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 .
Claims 1-17 are pending with claims 1-13 and 17 under examination.
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.
Claim(s) 1-13 and 17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Ito et al. (US 2021/0096462), hereinafter Ito.
Regarding claim 1, Ito discloses an imprint apparatus comprising: (a) a controller (“control unit” 170) (par. 0032) configured to calculate a timing at which a time until completion of a process of the substrate matches a predetermined time (“the control unit 170 determines whether or not the imprint processing has been completed for all of the approximate shot regions on the substrate W” – par. 0054), wherein the plurality of shot regions are classified into a plurality of processing time groups (par. 0071-0072; time groups are denoted with the leading digit of 0, 1, 2, 3; par. 0080 – “the shot regions 1-1 to 1-4 are defined to belong to one group . . . “), and each processing time group is associated with a processing time required for a process of each shot region belonging to the processing time group (par. 0046), and wherein the controller is configured to obtain a total time for processing unprocessed shot regions among the plurality of shot regions of the substrate (par. 0054). The imprint material is supplied to the substrate, pressed by the mold, and then exposed/cured by radiation (par. 0002).
Regarding claim 2, Ito discloses the subject matter of claim 1, and further discloses a dispenser (150) (par. 0020), configured to arrange an imprint material (par. 0041 – “the control unit 170 controls the dispenser 150 to supply the imprint material R to a substrate W”), wherein the dispenser is controlled, based on control information including information used to control an imprint material application process (inherent, as this would necessarily be met when dispensing any amount of material), so as to continuously apply an imprint material onto the designated number of shot regions without undergoing an imprint process (the shot regions belonging to one of the groups 0 through 3 – par. 0079-0080), and wherein the plurality of processing time groups are decided based on the control information (par. 0079-0080).
Regarding claim 3, Ito discloses the subject matter of claim 2, and further discloses that the controller is configured to classify each of the plurality of shot regions into one of the plurality of processing time groups (par. 0079-0081; the regions are grouped as outlined above).
Regarding claim 4, Ito discloses the subject matter of claim 3, and further discloses that the plurality of processing time groups (each group labeled as “0-X” up to “3-X” as in par. 0072, 0080) includes at least two groups in accordance with the number of shot regions on which an imprint material is to be continuously applied without undergoing an imprint process (par. 0079-0080 – “[a]fter the shot regions are grouped, the imprint material R may be supplied to the entire surface of the substrate W . . .”, where “the entire surface” would mean that all of the groups of shot regions would be covered by this teaching).
Regarding claims 5 and 7, Ito discloses the subject matter of claim 3, and further discloses that at least one processing time group is formed from a leading shot region one which an imprint material is to be arranged first (group 0 – Fig. 6; par. 0079-0080) and at least one other processing time group is formed from a subsequent shot region (group 1 – Fig. 6; par. 0079-0080), and imprinting (par. 0081).
Regarding claim 6, Ito discloses the subject matter of claim 5, and at least one other processing time group is formed from a subsequent shot region (such as shot regions 1-1 to 1-4) onto which an imprint material is to be applied second (par. 0079-0081) or after the first group.
Regarding claim 8, Ito discloses the subject matter of claim 6, and a processing time required for a process of the subsequent shot region include a time required for an imprint process on the subsequent shot region, is not considered limiting as this does not limit an existing variable and relates to the operation of the claimed device in its intended use. See MPEP 2114.
Regarding claims 9-11, Ito discloses the subject matter of claim 3, and further discloses that each of the at least two processing time groups is formed from a leading shot region (on which an imprint material is to be arranged first (group 0), and “a processing time” as in par. 0080 would seem to meet these limitations under BRI as this time relates to the operation of the claimed device in its intended use. See MPEP 2114.
Regarding claim 12, Ito discloses the subject matter of claim 1, and further discloses that based on a time required for a process of a shot region having undergone an imprint process, the controller updates a processing time (par. 0046-0047).
Regarding claim 13, Ito discloses the subject matter of claim 1, and further discloses a substrate stage (“substrate holding unit 130” – par. 0020 or “stage 132” – par. 0025) configured to hold the substrate, wherein in accordance with the timing, the controller causes a conveyance robot to start an operation of conveying a substrate to be processed next to the substrate stage (par. 0054 – “control unit 170 controls the transport apparatus to transport the substrate W”).
Regarding claim 17, Ito discloses the subject matter of claim 1, and further discloses that the process of the substrate includes applying an imprint material R (par. 0079) onto one or more of the plurality of shot regions and performing an imprint process (par. 0079) on one or more of the plurality of shot regions.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments, see the remarks, filed 1/31/2026, with respect to the rejection(s) of claim(s) 1-13 and 17 under 35 U.S.C. 102 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 Ito (US 2021/0096462) as applied above.
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 ANDREW D GRAHAM whose telephone number is (469)295-9232. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday 7:30AM-4:00PM (CST).
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Christina Johnson can be reached at (571) 272-1176. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/ANDREW D GRAHAM/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1742