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 .
DETAILED ACTION
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of species I, claims 1-4, 9 in the reply filed on 7/16/26 is acknowledged. Claims 5-8 are withdrawn from further consideration by the examiner, 37 C.F.R. 1.142(b) as being drawn to a non-elected invention.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statements filed 2/1/24 have been considered.
Oath/Declaration
Oath/Declaration filed on 2/1/24 has been considered.
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 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.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 1, 9 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1)/(a)(2) as being anticipated by Higashijima et al. (U.S. Patent Publication No. 2018/0090306).
Referring to figures 1-10, Higashijima et al. teaches a substrate processing apparatus, comprising:
a substrate processing unit that processes a substrate(W), by generating a mixed solution by mixing a first processing liquid (301) and a second processing liquid (305), and by supplying the generated mixed solution (308) to the substrate (see figure 3);
a first route (302) that supplies the first processing liquid to the substrate processing unit;
a second route (306) that supplies the second processing liquid to the substrate processing unit;
a first opening/closing valve (304) that opens and closes the first route;
a second opening/closing valve (307) that opens and closes the second route;
a temperature detection unit (80) provided on at least one of the first route and the second route, and that detects temperature of a processing liquid in at least one of the routes (see figures 2-3); and
a controller that controls each unit (18), wherein the controller determines whether the temperature of the processing liquid detected using the temperature detection unit is within an allowable range, before the substrate processing unit starts supplying the mixed solution to the substrate, and when the temperature of the processing liquid is within the allowable range, starts supplying the mixed solution to the substrate by opening the first opening/closing valve and the second opening/closing valve (see paragraphs# 82-85, 115, figures 1-4).
Regarding to claim 9, a substrate processing method in a substrate processing apparatus that includes a substrate processing unit that processes a substrate(W), by generating a mixed solution by mixing a first processing liquid (301) and a second processing liquid (305), and by supplying the generated mixed solution (308) to the substrate (see figure 3);
a first route (302) that supplies the first processing liquid to the substrate processing unit;
a second route (306) that supplies the second processing liquid to the substrate processing unit;
a first opening/closing valve (304) that opens and closes the first route;
a second opening/closing valve (307) that opens and closes the second route;
a temperature detection unit (80) provided on at least one of the first route and the second route, and that detects temperature of a processing liquid in at least one of the routes (see figures 2-3), the substrate processing method, comprising:
determining whether the temperature of the processing liquid detected using the temperature detection unit is within an allowable range, before the substrate processing unit starts supplying the mixed solution to the substrate, and starting to supply the mixed solution to the substrate by opening the first opening/closing valve and the second opening/closing valve, when the temperature of the processing liquid is within the allowable range (see paragraphs# 82-85, 115, figures 1-4).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 2-4 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.
None of the prior art teaches/suggests the substrate processing unit includes a mixing unit connected to the first route and the second route, and that generates a mixed solution by mixing the first processing liquid from the first route and the second processing liquid from the second route, a nozzle that discharges the mixed solution generated by the mixing unit to the substrate, and an accommodation unit that accommodates the nozzle to put the nozzle on standby, and the controller, when the temperature of the processing liquid is not within the allowable range, moves the nozzle to the accommodation unit to put the nozzle on standby, and performs a dummy dispensing process of discharging the processing liquid to the accommodation unit from the nozzle by opening a valve corresponding to at least one of the routes between the first opening/closing valve and the second opening/closing valve, while the nozzle is standing by put on standby.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Thanh Nguyen whose telephone number is (571) 272-1695, or by Email via address Thanh.Nguyen@uspto.gov. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday-Thursday from 6:00AM to 3:30PM.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner's supervisor, Yara Green, can be reached on (571) 270-3035. The fax phone number for this Group is (571) 273-8300.
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/THANH T NGUYEN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2893
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