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
Applicant’s election without traverse of Group I and Species A (claims 1-16, 20) in the reply filed on 9/26/25 is acknowledged.
Claims 17-19 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected invention and species, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on 9/26/25. Claims 17-19 have been cancelled.
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 1-16 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 1 recites the limitation: “a substrate” in line 4. It is unclear whether or not this is in reference to the “a substrate” of line 2, on which claim 2 depends. For examination purposes it has been assumed that the limitation of line 4 refers to the corresponding limitation of line 2.
Claim 2 recites the limitation: “a passage of the exhaust pipe” in line 8. It is unclear whether or not this is in reference to the “a passage of the exhaust pipe” of claim 1, on which claim 2 depends. For examination purposes it has been assumed that the limitation of claim 2 refers to the corresponding limitation of claim 1.
Claim 16 recites the limitation: “a passage through which the exhaust flows” in lines 2-3. It is unclear whether or not this is in reference to the “a passage of the exhaust pipe” of claim 1, on which claim 16 depends. For examination purposes it has been assumed that the limitation of claim 16 refers to the corresponding limitation of claim 1.
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.
The text of those sections of Title 35, U.S. Code not included in this action can be found in a prior Office action.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
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.
Claims 1-16 and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Goda et al. (US20170028450) in view of Lee et al. (KR101279018B1).
Regarding claims 1, 2, and 7-11, Goda et al. teaches an apparatus for processing a substrate (see abstract), the apparatus comprising: a processing chamber 20 having a processing space for processing a substrate W (see figures 2-3, paragraphs [0048]-[0051]); a support unit 30 capable of supporting the substrate W in the processing space (see figures 2-3, paragraphs [0048]-[0050]); a liquid supply unit 40 capable of supplying a liquid to a substrate W supported by the support unit 30 (see figures 2-3, paragraphs [0048]-[0051]); and an exhaust unit 52, 100 capable of exhausting the processing space (see figures 2-3, paragraphs [0052], [0054], [0059]-[0060]), wherein the exhaust unit 52, 100 includes: an exhaust pipe 100 connected to the processing space (see figure 3, paragraphs [0059]-[0060]). Goda et al. does not teach an exhaust amplifier installed in the exhaust pipe and for supplying acceleration gas to a passage of the exhaust pipe to amplify an exhaust flow rate of exhaust gas flowing in the exhaust pipe. Lee et al. teaches a fluid amplifier (see abstract) and that an amplifier 10 installed in a pipe and supplying acceleration gas (via 111, as shown in figures 3, 5, 6, 8) to a passage of the pipe may amplify a flow rate of gas flowing in the pipe (see pages 9-11 of the translation); the exhaust amplifier 10 includes: an acceleration gas-side housing 11, 12 having an inlet passage 111 through which the acceleration gas is capable of being introduced and a buffer-side outlet passage (see side outlet formed between 111 and 121, as shown in figures 3, 5, 6, 8) through which the acceleration gas is capable of being discharged (see pages 9-11 of the translation, figures 3, 5, 6, 8); and a gas supply line connected to the inlet passage 111 to supply the acceleration gas to the inlet passage 111, and the acceleration gas-side housing 11, 12 is capable of discharging the acceleration gas discharged from the buffer-side outlet passage into a passage 123 of the exhaust pipe (see figures 3, 5, 6, 8, page 9 of the translation) (reads on claim 2); the acceleration gas discharged from the buffer-side outlet passage is provided to be discharged in a downstream direction in which the exhaust gas flows (see figures 3, 5, 6, 8, pages 9-11 of the translation) (reads on claim 7); the acceleration gas discharged from the buffer-side outlet passage is discharged along a face (see pages 9-11 of the translation, figures 3, 5, 6, 8, see arrows showing flow along the curved inner surface 122) having a curved surface and forming a passage of the exhaust pipe (reads on claims 8-10); an inner diameter of the curved surface 122 is provided to decrease (see vertical to corner portion, as shown in figures 3, 5, 6, 8) and then increase (see corner to straightened portion, as shown in figures 3, 5, 6, 8) in a downstream direction in which the exhaust gas flows (reads on claim 11). Since Goda et al. teaches an exhaust pipe for gas flow and Lee et al. teaches a fluid flow amplifier, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the instant invention that an exhaust amplifier may be installed in the exhaust pipe of the system by Goda et al. so as to supply acceleration gas to a passage of the exhaust pipe and amplify an exhaust flow rate of the exhaust gas flowing in the exhaust pipe, as shown to be known and conventional by Lee et al.
Regarding claims 3-6, Goda et al. and Lee et al. together teach the limitations of claim 2. Lee et al. also teaches in figures 3, 5, 6, 8 and pages 9-11 of the translation that the acceleration gas-side housing 11, 12 is disposed so that a direction (see vertical downward direction, as shown in figures 3, 5, 6, 8) of discharging the acceleration gas from the inlet passage 111 and a direction (see horizontal direction, as shown in figures 3, 5, 6, 8) of discharging the acceleration gas from the buffer-side outlet passage are not identical to each other (reads on claim 3); and the acceleration gas-side housing 11, 12 has a buffer space 121 which communicates with the inlet passage 111 and the buffer-side outlet passage, is formed in an area larger (see entire annular space of 121, which is greater than that of 111 and buffer-side outlet passage, as shown in figures 3-6, 8) than the inlet passage 111 and the buffer-side outlet passage (reads on claim 4), and is provided in a ring shape (reads on claim 5); the buffer-side outlet passage is also provided in a ring shape (reads on claim 6).
Regarding claims 12 and 13, Goda et al. and Lee et al. together teach the limitations of claim 2. Goda et al. teaches in figures 2-3 and paragraphs [0053]-[0054], [0059] that the exhaust pipe 100 includes a first exhaust pipe 100 connected to the treating chamber 20. Lee et al. teaches in figures 1-3, 10-11, pages 9-11 of the translation that the fluid amplifier 10 may be connected to a first pipe (see pipe connected at upstream end of 112) at an upstream side of the fluid amplifier 10 and a second pipe at a downstream side of the fluid amplifier 10 (see piping connected at downstream end of 123), and the acceleration gas-side housing 11, 12 may include a first body 11 connected with the first pipe; and a second body 12 connected with the second pipe, the second body 12 is provided so that an area of the passage increases in a direction (see downstream direction, as shown in figures 3, 5, 6, 8) toward the second pipe (reads on claim 13), and the second body 12 and the first body 11 are coupled to each other, and a buffer space 121 is provided between the first body 11 and the second body 12. Therefore, in the modified system of Goda et al. and Lee et al., it is readily apparent that the first exhaust pipe 100 would be connected upstream of a first body of the fluid amplifier and a second exhaust pipe would be connected downstream of a second body of the fluid amplifier.
Regarding claims 14 and 15, Goda et al. and Lee et al. together teach the limitations of claim 12. Lee et al. also teaches in figures 1-3, 10-11 and pages 9-11 of the translation that the first body 11 includes: an insertion region (see upstream end of 11, as shown in figures 1-3) coupled with the first pipe; and a protruding region (see portion of 11 extending downstream from the upstream end, as shown in figures 1-3) extending from the insertion region in a direction in which the exhaust gas flows, and the protruding region is provided so that an inner diameter of the passage decreases in the direction in which the exhaust gas flows (reads on claim 14); the first body 11 further includes an extended region (see e.g. stepped portion 11 extending in the downstream direction, as shown in figures 1-3) extended from the protruding region in a direction in which the exhaust gas flows, and the second body 12 is engaged with an inner diameter of the extended region, and the buffer space 121 is provided between the first body 11 and the second body 12 (reads on claim 15).
Regarding claim 16, Goda et al. and Lee et al. together teach the limitations of claim 1. Goda et al. also teaches in figure 7a and paragraph [0070], [0072]-[0073], [0157] a damper (see any of 200a-e, as shown in figure 7a) installed in the exhaust pipe (see any of 100a-e, as shown in figure 7a) and capable of adjusting an area of exhaust on a passage through which the exhaust flows.
Regarding claim 20, Goda et al. teaches an apparatus for processing a substrate (see abstract), the apparatus comprising: a processing chamber 20 having a processing space for processing a substrate W (see figures 2-3, paragraphs [0048]-[0051]); a support unit 30 for supporting the substrate W in the processing space (see figures 2-3, paragraphs [0048]-[0050]); a liquid supply unit 40 capable of supplying a liquid to a substrate W supported by the support unit 30 (see figures 2-3, paragraphs [0048]-[0051]); and an exhaust unit 52, 100 capable of exhausting the processing space (see figures 2-3, paragraphs [0052], [0054], [0059]-[0060]), wherein the exhaust unit 52, 100 includes: an exhaust pipe 100 connected to the processing space and capable of exhausting the processing space (see figure 3, paragraphs [0059]-[0060]). Goda et al. does not teach an exhaust amplifier installed in the exhaust pipe and amplifying an exhaust pressure. Lee et al. teaches a fluid amplifier (see abstract) and that an amplifier 10 installed in a pipe and supplying acceleration gas (via 111, as shown in figures 3, 5, 6, 8) to a passage of the pipe may amplify a flow rate and pressure of gas flowing in the pipe (see pages 9-11 of the translation); the exhaust amplifier 10 includes: an acceleration gas-side housing 11, 12 having an inlet passage 111 through which the acceleration gas is capable of being introduced and a buffer-side outlet passage (see side outlet formed between 111 and 121, as shown in figures 3, 5, 6, 8) through which the acceleration gas is capable of being discharged, and a buffer space 121 which communicates with the inlet passage 111 and the buffer-side outlet passage, is formed in an area larger (see entire annular space of 121, which is greater than that of 111 and buffer-side outlet passage, as shown in figures 3-6, 8) than the inlet passage 111 and the buffer-side outlet passage, and is provided in a ring shape (see figures 3-6, 8, pages 9-11 of the translation); and a gas supply line connected to the inlet passage 111 and capable of supplying the acceleration gas to the inlet passage 111 (see figures 3, 5, 6, 8, page 9 of the translation), and the acceleration gas-side housing 11, 12 is disposed so that a direction (see vertical downward direction, as shown in figures 3, 5, 6, 8) of discharging the acceleration gas from the inlet passage 111 and a direction (see horizontal direction, as shown in figures 3, 5, 6, 8) of discharging the acceleration gas from the buffer-side outlet passage are not identical to each other, and the acceleration gas discharged from the buffer-side outlet passage is discharged along a face (see pages 9-11 of the translation, figures 3, 5, 6, 8, see arrows showing flow along the curved inner surface 122) forming a passage of the exhaust pipe. Since Goda et al. teaches an exhaust pipe for gas flow and Lee et al. teaches a fluid flow amplifier, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the instant invention that an exhaust amplifier may be installed in the exhaust pipe of the system by Goda et al. so as to supply acceleration gas to a passage of the exhaust pipe and amplify an exhaust flow rate and pressure of the exhaust gas flowing in the exhaust pipe, as shown to be known and conventional by Lee et al.
Conclusion
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/TINSAE B AYALEW/EXAMINER, Art Unit 1711
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