processing fluid flowed at 0.5 to 3 liters per minute as claimed by applicant, it would have been an obvious matter of design choice to further modify the undisclosed/generic flow rate of the Chen by utilizing the processing fluid flowed at 0.5 to 3 liters per minute as claimed for the purpose of rinsing/cleaning the substrate.
Regarding claim 7, Chen discloses (Fig. 1-2) the exhaust system (6A) is disposed at a top of the second cleaning module ((120), as depicted at least a portion of (6A) is located at the top of (120)) and configured to exhaust ozone from waste produced by the processing fluid [0093].
Regarding claim 8, Chen discloses (Fig. 1-2) a cleaning system, comprising:
a substrate handler (140) configured to transport a substrate (102) between the polishing station and the cleaning system (Col 4 Ln 15-18);
a first cleaning module (150a); and
a second cleaning module (150b/c) comprising a tank (fundamentally, the module comprises some form of basin/catcher/tank to receive the “cleaning solution”),
a processing fluid delivery system (300), the processing fluid delivery system configured to deliver a processing fluid (“cleaning solution” Col 5 Ln 59-Col 6 Ln 2).
Chen fails to explicitly state that the processing fluid comprises ozone, and the cleaning system comprises an exhaust system.
Okita discloses (Fig. 1, 3) a cleaning system (104) comprising:
a second cleaning module (120) comprising a tank (121),
a processing fluid delivery system (51), the processing fluid delivery system configured to deliver a processing fluid (“processing liquid” [0066-0067, 0082]), wherein the processing fluid comprises ozone [0083], and
an exhaust system (6A) for the purpose of removing specific components (such as ozone) contained in the processing fluid [0093].
One of ordinary skill in the art could have applied the known technique (processing fluid comprising ozone, an exhaust system) in the same way to the "base" device and the results (rinsing/cleaning the substrate) would have been predictable to one of ordinary skill in the art. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to use processing fluid comprising ozone and an exhaust system in the device of Chen to rinse/clean the substrate as taught by Okita as this is a known technique amongst similar devices.
Regarding claim 9, Okita discloses (Fig. 1, 3) the exhaust system (6A) is disposed at a top of the tank ((121), as depicted at least a portion of (6A) is located at the top of (121)).
Regarding claim 10, Chen discloses (Fig. 1-2) the processing fluid delivery system comprises:
a front side spray bar port (228/238) coupled to a front side spray bar (226/234) located within the second cleaning module; and
a back side spray bar port (228/238) coupled to a back side spray bar (226/234) located within the second cleaning module opposite the front side spray bar.
Regarding claim 11, Chen discloses (Fig. 1-2) the front side spray bar and the back side spray bar are configured to rinse a front side and a back side of a substrate with the processing fluid (Col 5 Ln 61-64).
Regarding claim 12, Okita discloses (Fig. 1-2) the processing fluid further comprises water [0083].
Regarding claim 13, Chen further fails to explicitly state that the processing fluid is flowed to the second cleaning module at about 0.5 liters per minute to 3 liters per minute.
Since applicant has not disclosed that having the processing fluid flowed at 0.5 to 3 liters per minute solves any stated problem or is for any particular purpose, and it appears that the undisclosed/generic flow rate, of Chen would perform equally well with the processing fluid flowed at 0.5 to 3 liters per minute as claimed by applicant, it would have been an obvious matter of design choice to further modify the undisclosed/generic flow rate of the Chen by utilizing the processing fluid flowed at 0.5 to 3 liters per minute as claimed for the purpose of rinsing/cleaning the substrate.
Regarding claim 14, Chen discloses (Fig. 1-2) the exhaust system (6A) is disposed at a top of the second cleaning module ((120), as depicted at least a portion of (6A) is located at the top of (120)) and configured to exhaust ozone from waste produced by the processing fluid [0093].
Regarding claim 15, Chen discloses (Fig. 1-2) a cleaning module, comprising:
a tank (fundamentally, the module comprises some form of basin/catcher/tank to receive the “cleaning solution”),
a processing fluid delivery system (300), the processing fluid delivery system configured to deliver a processing fluid (“cleaning solution” Col 5 Ln 59-Col 6 Ln 2).
Chen fails to explicitly state that the processing fluid comprises ozone, and the cleaning module comprises an exhaust system disposed at a top of the tank and a drain disposed at a bottom of the tank.
Okita discloses (Fig. 1, 3) a cleaning module (120) comprising:
a tank (121),
a processing fluid delivery system (51), the processing fluid delivery system configured to deliver a processing fluid (“processing liquid” [0066-0067, 0082]), wherein the processing fluid comprises ozone [0083];
a drain (151) disposed at a bottom of the tank [0077]; and
an exhaust system (6A) for the purpose of removing specific components (such as ozone) contained in the processing fluid [0093].
One of ordinary skill in the art could have applied the known technique (processing fluid comprising ozone, an exhaust system, drain) in the same way to the "base" device and the results (rinsing/cleaning the substrate) would have been predictable to one of ordinary skill in the art. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to use processing fluid comprising ozone and an exhaust system and drain in the device of Chen to rinse/clean the substrate as taught by Okita as this is a known technique amongst similar devices.
Regarding claim 16, Chen discloses (Fig. 1-2) the processing fluid delivery system comprises:
a front side spray bar port (228/238) coupled to a front side spray bar (226/234) located within the second cleaning module; and
a back side spray bar port (228/238) coupled to a back side spray bar (226/234) located within the second cleaning module opposite the front side spray bar.
Regarding claim 17, Chen discloses (Fig. 1-2) the front side spray bar and the back side spray bar are configured to rinse a front side and a back side of a substrate with the processing fluid (Col 5 Ln 61-64).
Regarding claim 18, Okita discloses (Fig. 1-2) the processing fluid further comprises water [0083].
Regarding claim 19, Chen further fails to explicitly state that the processing fluid is flowed to the second cleaning module at about 0.5 liters per minute to 3 liters per minute.
Since applicant has not disclosed that having the processing fluid flowed at 0.5 to 3 liters per minute solves any stated problem or is for any particular purpose, and it appears that the undisclosed/generic flow rate, of Chen would perform equally well with the processing fluid flowed at 0.5 to 3 liters per minute as claimed by applicant, it would have been an obvious matter of design choice to further modify the undisclosed/generic flow rate of the Chen by utilizing the processing fluid flowed at 0.5 to 3 liters per minute as claimed for the purpose of rinsing/cleaning the substrate.
Regarding claim 20, Chen discloses (Fig. 1-2) the exhaust system is configured to exhaust ozone from waste produced by the processing fluid [0093].
Relevant Art
The following is a listing of relevant art:
US 6155275 A, US5698038 A discloses a similar substrate processing system.
US 20170018423 A1, US 20050133067 A1, US 20180111860 A1, US 20130134128 A1 discloses a similar substrate processing system further comprising ozone.
Contact Information
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MATTHEW WIBLIN whose telephone number is (571)272-9836. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday-Friday 8:00 am - 4:00 pm.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, NATHANIEL WIEHE can be reached on 571-272-8648. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/MATTHEW WIBLIN/ Examiner, Art Unit 3745