DETAILED ACTION
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.
Claims 15-18, 20, and 21 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hazelton [US 6,271,606] in view of Ito [US 2009/0033901].
For claim 15, Hazelton teaches a photolithography system (see Fig. 10) comprising:
a reticle transportation system (see Fig. 1), said reticle transportation system comprising:
a transportation stage drive system (10, 12) comprising a pair of stators (16, 36) of a linear motor;
a reticle transportation stage (28) having a length L (along the X axis, see Fig. 2c and d), a top surface (upward facing surface perpendicular the Z-axis), a bottom surface (downward facing surface perpendicular the Z-axis), and a pair of side surfaces (surfaces of component 18 that are perpendicular to the Y-axis), wherein the length L is in a moving direction (along X-axis, see col. 6 lines 53-54), the reticle transportation stage capable of being magnetically levitated and moved by said transportation stage drive system (Lorentz force actuators, see Fig. 2c and 2d and col. 5 lines 55-63), wherein a first stator of the pair of stators is disposed along a first side surface of the pair of side surfaces and a second stator of the pair of stators is disposed along a second side surface of the pair of side surfaces along the length L of the reticle transportation stage (at least three side surfaces facing the stator component 16 including both active motor components 36 and the first component body 48, see Figs. 1, 2c, and 2d); and
a transportation stage controller (current source supplying current to conductor coils, see col. 5 lines 44-63) coupled to said transportation stage drive system wherein in response to signals provided thereto from said transportation stage controller,
said transportation stage drive system moves said reticle transportation stage (along X-axis, see col. 6 lines 53-54); and
an enclosure (14) disposed to define a clean vacuum environment (see col. 11 lines 15-25) and an external stator environment (external to chamber 14) and wherein said reticle transportation stage is disposed in the clean vacuum environment and at least portions of said transportation stage drive system are disposed in the external environment (see Fig. 2d).
Hazelton fails to teach a dirty vacuum environment wherein at least portions of said transportation stage drive system are disposed in the dirty vacuum environment.
Ito teaches enclosure (10 and 11, see Fig. 3) disposed to define a clean vacuum environment (10, high vacuum, see [0028]) and a dirty vacuum environment (low vacuum, see [0035]) and wherein said reticle transportation stage is disposed in the clean vacuum environment and at least portions of said transportation stage drive system are disposed in the dirty vacuum environment (see Fig. 3).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide the dirty vacuum environment as taught by Ito in the arrangement as taught by Hazelton in order to remove debris that occurs in the stator environment to maintain cleanliness in the exposure apparatus while reducing deformation due to pressure differences.
For claim 16, Hazelton teaches transportation stage drive system comprises a bearingless linear motor configured to magnetically levitate and move said reticle transportation stage (Lorentz force motor 10, see Figs. 1, 2c, and 2d).
For claim 17, Hazelton teaches said enclosure is disposed around said reticle transportation stage (stage 28 in chamber 14, see Fig. 1).
For claim 18, Hazelton teaches said enclosure is disposed around at least a portion of a transportation stage drive system (conductor array 38 and second component 18, see Fig. 2c).
For claim 20, In the combination, Ito teaches said enclosure is disposed around said stator (stator 4 in chamber 11, see Fig. 3).
For claim 21, Hazelton teaches the top surface of the reticle transportation stage is configured to accept a reticle (reticle 27 on stage 28, see Fig. 1).
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed January 19, 2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
The Applicant argues on pages 8 and 9, regarding claim 15, that the stator components of Hazelton act on the top and bottom of the stage and are therefore not disposed along a side surface the stage.
The Examiner respectfully disagrees. As shown in at least Fig. 2d of Hazelton, the second component body 58 of the second component 18 that is integral with the reticle stage 28 comprises at least three side surfaces facing the stator component 16 including both active motor components 36 and the first component body 48.
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 Steven H Whitesell whose telephone number is (571)270-3942. The examiner can normally be reached Mon - Fri 9:00 AM - 5:30 PM (MST).
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/Steven H Whitesell/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1759