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 .
Claim Objections
Claim 6 is objected to because of the following informalities: Line 6 discloses the term “inspectionsatisfies” which appears to be a typographical error and should be “inspection satisfies”. Appropriate correction is required.
Claim 10 is objected to because of the following informalities: Line 2 discloses the term “substate” which appears to be a typographical error and should be “substrate”. Appropriate correction is required.
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 1-20 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.
Regarding claim 1, the term “a chemical solution” is disclosed in lines 4 and 7. It is unclear to the Examiner if the described chemical solutions for the first and second chemical solution discharge operation are the same chemical solution or different chemical solutions. Please correct and/or advise.
Regarding claim 11, the term “a chemical solution” is disclosed in lines 4 and 14. It is unclear to the Examiner if the described chemical solutions for the first and second chemical solution discharge operation are the same chemical solution or different chemical solutions. Please correct and/or advise.
Regarding claim 19, the term “a chemical solution” is disclosed in lines 9-10 and 16. It is unclear to the Examiner if the described chemical solutions for the first and second chemical solution discharge operation are the same chemical solution or different chemical solutions. Please correct and/or advise.
A plurality of claims dependent from claims 1 and 11 continue to disclose the term “a chemical solution” which remain unclear to the Examiner.
Claim 5, Lines 2-3 and lines 5-6;
Claim 7, Line 4;
Claim 10, Line 6;
Claim 12, Line 2;
Claim 13, Line 2;
Claim 14, Lines 2, 4;
Claim 17, Lines 4-6
Please correct and/or advise.
Further regarding claim 1, the term “a substrate” is disclosed in lines 4-5 and 8. It is unclear to the Examiner if the described substrates are all the same substrate in which the chemical solution is discharged or different substrates. Please correct and/or advise.
Claim 7 dependent from claim 1 continues to disclose the term “a substrate” which remain unclear to the Examiner. [Claim 7, Line 4]
Regarding claim 17, the term “a chemical solution pattern” is disclosed in lines 7-8. It is unclear to the Examiner if the described chemical solution pattern is the same chemical solution pattern discharged from the first nozzle and the second nozzle, or different chemical solution patterns. Please correct and/or advise.
Furthermore, dependent claims 2-9, 12-18 and 20 are rejected due to their dependencies from independent claims 1, 11 and 19.
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.
Claim(s) 1-2, 4-7, 10-11, 13-15, 17 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Iwao et al (U.S. Pub. 2006/0214976)
Regarding claim 1, a nozzle inspection method (Figure 15), comprising: an operation of forming a pattern for inspection, including a first chemical solution discharge operation (S2) of discharging a chemical solution (ink) onto a substrate in a first state in which a distance between a substrate and a first nozzle (ink is discharged from nozzles 8) is a first distance (d1) a second chemical solution discharge operation (S3) of discharging a chemical solution (ink) onto a substrate in a second state in which a distance between the substrate and the first nozzle is a second distance (d2), different form the first distance (Figure 15; Paragraphs 0094-0106)
An inspection operation of inspecting the pattern for inspection to determine whether a nozzle is defective (steps S5-S9) (Abstract; Paragraphs 0104-0106)
Regarding claim 2, wherein a distance adjustment operation of moving the substrate or the first nozzle in a vertical direction is performed between the first chemical solution discharge operation and the second chemical solution discharge operation (Figure 15; Paragraphs 0094-0106)
Regarding claim 4, wherein in the first chemical solution discharge operation, the chemical solution is discharged to a first region of interest of the substrate; and in the second chemical solution discharge operation, the chemical solution is discharged to a second region of interest, different from the first region of interest of the substrate (Figure 15; Paragraphs 0094-0106)
Regarding claim 5, wherein in the first chemical solution discharge operation, a chemical solution is discharged to a first position of the substrate
In the second chemical solution discharge operation, a chemical solution is discharged to a second position of ht substrate, different from the first position (Figure 15; Paragraphs 0094-0106)
After the first chemical solution discharge operation, at least one of the substrate and the first nozzle is moved in a vertical direction and a horizontal direction (Paragraph 0098)
Regarding claim 6, wherein the inspection operation comprises an imaging operation of moving the substrate to a vision module, and then imaging the pattern for inspection, and an inspection operation of determining whether an image of the imaged pattern for inspection satisfies a preset condition
In the section operation, when any one of the patterns discharged to the first region of interest and the second region of interest satisfies a preset condition, it is determined to be defective (Paragraphs 0104-0106)
Regarding claim 7, wherein the operation of forming the pattern for inspection further comprises a third chemical solution discharge operation (S4) of discharging a chemical solution (ink) onto a substrate in a third state in which a distance between the substrate and the first nozzle is a third distance (d3), different from the first distance and the second distance (Figure 15; Paragraphs 0094-0106)
Regarding claim 10, wherein the substrate is a substrate for inspection, a second nozzle is connected to an ink jet head to which the first nozzle is connected; and in the operation of forming the pattern for inspection, the second nozzle also discharges a chemical solution together with the first nozzle (Figure 15; Paragraphs 0094-0106)
Regarding claim 11, a nozzle inspection apparatus (Figure 16), comprising: a stage (31) on which a substrate (22) is moved
An ink jet head module (1) disposed on the stage, and including a first nozzle for discharging a chemical solution (ink) onto the substrate to form a pattern for inspection (test pattern)
A vision module (Paragraphs 0104-0106) disposed on the stage, and imaging the pattern for inspection
A control module (35) connected to the stage, the ink jet head module, and the vision module, forming the pattern for inspection, and determining whether the first nozzle is defective based on the imaging result (Figure 16; Paragraphs 0071-0072)
Wherein the control module controls the stage and the ink jet head module so that the pattern for inspection includes a pattern for a chemical solution discharged in a first state in which a distance between the substrate and the first nozzle is a first distance and in a second state in which a distance between eh substrate and the first nozzle is a second distance, different from the first distance (Figure 15; Paragraphs 0094-0106)
Regarding claim 13, wherein the control module discharges a chemical solution through the first nozzle while moving the first nozzle in a vertical direction (Figure 15; Paragraphs 0094-0106)
Regarding claim 14, wherein the control module discharges a chemical solution in the first state to a first position of the substrate, and discharges a chemical solution in the second state to a second position, different from the first position, to form the pattern for inspection (Figure 15; Paragraphs 0094-0106)
Regarding claim 15, wherein the control module controls the stage and the ink jet head module so that the pattern for inspection includes a pattern discharged in a third state in which a distance between the substrate and the first nozzle is a third distance (d3), different from the first distance and the second distance (Figure 15; Paragraphs 0094-0106)
Regarding claim 17, wherein the ink jet head module further comprises a second nozzle; and when the control module discharges a chemical solution through the first nozzle, and also discharges a chemical solution through the second nozzle, so that the pattern for inspection includes a chemical solution pattern discharged from the first nozzle and a chemical solution pattern discharged from the second nozzle (Figure 15; Paragraphs 0094-0106)
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 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) 19 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Iwao et al (U.S. Pub. 2006/0214976) in view of Son et al (U.S. Pub. 2023/0066695)
Regarding claim 19, Iwao discloses a substrate processing device comprising a stage, one or more gantries (Figure 16); an ink jet head (1); wherein the control module forms a pattern for inspection by discharging a chemical solution while changing a distance between the first nozzle and a substrate for inspection in the inspection region, and the vision module images a pattern for inspection (Figure 15; Paragraphs 0094-0106)
Son discloses it is known in the art to use a first stage (110) and a second stage (120) disposed in a plurality of regions (Figure 18; Paragraph 0084)
One or more gantries disposed to move the first and second stages (Figure 18; Paragraph 0087)
An ink jet head module installed on the gantry and to which a first nozzle and a second nozzle discharging a chemical solution are connected; a vision module installed on the gantry; and a control module (500) connected to the first and second stages, the gantry, the ink heat head module, and the vision module (Paragraphs 0029, 0036-0040, 0084)
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 teaching of Son into the device of Iwao, for the purpose of accurately detecting a defect in an ink jet head nozzle withing a short time
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JASON S UHLENHAKE whose telephone number is (571)272-5916. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday, 8:00 am - 5:00 pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Douglas X. Rodriguez can be reached at (571) 431-0716. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/JASON S UHLENHAKE/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2853 February 10, 2026