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 § 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.
Claim(s) 1-12, 14-17, 19-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Rice (US2021/0175100) in view of Assaf et al (US2019/0295872).
Referring to claims 1. Rice discloses a “Reconfigurable Mainframe With Replaceable Interface Plate”. See Figs. 1-5 and respective portions of the specification. Rice further discloses a mainframe (104) of a device fabrication system, comprising: a base (See Sect. 0004, 0025-0026); a plurality of facets (101A-D) on the base, wherein a first facet of the plurality of facets comprises a first frame (See Sect. 0027); a lid over the plurality of facets, wherein the base, the lid and the plurality of facets together define an interior volume (134) (See Sect. 0026); one or more robot arms in the interior volume (See Sect. 0026); and a first replaceable interface plate attached to the first frame of the first facet, the first replaceable interface plate comprising a plurality of substrate access ports (132), wherein a first access port is configured to provide access for the robot arm to a first process chamber and a second substrate access port is configured to provide access for the robot arm to a second process chamber (Sect. 0004). Further, Rice discloses wherein three process chambers (106, 108, 110) are attached to the replaceable interface plate (128A), wherein each of these process chambers (106, 108, 110) has a chamber port that lines up with a substrate access port (132) in the replaceable interface plate (128A) (See Sect. 0030). Therefore, three process chambers (112, 114, 116) are attached to the replaceable interface plate, each of the process chambers (112, 114, 116) has a chamber port that lines up with a substrate access port in the replaceable interface plate. Thus, Rice teaches a first replaceable interface plate comprising a plurality of substate access ports, wherein a first substrate access port provides robot arm access to a first process chamber and a second substrate access port provides robot arm access to a second process chamber. However, Rice does not explicitly disclose that the substrate access ports are individually replaceable chamber ports that are independently detachable from and attachable to discrete openings in the interface plate, such that each chamber port can be independently removed and replaced without replacing the entire interface plate. Assaf et al (herein “Assaf”) discloses a “Ambient Controlled Transfer Module And Process System”. See Figs. 1-11 and respective portions of the specification. Assaf further discloses a substrate transfer module including a transfer chamber (114) having a chamber body (220), a robot (224) disposed within the chamber body, and a process chamber port adapter (306) coupled to the chamber body on a surface of the chamber body facing the process chamber (Sect. 0047) and further discloses a mounting plate (308) that is removably coupled to the port adapter to enable secure coupling of the transfer chamber to the process chamber, a slit valve (310) formed in each of the chamber body, the port adapter, and the mounting plate, sized to accommodate passage of the substrate therethrough (See Sects.0047-0048). Thus, Assaf teaches a removable and replaceable port-level component (the mounting plate) that is independently attachable to and detachable from a port adapter on a transfer chamber surface, and that can be replaced with different adapters plates to accommodate different types of process chambers (thereby teaching the concept of replaceable chamber ports as discrete components independently replaceable). It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the reconfigurable mainframe system of Rice to incorporate individually replaceable chamber ports within discrete openings of the replaceable interface plate, in the manner as taught by Assaf, in order to provide a second, nested level of reconfigurability that allows the specific chamber port configuration including slit valve type, port geometry, local center finder type, and port height to be changed at individual port positions without requiring the replacement of the entire interface plate, which would cut down on reconfiguration cost, improve usability and flexibility, and extend the service life of the interface plate.
Referring to claim 2. Rice in view of Assaf disclose the combination as above as applied to claim 1. Rice further discloses a first plurality of weight transfer features protruding from the lid (Sect. 0052-0056); and a second plurality of weight transfer features disposed on a top face of the first replaceable interface plate, wherein the first plurality of weigh transfer features are to interface with the second plurality of weight transfer features to transfer a load from the lid to the first replaceable interface plate (See at least Sects. 0056, 0067). It should be noted that the first plurality of load transfer features are set screws that extend vertically downward from the lid and the second plurality of load transfer features are inserts/attachments on a top surface of the replaceable interface plates.
Referring to claims 3-6. Rice in view of Assaf disclose the combination as above as applied to claim 1. Rice further discloses wherein the replaceable interface plate may be formed from aluminum or aluminum alloy, steel or another metal (See Sect. 0050) and further discloses wherein the replaceable interface plate is load bearing (Sect. 0004). Rice does not disclose a plurality of weight transfer features comprises set screws extending vertically downward from the lid; a hardness differential between the interface plate material and the weight transfer feature material; the weight transfer plate comprising discs or the interface plate comprising aluminum with weight transfer features comprising steel or iron. It should be noted that the specific weight transfer feature configurations (set screws, differing hardness contact elements, differing materials for the interface plate and weight transfer features, discs) represent well-known mechanical engineering principles for distributing concentrated loads on softer substrate materials. It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the device of Rice to include (set screws, discs, and hardness-specific materials) for the weight transfer features to help control force transmission, allow for greater adjustability / calibration of load distribution and to reduce localized stress concentrations on the plate. It should be noted that these features are generally considered to be routine design choice considerations.
Referring to claim 7. Rice in view of Assaf disclose the combination as above as applied to claim 1. Rice dice discloses that the mainframe includes an integrated lid that is not removable (See at least Sects. 0026, 0056).
Referring to claim 8. Rice in view of Assaf disclose the combination as above as applied to claim 7. Rice discloses an integrated lid disposed over the frame and over the replaceable interface plates of the mainframe (Sect. 0056) and further that the mainframe interior volume must be accessible for maintenance, installation, and servicing of the robot assembly and other interior components (Sect. 0026) and a robot arm/assembly (136) may be disposed within the interior volume (134) of the mainframe. Rice doesn’t disclose wherein in the integrated lid comprises a plurality of access plates that are openable to provide access to the interior volume. It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the reconfigurable mainframe of Rice to incorporate openable access plates in the integrated lid as a predictable and routine design choice that would provide the benefit of providing interior access without requiring disassembly of the entire lid structure.
Referring to claim 9. Rice in view of Assaf disclose the combination as above as applied to claim 1. Rice discloses that substrate access ports on the replaceable interface plate may be of different sizes, heights, and types to accommodate different types of process chambers (Sect. 0028, 0042). Thus Rice teaches that individual substrate access ports on a single interface plate may have different configurations suited for different process types. Assaf further teaches that the removable mounting plate (308) may be replaced with a different adapted plate to accommodate different types of process chambers (Sect. 0047). Thus, the combination of Rice and Assaf teaches first and second replaceable chamber ports having different configurations suitable for coupling to first and second process chambers respectively.
Referring to claim 10. Rice in view of Assaf disclose the combination as above as applied to claim 1. Rice discloses at least one of a laser or a detector of a local center finder (LCF) integrated into a lid (Sect. 0028, 0049) and further wherein the local center find is configured to detect a center of a substrate that passes through the first replaceable chamber port (Sect. 0028). It should be noted that it is generally understood in the arts that LCF are provided using lasers as a means of providing true center detection and improving alignment while reducing alignment errors, through non-contact means.
Referring to claim 11. Rice in view of Assaf disclose the combination as above as applied to claim 1. Rice discloses wherein the one or more robot arms comprises a first robot arm and second robot arm (See Sect. 0026, 0034).
Referring to claim 12. Rice in view of Assaf disclose the combination as above as applied to claim 1. Rice discloses that the replaceable interface plate may include LCF components associated with chamber ports, wherein the LCF is configured to determine a position of a substrate transferred through the chamber port (Sect. 0028) and wherein the replaceable interface plate may have LCFs attached or integrated therein (Sect. 0049). Rice doesn’t disclose wherein the first replaceable interface plate comprises one or more through holes that are configured to pass a laser beam from a laser of a local center finder across the first replaceable chamber port and to a detector of the LCF. It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the device of Rice to include through holes that are configured to pass a laser beam from a laser of a LCF across the chamber port and to a detector of the LCF, as it would have been necessary and advantageous to provide an optical path to enable the LCF laser beam to cross the chamber port and reach the detector, as this would provide improvements with positioning and alignment.
Referring to claim 14. Rice discloses a replaceable interface plate for attachment to a facet of a mainframe, the replaceable interface plate. Rice further discloses that the replaceable interface plate includes a plurality of access ports, wherein a first substrate access port is configured to provide access from the mainframe to a first process chamber and a second substrate access port is configured to provide access from the mainframe to a second process chamber (See Sect. 0005, 0028) and that each substrate access port (132) may be configured to attach a specific type of chamber, and three process chambers (106, 108, 11) are attached to the replaceable interface plates (128A), such that each of the process chambers has a chamber port that lines up with a substrate access port (132) in the replaceable interface plate (128) and further that replaceable interface plate (130A) has three substate access ports (132), and that three process chamber are attached to the replaceable interface plate, each of the process chambers with a chamber port that lines up with the access port in the replaceable interface plate. Thus, Rice teaches a replaceable interface plate comprising a plurality of substrate access ports wherein a first substrate access port provides access from the mainframe to a first process chamber and a second substate access port provides access from the mainframe to a second process chamber. However, Rice does not disclose that the interface plate comprises a plurality of openings each configured to receive a replaceable chamber port, wherein a first replaceable chamber port is coupled to the first replaceable interface plate at a first opening and configured to couple to a first process chamber and a second replaceable chamber port coupled to the replaceable interface plate at a second opening and configured to couple to a second process chamber. Assaf discloses a substrate transfer module including a transfer chamber (114) having a chamber body (220), a robot (224) disposed within the chamber body, and a process chamber port adapter (306) coupled to the chamber body on a surface of the chamber body facing the process chamber (Sect. 0047) and further discloses a mounting plate (308) that is removably coupled to the port adapter to enable secure coupling of the transfer chamber to the process chamber, a slit valve (310) formed in each of the chamber body, the port adapter, and the mounting plate, sized to accommodate passage of the substrate therethrough (See Sects.0047-0048). Thus, Assaf teaches a removable and replaceable port-level structural component (the mounting plate) that is independently attachable to and detachable from a port adapter on a transfer chamber surface, and that can be replaced with different adapters plates to accommodate different types of process chambers (thereby teaching the concept of replaceable chamber ports as discrete components independently replaceable). It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the reconfigurable mainframe system of Rice to incorporate individually replaceable chamber ports within discrete openings of the replaceable interface plate, in the manner as taught by Assaf, in order to provide a second, nested level of reconfigurability that allows the specific chamber port configuration including slit valve type, port geometry, local center finder type, and port height to be changed at individual port positions without requiring the replacement of the entire interface plate, which would cut down on reconfiguration cost, improve usability and flexibility, and extend the service life of the interface plate.
Referring to claim 15. Rice in view of Assaf disclose the combination as above as applied to claim 14. Rice discloses wherein the replaceable interface plate is configured to bear vertical forces on the mainframe caused by differences in pressure between an interior volume of the mainframe and an exterior of the mainframe (See at least Sects. 0018, 0052). Thus, the replaceable interface plate (230) bears vertical forces on the mainframe (200) cause by differences in pressure between the interior volume of the mainframe and an exterior of the mainframe.
Referring to claim 16. Rice discloses that substrate access ports on the replaceable interface plate may be of different sizes, heights, and types to accommodate different types of process chambers (Sect. 0028, 0042). Thus Rice teaches that individual substrate access ports on a single interface plate may have different configurations suited for different process types. Assaf further teaches that the removable mounting plate (308) may be replaced with a different adapted plate to accommodate different types of process chambers (Sect. 0047). Thus, the combination of Rice and Assaf teaches first and second replaceable chamber ports having different configurations suitable for coupling to first and second process chambers respectively.
Referring to claim 17. Rice discloses wherein at least one of the first replaceable chamber port or the second replaceable chamber port is a dual gate chamber port (See Sect. 0028).
Referring to claim 19. Rice discloses a method comprising: detaching a first process chamber from a mainframe of a device fabrication system comprising a base, a plurality of facets on the base, and a first replaceable interface plate attached to a first frame of a first facet of the plurality of facets, the first replaceable interface plate comprising a plurality of replaceable chamber ports (See Sect. 0025-0026, 0030, 0047), wherein detaching the first process chamber from the mainframe comprises detaching the first process chamber from a first replaceable chamber port coupled to the first replaceable interface plate (See Sect. 0083); attaching the second process chamber to the mainframe by attaching the second process chamber to the second replaceable chamber port (See Sect. 0081). Rice doesn’t disclose detaching first replaceable chamber port from a first opening of the first replaceable interface plate, wherein the first replaceable chamber port is configured to couple to the first process chamber or attaching a second replaceable chamber port to first opening, configured for second process chamber different from the first. Assaf discloses detaching first replaceable chamber port from a first opening of the first replaceable interface plate, wherein the first replaceable chamber port is configured to couple to the first process chamber (Assaf, Sect. 0046-0048) and attaching a second replaceable chamber port to first opening configured for second process chamber different from the first. It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the teachings of Assaf to help avoid unnecessary interface replacement, while allowing for second, nested level of reconfigurability that allows for individual port configurations without replacing the interface plate, which would reduce reconfiguration cost and system downtime.
Referring to claim 20. Rice in view of Assaf disclose the combination as above as applied to claim 19. Rice further discloses removing existing process chambers from the substrate access ports of the first replaceable interface plate as preliminary step in the mainframe reconfiguration method (See Sect. 0083). Thus, Rice teaches detaching process chambers from the interface plate as part of the reconfiguration method, while Assaf teaches that the detachment occurs at a replaceable chamber port (Assaf, Sect. 0047). Rice further discloses detaching the first replaceable interface plate from the first frame of the mainframe (See Sect. 0083) and attaching a second replaceable interfacet plate to the first frame, wherein the second replaceable interface plate has a second opening different from the first opening (See Sects. 0081, 0083). Further, Rice discloses attaching the third process chamber to the mainframe by attaching the third process chamber to the third replaceable chamber port (See Sect. 0081). Rice does not disclose attaching a third replaceable chamber port to the second opening of the second replaceable interface plate, wherein the third replaceable chamber port is configured to couple to a third process chamber different from the first and second process chambers. Assaf teaches that a mounting plate (308) serves as a discrete, independently replaceable port-level component is removably coupled to a port adapter (306) at a port-level opening of transfer chamber interface structure and maybe replaced with a different adapter plate to accommodate different types of process chambers (See Sect. 0047-0048). Thus, Assaf teaches attaching a replaceable chamber port component to a port-level opening of a transfer chamber interface structure wherein the chamber port is configured to couple to a specific type of process chamber. It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the Rice mainframe reconfiguration method to incorporate detaching the second process chamber from a second replaceable chamber port and attaching a third replaceable chamber port to the second opening of the second replaceable interface plate, in the manner taught by Assaf, as it would provide the benefit of port-level reconfigurability without requiring modification of the broader interface plate or mainframe structure.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 13, 18 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
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to TERRELL HOWARD MATTHEWS whose telephone number is (571)272-5929. The examiner can normally be reached Monday thru Friday; 8:00 AM - 4:30 PM EST.
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/TERRELL H MATTHEWS/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3653
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