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 10 February 2026 has been entered. It is noted that there were no claim amendments filed on 10 February 2026.
Specification
Applicant is reminded of the proper content of an abstract of the disclosure.
A patent abstract is a concise statement of the technical disclosure of the patent and should include that which is new in the art to which the invention pertains. The abstract should not refer to purported merits or speculative applications of the invention and should not compare the invention with the prior art.
See MPEP § 608.01(b) for guidelines for the preparation of patent abstracts.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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) 1-4 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Uchida et al. (US 2021/0098270) (“Uchida”).
Claim 1: transferring a substrate (W) in an elevating direction and a traveling direction perpendicular to the elevating direction (Fig. 2-4/12), comprising:
an attachment member fixed to a side surface of a module frame for installing a processing module including a substrate loading/unloading port, the attachment member including a plurality of traveling rails extending in a traveling direction, the plurality of traveling rails being disposed on both sides of the substrate loading/unloading port in the elevating direction (Fig. 2-4/12; para. [0069]-[0072]; rails shown therein);
an elevating rail extending in the elevating direction across the plurality of traveling rails and being movable along the plurality of traveling rails (Fig. 2-4/12; para. [0069]-[0072]; rails shown therein);
a transfer robot configured to be movable vertically along the elevating rail and including a hand for holding a substrate (CR1; 71a/71b/etc. in Fig. 2-4/12; para. [0069]-[0072]);
Claim 2: wherein the attachment member further includes a plurality of fixed rails fixed to the side surface and extending in the elevating direction,
the plurality of traveling rails are fixed to the plurality of fixed rails,
the plurality of fixed rails and the plurality of traveling rails are disposed to surround the substrate loading/unloading port (Fig. 2-4/12; para. [0069]-[0072]; rails shown therein);
Claim 3: wherein the plurality of fixed rails and the plurality of traveling rails are disposed to surround a plurality of the substrate loading/unloading ports of a plurality of the processing modules installed in line in at least one direction of the elevating direction and the traveling direction in the module frame (7’s; Fig. 1-4/12; para. [0069]-[0072]; rails shown therein);
Claim 4: a first processing module having a first side surface on which the substrate loading/unloading port is formed;
a second processing module having a second side surface on which the substrate loading/unloading port is formed;
a first module frame for installing the first processing module;
a second module frame for installing the second processing module, the second module being spaced apart from the first module frame such that the first side surface and the second side surface face one another;
a substrate transfer space surrounded by the first side surface and the second side surface to be formed; and
the transfer apparatus disposed in the substrate transfer space and attached to the side surface of the first module frame or the second module frame (7’s; Fig. 1-4/12; para. [0069]-[0072]).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
Claim(s) 5-8 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Uchida in view of Aoki et al. (US 2020/0219736) (“Aoki”). Uchida discloses all the limitations of the claims as discussed above.
Uchida does not directly show:
Claim 5: a fan module disposed above the substrate transfer space and configured to provide a gas to the substrate transfer space;
Claim 6: wherein the first processing module and the second processing module include a plating module for performing a plating process on the substrate;
Claim 7: wherein the first processing module further includes a pre-wet module for performing a pre-wet process on the substrate, and the second processing module further includes a drying module for drying the substrate;
Claim 8: wherein in a first area adjacent to the substrate transfer space in the traveling direction of the transfer robot, a dry robot for gripping or releasing of the substrate between a substrate cassette, the pre-wet module, and the drying module is disposed,
in a second area adjacent to the substrate transfer space opposite to the first area in the traveling direction of the transfer robot, an access port for accessing the transfer apparatus disposed in the substrate transfer space from outside the substrate processing apparatus.
Aoki shows a similar device having:
Claim 5: a fan module disposed above the substrate transfer space and configured to provide a gas to the substrate transfer space (75A; para. [0044]/etc.);
Claim 6: wherein the first processing module and the second processing module include a plating module for performing a plating process on the substrate (film/etc.; para. [0032]/[0055]/etc.);
Claim 7: wherein the first processing module further includes a pre-wet module for performing a pre-wet process on the substrate, and the second processing module further includes a drying module for drying the substrate (51/52; para. [0078]/[0084]/etc.);
Claim 8: wherein in a first area adjacent to the substrate transfer space in the traveling direction of the transfer robot, a dry robot for gripping or releasing of the substrate between a substrate cassette, the pre-wet module, and the drying module is disposed,
in a second area adjacent to the substrate transfer space opposite to the first area in the traveling direction of the transfer robot, an access port for accessing the transfer apparatus disposed in the substrate transfer space from outside the substrate processing apparatus (51/52; para. [0078]/[0084]/etc.; FIG 1/3);
with a reasonable expectation of success for the purpose of increasing the efficiency of wafer processing and reducing the running cost of the apparatus (para. [0086]/[0088]). 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 Uchida as taught by Aoki and include Aoki’s similar device having:
Claim 5: a fan module disposed above the substrate transfer space and configured to provide a gas to the substrate transfer space;
Claim 6: wherein the first processing module and the second processing module include a plating module for performing a plating process on the substrate;
Claim 7: wherein the first processing module further includes a pre-wet module for performing a pre-wet process on the substrate, and the second processing module further includes a drying module for drying the substrate;
Claim 8: wherein in a first area adjacent to the substrate transfer space in the traveling direction of the transfer robot, a dry robot for gripping or releasing of the substrate between a substrate cassette, the pre-wet module, and the drying module is disposed,
in a second area adjacent to the substrate transfer space opposite to the first area in the traveling direction of the transfer robot, an access port for accessing the transfer apparatus disposed in the substrate transfer space from outside the substrate processing apparatus;
with a reasonable expectation of success for the purpose of increasing the efficiency of wafer processing and reducing the running cost of the apparatus.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 10 February 2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
Re. the abstract, “The abstract should not refer to purported merits or speculative applications of the invention and should not compare the invention with the prior art.” This was not addressed. The sentence, “To improve a transfer rate of substrates and suppress particles from adhering to the surfaces to be processed of the substrates,” “… refer[s] to purported merits or speculative applications of the invention.”
Re. para. [0073] of Uchida, the first sentence states, “The transportation block 9 is configured in such a manner as described above, and there is no frame common to adjacent two treating blocks 7 in the width direction Y.” This does not denote that there is no common plane between transportation block 9 and treating blocks 7. Further, para. [0062] states, “FIG. 11 is an exploded perspective view during conveyance of the substrate treating apparatus.” FIG. 11 does not show that there are spaces between transportation block 9 and treating blocks 7, only that FIG. 11 shows spaces therein for explaining conveyance of the substrate. The ‘no frame in common’ only refers to two treating blocks 7, not the relationship between transportation block 9 and treating blocks 7. In other words, there is no common frame between the two treating blocks 7.
Re. “adjacent” in Uchida, the Oxford English Dictionary defines adjacent as, “Next to or very near something else; neighbouring; bordering, contiguous; adjoining.” The word “adjoining” in the definition of adjacent is, “Adjacent, contiguous; neighbouring; (also) physically joined, attached, connected.” Therefore, “adjacent” in Uchida does denote, “physically joined, attached, connected.”
Conclusion
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. 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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/Gerald McClain/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3652