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 .
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of Group I, claims 1-6, in the reply filed on 1/25/2026 is acknowledged.
Claims 7-18 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected Group, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on 1/25/2026.
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 “repeatedly rotating the bias magnetic field device after every first preset time length of consuming the material of the target, to periodically change an area, where a bias magnetic field is applied to, of a surface of the target” as recited by claim 1 and “a center angle” of claim 2 must be shown or the feature(s) canceled from the claim(s). No new matter should be entered.
Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. The figure or figure number of an amended drawing should not be labeled as “amended.” If a drawing figure is to be canceled, the appropriate figure must be removed from the replacement sheet, and where necessary, the remaining figures must be renumbered and appropriate changes made to the brief description of the several views of the drawings for consistency. Additional replacement sheets may be necessary to show the renumbering of the remaining figures. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
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.
Claims 1-6 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Claim 1 recites “rotating a bias magnetic field device by a fixed angle along a circumferential direction of a base, and repeatedly rotating the bias magnetic field device after every first preset time length of consuming the material of the target, to periodically change an area, where a bias magnetic field is applied to, of a surface of the target” (emphasis added). The claim is indefinite as to the whether:
1) the claimed “bias magnetic field” is intended to be from the claimed “bias magnetic field device” or a distinct structure thereof; and
2) the claimed “bias magnetic field device” and/or “bias magnetic field” is/are intended to be at the claimed “base” as shown in fig.1 as detail [2] or at the claimed “target” as shown in fig. 1 as detail [3] (NOTE: no magnet, magnetic structure, nor magnetic field is shown at the target [3] in fig. 1, nor shown in any of the figures, compared with magnets [9],[10] of the bias magnetic field device present at the base [2]).
Claims 2-6 are also rejected as depending on claim 1.
Claim 1 recites a limitation “in response to a consumption time length of a material of a target reaching a first preset time length of consuming the material of the target”, rendering the claim indefinite as to the intended meaning and/or relationship of the limitation regarding the ‘time lengths’ and ‘consumption of the material’. Claims 2-6 are also rejected as depending on claim 1.
Claim 1 recites “repeatedly rotating the bias magnetic field device after every first preset time length of consuming the material of the target, to periodically change an area, where a bias magnetic field is applied to, of a surface of the target until a total time length of consuming the material of the target accumulates to reach an upper limit” (emphasis added). The claim is indefinite as to how the claimed “total time length” (e.g. accumulated time length) then “accumulates” further to the claimed “upper limit”. Claims 2-6 are also rejected as depending on claim 1.
Claim 1 recites “each time, a number of substrates is deposited by the material of the target” (emphasis added). The claim is indefinite as to whether the claim is intending to mean the “substrates” are ‘formed’ (i.e. “deposited”) “by the material of the target”, the substrates are deposited with the material of the target, or some other meaning. Claims 2-6 are also rejected as depending on claim 1.
Claim 5 (dependent on claim 1) recites “a sum of fixed angles after repeatedly rotating the bias magnetic field device is greater than or equal to 180°” (emphasis added). Claim 5 is indefinite as to whether the “repeatedly rotating the bias magnetic field device” is intended to refer back to the “repeatedly rotating the bias magnetic field device” of claim 1, or a distinct ‘repeatedly’ thereof.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. CN 111101097 is relevant for teaching a bias magnetic field device [2] around a base [1], wherein the bias magnetic field device [2] changes an associated magnetic field in the vicinity of a substrate on the base [1] via “bias magnet lifting mechanism” [23] that raises and lowers the bias magnetic field device [2].
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MICHAEL A BAND whose telephone number is (571)272-9815. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Fri, 9am-5pm EST.
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, James Lin can be reached at (571) 272-8902. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/MICHAEL A BAND/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1794
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