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
Acknowledgment is made of applicant's claim for foreign priority based on Korean Application KR10-2022-0190970 dated 12/30/2022 and applicant has filed a certified copy of this Korean application on 02/26/2024.
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 5 and 15 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 5 recites the limitation “a side surface of the substrate”. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim. Because “a side surface of the substrate” is earlier recited in claim 1. It is not clear if same side surfaces are claimed. For the purpose of this examination they are interpreted to be the same and this limitation is interpreted to be --the side surface of the substrate--.
Claim 15 recites the limitation “a side surface of the alignment pin” in lines 3-4. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim. Because “a side surface of the alignment pin” is earlier recited in the claim. It is not clear if same side surfaces are claimed. For the purpose of this examination they are interpreted to be the same and this limitation is interpreted to be --the side surface of the alignment pin--.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 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 1-3 and 5 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102 (a)(1) as being anticipated by Kim et. al. (KR 20090027418 A) hereinafter Kim.
Regarding claim 1, Kim teaches (reproduced and annotated Figs. below) a substrate support apparatus comprising: a first chuck (supporting chuck which comprises support pins 120 on outer surface of housing /spin head 110) configured to support a substrate by contacting a bottom surface (back side Wb) of the substrate (W); and a second chuck (gripping chuck which comprises drive member 340 and chucking pins 330) configured to horizontally move the substrate by contacting a side surface (edge) of the substrate, wherein the second chuck comprises: a second chuck body (340 inside 110 of the first chuck) coupled to the first chuck; a plurality of protruding pins (330L) vertically protruding from an outer portion of a top surface (330L is connected to top surface of gear 352) of the second chuck body; and an alignment pin (330U) vertically protruding from a top surface of each of the plurality of protruding pins, wherein the plurality of protruding pins are located at a same horizontal distance from a center of the first chuck.
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Regarding claim 2, Kim teaches (reproduced and annotated Figs. above) the alignment pin is configured to move between a first point (gripping point) and a second point (releasing point) on the top surface of the protruding pin, wherein the second points on the top surfaces of the plurality of protruding pins are located at a same horizontal distance from the center of the first chuck (see location of the first points and the second points relative to axis A).
Regarding claim 3, Kim teaches (reproduced and annotated Figs. above) the alignment pin moves between the first point and the second point due to a rotation of the protruding pin (by rotation of drive gear 344 and driven gear 342).
Regarding claim 5, Kim teaches (reproduced and annotated Figs. above) the alignment pin moves the substrate by pushing a side surface (outer peripheral edge) of the substrate while moving from the first point to the second point.
Claims 1-3, 5, 7-13 and 16-19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102 (a)(1) as being anticipated by Lerner (US 20040047720 A1).
Claim 1 is rejected under two mutually exclusive interpretations:Under the first interpretation the second chuck body is interpreted to be gears 44, 46.Under the second interpretation the second chuck body is interpreted to be lift hoop 32.
Regarding claim 1, Under the first interpretation Lerner teaches (reproduced and annotated Figs. below) a substrate support apparatus (substrate processing apparatus 30) comprising: a first chuck (par. 0028: “chuck 38 (e.g., a vacuum or electrostatic chuck, or the like)”) configured to support a substrate (substrate 10) by contacting a bottom surface of the substrate; and a second chuck (gripping chuck comprising at least 18, 14, 48, gears 44, 46 and coupling 48) configured to horizontally move the substrate by contacting a side surface of the substrate (par. 0026: “one or more of the tabs 18 may contact the substrate 10 to apply a horizontal force to the edge of the substrate 10 to move the substrate 10 to the centered position defined by the tabs 18 when positioned as shown in FIG. 1B”), wherein the second chuck comprises: a second chuck body (gears 44, 46) coupled to the first chuck (par. 0029: “The central gear 44 may be concentrically mounted with respect to the spindle 40 via a bearing 50”); a plurality of protruding pins (14) vertically protruding from an outer portion of a top surface of the second chuck body (14 protrudes from top surface of 46 and 48); and an alignment pin (18) vertically protruding from a top surface of each of the plurality of protruding pins, wherein the plurality of protruding pins are located at a same horizontal distance from a center of the first chuck.
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Regarding claim 2, Under the first and the second interpretations Lerner teaches (reproduced and annotated Figs. above) the alignment pin is configured to move between a first point and a second point (see Fogs. 1A and 1B) on the top surface of the protruding pin, wherein the second points on the top surfaces of the plurality of protruding pins are located at a same horizontal distance from the center of the first chuck.
Regarding claims 3, 13 and 19, Under the first and the second interpretations Lerner teaches (reproduced and annotated Figs. above) the alignment pin moves between the first point and the second point due to a rotation of the protruding pin (par. 29: by rotation of gear 44).
Regarding claim 5, Under the first and the second interpretations Lerner teaches (reproduced and annotated Figs. above) the alignment pin moves horizontally between the first point and the second point in a sliding manner on the top surface of the protruding pin (par. 0034: “ then one or more of the tabs 18 contact the edge of the substrate 10 during the rotation of the substrate support pins 14 to urge the substrate 10 into the centered position”).
Regarding claims 7 and 16, Under the first interpretation Lerner teaches (reproduced and annotated Figs. above) the second chuck body has a cylindrical shape that vertically extends (gear 44 is cylindrical shaped).
Regarding claim 8, Under the first interpretation Lerner teaches (reproduced and annotated Figs. above) the second chuck body comprises a plurality of arms (three sprockets 46) that extend horizontally.
Regarding claim 11, Under the first and the second interpretations Lerner teaches (reproduced and annotated Figs. above) the first chuck is a vacuum chuck using vacuum to attach the bottom surface of the substrate (par. 0028: “chuck 38 (e.g., a vacuum or electrostatic chuck, or the like)”; also see par. 0036 and 0038).
Regarding claim 1, Under the second interpretation Lerner teaches (reproduced and annotated Figs. below) a substrate support apparatus (substrate processing apparatus 30) comprising: a first chuck (par. 0028: “chuck 38 (e.g., a vacuum or electrostatic chuck, or the like)”) configured to support a substrate (substrate 10) by contacting a bottom surface of the substrate; and a second chuck (gripping chuck comprising at least 18, 14, 48, 32, gears 44, 46 and coupling 48) configured to horizontally move the substrate by contacting a side surface of the substrate (par. 0026: “one or more of the tabs 18 may contact the substrate 10 to apply a horizontal force to the edge of the substrate 10 to move the substrate 10 to the centered position defined by the tabs 18 when positioned as shown in FIG. 1B”), wherein the second chuck comprises: a second chuck body (32) coupled (via 44, 46 and 48) to the first chuck (par. 0029: “The central gear 44 may be concentrically mounted with respect to the spindle 40 via a bearing 50”); a plurality of protruding pins (14) vertically protruding from an outer portion of a top surface of the second chuck body (14 protrudes from top surface of 32); and an alignment pin (18) vertically protruding from a top surface of each of the plurality of protruding pins, wherein the plurality of protruding pins are located at a same horizontal distance from a center of the first chuck.
Regarding claims 7 and 16, Under the second interpretation Lerner teaches (reproduced and annotated Figs. above) the second chuck body (32) has a cylindrical shape that vertically extends.
Regarding claim 9, Under the second interpretation Lerner teaches (reproduced and annotated Figs. above) the second chuck further comprises a height adjusting unit (lift/lower mechanism 34) configured to vertically move the second chuck body (par. 0028, 0033).
Regarding claims 10 and 17, Under the second interpretation Lerner teaches (reproduced and annotated Figs. above) three protruding pins are provided, wherein the three protruding pins are located along vertices of a virtual equilateral triangle on the top surface of the second chuck body.
Claim 12 is combination of claims 1, 2, 5 and 9 and is rejected for the same reasons.
Claim 18 is combination of claims 1, 2 and 9 and is rejected for the same reasons. Lerner further teaches the first chuck comprising a support plate (top surface of 38) configured to support the substrate and a driving unit (par. 0028: “spindle rotation mechanism 42 (e.g., a motor)”) configured to drive the support plate, the support plate contacting a bottom surface of the substrate.
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.
Claims 6 and 15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lerner in view of Kim (KR 20060039332 A).
Regarding claims 6 and 15, Lerner does not explicitly teach impact absorbing pad.
Kim teaches a wafer aligner with an impact absorbing material 320 of the wafer guide 310. To prevent damage.
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It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate teachings of Kim in device of Lerner and add impact absorbing pad on alignment pin of Lerner. Doing so would prevent damage to the gripped wafer.
Claims 4, 14 and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lerner in view of Kim.
Regarding claims 4, 14 and 20, in the second embodiment of Kim shown in Figs. 4a and 4b, the alignment pin is rotary to grip the wafer and not radially slidable.
First embodiment of Kim shown in Figs. 3a, 3b has slidable alignment pins 130.
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before effective filing date of the claimed invention to change movement mechanism of the alignment pins from rotary to slidable based on gripping needs.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MAHDI H NEJAD whose telephone number is (571)270-0464. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 7:30am-4pm EST.
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MAHDI H. NEJAD
Examiner
Art Unit 3723
/MAHDI H NEJAD/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3723