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 .
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of Group II, Species A in the reply filed on December 1, 2025 and April 28, 2026 is acknowledged.
Claims 11-15, 21-29 and 36-41 are pending, claims 1-10, 16-20 and 30-35 having been cancelled and claims 36-41 having been newly added.
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) 11, 12, 21, 27-29, 36 and 41 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by KR2003-0092258A to Kim et al. (see machine translation).
As to claim 11, Kim discloses a method comprising: moving a lateral arm, with a nozzle, in a developing chamber from a first position to a second position around a wafer chuck in the developing chamber (see Kim paragraphs [11]-[13], [17]), wherein from a top view, the nozzle does not overlap the wafer chuck in the first position (see Kim Fig. 2, ref.#20, paragraph [22] where the nozzle does not overlap the wafer chuck in the groove or home position) and the nozzle overlaps the wafer chuck in the second position (see Kim Fig. 2, ref.#22, paragraph [22] where the nozzle overlaps the wafer chuck in the center position); detecting the lateral arm from the first position and the second position through a position detection system (see Kim Fig. 3, paragraphs [24], [27]); determining whether the lateral arm has a position shift at the first position of the second position through the position detection system (see Kim paragraphs [27]-[28]); and issuing a warning when the lateral arm has the position shift (see Kim paragraphs [17], [27], [28]).
As to claim 12, Kim discloses that the step of moving the lateral arm comprises rotating the lateral arm in the developing chamber based on a vertical axis from the first position to the second position (see Kim Figs. 3 and 5 disclosing that the nozzle arm is rotated about a vertical axis from the first position to the second position).
As to claim 21, Kim discloses a method comprising: placing a semiconductor substrate in a developing chamber (see Kim paragraphs [11]-[13], [17]); rotating a rinse arm, with a rinse nozzle, about a vertical axis; moving the rinse arm from a first position to a second position around a wafer chuck wherein, in a top view, the rinse nozzle does not overlap the wafer chuck at the first position and overlaps the wafer chuck at the second position (see Kim Fig. 2, ref.#20, paragraph [22] where the nozzle does not overlap the wafer chuck in the groove or home position; Fig. 2, ref.#22, paragraph [22] where the nozzle overlaps the wafer chuck in the center position; paragraphs [22], [27] disclosing the movement of the nozzle); detecting, by a position detection system, respective positions of the rinse arm at the first and the second position (see Kim Fig. 3, paragraphs [24], [27]); determining, based on a predetermined acceptance threshold, comprising at least one of a signal-range threshold and a time-duration threshold, whether a position shift is present; and when the predetermined acceptance threshold is satisfied, performing a rinse process on the semiconductor substrate, and when the predetermined acceptance threshold is not satisfied, issuing a warning and inhibiting the rinse process (see Kim paragraphs [17], [27], [28] disclosing use of a predetermined acceptance threshold with a time-duration to determine whether a position shift is present and issuing a waring and inhibiting the rinse process if the predetermined acceptance threshold is not satisfied).
As to claim 27, Kim discloses that the detecting the positions of the rinse arm is performed in real time (see Kim paragraphs [17], [27], [28]).
As to claims 28 and 29, since Kim discloses that the time it takes for the nozzle arm to move between a set rotational distance between the two points is detected and the predetermined acceptance threshold comprises a predetermined time between the two set points and the predetermined acceptance threshold is not satisfied when the detected time between the two set points falls outside the predetermined range (see Kim paragraphs [17], [27], [28]), Kim is understood as also disclosing the detection of the rotational speed and predetermined speed range since Kim is detecting how fast the nozzle is moving between two set points.
As to claim 36, Kim discloses a method comprising: placing a substrate in a developing chamber (see Kim paragraphs [11]-[13], [17]); rotating a rinse arm, with a rinse nozzle, about a vertical axis; moving the rinse arm from a first position to a second position around a wafer chuck wherein, in a top view, the rinse nozzle does not overlap the wafer chuck at the first position and overlaps the wafer chuck at the second position (see Kim Fig. 2, ref.#20, paragraph [22] where the nozzle does not overlap the wafer chuck in the groove or home position; Fig. 2, ref.#22, paragraph [22] where the nozzle overlaps the wafer chuck in the center position; paragraphs [22], [27] disclosing the movement of the nozzle); detecting, by a position detection system, respective positions of the rinse arm at the first and the second position based on whether a light path of a through-beam sensor is interrupted by a light-blocking element coupled to the rinse arm (see Kim Figs. 2 and 3, paragraphs [24], [27] where Kim discloses that the position detectors can be photocouplers and that the protrusions 30 and 32, which are coupled to the rinse arm, are inserted into the photocouplers 20 and 22, respectively, in order to block the through-beam and detect the position of the rinse arm); comparing a detection result of the position detection system with a predetermined acceptance threshold comprising at least one of a signal-state threshold and a time-duration threshold, and enabling a rinse process when the detection result satisfies the predetermined acceptance threshold and issuing an alarm and halting operations of the developing chamber when the detection result does not satisfy the predetermined acceptance threshold (see Kim paragraphs [17], [27], [28] disclosing use of a predetermined acceptance threshold with a time-duration to determine whether a position shift is present and issuing a waring and inhibiting the rinse process if the predetermined acceptance threshold is not satisfied).
As to claim 41, Kim discloses that the detecting the positions of the rinse arm is performed in real time (see Kim paragraphs [17], [27], [28]).
Relevant Prior Art
The following is also considered as relevant prior art:
WO2020-039762A1 to Naohara et al. discloses a similar method of detecting the positional shift of a nozzle using a camera (see Naohara machine translation paragraphs [0095]-[0096], [0110]).
KR2022-0044659A to Matsuura et al. discloses a similar method of detecting the positional shift of a nozzle using a camera to compare images (see Matsuura paragraphs [0047]-[0054]).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 13-15, 22-26 and 37-40 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 following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: The closest prior art is KR2003-0092258A to Kim et al.
The cited prior art does not disclose a jig positioned below the lateral arm, the jig having a rounding trench therein, a first light transmitter installed on a first sidewall of the rounding trench and around the first position; a first light receiver installed on a second sidewall of the rounding trench opposite to the first sidewall and around the first position, wherein the first light receiver is corresponding to the first light transmitter, and a light-blocking element mounted on the lateral arm, the light-blocking element downwardly extending from the lateral arm toward the rounding trench.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to DOUGLAS LEE whose telephone number is (571)270-3296. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 7:30-4:30pm.
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/DOUGLAS LEE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1714
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