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 .
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments, see pages 9-13, filed March 30, 2026, with respect to the rejection(s) of claim(s) 1, 5-7, 9, and 13-15 under 35 U.S.C. 103 have been fully considered and are persuasive. Therefore, the rejection has been withdrawn. However, upon further consideration, a new ground(s) of rejection is made in view of Takahashi (US 2023/0121666 cited in IDS).
Takahashi is directed towards a substrate treating apparatus where figure 12 teaches b bubble supplier 840 configured so that bubbles V ascend in the processing liquid and promote the replacement of the processing liquid on the surfaces of the substrates W by a fresh processing liquid.[0053]
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 10-12 are allowed.
Regarding claim 10, Kimura in view of Tsurusaki fails to teach or suggest the processing liquid supply pipes sections belonging to the respective groups supply the processing liquid toward the bubbles for periods that are mutually different for each of the groups.
Claims 11-12 are dependent upon claim 10.
Applicant’s disclosure teaches the aforementioned limitation provides even processing of each substrate.
Claim Objections
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.
Regarding claim 2, Nagara in view of Tsurusaki fails to teach or suggest the processing liquid supply pipes sections belonging to the respective groups supply the processing liquid toward the bubbles for periods that are mutually different for each of the groups.
Claims 3-4 are dependent upon claim 2.
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.
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.
Claim(s) 1 and 5-7 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Nagara (JP 2014-179408A machine translation cited in IDS), and in further view of Tsurusaki (US 2006/0060232 cited in IDS) and Takahashi (US 2023/0121666 cited in IDS).
Regarding claim 1, Nagara figures 1-8 teach a substrate processing apparatus comprising:
a processing tank (3 treatment tank) that stores a processing liquid (pure water or stripping liquid) therein;
a substrate holder (9 lifter) that holds a substrate (W) and immerses the substrate in the processing liquid stored in the processing tank;
a bubble supply section (19 bubble pipe) that is disposed in the processing tank and that supplies bubbles to the processing liquid from below the substrate; and
a plurality of processing liquid supply pipes (17 jet pipe) that are disposed at the processing tank and that supply the processing liquid to an interior of the processing tank, wherein
the processing tank includes a first side wall and a second side wall (shown in figures 1-8) that face each other.[pages 1-3]
Nagara teaches one or more first processing liquid supply pipes (17 jet pipe provided at the left side of treatment tank 3) that supply the processing liquid toward the bubbles (19 bubble pipe) and one or more first processing liquid supply pipes (17 jet pipe provided at the right side of treatment tank 3) that supply the processing liquid toward the bubbles (19 bubble pipe).
Nagara is silent to the processing liquid supply pipes sections include:
one or more first processing liquid supply pipes that are disposed on a side of the first side wall and; and
one or more second processing liquid supply pipes that are disposed on a side of the second side wall.
Tsurusaki is directed towards a substrate processing apparatus wherein figure 2 teaches the process liquid supply nozzles 10 is in a form of a pipe horizontally extending along the sidewall of the process bath 1.[0039]
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the present invention to provide processing liquid supply pipes on the tank side walls as taught in Tsurusaki to achieve a uniform chemical liquid treatment of process objects.[0010]
Nagara in view of Tsurusaki is silent to the bubbles rising in the processing fluid.
Takahashi is directed towards a substrate treating apparatus where figure 12 teaches b bubble supplier 840 configured so that bubbles V ascend in the processing liquid and promote the replacement of the processing liquid on the surfaces of the substrates W by a fresh processing liquid.[0053]
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the present invention for the bubbles to rise in the processing liquid as taught in Takahashi to promote the replacement of the processing liquid on the surfaces of the substrates W by a fresh processing liquid.
Regarding claim 5, Tsurusaki teaches process liquid supply valves 20 (also see FIG. 2) and a flowmeter 6 (not shown in FIG. 2) thereby reading on a processing liquid flow rate adjuster adjustment section that adjusts a supply flow rate of the processing liquid for each of the processing liquid supply pipes sections.[0040]
Regarding claim 6, Nagara figures 1-8 teach the bubble supply (19 bubble pipe) includes a plurality of bubble supply pipes (19) that each receive supply of a gas to supply the bubbles to the processing liquid, and the substrate processing apparatus further comprises a bubble adjuster adjustment (49 control valve) that adjusts a supply flow rate of the gas for each of the bubble supply pipes.[page 3]
Regarding claim 7, Tsurusaki teaches the liquid treatment apparatus includes a process liquid supply source 3 having a deionized water (rinse liquid) supply source 30 and a chemical liquid supply source 32. A process liquid supply line 4 is connected to the deionized water supply source 30, for supplying the process liquid to the respective process liquid supply nozzles 10. A chemical liquid supply line 31 connected to the chemical liquid supply source 32 is connected to the process liquid supply line 4 thereby reading on the processing liquid is a rinse liquid, and the substrate holder holding section immerses, in the rinse liquid stored in the processing tank, the substrate having been processed with a chemical liquid stored in a chemical liquid tank different from the processing tank.[0040]
Claim(s) 9, and 13-15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kimura (US 2023/0274956), and in further view of Tsurusaki (US 2006/0060232 cited in IDS) and Takahashi (US 2023/0121666 cited in IDS).
Regarding claim 9, Kimura figures 1-10 teach a substrate processing method implemented by a substrate processing apparatus including a processing tank (14 tank portion) and a plurality of processing liquid supply pipes (31 liquid supply pipe).
Kimura teaches the method comprising:
immersing a substrate (11) into the processing liquid (12) stored in the processing tank; [0024]
supplying bubbles to the processing liquid from below the substrate (bubbles are formed in the processing liquid 12 by discharging nitrogen (N.sub.2) as an inert gas from the gas discharge holes 37a). [0027]
Figure 7 teaches controlling behavior of the bubbles by supplying the processing liquid (31b, 31a liquid discharge holes) toward the bubbles (37, 37a gas discharge holes) from at least one processing liquid supply pipe section of the processing liquid supply pipes.[0049-58]
Figure 1 teaches the processing tank includes a first side wall and a second side wall that face each other.
Kimura figures 7 and 9 teach the processing liquid supply pipes include:
one or more first processing liquid supply pipes (31 liquid supply pipe) that supply the processing liquid toward the bubbles; and
one or more second processing liquid supply pipes (31 liquid supply pipe) that supply the processing liquid toward the bubbles.
Kimura is silent to the processing liquid supply pipes sections include:
one or more first processing liquid supply pipes that are disposed on a side of the first side wall and; and
one or more second processing liquid supply pipes that are disposed on a side of the second side wall.
Tsurusaki is directed towards a substrate processing apparatus wherein figure 2 teaches the process liquid supply nozzles 10 is in a form of a pipe horizontally extending along the sidewall of the process bath 1.[0039]
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the present invention to provide processing liquid supply pipes on the tank side walls as taught in Tsurusaki to achieve a uniform chemical liquid treatment of process objects.[0010]
Kimura in view of Tsurusaki is silent to the bubbles rising in the processing fluid.
Takahashi is directed towards a substrate treating apparatus where figure 12 teaches b bubble supplier 840 configured so that bubbles V ascend in the processing liquid and promote the replacement of the processing liquid on the surfaces of the substrates W by a fresh processing liquid.[0053]
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the present invention for the bubbles to rise in the processing liquid as taught in Takahashi to promote the replacement of the processing liquid on the surfaces of the substrates W by a fresh processing liquid.
Regarding claim 13, Tsurusaki teaches process liquid supply valves 20 (also see FIG. 2) and a flowmeter 6 (not shown in FIG. 2) for controlling the flow of the process liquid thereby reading on the controlling behavior of the bubbles, a supply flow rate of the processing liquid is adjusted for each of the processing liquid supply pipes sections.[0040]
Regarding claim 14, Kimura figure 9 teaches the substrate processing apparatus further includes a plurality of bubble supply pipes (37, 67 that each receive supply of a gas to supply the bubbles to the processing liquid.[0027,0065]
Kimura teaches gas supply section 35 includes eight flow rate adjustment units 52 corresponding to the first discharge units 41 and the second discharge units 42 respectively provided in the four bubble pipes 37 thereby reading on in the supplying bubbles, a supply flow rate of the gas is adjusted for each of the bubble supply pipes.[0043]
Regarding claim 15, Tsurusaki teaches the liquid treatment apparatus includes a process liquid supply source 3 having a deionized water (rinse liquid) supply source 30 and a chemical liquid supply source 32. A process liquid supply line 4 is connected to the deionized water supply source 30, for supplying the process liquid to the respective process liquid supply nozzles 10. A chemical liquid supply line 31 connected to the chemical liquid supply source 32 is connected to the process liquid supply line 4 thereby reading the processing liquid is a rinse liquid, and in the immersing, the substrate having been processed with a chemical liquid stored in a chemical liquid tank different from the processing tank is immersed in the rinse liquid stored in the processing tank.[0040]
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to CRISTI J TATE-SIMS whose telephone number is (571)272-1722. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9am-6pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Michael Barr can be reached at 571-272-1414. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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CRISTI J. TATE-SIMS
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 1711
/CRISTI J TATE-SIMS/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1711
Prosecution Insights