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 .
The amendment filed 13 February 2026 has been entered.
Specification
The specification is objected to as failing to provide proper antecedent basis for the claimed subject matter. See 37 CFR 1.75(d)(1) and MPEP § 608.01(o). Correction of the following is required: the storage module of the claimed inventions of the current application is not disclosed; storage unit is disclosed for the claimed inventions of the current application.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
The text of those sections of Title 35, U.S. Code not included in this action can be found in a prior Office action.
Claim(s) 1, 8, 11-12, and 18 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Newman et al. (US US 2022/0068677; Pub. Date: Mar. 3, 2022) (“Newman”) in view of Kitahara et al. (US 2016/0211160) (“Kitahara”). Newman discloses:
Claim 1: a housing (housing of 106);
a load port disposed on a sidewall of the housing (para. [0034], “For example, four or six load ports 124 can be located at or near the factory interface base on the front side of factory interface 106. In some other embodiments, one or more load ports 124 can be loaded on a side wall of factory interface 106.”), the load port being capable of placing a container accommodating multiple objects to be transferred (112X);
a transfer device disposed in the housing and configured to transfer the objects to be transferred (126X); and
a storage module disposed in the housing and configured to temporarily accommodate the objects to be transferred (para. [0048], “Referring to FIGS. 1B-D, factory interface 106 can include one or more auxiliary components 150 that are accessible by the factory interface robots and are part of the factory interface mini-environment. The auxiliary components 150 can include substrate wafer storage stations, metrology stations, cooldown stations, servers, etc. A substrate storage container can store substrates and/or substrate carriers (e.g., FOUPs), for example.”),
wherein the housing includes:
a first sidewall to which a load-lock module is connected (120X); and
a second sidewall other than a sidewall facing the first sidewall, to which the load port is connected,
wherein the transfer device has a first arm having multiple forks on which the objects to be transferred are placed (“In embodiments, factory interface robot 126A may orient one or more end effectors in a second direction that may be approximately perpendicular to the first direction when retrieving substrates from and/or placing substrates in load lock 120A.” forks are construed to be “one or more end effectors”), and
the transfer device transfers the objects (FIG. 1B-1D; para. [0034]/[0048]/etc.);
a second arm having one fork on which one object to be transferred is placed (“Factory interface robots 126A-B can include one or more robot arms and can each be or include a SCARA robot.”; “one or more end effectors” have at least more than one arm including a second arm);
the storage module including
a first accommodating chamber (FIG. 1B, one 150); and
a second accommodating chamber (FIG. 1B, another 150),
multiple unprocessed and processed objects (para. [0048]/etc.; processing also includes transferring objects; therefore, some objects are transferred from an accommodating chamber, some objects are not);
Claim 8: wherein the housing is maintained at an airtight state (for different housings/chambers), and an inert gas circulates in the housing (para. [0031]);
Claim 11. A transfer method comprising:
a) using a first arm of a transfer device, the first arm having multiple forks (“In embodiments, factory interface robot 126A may orient one or more end effectors in a second direction that may be approximately perpendicular to the first direction when retrieving substrates from and/or placing substrates in load lock 120A.” forks are construed to be “one or more end effectors”; FIG. 1B-1D; para. [0034]/[0048]/etc.), to collectively transfer multiple unprocessed objects (para. [0048]/etc.; processing also includes transferring objects; therefore, some objects are transferred from an accommodating chamber, some objects are not)
b) using a second arm of the transfer device (“Factory interface robots 126A-B can include one or more robot arms and can each be or include a SCARA robot.”; “one or more end effectors” have at least more than one arm including a second arm), the second arm having a single fork (one or more end effectors),
transferring one
c) using the second arm of the transfer device to transfer one
d) using the first arm to collectively transfer the
Claim 12: wherein the first accommodating chamber is disposed vertically above the second accommodating chamber (different portions/subsets of 150 are construed under BRI to be disposed vertically one above the other, construed as being different accommodating chambers under BRI);
Claim 18: wherein the transfer device is configured to move in a vertical direction within the housing (para. [0037], “robots 126A-B [ ] reach carriers connected to load ports at different elevations” implies this).
Newman does not directly show:
Claim 1: the transfer device is configured to:
(i) collectively transfer the unprocessed objects in the container into the first accommodating chamber using the first arm,
(ii) use the second arm to transfer a single unprocessed object to the load-lock module using the second arm,
(iii) use the second arm to transfer a single processed object from the load- lock module to the second accommodating chamber, and
(iv) use the first arm to transfer processed objects from the second accommodating chamber to the container;
Claim 11: collectively transfer[ing] multiple unprocessed objects from a container into a first accommodating chamber of a storage module that temporarily stores the objects to be transferred; transferring processed and unprocessed objects as claimed.
Kitahara shows a similar device having:
Claim 1: the transfer device is configured to:
(i) collectively transfer the unprocessed objects in the container into the first accommodating chamber using the first arm,
(ii) use the second arm to transfer a single unprocessed object to the load-lock module using the second arm,
(iii) use the second arm to transfer a single processed object from the load- lock module to the second accommodating chamber, and
(iv) use the first arm to transfer processed objects from the second accommodating chamber to the container (para. [0046]-[0057] suggest transferring different objects of different processing status (“pre-processed wafers”/”processed wafers”) with different number of arms/forks (arm/hand));
Claim 11: collectively transfer[ing] multiple unprocessed objects from a container into a first accommodating chamber of a storage module that temporarily stores the objects to be transferred; transferring processed and unprocessed objects as claimed (para. [0046]-[0057] suggest transferring different objects of different processing status (“pre-processed wafers”/”processed wafers”) with different number of arms/forks (arm/hand));
with a reasonable expectation of success for the purpose of simplifying the configuration of the transfer device for providing a transfer device of reduced cost and increased versatility/productivity (para. [0005]/[0007]/[0050]). Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Newman as taught by Reuter and include Reuter’s similar device having:
Claim 1: the transfer device is configured to:
(i) collectively transfer the unprocessed objects in the container into the first accommodating chamber using the first arm,
(ii) use the second arm to transfer a single unprocessed object to the load-lock module using the second arm,
(iii) use the second arm to transfer a single processed object from the load- lock module to the second accommodating chamber, and
(iv) use the first arm to transfer processed objects from the second accommodating chamber to the container;
Claim 11: collectively transfer[ing] multiple unprocessed objects from a container into a first accommodating chamber of a storage module that temporarily stores the objects to be transferred; transferring processed and unprocessed objects as claimed;
with a reasonable expectation of success for the purpose of simplifying the configuration of the transfer device for providing a transfer device of reduced cost and increased versatility/productivity.
Claim(s) 4, 13-14, and 17 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Newman in view of Kitahara and Reuter et al. (US 2020/0135521) (“Reuter”). Newman discloses all the limitations of the claims as discussed above.
Newman does not directly show:
Claim 4: wherein the first accommodating chamber includes:
a first opening through which the object to be transferred object is loaded and unloaded; and
a first exhaust port configured to exhaust a gas flowing in from the first opening, and
the second accommodating chamber includes:
a second opening through which the object to be transferred is loaded and unloaded; and
a second exhaust port configured to exhaust a gas flowing in from the second opening;
Claim 13: a partition wall that physically separates the first accommodating chamber from the second accommodating chamber;
Claim 14: wherein the first exhaust port and the second exhaust port are located on sidewalls of the storage module opposite to the first opening and the second opening, respectively;
Claim 17: wherein the second accommodating chamber is provided with an exhaust port configured to exhaust a gas from within the second accommodating chamber, and the first accommodating chamber is not provided with an exhaust port.
Reuter shows a similar device having:
Claim 4: wherein the first accommodating chamber (120a) includes:
a first opening through which the object to be transferred object is loaded and unloaded; and
a first exhaust port configured to exhaust a gas flowing in from the first opening (one 136/structures with one 136), and
the second accommodating chamber (102b) includes:
a second opening through which the object to be transferred is loaded and unloaded; and
a second exhaust port configured to exhaust a gas flowing in from the second opening (another 136/structures with another 136);
Claim 13: a partition wall that physically separates the first accommodating chamber from the second accommodating chamber (FIG. 3A, wall between 120a/120b);
Claim 14: wherein the first exhaust port and the second exhaust port are located on sidewalls of the storage module opposite to the first opening and the second opening, respectively (FIG. 1-2,3A, 136 exits at 234 on the sidewall; para. [0047], 234 may be on the sidewall);
Claim 17: wherein the second accommodating chamber is provided with an exhaust port configured to exhaust a gas from within the second accommodating chamber, and the first accommodating chamber is not provided with an exhaust port (para. [0046] implies that 136 can be disconnected from either chamber 120a/120b, wherein one chamber would have an exhaust port and the other chamber would not have an exhaust port);
with a reasonable expectation of success for the purpose of improving the controlling environmental conditions to which the substrates are exposed to when in transit through the storage module (para. [0021]). Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Newman and Kitahara as taught by Reuter and include Reuter’s similar device having:
Claim 4: wherein the first accommodating chamber includes:
a first opening through which the object to be transferred object is loaded and unloaded; and
a first exhaust port configured to exhaust a gas flowing in from the first opening, and
the second accommodating chamber includes:
a second opening through which the object to be transferred is loaded and unloaded; and
a second exhaust port configured to exhaust a gas flowing in from the second opening;
Claim 13: a partition wall that physically separates the first accommodating chamber from the second accommodating chamber;
Claim 14: wherein the first exhaust port and the second exhaust port are located on sidewalls of the storage module opposite to the first opening and the second opening, respectively;
Claim 17: wherein the second accommodating chamber is provided with an exhaust port configured to exhaust a gas from within the second accommodating chamber, and the first accommodating chamber is not provided with an exhaust port;
with a reasonable expectation of success for the purpose of improving the controlling environmental conditions to which the substrates are exposed to when in transit through the storage module.
Claim(s) 15-16 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Newman in view of Kitahara and Sugawara (US 20190109031). Newman discloses all the limitations of the claims as discussed above.
Newman does not directly show:
Claim 15: wherein the objects to be transferred are consumable parts used in a substrate processing module connected to the load-lock module;
Claim 16: wherein the consumable parts include at least one of an electrostatic chuck, an edge ring, or an upper electrode.
Sugawara shows a similar device having:
Claim 15: wherein the objects to be transferred are consumable parts used in a substrate processing module connected to the load-lock module (para. [0006] discloses the well-known configuration as claimed in a layout similar to that of FIG. 1);
Claim 16: wherein the consumable parts include at least one of an electrostatic chuck, an edge ring, or an upper electrode (para. [0006] discloses the well-known configuration as claimed in a layout similar to that of FIG. 1; electrostatic chuck or edge ring in para. [0006]);
with a reasonable expectation of success for the purpose of performing a well-known process such as etching (para. [0006]). Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Newman and Kitahara as taught by Sugawara and include Sugawara’s similar device having:
Claim 15: wherein the objects to be transferred are consumable parts used in a substrate processing module connected to the load-lock module;
Claim 16: wherein the consumable parts include at least one of an electrostatic chuck, an edge ring, or an upper electrode;
with a reasonable expectation of success for the purpose of performing a well-known process such as etching.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments, see pp. 9-11, filed 13 February 2026, with respect to the rejection(s) of claim(s) 1-11 under multiple prior art references 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 Newman, Kitahara, and Sugawara.
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 Gerald McClain whose telephone number is (571)272-7803. The examiner can normally be reached Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and at gerald.mcclain@uspto.gov (see MPEP 502.03 (II)).
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Saul Rodriguez can be reached at (571) 272-7097. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/Gerald McClain/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3652
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