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
Claims 14, 15, 22, 23 withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b), as being drawn to a nonelected inventions, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Applicant timely traversed the restriction (election) requirement in the reply filed on June 26, 2026.
Applicant's election with traverse of Main Structure Species (2), namely "a pipe fitting or a component of a peripheral equipment of the manufacturing process equipment," and Environment Species (C), namely "Vacuum, with equipment to make Al-pads."
in the reply filed on June 26, 2026 is acknowledged. The traversal is on the ground(s) that all inventions can be examined together because there is no undue burden of search.
This is not found persuasive because the various inventions require different search strategies because of the various scopes of the inventions.
The requirement is still deemed proper and is therefore made FINAL.
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 7-13 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 7, line 3, the term “solvents” is unclear because it is unclear if this is part of the final coating or part of the applied liquid coating.
Claim 8, line 2, is indefinite because "perfluoroalkanes (PFAS)" is unclear. PFAS cover per and polyfluoroalkyl substances not only "perfluoroalkanes".
Claim 8, line 3, the phrase "fluorochlorocarbons (CFCs)" is unclear. Should this be chlorofluorocarbons?
Claim 8, line 3, is indefinite because "fluoropolymers (PTFE)" is unclear. PTFE covers polyflourotetraethylene.
Claim 8, line 4, is indefinite because "hydrofluorochlorocarbons (HCFCs)" is unclear. "hydrofluorochlorocarbons" should be "hydrochlorofluorocarbons".
Claim 10, line 2, is indefinite because “alkoxysilane compound” covers the other alkoxysilanes listed in the claim.
Claim 10, line 3, is indefinite because “alkylsiloxane compound” covers the other alkylsiloxanes listed in the claim.
Claim 12, line 2, is indefinite because "alcohols" cover "fluoroalcohols".
Claim 12, line 3, is indefinite because "ethers" cover fluoroethers".
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.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claim(s) 1-5, 17-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Mukai (JP 2005-187842) in view of Chen et al. (U.S. PGPUB. 2011/0171426 A1).
INDEPENDENT CLAIM 1:
Regarding claim 1, Mukai teaches an anti-deposition object for use in a vacuum environment at least comprising: a main structure having at least one surface; and a fluorine coating layer covering the surface of the main structure, wherein the anti-deposition object contacts with a manufacturing process substance used or discharged during a manufacturing process performed by a manufacturing process equipment in the vacuum environment. (Paragraphs 0006-0016; Figs. 1-13)
The difference between Mukai and claim 1 is that the fluorine coating layer has a water droplet contact angle with the manufacturing process substance higher than that of the surface of the main structure is not discussed, the fluorine coating layer has a hardness similar to or higher than that of the surface of the main structure is not discussed, and the fluorine coating layer has a roughness lower than that of the surface of the main structure is not discussed.
Chen et al. teach using a fluorine containing coating on a substrate for the purposes of water repellency and self-cleaning. (See Abstract; Paragraph 0004)
Chen et al. teach the fluorine coating layer has a water droplet contact angle with the manufacturing process substance higher than that of the surface of the main structure. (Paragraph 0048)
Chen et al. teach the fluorine coating layer has a hardness similar to or higher than that of the surface of the main structure. (Paragraph 0037 - hardness greater than above 3H)
Chen et al. teach the fluorine coating layer has a roughness lower than that of the surface of the main structure. (Paragraph 0041; Paragraph 0048 - roughness of 9 nm to 1 micron compared to roughness of 9.2 nm for example. (9.2 nm for example is lower in roughness than 1 micron))
The motivation for utilizing the features of Chen et al. is that it allows for providing a coating for the purpose of providing water repellency and self-cleaning. (See Abstract; Paragraph 0004)
Therefore it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to have modified Mukai by utilizing the features of Chen et al. because it allows for providing a coating for the purpose of providing water repellency and self-cleaning.
DEPENDENT CLAIM 2:
The difference not yet discussed is wherein the main structure is an outlet pipe fitting of the manufacturing process equipment or a pipe fitting or a component of a peripheral equipment of the manufacturing process equipment.
Regarding claim 2, Mukai teaches utilizing as the main structure an outlet pipe fitting of a manufacturing process equipment or a pipe fitting or a component of a peripheral equipment of a manufacturing process equipment for receiving a fluorine coating. (See Abstract)
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DEPENDENT CLAIM 3:
The difference not yet discussed is wherein the fluorine coating layer is located on the surface of a part of the main structure, and the part is an inclined part, a planar part or a curved part of the main structure.
Regarding claim 3, Mukai teaches utilizing a fluorine coating layer located on a surface of a part of the main structure, and the part is an inclined part, a planar part or a curved part of the main structure. (Paragraphs 0006-0016; Figs. 1-13)
DEPENDENT CLAIM 4:
The difference not yet discussed is wherein the fluorine coating layer has an acid corrosion resistance and a plasma etching resistance higher than those of the surface of the main structure.
Regarding claim 4, Mukai teach utilizing a fluorine coating layer similar or the same as applicants. Where the composition of the coating layer is the same the properties would same. (See MPEP 2112.01 - II. COMPOSITION CLAIMS – IF THE COMPOSITION IS PHYSICALLY THE SAME, IT MUST HAVE THE SAME PROPERTIES or "Products of identical chemical composition can not have mutually exclusive properties." In re Spada, 911 F.2d 705, 709, 15 USPQ2d 1655, 1658 (Fed. Cir. 1990). A chemical composition and its properties are inseparable. Therefore, if the prior art teaches the identical chemical structure, the properties applicant discloses and/or claims are necessarily present. Id. (Applicant argued that the claimed composition was a pressure sensitive adhesive containing a tacky polymer while the product of the reference was hard and abrasion resistant. "The Board correctly found that the virtual identity of monomers and procedures sufficed to support a prima facie case of unpatentability of Spada's polymer latexes for lack of novelty ").
DEPENDENT CLAIM 5:
The difference not yet discussed is wherein the surface of the main structure is roughened to form rough surfaces with rough structures to increase a surface roughness. Regarding claim 5, Chen et al. teach the main structure 11 has a roughened surface 111. (Paragraph 0041)
DEPENDENT CLAIM 17:
The difference not yet discussed is where the water droplet contact angle of the fluorine coating layer ranges from 100 to 120 degrees.
Regarding claim 17, Chen et al. teach the water droplet angle to be 115 degrees. (Paragraph 0048)
DEPENDENT CLAIM 18:
The difference not yet discussed is wherein a temperature tolerance of the fluorine coating layer reaches 600 degrees Celsius.
Regarding claim 18, Mukai teach utilizing a fluorine coating layer similar or the same as applicants. Where the composition of the coating layer is the same the properties would be the same. (See MPEP 2112.01 - II. COMPOSITION CLAIMS ------- IF THE COMPOSITION IS PHYSICALLY THE SAME, IT MUST HAVE THE SAME PROPERTIES - "Products of identical chemical composition can not have mutually exclusive properties." In re Spada, 911 F.2d 705, 709, 15 USPQ2d 1655, 1658 (Fed. Cir. 1990). A chemical composition and its properties are inseparable. Therefore, if the prior art teaches the identical chemical structure, the properties applicant discloses and/or claims are necessarily present. Id. (Applicant argued that the claimed composition was a pressure sensitive adhesive containing a tacky polymer while the product of the reference was hard and abrasion resistant. "The Board correctly found that the virtual identity of monomers and procedures sufficed to support a prima facie case of unpatentability of Spada's polymer latexes for lack of novelty ").
DEPENDENT CLAIM 19:
The difference not yet discussed is wherein the hardness of the fluorine coating layer ranges from 8H to 9H.
Regarding claim 19, Chen et al. teach that the "hard" layer can be greater than 3H. (Paragraph 0037) Overlapping ranges have been held to be obvious. See MPEP 2144.05 - I. OVERLAPPING, APPROACHING, AND SIMILAR RANGES, AMOUNTS, AND PROPORTIONS- In the case where the claimed ranges "overlap or lie inside ranges disclosed by the prior art" a prima facie case of obviousness exists. In re Wertheim, 541 F.2d 257, 191 USPQ 90 (CCPA 1976); In re Woodruff, 919 F.2d 1575, 16 USPQ2d 1934 (Fed. Cir. 1990) (The prior art taught carbon monoxide concentrations of "about 1-5%" while the claim was limited to "more than 5%." The court held that "about 1-5%" allowed for concentrations slightly above 5% thus the ranges overlapped.); In re Geisler, 116 F.3d 1465, 1469-71, 43 USPQ2d 1362, 1365-66 (Fed. Cir. 1997) (Claim reciting thickness of a protective layer as falling within a range of "50 to 100 Angstroms" considered prima facie obvious in view of prior art reference teaching that "for suitable protection, the thickness of the protective layer should be not less than about 10 nm [i.e., 100 Angstroms]." The court stated that "by stating that 'suitable protection' is provided if the protective layer is 'about' 100 Angstroms thick, [the prior art reference] directly teaches the use of a thickness within [applicant's] claimed range."). See also In re Bergen, 120 F.2d 329, 332, 49 USPQ 749, 751-52 (CCPA 1941) (The court found that the overlapping endpoint of the prior art and claimed range was sufficient to support an obviousness rejection, particularly when there was no showing of criticality of the claimed range).
DEPENDENT CLAIM 20:
The difference not yet discussed is wherein an adhesion between the fluorine coating layer and the surface of the main structure ranges from 4B to 5B in a cross-cut test.
Regarding claim 20, Chen et al. teach an adhesion between the fluorine coating layer and the surface of the main structure ranges from 4B to 5B in a cross-cut test. (Paragraphs 0057 - good adhesion) Furthermore Mukai teach utilizing a fluorine coating layer similar or the same as applicants. Where the composition of the coating layer is the same the properties would be the same. (See MPEP 2112.01 - II. COMPOSITION CLAIMS ------ IF THE COMPOSITION IS PHYSICALLY THE SAME, IT MUST HAVE THE SAME PROPERTIES - "Products of identical chemical composition can not have mutually exclusive properties." In re Spada, 911 F.2d 705, 709, 15 USPQ2d 1655, 1658 (Fed. Cir. 1990). A chemical composition and its properties are inseparable. Therefore, if the prior art teaches the identical chemical structure, the properties applicant discloses and/or claims are necessarily present. Id. (Applicant argued that the claimed composition was a pressure sensitive adhesive containing a tacky polymer while the product of the reference was hard and abrasion resistant. "The Board correctly found that the virtual identity of monomers and procedures sufficed to support a prima facie case of unpatentability of Spada's polymer latexes for lack of novelty. "). The motivation for utilizing the features of Chen et al. is that it allows for providing a coating for the purpose of providing water repellency and self-cleaning. (See Abstract; Paragraph 0004)
Therefore it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to have modified Mukai by utilizing the features of Chen et al. because it allows for providing a coating for the purpose of providing water repellency and self-cleaning.
Claim(s) 6 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Mukai in view of Chen et al. as applied to claims 1-5, 17-20 above, and further in view of Shirai et al. (WO 2007/142312 A1).
DEPENDENT CLAIM 6:
The difference not yet discussed is wherein the surface of the main structure is roughened by pickling or sandblasting to increase surface roughness.
Regarding claim 6, Shirai et al. teach roughening by sandblasting to increase surface roughness then applying a fluororesin to improve durability. (See Abstract)
The motivation for utilizing the features of Shirai et al. is that it allows for improving durability. (See Abstract)
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to have utilized the features of Shirai et al. because it allows for improving durability.
Claim(s) 16, 21 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Mukai in view of Chen et al. as applied to claims 1-5, 17-20 above, and further in view of Du et al. (CN 1386894 A) and Chen (U.S. PGPUB. 2013/0076032 A1).
DEPENDENT CLAIM 16:
The difference not yet discussed is wherein the manufacturing process performed by the manufacturing process equipment is an Al-pad manufacturing process, and the manufacturing process substance is a process gas reactant or a process exhaust gas (Claim 16) and wherein the environment is a vacuum environment (Claim 16).
Regarding wherein the manufacturing process performed by the manufacturing process equipment is an Al-pad manufacturing process, and the manufacturing process substance is a process gas reactant or a process exhaust gas (Claim 16):
Du et al. teach wherein the manufacturing process performed by the manufacturing process equipment is an Al-pad manufacturing process, and the manufacturing process substance is a process gas reactant or a process exhaust gas. (Du et al. FIG. 2 is the vapor deposition crucible 10 applied to a vapor deposition device (evaporation apparatus) sectional view for representing an evaporation device with evaporation function, the evaporation equipment mainly comprises a plating treatment chamber 60 (the coating chamber) below the plating treatment chamber 60 is equipped with a stage 62 (Pedestal) for bearing substrate such as semiconductor wafer (semiconductor wafer) 50 the plating treatment chamber 60 is equipped with a container body 11 the crucible 10 for evaporating the evaporation crucible 10 placed with the coating material 40, gold, aluminum or tin-lead alloy, and at the same time, provided with a heating device 61 in the plating treatment chamber 60 (heater) such as resistance heater. a halogen lamp heater or an induction heater for heating the evaporation crucible coating material for 40 in the boiler 10, so that the heated evaporation is a deposition agent 41. In this embodiment, the evaporation apparatus further comprises a plasma generating device 63 (plasma generation) and a vacuum device 64. wherein the plasma generation device 63 formed in the plating treatment chamber 60 of a middle section, the wireless frequency of the antenna (antenna) 10 to 100 MHz for activation (ionization) between deposition agent 41. The deposition agent 41 having directivity and uniformly deposited on the semiconductor wafer substrate 50, and the vacuum device 64 provides during the evaporation process in the plating treatment chamber 60 with an appropriate operating pressure and background atmosphere (background at). from the above vapor deposition device, capable of stably attaching a light shade (not drawn) at the upper surface of the substrate of the semiconductor wafer 50, so as to make the surface of the substrate 50 to form gold or lead-tin bump (bumps) or aluminum pad (pad) of the deposited film 42 to achieve the deposition and work function of the device.)
Regarding wherein the environment is a vacuum environment (Claim 16):
Chen et al. teach that an exhaust pump 300 is maintained in a vacuum environment because Chen et al. describes a semiconductor CVD apparatus in which gas generated in the reaction chamber are removed through a vacuum pump and then flow through a vacuum pump and then flow through the exhaust pipe 300 to the scrubber 400 (i.e. trap). The exhaust pipe 300 is therefore not an open atmospheric conduit, but a sealed portion of the vacuum exhaust flow.
Chen et al. teach that the reaction chamber gases are under vacuum and are discharged through the vacuum pump. The vacuum pump creates the pressure differential necessary to remove reaction gases from the chamber. The exhaust gases enter the exhaust pipe 300 immediately downstream of the vacuum pump. The exhaust pipe 300 is part of the enclosed gas flow path between the pump and the scrubber. The pressure increases only when the exhaust gases enter the scrubber 400. Chen et al. states that the pressure of the exhaust gases rises further because the exhaust gases from the exhaust pipe 300 is entering the scrubber 400.
This necessarily establishes that the pressure within the exhaust pipe 300 is lower than the pressure at the scrubber interface.
Because the exhaust pipe 300 is a closed conduit downstream of a vacuum pump and upstream of a higher pressure scrubber, the pressure within exhaust pipe 300 necessarily remains lower than atmospheric pressure during normal operation. Otherwise, there would be no pressure gradient causing exhaust gas flow from the exhaust pipe into the scrubber and no disclosed increase in pressure at the scrubber entrance.
Accordingly, although the reference does not expressly recite a numerical pressure value for exhaust pipe 300, a person of ordinary skill in the art would understand that the exhaust pipe is maintained under reduced pressure (i.e. vacuum environment) as an inherent consequence of the disclosed vacuum pumping and exhaust arrangement.
The motivation for utilizing the features of Du et al. is that it is allows for deposition of Al pads. (See Fig. 2; Machine translation)
The motivation for utilizing the features of Chen et al.is that it allows for preventing blockage of the exhaust. (See Abstract)
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to have modified Mukai by utilizing the features of Du et al. and Chen et al. because it allows for depositing aluminum pads and for preventing blockage of the exhaust.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to RODNEY GLENN MCDONALD whose telephone number is (571)272-1340. The examiner can normally be reached Hoteling: M-Th every Fri off.
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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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/RODNEY G MCDONALD/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1794
RM
July 8, 2026
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