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 .
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) 1-3, 5-8 and 10-12 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Yoshida et al (US 2018/0187307).
Yoshida discloses the substrate processing apparatus claimed including a process container (18) accommodating a substrate holder (26; para 0030) that holds a plurality of substrates and including an opening at a lower end of the process chamber, a lid (46) configured to open and close the opening, a thermal insulator (70/74) installed on the lid and configured to thermally insulate a first space below the substrate holder (shown by the exhaust space 24B that extends below the substrate holder/boat 26; also, see Figures 1 and8), the thermal insulator includes a partition member (82, a cylindrical shape having an interior space) that forms a second space (i.e., a space through which a purging gas flow therethrough; also, see para 0088) wherein the lid includes a supply port (30C/80A; also, see para 0087 an d0088) for supplying a temperature regulation fluid to the second space, and an exhaust port (19/64) for discharging the temperature regulation fluid from the second space (also, see Figure 8).
With respect to claim 2, Yoshida discloses a guide member (80) that guides the temperature regulation fluid that is supplied upwardly to the second space that discharged through the supply port (80A). Also, see Figure 8.
With respect to claim 3, Yoshida discloses a pipe (38) having one end connected to the exhaust port (19/64) and the other end connected to an exhaust location (an exhaust system 42/44) that is situated outside the processing container.
With respect to claim 5, Yoshida further discloses the exhaust location (wherein an exhaust system 42/44) is situated outside the processing container is a scavenger (as a collection) that is in a periphery or outside of the opening of the process chamber.
With respect to claim 6, Yoshida further discloses the exhaust location (24B) forming a heater chamber between the process chamber (18) and a heater (14) that heats the process chamber (18) from a periphery of the process chamber.
With respect to claim 7, Yoshida discloses the exhaust location that is an exhaust pipe (38) that exhausts an interior of the process chamber.
With respect to claim 8, Yoshida discloses a pipe (38) having one end connected to the exhaust port (19/64) and the other end connected to an exhaust location (an exhaust system 42/44) that is situated outside the processing container.
With respect to claim 10, Yoshida further discloses the exhaust location (wherein an exhaust system 42/44) is situated outside the processing container is a scavenger (as a collection) that is in a periphery or outside of the opening of the process chamber.
With respect to claim 11, Yoshida further discloses the exhaust location (24B) forming a heater chamber between the process chamber (18) and a heater (14) that heats the process chamber (18) from a periphery of the process chamber.
With respect to claim 12, Yoshida discloses the exhaust location that is an exhaust pipe (38) that exhausts an interior of the process chamber.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 35 U.S.C. 103 which forms the basis for all obviousness rejections set forth in this Office action:
A patent for a claimed invention may not be obtained, notwithstanding that the claimed invention is not identically disclosed as set forth in section 102, if the differences between the claimed invention and the prior art are such that the claimed invention as a whole would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the claimed invention pertains. Patentability shall not be negated by the manner in which the invention was made.
Claim(s) 4 and 9 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yoshida et al (US 2018/0187307) in view of Saito et al (US 5,433,785).
Yoshida discloses the substrate processing apparatus claimed except for the exhaust location being an exhaust duct that exhausts a loading chamber.
Saito discloses it is known to provide a processing chamber (6) along with a loading chamber (5) that is provided with an exhaust location shown by an exhaust duct (shown by an exhaust pipe; also, see Figure 1; column 4, lines 4-7 that discloses for an exhaust pipe that exhausts the loading chamber as well as the processing chamber).
In view of Saito, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to adapt Yoshida with the exhaust location being an outside of the process chamber with the exhaust duct that also exhausts a loading chamber along with the process chamber for effective and convenient means for exhausting the heat/temperature regulating fluid that is used in both chambers and requiring exhausting the fluid for a clean substrate/wafer processing as known in the art.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Saido (US 2020/0187305) and Du Bois et al (US 2007/0242217) disclose for the process container with a thermal insulator installed on a lid that closes an opening of the process container.
Hasegawa et al (US 2016/0146539) and Nakada et al (US 2012/0083120) discloses for a loading chamber having an exhaust duct.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to SANG Y PAIK whose telephone number is (571)272-4783. The examiner can normally be reached 9:00-5:30; M-F.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Steven W. Crabb can be reached at 571-270-5095. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/SANG Y PAIK/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3761
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