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 .
Status of the Application
2. Claim 1-5, and 12-21 have been examined in this application. This communication is the first action on the merits.
Drawings
3. The drawings filed on 12/22/23 are acceptable for examination proceedings.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
4. 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.
5. Claim 1, 5, 12, 16-17 and 21 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102 (a) (1) as being anticipated by Patton (Pub: 2005/0282371).
6. Regarding claim 1, Patton teaches a control method for controlling moving parts in a semiconductor process device, the semiconductor process device including a plurality of moving parts (e.g., And the apparatus has a mechanism for transporting the semiconductor wafer to and from each station of the plurality of separate stations) (Para. [0015]), the control method comprising: obtaining a current process task, the process task including a plurality of sub-task objects (e.g., wherein each of the plurality of separate stations is uniquely configured to perform its own sub-process chosen from the plurality of distinct sub-processes associated with wet processing in integrated circuit fabrication, which process is selected from the group consisting of electroplating, electropolishing, rinsing, wet etching, spin coating, electroless plating, activation processes for electroless plating, etching, edge bevel removal, wafer backside rinsing and etching, frontside rinsing and cleaning (e.g. with a dilute acid), chemical mechanical polishing and the like) (Para. [0015]);
determining a current sub-task object and sub-task objects that need to be executed from the plurality of sub-task objects, the sub-task objects that need to be executed are configured to be executed after the current sub-task object is executed (e.g., As mentioned, located around central axis 121 are a loading/unloading station 107 and a series of process stations 109-119. In one embodiment, carousel 101 is a single large plating bath (with plating electrolyte 123) which encompasses all but station 107. In this embodiment, station 107 is designed for loading wafers entering sequential processing carousel 101, and unloading fully processed wafers leaving sequential processing carousel 101. Stations 109-119 are designed to execute various sub-processes associated with an encompassing process, in this case electroplating. During each sub-process, the wafer (contained in its associated holder/handler assembly) can be either in the bath or out of the bath. During operation, a wafer enters carousel 101 at location 107, at which time the wafer holder/handler assembly is sealed and electrical contact is made. Carousel 101 rotates with respect to the wafer holder/handler assembly (in this case counter clockwise as indicated by the arrow) to situate the wafer over station 109, at which time the wafer holder/handler assembly moves downward into the bath. After rotation of 101, all the wafer holder/handlers are indexed to the next processing station; except one, which now by default, positions its finished wafer (having been processed through all the stations) over loading/unloading station 107 for removal. The rotation event occurs after all stations have finished their respective functions, and all stations operate simultaneously between rotations for optimum wafer throughput. Each wafer can be rotating about its center axis as it enters the bath or current is turned on, or both. The current can be either constant or vary, during the time that a wafer and its associated holder/handler assembly is in a station requiring current) (Para. [0027]);
controlling a current moving part associated with the current sub-task object to execute the current sub-task object (e.g., First, a delivery component that has a movement arm assembly made up of arms 203 and 205. Arm 203 has an associated pivot joint 207, and connecting arm 203 and 205 is a pivot joint 209. Movement arm 205 is joined to a base 211, which in some embodiments can rotate about an axis parallel with the vertical dimension of arm 205. Not shown are drive components for the movement arm assembly. These can be small motors in pivot joints 207 and 209 (and base 211), or an arrangement of gears, or a belt and pulley system, or the like. Second, there is a wafer clamp/rotation component made of a head 213 and a wafer clamp 215. Head 213 is an electrolyte-impermeable casing that houses a motor that rotates wafer clamp 215, via a drive shaft 217 which connects 213 and 215. More detail of the wafer clamp/rotation component will be provided below in conjunction with FIG. 2D) (Para. [0029]);
after the execution of the current sub-task object is completed, determining standby moving parts associated with the sub-task objects that need to be executed (e.g., After overburden on wafer 223 is complete, carousel 101 again rotates counterclockwise to index all of the holder/handling assemblies over their next respective stations, repeating 305. Depending on the desired state of the exiting wafer, the next station may be an edge bevel removal station, a backside etching station, a frontside cleaning station, or a rinse and reclaim station) (Carousel 101 is not rotating and in standby during the overburden plating process) (Para. [0043]);
and in response to the standby moving parts not including the current moving part, setting a movement state of the current moving part to ready (e.g., After overburden on wafer 223 is complete, carousel 101 again rotates counterclockwise to index all of the holder/handling assemblies over their next respective stations, repeating 305. Depending on the desired state of the exiting wafer, the next station may be an edge bevel removal station, a backside etching station, a frontside cleaning station, or a rinse and reclaim station) (Carousel 101 is not rotating and in standby during the overburden plating process. The carousel is ready to rotate once again upon the overburden plating process is finished) (Para. [0043]).
7. Regarding claim 5, Patton teaches the control method according to claim 1, after setting the movement state of the current moving part to ready, further comprising: determining whether process tasks to be executed after the current process task include the sub-task object associated with the current moving part; and in response to the process tasks to be executed after the current process task including the sub-task object associated with the current moving part, controlling the current moving part to execute the sub-task object associated with the current moving part (e.g., After overburden on wafer 223 is complete, carousel 101 again rotates counterclockwise to index all of the holder/handling assemblies over their next respective stations, repeating 305. Depending on the desired state of the exiting wafer, the next station may be an edge bevel removal station, a backside etching station, a frontside cleaning station, or a rinse and reclaim station) (Carousel 101 is not rotating and in standby during the overburden plating process. The carousel is ready to rotate once again upon the overburden plating process is finished) (Para. [0043]).
8. Regarding claim 16, and 21, as to claim 16 and 21, applicant is directed to citation of claim 5 above.
9. Regarding claim 12, Claim 12 recites a control apparatus for controlling moving parts in a semiconductor process device that implement the control method of claim 1, with substantially the same limitations, respectively. Therefore the rejection applied to claim 1, also applies to claim 12 respectively.
10. Regarding claim 17, Claim 17 recites a semiconductor process device comprising a control apparatus for controlling moving parts in a semiconductor process device that implement the control method of claim 1, with substantially the same limitations, respectively. Therefore the rejection applied to claim 1, also applies to claim 17 respectively.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 2, 13, and 18 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
The dependent claim 3-4, 14-15, and 19-20 are also objected due to their direct/indirect dependency over the claim 2, 13, and 18.
Conclusion
Panzer (Pub: 2010/0205606) disclose a system, device and method for performing a task by sub-tasks are provided.
Ashihara (Pub: 2017/0198391) disclose a substrate processing apparatus such as a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus configured to perform a predetermined process on a semiconductor substrate may include a plurality of chambers in order to achieve high productivity (Para. [0005]).
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JIGNESHKUMAR C PATEL whose telephone number is (571)270-0698. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday, 7:00 AM - 5:00 PM.
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/JIGNESHKUMAR C PATEL/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2116