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 .
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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.
Claim(s) 1, 5 and 10 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Ohroku et al. US 6539959.
Ohroku discloses a workpiece processing apparatus for processing a surface of a workpiece (1), comprising: a workpiece supporting device (120) configured to support the workpiece; and a processing head (100) configured to process the surface of the workpiece, wherein the workpiece supporting device has a fluid supply line (122) for passing fluid therethrough, and a Bernoulli chuck (121, col. 1, lines 51-60) coupled to the fluid supply line, the Bernoulli chuck is configured to attract the surface of the workpiece by emitting the fluid, and at least part of the Bernoulli chuck is made of a conductive material (fluorocarbon resin, col. 21, lines 16-41) and is grounded (col. 21, lines 34-36).
As for claim 5, Ohroku discloses wherein the conductive material comprises a conductive resin or a conductive ceramic (fluorocarbon resin, col. 21, lines 16-41).
As for claim 10, Ohroku discloses a workpiece processing method of processing a surface of a workpiece, comprising: attracting the surface of the workpiece (1) by a Bernoulli chuck by emitting fluid from the Bernoulli chuck (121, col. 1, lines 51-60); and processing the surface of the workpiece by a processing head (100) while the workpiece is attracted by the Bernoulli chuck, wherein at least part of the Bernoulli chuck is made of a conductive material and is grounded (fluorocarbon resin, col. 21, lines 16-41).
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(s) 1, 5 and 10 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kon et al. US 2018/0096879 in view of Ohroku et al. US 6539959.
Kon discloses a workpiece processing apparatus for processing a surface of a workpiece (see Fig. 2 above), comprising: a workpiece supporting device (10) configured to support the workpiece (S); and a processing head (Kon, 40, ¶0040) configured to process the surface of the workpiece, wherein the workpiece supporting device has a fluid supply line (52, 54, 56, 57; ¶0036-38) for passing fluid (gas source, fluid source; ¶0036-38) therethrough, and a Bernoulli chuck (10, ¶0041) coupled to the fluid supply line (see Fig. 2 above), the Bernoulli chuck is configured to attract the surface of the workpiece by emitting the fluid (¶0041).
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Kon does not specify wherein at least part of the Bernoulli chuck is made of a conductive material and is grounded. However, the use of a grounded Bernoulli chuck made from a conductive material is well known in the art as evidence by Ohroku who teaches a workpiece processing apparatus with a Bernoulli chuck (121) wherein at least part of the Bernoulli chuck is made of a conductive material and is grounded (fluorocarbon resin, col. 21, lines 16-41). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date, to modify the Bernoulli chuck of Kon to a grounded conductive material Bernoulli chuck as taught by Ohroku in order to provide a means for reduce static electricity during processing of the workpiece.
As for claim 5, the modified Kon teaches wherein the conductive material comprises a conductive resin or a conductive ceramic (Ohroku, fluorocarbon resin, col. 21, lines 16-41).
As for claim 10, the modified Kon teaches a workpiece processing method of processing a surface of a workpiece (S), comprising: attracting the surface of the workpiece by a Bernoulli chuck by emitting fluid from the Bernoulli chuck (¶0041); and processing the surface of the workpiece by a processing head (Kon, 40) while the workpiece is attracted by the Bernoulli chuck (Kon, 40, ¶0040), wherein at least part of the Bernoulli chuck is made of a conductive material and is grounded (Ohroku, fluorocarbon resin, col. 21, lines 16-41).
Claim(s) 2 and 11 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kon et al. US 2018/0096879 in view of Ohroku et al. US 6539959 as applied to claims 1 and 10 above, and further in view of Yamazaki JPH 10189511A.
As for claims 2 and 11, the modified Kon teaches all the limitations as recited above and wherein the fluid comprises gas (Kon, ¶0041). However, Kon does not teach the workpiece supporting device further has an ionizer configured to ionize the gas flowing through the fluid supply line. However, the use of a workpiece supporting device further has an ionizer configured to ionize the gas flowing through the fluid supply line is well known in the art as evidence by Yamazaki who teaches a workpiece support device (see Fig. 2 below) for a workpiece processing apparatus wherein the workpiece supporting device provides an ionizer (6, 7) configured to ionize the gas flowing through a fluid supply line (7) for eliminating static. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date, to modify the workpiece support device of Kon with an ionizer as taught by Yamazaki in order to provide an additional means for preventing static electricity generated from the workpiece treating apparatus.
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Claim(s) 3 and 12 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kon et al. US 2018/0096879 in view of Ohroku et al. US 6539959 as applied to claims 1 and 10 above, and further in view of Nakai et al. US 2019/0035650.
As for claim 3 and 12, the modified Kon teaches all the limitations as recited above wherein the workpiece supporting device comprises a fluid supply source (¶0036) and the supply lines (56, 57) are coupled to the fluid supply source (¶0036). The modified Kon does not specify wherein the fluid comprises carbonated water. However, Nakai teaches a substrate processing apparatus and method wherein a fluid comprising carbonated water is provided for rinsing a substrate (W, ¶0087). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date, to substitute the liquid supply of Kon with a carbonated water liquid supply as taught by Nakai as an alternative rinse liquid.
Claim(s) 4 and 13 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kon et al. US 2018/0096879 in view of Ohroku et al. US 6539959 as applied to claims 1 and 10 above, and further in view of Miya et al. US 2006/0027323.
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As for claims 4 and 13, the modified Kon teaches all the limitations as recited above and further teaches the workpiece supporting device further comprising rollers (Kon, rotatable pins 12, ¶0031) configured to contact an edge portion of the workpiece (S, ¶0031) but does not specify wherein at least part of each roller is made of a conductive material and is grounded. However, Miya teaches a workpiece support device (1, 21, see Fig. 8 above) for supporting a workpiece (W) to be processed wherein the workpiece supporting device further includes rollers (F1-F3, S1-S3) configured to contact an edge portion of the workpiece (W), and at least part of each roller is made of a conductive material and is grounded (¶0059, conductive resin or metal). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date, to modify and/or substitute the rollers of Kon with the grounded conductive rollers as taught by Miya as an alternative support pins for discharging the static electricity developed by the substrate and processing liquid (Miya, ¶0060).
Claim(s) 6-7, 9 and 14-15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kon et al. US 2018/0096879 in view of Ohroku et al. US 6539959, Yamazaki JPH 10189511A and Nakai et al. US 2019/0035650.
As for claim 6, see previous claim rejections, the modified Kon teaches a workpiece processing apparatus for processing a surface of a workpiece, comprising: a workpiece supporting device (Kon, 10) configured to support the workpiece (Kon, S); and a processing head (Kon, 40, ¶0040) configured to process the surface of the workpiece, wherein the workpiece supporting device includes: a fluid supply line (Kon, 52, 54, 56, 57; ¶0036-41) for passing gas (¶0037-38) therethrough; an ionizer (as taught by Yamazaki, 6, 7; see claim 2 rejection above) configured to ionize the gas flowing through the fluid supply line; a Bernoulli chuck coupled to the fluid supply line and configured to attract the surface of the workpiece by emitting the ionized gas (as taught by Kon, ¶0041; and Yamazaki); a liquid ejecting member (as taught by Kon, 26, 30; ¶0033 and ¶0036; also see Figs. 1-2) surrounding the Bernoulli chuck and configured to emit carbonated water around the Bernoulli chuck; and a carbonated-water supply source for supplying the carbonated water to the liquid ejecting member (as taught by Nakai, ¶0087, also see claim 3 rejection above).
As for claim 7, the modified Kon teaches wherein at least a part of the Bernoulli chuck and/or at least a part of the liquid ejecting member is made of a conductive material and is grounded (as taught by Ohroku, fluorocarbon resin, col. 21, lines 16-41, see claim 1 rejection above).
As for claim 9, the modified Kon teaches wherein the conductive material comprises a conductive resin or a conductive ceramic (as taught by Ohroku, fluorocarbon resin, col. 21, lines 16-41, see claim 1 rejection above).
As for claim 14, the modified Kon teaches a workpiece processing method of processing a surface of a workpiece, comprising: emitting carbonated water (as taught by Nakai, ¶0087) to the surface of the workpiece from a liquid ejecting member (Kon, 26, 30; ¶0033 and ¶0036) surrounding a Bernoulli chuck (Kon, 10), while attracting the surface of the workpiece by the Bernoulli chuck (Kon, ¶0041) by emitting an ionized gas (as taught by Yamazaki, 6, 7) from the Bernoulli chuck; and processing the surface of the workpiece by a processing head (Kon, 40, ¶0040) while the workpiece is attracted by the Bernoulli chuck.
As for claim 15, the modified Kon teaches wherein at least a part of the Bernoulli chuck and/or at least a part of the liquid ejecting member is made of a conductive material and is grounded (as taught by Ohroku, fluorocarbon resin, col. 21, lines 16-41).
Claim(s) 8 and 16 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kon et al. US 2018/0096879 in view of Ohroku et al. US 6539959, Yamazaki JPH 10189511A and Nakai et al. US 2019/0035650 as applied to claims 6 and 14 above, and further in view of Miya et al. US 2006/0027323
As for claims 8 and 16, as previously mentioned in the rejection of claims 4 and 13 above, the modified Kon teaches the workpiece supporting device further comprising rollers (Kon, rotatable pins 12, ¶0031) configured to contact an edge portion of the workpiece (S, ¶0031) but does not specify wherein at least part of each roller is made of a conductive material and is grounded. However, Miya teaches a workpiece support device (1, 21, see Fig. 8 above) for supporting a workpiece (W) to be processed wherein the workpiece supporting device further includes rollers (F1-F3, S1-S3) configured to contact an edge portion of the workpiece (W), and at least part of each roller is made of a conductive material and is grounded (¶0059, conductive resin or metal). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date, to modify and/or substitute the rollers of Kon with the grounded conductive rollers as taught by Miya as an alternative support pins for discharging the static electricity developed by the substrate and processing liquid (Miya, ¶0060).
Conclusion
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/TYRONE V HALL JR/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3723