DETAILED ACTION
Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
1. 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
2. Applicant’s election without traverse of Group II (claims 12-19) in the reply filed on 02/19/2026 is acknowledged.
3. Claims 1-11, 20 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected invention, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on 02/19/2026.
Claim Objections
4. Claims 14, 17 are objected to because of the following informalities:
In line 3 of claim 14, the examiner suggest to amend to “a top surface” rather than “the top surface” because the phrase “the top surface” lacks antecedent basis. The limitation “a top surface” is similar to how the applicants recited it in claim 13.
In line 5 of claim 17, the limitation “the second position” lacks antecedent basis. The examiner assumes that the applicants intended to previously recite “a second position” rather than “a second location” (in line 4) since the applicants previously recited “a first position”. The examiner suggests replacing “a second location” in line 4 to “a second position” for consistency.
Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
4. 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.
5. 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.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
6. Claims 12-19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) and/or 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Suzuki et al. (US 2018/0254199 A1).
As to claim 12, Suzuki discloses a substrate processing method of processing a substrate, the substrate processing method comprising:
a processing operation of supplying a treatment liquid through a nozzle (411A) onto a substrate (W) rotating while being seated on a support unit (31) (See Fig 3-Fig 5C; paragraph 0041, 0053-0055, 0064); and
a rinse operation of supplying another treatment liquid through a nozzle (412A or 412B) onto the substrate (W) rotating while being seated on the support unit to remove the treatment liquid (Fig 3, paragraph 0047-0054);
wherein in the processing operation, when viewed from above, the nozzle (412A) is spaced apart from a center of the substrate (W) such that when the treatment liquid is supplied to the substrate rotated by the support unit (31), the treatment liquid is not sprayed at a position overlapping the center of the substrate (Fig 5C, Fig 7B-7C; paragraph 0064, 0072-0073).
As to claim 13, Suzuki discloses in the processing operation, the nozzle (411A) is disposed at a predetermined distance apart in an upward direction from a top surface of the substrate to supply the treatment liquid (Fig 5C, Fig 7B, 7C; paragraph 0064-0065, 0072-0074).
As to claim 14, Suzuki discloses in the processing operation, the nozzle (411A) supplies the treatment liquid in a direction vertical to the top surface of the substrate (Fig 5C, Fig 7B, 7C; paragraph 0064-0065, 0072-0074).
As to claim 15, Suzuki discloses wherein in the processing operation, the nozzle (411A) discharges the treatment liquid at a location close to the center of the substrate between a distance to the center of the substrate and a distance to an edge of the substrate (See Fig 5C, Fig 6, Fig 7B; paragraph 0069-0072; Note: the nozzle position is shifted by 20 mm from the center of the wafer; the outermost peripheral position is 150 mm from the center).
As to claim 16, Suzuki discloses wherein in the processing operation, the treatment liquid supplied to the substrate is spread to each of a center side of the substrate and to an edge side of the substrate (Fig 3, Fig 7B, Fig 7C, paragraph 0072-0075).
As to claim 17, Suzuki discloses wherein in the processing operation, when a location from which the treatment liquid is supplied is referred to as a first position (e.g. 20 nm off center), and a center of the distance from the center of the substrate to the edge of the substrate is referred to as a second position, the first position is located closer to the center of the substrate than the second position (See Fig 5C, Fig 6, Fig 7B; paragraph 0069-0072; Note: First position: the nozzle position is shifted by 20 mm from the center of the wafer; second position: the outermost peripheral position is 150 mm from the center).
As to claim 18, Suzuki wherein in the processing operation, when the distance from the center of the substrate to the edge of the substrate is referred to as a first distance (e.g. 150 nm from the center; See paragraph 0069), the first position (20 nm from the center) is selected within a range 13.33 % of the first distance from the center of the substrate. (Note: (20 nm/ 150 nm) * 100% = 13.33 %, within applicants range of “5% to 15%”; See paragraph 059, 0072).
As to claim 19, Suzuki discloses the treatment liquid contains an ammonia component (paragraph 0053).
Conclusion
17. Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to BINH X TRAN whose telephone number is (571)272-1469. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Joshua Allen can be reached at 571-270-3176. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
BINH X. TRAN
Examiner
Art Unit 1713
/BINH X TRAN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1713
Prosecution Insights