DETAILED ACTION
This application, 18/476,310, attorney docket 01011-01694, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA . This application is assigned to Sumitomo Heavy Industries, Ltd., and is a continuation of PCT/JP2022/016511, filed 03/31/2022, claims foreign priority to 2021-062640, filed 04/01/2021 Claims 1-15 are pending and are considered below. Note that examiner will use numbers in parentheses to indicate numbered elements in prior art figures, and brackets to point to paragraph numbers where quoted material or specific teachings can be found.
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 (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 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.
Claims 1-12 and 14-15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102a1/a2 as being anticipated by Tanaka (U.S. 2002/0180312).
As for claim 1,
Tanaka teaches in figure 1 stage apparatus comprising:
a first slider (25)
a first guide (21) that guides movement of the first slider in a first direction;
a second slider that includes two slider parts (7) separated from each other in the first direction (x-direction) and supporting the first guide from below (attached to 136);
and a second guide (6) that guides movement of the second slider.
As for claim 2,
Tanaka teaches the stage apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the stage apparatus is used in a vacuum environment. (Tanaka, [0031]).
As for claim 3,
The stage apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second slider includes a connecting portion that connects the two slider parts (21).
As for claim 4,
Tanaka teaches the stage apparatus according to claim 3, and teaches in figure a cross-sectional area of the connecting portion perpendicular to the first direction is smaller than cross-sectional areas of the slider parts perpendicular to the first direction (the cross section of 21 is enclosed by the side of the slider 7).
As for claims 5 and 6,
Tanaka teaches the stage apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first slider and second slider are driven by an air servo. ([0063]).
As for claim 7,
Tanaka teaches the stage apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second slider is driven by a linear motor. (fine movement is controlled by piezo-actuators 41-46 [0063]).
As for claim 8
Tanaka teaches the stage apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a movable range of a center of gravity of the first slider that moves with the movement of the first slider is between two support positions in the first direction in which the two slider parts support the first guide. (The entire range is confined between the sliders so the center of gravity must be between them).
As for claims 9 and 10 ,
Tanaka teaches the stage apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: a restraining member for restraining vertical movement of the two slider parts with respect to the second guide, in a state where the two slider parts are non-contact with the second guide. (Figure 2 shows air pads 51, constrain the slider)
As for claim 11,
Tanaka teaches the stage apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the restraining member is upper surface air pads and lower surface air pads that are disposed on upper surfaces and lower surfaces of the two slider parts and inject compressed gas toward a facing surface of the second guide, and the lower surface air pads are provided between the upper surface air pads and support positions in the first direction. (Figure 2 shows air pads 51, constrain the slider on top and bottom, with gas injection by line 8, described in [0045,0053])
As for claim 12,
Tanaka teaches in figure 4 an exposure apparatus comprising: the stage apparatus (100) according to claim 1, wherein the exposure apparatus positions a substrate by using the stage apparatus (131 in figure 4).
As for claim 14,
Tanaka teaches in figure 11 a device manufacturing method comprising: a step of manufacturing a device by using the exposure apparatus according to claim 12 (S9).
As for claim 15,
Tanaka teaches in figure 2, a stage apparatus comprising:
a first slider (5);
a first guide (21) that guides movement of the first slider in a first direction (x direction);
a second slider (7) that includes two slider parts separated from each other in the first direction and supporting the first guide from below;
and a second guide (6) that guides movement of the second slider, wherein the first slider and the second slider are driven by an air servo ([0063]).
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 13 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Tanaka in view of Tanaka (U.S. 6,339,266, here called Tanaka’266).
As for claim 13,
Tanaka teaches the stage apparatus according to claim 1, but does not teach an inspection apparatus positions a substrate by using the stage apparatus.
However, Tanaka’266 teaches “further, the planar motor device and the stage device of the present invention can be suitably applied to the apparatus other than exposure apparatus, for example, to inspection apparatus and substrate transferring apparatus.”(co50, ln61+])
The inspection apparatus in an intended use for the stage, and would have been obvious to one skilled in the art to adapt the stage for inspections which require controllable motion in two direction. It has been held that a recitation with respect to the manner in which a claimed apparatus is intended to be employed does not differentiate the claimed apparatus from a prior art apparatus satisfying the claimed structural limitations. Ex Parte Masham, 2 USPQ F.2d 1647 (1987).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JOHN A BODNAR whose telephone number is (571)272-4660. The examiner can normally be reached M-Th and every other Friday 7:30-5:30 Central time.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Yara Green can be reached at 571-270-3035. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/JOHN A BODNAR/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2893