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 .
Claims 1-25 are pending as filed April 24, 2024.
Drawings
Figures 1a-1e should be designated by a legend such as --Prior Art-- because only that which is old is illustrated. See MPEP § 608.02(g). Corrected drawings in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. The replacement sheet(s) should be labeled “Replacement Sheet” in the page header (as per 37 CFR 1.84(c)) so as not to obstruct any portion of the drawing figures. If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
Specification
The disclosure is objected to because of the following informalities: at paragraph 0001 of the specification, it should be clarified that 17/319,785 is now US Patent No. 11,994,801.
Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 2, 7-13, 15, 18 and 20-25 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Claims 2, 9, 15 and 22 are confusing and indefinite as worded, using the phrasing rinse solution selected from the group “consisting of containing” propylene glycol monomethyl ether acetate . . . It is unclear if applicant intended (1) “consisting of” the listed materials, or (2) that the group would include any composition that include (contain) the listed materials. For the purpose of examination, either is understood to meet the requirements of the claims, but applicant should clarify what is intended, without adding new matter.
Claim 7, line 8, “the semiconductor wafer” lacks antecedent basis.
Claim 18, line 3, “the bottom side” lacks antecedent basis.
Claim 20, line 6, “the semiconductor wafer” lacks antecedent basis.
The dependent claims do not cure the defects of the claims from which they depend and are therefore also rejected.
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 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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claims 14, 16-21 and 23-25 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as anticipated by or, in the alternative, under 35 U.S.C. 103 as obvious over Japan 2005-123461 (hereinafter ‘461).
Claim 14: ‘461 shows providing a semiconductor manufacturing device/apparatus (note figures 1, 3, 0001, 0027). For such a device, an outer cup 4 is provided (note figures 1, 3, 0028). Further, an inner cup is provided that would be disposed within the outer cup and adapted for mounting a semiconductor wafer (in figures 1, 3, 0028, 0039 note the combination of Table 6, and with the walls connecting to outlets 9A,B, etc. and the chuck 3 can be considered combined to form a cup, and where the chuck would be considered the part of the cup adapted for mounting a semiconductor wafer, wafer considered a semiconductor wafer as used in the semiconductor manufacturing device, and also note 0005, and as well the apparatus would be capable of mounting such a wafer as a known wafer as shown by 0005). A gas purge port 9A, etc. is disposed on the inner cup (noting the combined make up of the cup as noted above) for dispensing a gas oriented towards the semiconductor wafer to move contamination (undesired resist) into an outlet disposed between the inner and outer cup (note figures 1-4, 0039-0044, 0036, 0032). An inner cup rinse port 5A, etc. is disposed on the inner cup to dispense a rinse/cleaning solution into the inner cup to perform an inner cup rinse, where the gas from the gas purge port with the inner cup rinse move the contamination into the outlet between the inner cup and outer cup (note figures 1-4, 0028-0032, 0036, 0043, where dispensing the solution into the area between the Table 6 and wafer can be considered as going into the inner cup, and additionally as shown in figure 3, table 6 has grooves 10 into which the rinsing solution is filled, so solution would also be dispensed into the cup surface itself, 0051). As to making the semiconductor manufacturing device by the providing the outer cup, disposing the inner cup, disposing the gas purge port and disposing the inner cup rinse port, for 35 USC 102(a)(1) purposes, it is understood that since the device is provided with the outer cup, inner cup, gas purge port and inner cup rinse port as noted above, the apparatus would have to be made to have these features disposed by providing and disposing the listed parts, and alternatively for 35 USC 103 purposes, it would at least have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of claimed invention to modify ‘461 to specifically make the apparatus by providing the outer cup, disposing the inner cup, disposing the gas purge port and disposing the inner cup rinse port as claimed, since the structure has to be formed to have the features and structure as shown in figures 1, 3, and providing and disposing the placement of the component parts would have been an obvious way to form the combined structure. Note for example, Ex parte Rubin, 128 USPQ 440 (Bd. App. 1959) (Prior art reference disclosing a process of making a laminated sheet wherein a base sheet is first coated with a metallic film and thereafter impregnated with a thermosetting material was held to render prima facie obvious claims directed to a process of making a laminated sheet by reversing the order of the prior art process steps.), which indicates how in would have been obvious to provide separate parts and combine together for use.
Claims 16, 17: the gas can be nitrogen (which would also be a stable, inert gas as described by applicant, note the specification as filed at 0016) (note 0039).
Claim 18: a source of air flow to move through the outlet between the inner cup and outer cup to remove contamination from the bottom side of the semiconductor wafer is disposed (where, for example port 9A can be the gas purge port and 9B the source of air flow, see figures 1, 3, 0039-0043, 0032, 0036, since the gas extends to the outer edge of the wafer and also transports rinse/contamination/resist outward from the wafer, it is understood that this provides a source of air flow to move through the outlet), and the action of disposing would be understood to occur as discussed for the other disposing actions as discussed for claim 14 above.
Claim 19: as to further disposing a wafer backside rinse port on the inner cup, port 5A can be considered the inner cup rinse port, for example, and 5B the wafer backside rinse port as 5B would also be on the inner cup (Table 6 part) and rinse the wafer backside (note figures 1, 3, 0028, 0030), and the action of disposing would be understood to occur as discussed for the other disposing actions as discussed for claim 14 above.
Claim 20, 21: ‘461 shows providing a semiconductor manufacturing device/apparatus (note figures 1, 3, 0001, 0027). For such a device, an outer cup 4 is provided (note figures 1, 3, 0028). Further, an inner cup is provided that would be disposed within the outer cup (and would be adapted for mounting a semiconductor wafer) (in figures 1, 3, 0028, 0039 note the combination of Table 6, and with the walls connecting to outlets 9A,B, etc. and the chuck 3 can be considered combined to form a cup, and where the chuck would be considered the part of the cup adapted for mounting a semiconductor wafer, wafer considered a semiconductor wafer as used in the semiconductor manufacturing device, and also note 0005, and as well the apparatus would be capable of mounting such a wafer as a known wafer as shown by 0005). A gas purge port 9A, etc. is disposed on the inner cup (noting the combined make up of the cup as noted above) for dispensing a gas oriented towards the semiconductor wafer to move contamination (undesired resist) into an outlet disposed between the inner and outer cup (note figures 1-4, 0039-0044, 0036, 0032). An inner cup rinse port 5A, etc. is disposed on the inner cup to dispense a rinse/cleaning solution into the inner cup to perform an inner cup rinse, where the gas from the gas purge port with the inner cup rinse move the contamination into the outlet between the inner cup and outer cup (as desired by claim 21) (note figures 1-4, 0028-0032, 0036, 0043, where dispensing the solution into the area between the Table 6 and wafer can be considered as going into the inner cup, and additionally as shown in figure 3, table 6 has grooves 10 into which the rinsing solution is filled, so solution would also be dispensed into the cup surface itself, 0051). As to making the semiconductor manufacturing device by the providing the outer cup, disposing the inner cup, disposing the gas purge port and disposing the inner cup rinse port, for 35 USC 102(a)(1) purposes, it is understood that since the device is provided with the outer cup, inner cup, gas purge port and inner cup rinse port as noted above, the apparatus would have to be made to have these features disposed by providing and disposing the listed parts, and alternatively for 35 USC 103 purposes, it would at least have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of claimed invention to modify ‘461 to specifically make the apparatus by providing the outer cup, disposing the inner cup, disposing the gas purge port and disposing the inner cup rinse port as claimed, since the structure has to be formed to have the features and structure as shown in figures 1, 3, and providing and disposing the placement of the component parts would have been an obvious way to form the combined structure. Note for example, Ex parte Rubin, 128 USPQ 440 (Bd. App. 1959) (Prior art reference disclosing a process of making a laminated sheet wherein a base sheet is first coated with a metallic film and thereafter impregnated with a thermosetting material was held to render prima facie obvious claims directed to a process of making a laminated sheet by reversing the order of the prior art process steps.), which indicates how in would have been obvious to provide separate parts and combine together for use.
Claims 23, 24: the gas can be nitrogen (which would also be a stable, inert gas as described by applicant, note the specification as filed at 0016) (note 0039).
Claim 25: as to further disposing a wafer backside rinse port on the inner cup, port 5A can be considered the inner cup rinse port, for example, and 5B the wafer backside rinse port as 5B would also be on the inner cup (Table 6 part) and rinse the wafer backside (note figures 1, 3, 0028, 0030), and the action of disposing would be understood to occur as discussed for the other disposing actions as discussed for claim 20 above.
Claims 1, 3-8 and 10-13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Japan 2005-123461 (hereinafter ‘461) in view of EITHER Tanaka et al (US 5689749) OR Moriyama (US 4982694).
Claims 1, 7, 8: ‘461 shows providing a semiconductor manufacturing device/apparatus (note figures 1, 3, 0001, 0027). The device can be used to apply resist to a surface of a wafer (note 0001, 0014). For such a device, an outer cup 4 is provided (note figures 1, 3, 0028). Further, an inner cup is provided that would be disposed within the outer cup and adapted for mounting a semiconductor wafer (in figures 1, 3, 0028, 0039 note the combination of Table 6, and with the walls connecting to outlets 9A,B, etc. and the chuck 3 can be considered combined to form a cup, and where the chuck would be considered the part of the cup adapted for mounting a semiconductor wafer, wafer considered a semiconductor wafer as used in the semiconductor manufacturing device, and also note 0005, and as well the apparatus would be capable of mounting such a wafer as a known wafer as shown by 0005). A gas purge port 9A, etc. is disposed on the inner cup (noting the combined make up of the cup as noted above) for dispensing a gas oriented towards the semiconductor wafer (directed towards a bottom side of the side of the wafer on the mount, as desired by claim 8) into an area between the inner cup surface and a bottom side of the wafer to move contamination (undesired resist) into an outlet disposed between the inner and outer cup (note figures 1-4, 0039-0044, 0036, 0032). An inner cup rinse port 5A, etc. is disposed on the inner cup to dispense a rinse/cleaning solution into the inner cup to perform an inner cup rinse, where the gas from the gas purge port with the inner cup rinse move the contamination into the outlet between the inner cup and outer cup (note figures 1-4, 0028-0032, 0036, 0043, where dispensing the solution into the area between the Table 6 and wafer can be considered as going into the inner cup, and additionally as shown in figure 3, table 6 has grooves 10 into which the rinsing solution is filled, so solution would also be dispensed into the cup surface itself, 0051). As to making the semiconductor manufacturing device by the providing the outer cup, disposing the inner cup, disposing the gas purge port and disposing the inner cup rinse port, either it is understood that since the device is provided with the outer cup, inner cup, gas purge port and inner cup rinse port as noted above, the apparatus would have to be made to have these features disposed by providing and disposing the listed parts, or alternatively, it would at least have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of claimed invention to modify ‘461 to specifically make the apparatus by providing the outer cup, disposing the inner cup, disposing the gas purge port and disposing the inner cup rinse port as claimed, since the structure has to be formed to have the features and structure as shown in figures 1, 3, and providing and disposing the placement of the component parts would have been an obvious way to form the combined structure. Note for example, Ex parte Rubin, 128 USPQ 440 (Bd. App. 1959) (Prior art reference disclosing a process of making a laminated sheet wherein a base sheet is first coated with a metallic film and thereafter impregnated with a thermosetting material was held to render prima facie obvious claims directed to a process of making a laminated sheet by reversing the order of the prior art process steps.), which indicates how in would have been obvious to provide separate parts and combine together for use.
As to providing that the wafer mounting table 3B of spinner chuck 3 of ‘461 (note 0027-0028, figures 1, 3) is provided as including a wafer suction mount adapted for mounting the semiconductor wafer,
Tanaka also shows a semiconductor manufacturing device for treating resist on a semiconductor wafer (note figure 2, column 1, lines 5-20, column 4, lines 60-68) with a system using an outer cup 20 and inner cup (note 26) containing a rotating (spinner) chuck 21 with a mounting surface to mount the semiconductor wafer for applying solution (note figure 2, column 5, lines 30-68), and where there is also provided cleaning/rinse liquid to the backside of the wafer (note column 6, lines 1-15 and figure 2). The mounting surface is described as using a wafer suction to retain/mount the wafer (note column 5, lines 30-40).
Moriyama also shows a semiconductor manufacturing device for applying resist on a semiconductor wafer (note figure 2, column 1, lines 5-20, column 2, line 60 to column 3, line 30) with a system using an outer cup 40 and inner separated cup shaped area containing a rotating (spinner) chuck 10 with a mounting surface to mount the semiconductor wafer for applying resist (note figure 2, column 52, liens 60-68, column 3, lines 10-40), and where there is also provided cleaning/rinse liquid to the backside of the wafer (note column 3, lines 35-55 and figure 2). The mounting surface is described as using a wafer suction to retain/mount the wafer (note column 2, lines 60-68).
Therefore it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify ‘461 to use a wafer suction mount adapted for mounting a semiconductor wafer as part of the chuck as suggested by EITHER Tanaka OR Moriyama with an expectation of predictably acceptable mounting results, since in ‘461 it is desired to mount a wafer and EITHER Tanaka OR Moriyama indicate that in similar semiconductor wafer mounting on chucks to use for applying material to the wafer and with backside cleaning, it is conventional to use a wafer suction mount of the chuck to hold the wafer.
Claims 3, 4, 10, 11: in ‘461, the gas can be nitrogen (which would also be a stable, inert gas as described by applicant, note the specification as filed at 0016) (note 0039).
Claims 5, 12: ‘461 disposes a source of air flow to move through the outlet between the inner cup and outer cup to remove contamination from the bottom side of the semiconductor wafer (where, for example port 9A can be the gas purge port and 9B the source of air flow, see figures 1, 3, 0039-0043, 0032, 0036, since the gas extends to the outer edge of the wafer and also transports rinse/contamination/resist outward from the wafer, it is understood that this provides a source of air flow to move through the outlet), and the action of disposing would be understood to occur as discussed for the other disposing actions as discussed for claims 1 or 7 above.
Claims 6, 13: as to further disposing a wafer backside rinse port on the inner cup, in ‘461, port 5A can be considered the inner cup rinse port, for example, and 5B the wafter backside rinse port as 5B would also be on the inner cup (Table 6 part) and rinse the wafer backside (note figures 1, 3, 0028, 0030), and the action of disposing would be understood to occur as discussed for the other disposing actions as discussed for claims 1 or 7 above.
Claims 2 and 9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over ‘461 in view of EITHER Tanaka OR Moriyama as applied to claims 1, 3-8 and 10-13 above, and further in view of Kamimura et al (US 2019/0258168).
Claims 2, 9: As to the rinse solution material containing propylene glycol monomethyl ether acetate, etc., ‘461 provides that the device can be used to apply/dispense resist to a surface of a wafer (note 0001, 0014), and the rinsing liquid is dispensed to remove resist material (note 0031-0032, 0044).
Kamimura teaches providing a liquid that can be used for rinsing resist (note 0071), which would be used for removing resist material (note 0075-0076). It is indicated that the rinsing liquid contains a organic solvent, such as an ether or ester based solvent, where the ether based solvent can include propylene glycol monomethyl ether acetate (note 0088-0091, 0101) and also notes propylene glycol monomethyl ether as a solvent (note 0109).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify ‘461 in view of EITHER Tanaka OR Moriyama to use a rinsing liquid containing propylene glycol monomethyl ether acetate or propylene glycol monomethyl ether as suggested by Kamimura with an expectation of providing a predictably acceptable rinsing, since ‘461 would indicate to provide a rinse solution to remove resist material, and Kamimura indicates that conventional material to provide in a rinsing liquid to use on resist would be propylene glycol monomethyl ether acetate or propylene glycol monomethyl ether.
Claims 15 and 22 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over ‘461 as applied to claims 14, 16-21 and 23-25 above, and further in view of Kamimura et al (US 2019/0258168).
Claims 15, 22: As to the rinse solution material containing propylene glycol monomethyl ether acetate, etc., ‘461 provides that the device can be used to apply resist to a surface of a wafer (note 0001, 0014), and the rinsing liquid is dispensed to remove resist material (note 0031-0032, 0044).
Kamimura teaches providing a liquid that can be used for rinsing resist (note 0071), which would be used for removing resist material (note 0075-0076). It is indicated that the rinsing liquid contains a organic solvent, such as an ether or ester based solvent, where the ether based solvent can include propylene glycol monomethyl ether acetate (note 0088-0091, 0101) and also notes propylene glycol monomethyl ether as a solvent (note 0109).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify ‘461 to use a rinsing liquid containing propylene glycol monomethyl ether acetate or propylene glycol monomethyl ether as suggested by Kamimura with an expectation of providing a predictably acceptable rinsing, since ‘461 would indicate to provide a rinse solution to remove resist material, and Kamimura indicates that conventional material to provide in a rinsing liquid to use on resist would be propylene glycol monomethyl ether acetate or propylene glycol monomethyl ether.
KR 2000-0000606 provides treating the backside of a wafer with gas and cleaning/rinsing liquid (note pages 2-3, translation, and figure 2, for example).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to KATHERINE A BAREFORD whose telephone number is (571)272-1413. The examiner can normally be reached M-Th 6:00 am -3:30 pm, 2nd F 6:00 am -2:30 pm.
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/KATHERINE A BAREFORD/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1718
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