DETAILED ACTION
This is the first office action on the merits. Claims 1 – 11 are currently pending in the case and are discussed on the merits below.
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 § 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.
Claim 6 is 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.
With regard to claim 6, the claim recites “a third arm”. Claim 6 depends from claim 1 in which a first arm has been introduced; however, a second arm has not been introduced in claim 6 or claim 1 from which it depends. Therefore, it is unclear if the claim scope covers two arms – a first arm and a third arm, or if the claim is intended to cover three arms. If the claim covers three arms, nothing is known about the second arm. Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by JP 20130742234A Satoshi.
With regard to claim 1, Satoshi discloses:
A substrate transfer apparatus comprising:
a moving plate (base of robot 31);
a load lock chamber disposed at one end of the moving plate (carrier holding unit 21 with multiple carriers 90);
a plurality of processing chambers disposed in a longitudinal direction at opposite ends of the moving plate (processing units 4); and
a first arm connected with the moving plate and configured to transfer a substrate between one processing chamber among the plurality of processing chambers and the load lock chamber (arm of robot 31),
wherein the moving plate provides a first path along which a first pivot axis of the first arm performs a circular motion on the moving plate (see [0016] The lifting and lowering rotating section 222 … rotates around a vertical axis by a rotation drive mechanism provided in the base section 221” and “Except for the shape of the hand, the center robot 31 has almost the same structure as the indexer robot 22 in Figure 2.”)
With regard to claim 2, Satoshi discloses:
wherein a position of the first pivot axis on the first path is determined based on a position of the one processing chamber relative to the moving plate (see fig. 1 showing robot 31 positioned between the processing chambers).
With regard to claim 3, Satoshi discloses:
The substrate transfer apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first path includes at least one of an oval shape and an arc shape (see fig. 2 rotating portion 222; see [0016] “Except for the shape of the hand, the center robot 31 has almost the same structure as the indexer robot 22 in Figure 2.”).
With regard to claim 4, Satoshi discloses:
The substrate transfer apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:
the substrate transfer apparatus of claim 1, further comprising: a second arm connected with the moving plate and configured to transfer the substrate between the one processing chamber among the plurality of processing chambers and the load lock chamber (second arm of robot 31, see at least [0016]),
wherein the moving plate provides the first path along which each of the first pivot axis of the first arm and a second pivot axis of the second arm performs a circular motion on the moving plate (see item 222 and [0016] describing robot 31 with the same structure).
With regard to claim 5, Satoshi discloses:
The substrate transfer apparatus of claim 4, wherein the substrate is configured to pass through the second arm between the one processing chamber and the load lock chamber (see fig. 1).
With regard to claim 6, Satoshi discloses:
The substrate transfer apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:
a third arm connected with the moving plate and configured to transfer the substrate between the one processing chamber among the plurality of processing chambers and the load lock chamber (robot 22),
wherein the moving plate provides a second path along which a third pivot axis of the third arm performs a circular motion on the moving plate (lifting and rotating section 222).
With regard to claim 8, Satoshi discloses:
The substrate transfer apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first path includes a plurality of links, and the first pivot axis is disposed at one of the plurality of links to transfer the substrate from the one processing chamber (see fig. 2 showing each arm linked to the lifting and rotating section 222).
With regard to claim 9, Satoshi discloses:
The substrate transfer apparatus of claim 1, wherein when the substrate is transferred from a first unit (fig. 1 carrier holding unit 21 with multiple carriers 90 and robot 22) to a second unit (fig. 1 robot 31 and processing units 4), the substrate reaches the second unit via a predetermined region based on a state of the second unit (retrieved by one of the arms of 31 from transport unit 5, moved to a processing unit and placed in the unit; see also [0035] – [0037]), and
wherein each of the first unit and the second unit includes one of the load lock chamber, the one processing chamber, and the first arm, and the first unit and the second unit are configured differently from each other (see fig. 1).
With regard to claim 10, Satoshi discloses:
The substrate transfer apparatus of claim 9, wherein when the second unit is the first arm, the state is associated with at least one of movement of the first arm, a position of the first arm, and whether the first arm accommodates another substrate (see [0035] – [0037]).
With regard to claim 11, Satoshi discloses:
The substrate transfer apparatus of claim 9, wherein when the second unit is the load lock chamber or the one processing chamber, the state is associated with at least one of temperature, humidity, and pressure of the load lock chamber or the one processing chamber and whether another substrate is accommodated in the load lock chamber or the one processing chamber ([0037] “In addition, only the one substrate 9 whose processing in the processing unit 4 has been completed first may be transported to the substrate transport unit 5.” Thus, transport is dependent on the completion of a processing units process).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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.
Claim(s) 7 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over JP 20130742234A Satoshi. In view of US 12,080,579 Tsai.
With regard to claim 7, Satoshi teaches all of the elements of claim 1 as discussed above. Satoshi does not disclose: wherein the first path includes a rail.
However, Tsai discloses a wafer transport system in which a rail is used as part of a circular slide in a turntable as a means of rotation (col. 7 lines 10 – 17; see also figs 1 and 2)
Therefore, prior to the filing of the invention, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to substitute the rotational mechanism of Tsai in place of the rotation drive mechanism in the lifting and rotating section of Satoshi. This would have yielded predictable results, namely providing a means for rotation.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ADAM R MOTT whose telephone number is (571)270-5376. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9 - 5:30.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, James Trammell can be reached at (571) 272-6712. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/ADAM R MOTT/ Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3657
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