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 Interpretation
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(f):
(f) Element in Claim for a Combination. – An element in a claim for a combination may be expressed as a means or step for performing a specified function without the recital of structure, material, or acts in support thereof, and such claim shall be construed to cover the corresponding structure, material, or acts described in the specification and equivalents thereof.
The following is a quotation of pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph:
An element in a claim for a combination may be expressed as a means or step for performing a specified function without the recital of structure, material, or acts in support thereof, and such claim shall be construed to cover the corresponding structure, material, or acts described in the specification and equivalents thereof.
This application includes one or more claim limitations that do not use the word “means,” but are nonetheless being interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, because the claim limitation(s) uses a generic placeholder that is coupled with functional language without reciting sufficient structure to perform the recited function and the generic placeholder is not preceded by a structural modifier. Such claim limitation(s) is/are: movement mechanism configured to move the particle absorption tool in an upward/downward direction in claim 6, and disclosed as element 241 and equivalents thereof.
Because this/these claim limitation(s) is/are being interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, it/they is/are being interpreted to cover the corresponding structure described in the specification as performing the claimed function, and equivalents thereof.
If applicant does not intend to have this/these limitation(s) interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, applicant may: (1) amend the claim limitation(s) to avoid it/them being interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph (e.g., by reciting sufficient structure to perform the claimed function); or (2) present a sufficient showing that the claim limitation(s) recite(s) sufficient structure to perform the claimed function so as to avoid it/them being interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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) 1-3, 8-9, 11, 13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Nagaike US 2023/0245871 A1
Re claim 1, Nagaike discloses a charging system comprising:
a particle absorption tool [Cleaning Wafer CW, Fig. 4] configured to be electrostatically charged so as to build up a static electric charge for absorbing particles; and
a charger [53 in Fig. 3F or 15a1 in Fig. 4] arranged in operating space of a robot arm 15a that is configured to convey a substrate [W] in an interior of a substrate conveyor 1 [Fig. 1], and configured to electrostatically charge the particle absorption tool so as to build up the static electric charge.
Re claim 2, the robot arm 15a,
a hand [¶26, “[e]ach of the first arm 15a and the second arm 15b has a substantially U-shaped pick at the tip thereof”] attached to the robot arm and configured to hold the particle absorption tool, and
a controller 30 configured to direct the hand of the robot arm to hold the particle absorption tool 15a1, and to absorb particles in at least one of the interior of the substrate conveyor 1 and an interior of a substrate processor by using the charged particle absorption tool held by the hand.
Re claim 3, wherein the charger includes a voltage applier 53 [Fig. 3F] configured to contact the particle absorption tool [CW] and to apply a voltage to the particle absorption tool; and
the controller is configured to direct the robot arm 15a to move the particle absorption tool held by the hand to bring the particle absorption tool into contact with the voltage applier so as to charge the particle absorption tool [Fig. 3F].
Re claim 8. a particle detector configured to detect a degree of particle absorption by the particle absorption tool during a series of operations of the robot arm. It is noted that while there is no explicitly teaching on a particle detector, it is implied by the “Collection Efficiency”, and “Particle Removal Rate” in figs. 10A, 10B, 11A, and 11B. There must be a particle detector configured to detect a degree of particle absorption by the particle absorption tool during a series of operations of the robot arm in order to get the information on these figures.
Re claim 9, wherein the particle detector includes at least one of a charge-amount detector configured to detect a charge amount of the particle absorption tool [¶61, “[i]n the case of charging the cleaning wafer CW by voltage application, the charging amount increases as the applied voltage becomes higher.”, thus charge -amount detector is implied], and an image capturer configured to capture an image of the particles that are absorbed by the particle absorption tool.
Re claim 11, a cleaner 10 configured to clean the particle absorption tool CW, wherein the controller 30 is configured to, after absorbing particles by using the particle absorption tool, move the robot arm so as to move the particle absorption tool to the cleaner; and the cleaner is configured to clean the particle absorption tool moved [Fig. 8].
Re claim 13, Nagaike discloses a method for controlling a charging system comprising:
electrostatically charging a particle absorption tool CW so as to build up a static electric charge for absorbing particles by using a charger [15a1 or 53] arranged in operating space of a robot arm 15a that is configured to convey a substrate W in an interior of a substrate conveyor 1; and
absorbing the particles by using the particle absorption tool building up the static electric charge [abstract].
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) 5 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Nagaike US 2023/0245871 A1 in view of Kashimura CN 111381194 A.
Re claim 5, Nagaike discloses the invention as claimed above for claim 3 but fails to disclose wherein the charger includes a contact detector configured to detect information on the contact of the voltage applier with the particle absorption tool, and the charger is configured to start to apply the voltage to the particle absorption tool through the voltage applier in response to the detection of the information on the contact of the voltage applier with the particle absorption tool detected by the contact detector.
However, Kashimura teaches an electrostatic chuck with a contact detector configured to detect information on the contact of the voltage applier, and starting to apply voltage in response to the detection of the information on the contact of the voltage applier with the particle absorption tool detected by the contact detector [“there is provided a method for measuring, the measuring method comprises the following steps: the terminal contacts … a current meter and a voltage meter is connected with the terminal of the measured current value and the voltage value… according to the value of the peak of the slope of the current value and/or the current value to determine the conduction between the terminal and the electrode…data is held by electrostatic adsorption device detecting unit in the circuit object and the electrode plate formed of setting parameter represents the absorption state, and using the comparison circuit compares the detected and data stored in advance, thereby determining the adsorption state”]
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine a contact detector configured to detect information of voltage in Nagike in order to yield the predictable result of measuring the current state of voltage, and applying voltage to the particle absorption tool when needed.
Claim(s) 10 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Nagaike US 2023/0245871 A1 in view of Yoshida US 2020/0083086 A1
Re claim 10, Nagaike discloses the invention as claimed above for claim 8 but fails to disclose an aligner arranged in the interior of the substrate conveyor, wherein the particle detector is provided to the aligner.
Yoshida teaches an aligner 92 arranged in the interior of the substrate conveyor 1, wherein a particle detector 93 is provided to the aligner 93 [in transport chamber 80 in Figs. 1-2].
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the teachings of Yoshida in Nagaike in order to yield the predictable result of having a transport chamber with both an aligner and a particle detector.
Claim(s) 12 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Nagaike US 2023/0245871 A1 in view of Tatsumi WO 2020/045286 A1,
Re claim 12, Nagaike discloses the invention as claimed above for claim 8. Nagaike further disclose an aligner [construed as the transfer mechanism 15 for this claim] arranged in the interior of the substrate conveyor 1. Nagaike also discloses using power from the transfer mechanism 15 [construed as the aligner for this claim] to the power supply 53 [¶38, “a power supply 53 is provided. In FIG. 3F, the cleaning wafer CW is charged by applying a voltage from the power supply 53 to the conductive film 52. Further, in FIG. 3F, the cleaning wafer CW may be charged by supplying a power from the transfer system such as the first transfer mechanism 15“]. Nagaike does not disclose wherein the charger includes an electric-power storage configured to be charged by electric power supplied to the aligner so as to store the electric power.
However, Tatsumi teaches a charger 5 [figs. 1-6] includes an electric-power storage [capacitor 9] configured to be charged by electric power supplied 13 so as to store the electric power for a particle absorption tool 3.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the power storage of Tatsumi with Nagaike in order to yield the predictable result of preventing reduction of an electrostatic attraction force in vacuum [Abstract of Tatsumi].
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 4, 6-7 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.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
The prior art of record does not show or fairly render obvious the combination set forth in the claims. In particular, the prior art does not show the voltage applier is provided to the aligner, faces downward, and a controller configured to direct the robot arm to move the particle absorption tool held by the hand upward to bring the particle absorption tool into contact with the voltage applier so as to charge the particle absorption tool; nor an aligner including a movement mechanism [interpreted under 112f above] configured to move the particle absorption tool in an upward/downward direction so as to bring the particle absorption tool in contact with the voltage applier.
Contact Information
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Carlos A. Rivera whose telephone number is (571)270-5697. The examiner can normally be reached 9AM -4PM.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Brian Keller can be reached at (571) 272-8548. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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C. A. R.
Primary Patent Examiner
Art Unit 3723
/C. A. RIVERA/Primary Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3723
Prosecution Insights