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, 9-11, 13, 17, and 20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Relleen et al, US Patent Application Publication 2008/0142726
Regarding claim 1, Relleen teaches a method of scanning a substrate, the method comprising:
immobilizing a substrate 120 on a substrate holder 232 within a processing chamber 116 (figure 1); and
performing a first pass of a parallel raster pattern 302,304 (any one of figures 5-8) by synchronously driving a first rotary drive 216, 218 and a second rotary drive 230 to move the substrate relative to a processing apparatus focused on a localized spot 118 on the substrate, the first rotary drive being coupled to a proximal end of a pendulum arm 212, 214, 222, 224 and the second rotary drive being mounted at a distal end of the pendulum arm and to the substrate holder at a pivot point [0062], wherein driving the first rotary drive during the first pass comprises moving the pendulum arm in a first arc motion for a first portion of the first pass while the localized spot is on the substrate [0023-0024, 0061-0062], and then
moving the pendulum arm in an opposite second arc motion for a second portion of the first pass while the localized spot is on the substrate (wherein the patterns are formed by moving in one direction, then moving the opposite direction for concentric arcs and lines. figures 1-8 and [0061-0062]).
Regarding claim 2, Relleen teaches the pivot point is at the center of the substrate (figure 2 and [0046])
Regarding claim 3, Relleen teaches performing a second pass of the parallel raster pattern by synchronously driving the first rotary drive and the second rotary drive, wherein the second pass is parallel to the first pass and passes through the center of the substrate, and driving the first rotary drive during the second pass comprises moving the pendulum arm through one continuous are motion during the second pass (figures 5-8, wherein the second pass is a continuation of the patterning throughout the substrate).
Regarding claim 9, Relleen teaches a second pass of the parallel raster pattern by synchronously driving the first rotary drive and the second rotary drive, wherein the processing apparatus comprises a single processing nozzle translatable (ion beam) between two or more different distances from the proximal end of the pendulum arm, the second pass is parallel to the first pass, the substrate is processed using the single processing nozzle in a first position relative to the proximal end during the first pass, and the substrate is processed using the single processing nozzle in a second position relative to the proximal end during the second pass (figures 5-8).
Regarding claim 10, Relleen teaches a method of scanning a substrate, the method comprising:
immobilizing a substrate 120 on a substrate holder 232 within a processing chamber 116 (figure 1); and
performing a first pass of a parallel raster pattern 302,304 (figure 7) by synchronously driving a first rotary drive 216, 218 and a second rotary drive 230 to move the substrate relative to a processing apparatus focused on a localized spot 118 on the substrate, the first rotary drive being coupled to a proximal end of a pendulum arm and the second rotary drive being mounted at a distal end of the pendulum arm 212, 214, 222, 224 and to the substrate holder at a pivot point, wherein driving the first rotary drive during the first pass comprises synchronously moving the pendulum arm in a first are motion and rotating the substrate holder in a clockwise direction for a first portion of the first pass while the localized spot is on the substrate, and then
synchronously moving the pendulum arm in an opposite second are motion and rotating the substrate holder in a counterclockwise direction for a second portion of the first pass while the localized spot is on the substrate (wherein the patterns are formed by moving in one direction, then moving the opposite direction for concentric arcs and lines. figures 1-8 and [0061-0062]).
Regarding claim 11, Relleen teaches the pivot point is at the center of the substrate (figure 2 and [0046])
Regarding claim 13, Relleen teaches a method of scanning a substrate, the method comprising:
performing a first pass of a parallel raster pattern 302,304 (figure 7) by synchronously driving a first rotary drive 216, 218 and a second rotary drive 230 to move a substrate 120 immobilized on a substrate holder 216, 218 relative to a localized spot 118 focused on the substrate, the localized spot being in a first stationary position during the first pass, the first rotary drive being coupled to a proximal end of a pendulum arm 212, 214, 222, 224 and the second rotary drive 230 being mounted at a distal end of the pendulum arm and to the substrate holder at a pivot point, wherein driving the first rotary drive during the first pass comprises
moving the pendulum arm in a first are motion for a first portion of the first pass while the localized spot is on the substrate, and
then moving the pendulum arm in an opposite second are motion for a second portion of the first pass while the localized spot is on the substrate; and
performing a second pass of the parallel raster pattern by synchronously driving the first rotary drive and the second rotary drive to move the substrate relative to the localized spot, wherein the localized spot is in a second stationary position during the second pass that is different from the first stationary position (wherein the patterns are formed by moving in one direction, then moving the opposite direction for concentric arcs and lines. figures 1-8 and [0061-0062]).
Regarding claim 17, Relleen teaches the pivot point is at the center of the substrate (figure 2 and [0046])
Regarding claim 20, Relleen teaches translating a single processing nozzle from a first distance from the proximal end of the pendulum arm to a second distance from the proximal end of the pendulum arm after performing the first pass and before performing the second pass; wherein performing the first pass comprises focusing the localized spot on the substrate at the first stationary position using the single processing nozzle (ion beam) located at the first distance; and wherein performing the second pass comprises focusing the localized spot on the substrate at the second stationary position using the single processing nozzle located at the second distance (figures 5-8).
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) 8 and 19 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Relleen as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Mayer et al, US Patent Application Publication 2010/0029088
Regarding claim 8, Relleen teaches performing a second pass of the parallel raster pattern by synchronously driving the first rotary drive and the second rotary drive,
Rellen fails to teach the processing apparatus comprises a first static processing nozzle and a second static processing nozzle located at different distances from the proximal end of the pendulum arm, the second pass is parallel to the first pass, the substrate is processed using the first static processing nozzle during the first pass, and the substrate is processed using the second static processing nozzle during the second pass.
However, Mayer teaches using multi-nozzle structure to reach multiple locations on a semiconductor substrate. Figure 1 of Mayer shows a first static processing nozzle 24 and a second static processing nozzle 20 located at different distances from the proximal end of the pendulum arm 28. Combining the multi-nozzle structure of Mayer with that of Relleen would then teach the limitations of “the second pass is parallel to the first pass, the substrate is processed using the first static processing nozzle during the first pass, and the substrate is processed using the second static processing nozzle during the second pass” since the first nozzle would be able to do a first pass while the second nozzle would do a second pass simultaneously.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the teachings of Mayer with that of Relleen because using multiple nozzles in the disclosed process of Relleen would reach multiple location on the semiconductor simultaneously, which would decrease the manufacturing time and costs.
Regarding claim 19, while Relleen teaches performing the first pass comprises focusing the localized spot on the substrate at the first stationary position using a first static processing nozzle located at a first distance from the proximal end of the pendulum arm, Relleen fails to teach performing the second pass comprises focusing the localized spot on the substrate at the second stationary position using a second static processing nozzle located at a second distance from the proximal end of the pendulum arm different from the first distance.
However, Mayer teaches using multi-nozzle structure to reach multiple locations on a semiconductor substrate. Figure 1 of Mayer shows a first static processing nozzle 24 and a second static processing nozzle 20 located at different distances from the proximal end of the pendulum arm 28. Combining the multi-nozzle structure of Mayer with that of Relleen would then teach the limitations of “performing the second pass comprises focusing the localized spot on the substrate at the second stationary position using a second static processing nozzle located at a second distance from the proximal end of the pendulum arm different from the first distance” since the first nozzle would be able to do a first pass while the second nozzle would do a second pass simultaneously.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the teachings of Mayer with that of Relleen because using multiple nozzles in the disclosed process of Relleen would reach multiple location on the semiconductor simultaneously, which would decrease the manufacturing time and costs.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 4-7, 12-15 and 18 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to QUOVAUNDA JEFFERSON whose telephone number is (571)272-5051. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 7AM-4PM.
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QVJ
/DALE E PAGE/ Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2899