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
Applicants’ election without traverse of group II in the reply filed on 07/10/26 is acknowledged.
Claims 1-7 and 20 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to nonelected inventions, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on 07/10/26.
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.
Claim(s) 8-18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102 (a)(1) as being anticipated by WO 2022070310 A1.
As to claim 8, WO’310 discloses (see Figs 1-4) a substrate cooling system comprising: a temperature sensor (65) installed at a substrate support configured to support a substrate(1); a transfer chamber (3) to which the substrate is transferred from a process chamber (14) after the substrate disposed at the process chamber (14) is processed while a temperature is detected by the temperature sensor (65); and a controller (64) configured to be capable of cooling the substrate at a cooler (cooling unit 301) so that the temperature detected by the temperature sensor (65) becomes equal to or lower than a set temperature while the substrate support is located at a predetermined position (see Figs 2-4 for control unit controlling predetermined zones of the processing tube 11 at predetermined temperature, wherein the temperature of each zone is controlled by the cooling control unit 300 in communication with the controller 64).
As to claim 9, in WO’310 the cooler (cooling unit 301) includes cooling parts (valve) configured to supply a coolant to the transfer chamber, and wherein the controller is configured to be capable of regulating a flow rate of the coolant from the cooling parts (the cooling valve 102 changes the flow rate and the flow velocity of the cooling gas 90 introduced into each cooling zone by adjusting the opening degree of the valve of the intake pipe 101 by the cooling control unit 300).
Regarding claim 10, in WO’310 the cooling parts (valves 102) include one or more supply holes (pipe 101) configured to supply the coolant (cooling gas 90) at a position opposite to the temperature sensor.
As to claim 11, in WO’310 the cooler (cooling unit 301) is configured to be capable of changing the flow rate of the coolant for each of the supply holes (flow rate of the gas can be adjusted for each cooling zone).
Regarding claim 12, in WO’310 the controller (controller 64 in communication with the cooling control unit 300) further includes a determiner (control unit 200), and wherein the determiner is configured to determine whether cooling of the substrate is completed to proceed to a next step (see processing steps S1-S6 wherein after obtaining a stable state with respect to the target temperature and the state continues for a predetermined time or longer, the process is performed. you are ready to move on to the next step)
As to claim 13, in WO’310 the temperature sensor (65) includes a plurality of temperature detectors (65), and wherein the determiner (control unit 200) determines that the cooling of the substrate is completed when a temperature detected by the plurality of temperature detectors is equal to or lower than the set temperature (see Figs 3 and 9, English Translation on page 16, under para [33] for each senor 65 detects the temperature of each zone is controlled by the cooling control unit 300 in communication with the control unit 200 and the controller 64).
Regarding claim 14, in WO’310 the determiner (control unit 200) determines that the cooling of the substrate is completed when a temperature detected by a temperature detector (65) at a specific location, among the plurality of temperature detectors, is equal to or lower than the set temperature (see Figs 3 and 9, English Translation on page 16, under para [33] for the senor 65 detecting the temperature of each zone is controlled by the cooling control unit 300 in communication with the control unit and the controller 64).
As to claim 15, in WO’310 the determiner (control unit 200) determines that the cooling of the substrate is completed when the temperature detected by the temperature sensor remains equal to or lower than the set temperature for a predetermined time (see Figs 3 and 9, English Translation on page 15-16, under para [30] &[33] for the senor 65 detecting the temperature of each zone is controlled by the cooling control unit 300 in communication with the control unit and the controller 64).
Regarding claim 16, WO’310 teaches (see Fig 1) a transporter (boat elevator 26) configured to be capable of moving the substrate support (boat 31) between the process chamber (14) and the transfer chamber (3).
As to claim 17, WO’310 teaches (see Fig 1) the transfer chamber (3) is configured to be adjacent to the process chamber (14).
Regarding claim 18, WO’310 teaches (see Fig 1) the transfer chamber (3) is configured to be installed below the process chamber (14).
As to claim 19, WO’310 teaches (see Fig 1) a substrate processing apparatus (14), comprising the substrate cooling system (a substrate processing device, a temperature control program).
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
KR-20220133762A and JP-2013062361A teach a substrate processing apparatus with cooling units.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to YEWEBDAR T TADESSE whose telephone number is (571)272-1238. The examiner can normally be reached 7.00-3:30 PM.
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YEWEBDAR T. TADESSE
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 1717
/YEWEBDAR T TADESSE/
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