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 .
Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after final rejection. Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on July 03, 2026 has been entered.
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) 1-4, 7-15, 17, 19 and 20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by deVilliers [US 20190217326 A1].
As per Claim 1, deVilliers teaches a method of manufacturing a semiconductor
device (Para 8, wherein systems and methods for dispensing liquids on a substrate with
real-time coverage and progression control), comprising:
supplying a developer on a substrate (A dispense unit is configured to dispense
liquid on a working surface of the substrate while the substrate is being rotated on the
substrate holder);
capturing, by a capturing device (image capturing device 130) of an analysis
subsystem, a distribution information of the developer (fluid progression and behavior)
on the substrate (See fig. 1, Para 35, substrate 105);
generating, by a processor of the analysis subsystem, an assessment result
based on the distribution information (Para 31 and 36), wherein generating the assessment result is performed by comparing the distribution information with a reference distribution information saved in the analysis subsystem (See fig. 4 and 5, Para 42, wherein the reference fully coated resist is shown in figure 5); and
determining whether to perform an adjustment operation based on the
assessment result, wherein;
if the processor of the analysis subsystem determines that the distribution
information is not similar to the reference distribution information, the processor of
the analysis subsystem determines to perform the adjustment operation,
if the processor of the analysis subsystem determines that the distribution
information is similar to the reference distribution information, the processor of the
analysis subsystem determines not to perform the adjustment operation (See fig. 4 and 5, Para 42, wherein the reference fully coated resist is shown in figure 5), and
if it is determined not to perform the adjustment operation based on the assessment result, both of a rotational speed of a motor and a thrust of a pump are maintained, and wherein the motor 123 is connected to a substrate support stage 122 below the substrate 105 (See fig. 1, Para 31 and 36, wherein a real-time look at a substrate coat's future, as well as the capability of that coat by looking at data from the stroboscope and applying that data as real-time feedback, such as to identify a dispense and/or rotation stopping point. An image processor can be connected to a high-speed camera and stroboscope. The image processor can analyze stroboscopic images (video) of a coating application to make adjustments to spin speed and dispense speed/amount. Such controls can adjust to variable process conditions in real-
time).
As per Claim 2, deVilliers teaches the method of claim 1, wherein performing the adjustment operation comprises changing the rotational speed of the motor (Para 36, wherein the system controller 160 is arranged to control a corresponding dispense system and/or substrate spinning mechanism).
As per Claim 3, deVilliers teaches the method of claim 1, wherein performing the adjustment operation comprises changing the thrust of the pump (Para 36-37, wherein controller 160 is configured to adjust a volume of the liquid dispensed with the use of flow controllers).
As per Claim 4, deVilliers teaches the method of claim 3, wherein the thrust of the pump is changed such that a dispense rate of the developer is changed (Para 36-
37).
As per Claim 7, deVilliers teaches the method of claim 1, further comprising:
transmitting a control signal based on the assessment result from the processor of
the analysis subsystem (Para 55).
As per Claim 8, deVilliers teaches the method of claim 1, further comprising:
rotating the substrate prior to capturing the distribution information of the
developer on the substrate (Para 54).
As per Claim 9, deVilliers teaches the method of claim 1, further comprising:
stopping supplying the developer after determining whether to perform the
adjustment operation based on the assessment result (Para 61).
As per Claim 10, deVilliers teaches the method of claim 1, wherein the
distribution information of the developer on the substrate includes a surface image of
the developer on the substrate (Para 73).
As per Claim 11, deVilliers teaches the method of claim 1, further comprising:
forming a resist layer over the substrate prior to supplying the developer on the substrate (Para 42-44).
As per Claim 12, deVilliers teaches a semiconductor device manufacturing
system 100 (See fig. 1, Para 31-32), comprising:
a chamber (not labeled);
a substrate support stage (the substrate holder 122) positioned in the chamber
and configured to support a substrate 105;
a nozzle 111 positioned over the substrate support stage and configured to
supply a developer 117 on the substrate during a developing process (See fig. 1, Para
44);
an analysis subsystem (Para 36, system controller 160) comprising:
a capturing device (Image capturing device 130) configured to capture a
distribution information of the developer on the substrate (Para 36); and
a processor configured to generate an assessment result based on the distribution information, wherein generating the assessment result is performed by comparing the distribution information with a reference distribution information saved in the analysis subsystem (See fig. 4 and 5, Para 42, wherein the reference fully coated resist is shown in figure 5), wherein the processor is further configured to determine whether to perform an adjustment operation based on the assessment result (Para 31); wherein if the processor of the analysis subsystem determines that the distribution information is not similar to the reference distribution information, the processor of the analysis subsystem determines to perform the adjustment operation, and wherein if the processor of the analysis subsystem determines that the distribution information is similar to the reference distribution information, the processor of the analysis subsystem determines not to perform the adjustment operation (See fig. 4 and 5, Para 42, wherein the reference fully coated resist is shown in figure 5); and
an adjustment controller 160 connected to the analysis subsystem, wherein the processor 150 of the analysis subsystem is further configured to generate a second control signal and transmit the second control signal to the adjustment controller if it is
determined not to perform the adjustment operation (Para 31), wherein the adjustment
controller is configured to maintain both of a rotational speed of a motor and a thrust of
a pump (adjustments to spin speed and dispense speed/amount) in response to the
second control signal, wherein the motor is connected to the substrate support stage
and configured to rotate the substrate, and wherein the pump is connected to the nozzle
111 (See fig. 1, Para 31-36, wherein a real-time look at a substrate coat's future, as well
as the capability of that coat by looking at data from the stroboscope and applying that
data as real-time feedback, such as to identify a dispense and/or rotation stopping point.
An image processor can be connected to a high-speed camera and stroboscope. The
image processor can analyze stroboscopic images (video) of a coating application to
make adjustments to spin speed and dispense speed/amount. Such controls can adjust
to variable process conditions in real-time).
As per Claim 13, deVilliers teaches the semiconductor device manufacturing system of claim 12, wherein the processor of the analysis subsystem is further configured to generate a first control signal and transmit the first control signal to the
adjustment controller if it is determined to perform the adjustment operation (Para 38).
As per Claim 14, deVilliers teaches the semiconductor device manufacturing
system of claim 13, wherein the adjustment controller is configured to change the
rotational speed of the motor in response to the first control signal (Para 31 and 76).
As per Claim 15, deVilliers teaches the semiconductor device manufacturing
system of claim 13, wherein the adjustment controller is configured to change the thrust of the pump in response to the first control signal, and wherein the pump is configured
to adjust a dispense rate of the developer from the nozzle (Para 36-37, wherein
controller 160 is configured to adjust a volume of the liquid dispensed with the use of
flow controllers).
As per Claim 17, deVilliers teaches the semiconductor device manufacturing
system of claim 12, wherein configured to adjust a dispense rate of the developer from
the nozzle (See fig. 1, Para 32 and 36).
As per Claim 19, deVilliers teaches the semiconductor device manufacturing
system of claim 12, further comprising: a main server connected to the adjustment
controller, wherein the main server is configured to start the developing process (Para
36).
As per Claim 20, deVilliers teaches the semiconductor device manufacturing
system of claim 12, wherein the capturing device of the analysis subsystem includes at
least one camera, and wherein the distribution information of the developer on the
substrate includes a surface image of the developer on the substrate (See fig. 1, Para
35).
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed July 03, 2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
In the remark section, with respect to claims 1 and 12, Applicant argued that applied prior art to deVilliers does not teach the amended limitation of "wherein generating the assessment result is performed by comparing the distribution information with a reference distribution information saved in the analysis subsystem if the processor of the analysis subsystem determines that the distribution information is not similar to the reference distribution information, the processor of the analysis subsystem determines to perform the adjustment operation, if the processor of the analysis subsystem determines that the distribution information is similar to the reference distribution information, the processor of the analysis subsystem determines not to perform the adjustment operation".
The Examiner respectfully disagrees. deVilliers, Para 42, disclosed “The system controller can then receive this feedback or instructions from the processor and then control the dispense unit to dispense an additional incremental volume sufficient to complete full coating coverage with a minimum additional volume dispensed”. As such, the full coating coverage as shown in figure 5 is considered to be the reference value known by the processor and the adjustment process is performed if the processor determines that the spread of photoresist material has not reached to the full coating coverage. Therefore, Applicant’s arguments on this issue is not persuasive.
Conclusion
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/MESFIN T ASFAW/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2882
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