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 .
DETAILED ACTION
Election/Restrictions
Applicants’ election without traverse of Group I (claims 16-26, drawn to an apparatus) in the reply, filed on 07/31/2026 is acknowledged. Claims 27-30 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected invention, there being no allowable generic or linking claim.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 07/31/2026.
Claim Objections
Claim(s) is/are objected to because of the following informalities:
(1) The “which the support part and the cover part together form the reaction chamber such that the cover part is movably arranged with respect to the support part between an open position of the reaction chamber and a closed position of the reaction chamber,
whereby in the open position of the reaction chamber the support part and the cover part are spaced apart from each other and in the closed position of the reaction chamber the support part and the cover part are connected together for forming a closed reaction chamber” of Claim 1,
Would have a better form if amended to be:
“wherein the support part and the cover part together form the reaction chamber such that the cover part is movably arranged with respect to the support part between an open position of the reaction chamber and a closed position of the reaction chamber, and in the open position of the reaction chamber, the support part and the cover part are spaced apart from each other and, in the closed position of the reaction chamber, the support part and the cover part are connected together for forming a closed reaction chamber”.
(2) The “move the substrate batch (B) in a second direction (D), which the second direction (D) is transverse to the first direction (C)” of Claim 17 would have a better form if amended to be:
“move the substrate batch (B) in a second direction (D) transverse to the first direction (C)”.
(3) The “The atomic layer deposition apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the atomic layer deposition apparatus further comprises…” of Claims 18 and other claims,
The secondly recite “the atomic layer deposition apparatus further comprises” is redundant, thus it should be “The atomic layer deposition apparatus according to claim 16, further comprising…”.
It is respectfully requested to amend other similar limitations across the claim list.
(4) The “the cover part of the reaction chamber” of Claim 19 and other claims should be “the cover part”, because of redundancy.
It is respectfully requested to amend other similar limitations across the claim list.
Appropriate correction is required.
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 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.
Claims 16-19 and 21-26 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by HOLM et al. (US 20190194809, hereafter ‘809).
Regarding to Claim 16, ‘424 teaches:
A system, for atomic layer deposition (title), and Batch processing of substrates to be coated with Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD) ([0003], the claimed “An atomic layer deposition apparatus arranged to process multiple substrates concurrently in a batch process”);
The vacuum chamber 310 and a reaction chamber 420 (Fig. 5, [0142], the claimed “the atomic layer deposition apparatus having a reaction chamber arranged inside a vacuum chamber”);
a first load-lock 220, and a first gate valve element 230 (Fig. 2, [0118], the claimed “wherein the atomic layer deposition apparatus further comprises: a loading chamber connected to the vacuum chamber through a loading connection”);
The first load-lock element 110 comprises a first horizontal actuator 210 configured to transfer a substrate holder (or cassette) loaded with substrates to be processed into the reaction chamber element 160 ([0118], the claimed “a loading arrangement arranged to move a substrate batch (B) between the loading chamber and the reaction chamber inside the vacuum chamber through the loading connection”);
The vacuum chamber 310 further comprises a cassette holder lid 410 connected to the vertical actuator and configured to be lowered on top of the reaction chamber 420 in order to close it. The cassette holder 410 lid thereby also forms a reaction chamber lid ([0142], the claimed “the reaction chamber comprising: a support part forming a support for the substrate batch (B); and a cover part forming a housing surrounding the substrate batch (B) arranged on the support part, which the support part and the cover part together form the reaction chamber such that the cover part is movably arranged with respect to the support part between an open position of the reaction chamber and a closed position of the reaction chamber, whereby in the open position of the reaction chamber the support part and the cover part are spaced apart from each other and in the closed position of the reaction chamber the support part and the cover part are connected together for forming a closed reaction chamber”).
Regarding to Claims 17-19,
‘809 teaches a cassette holder lid 410 connected to the vertical actuator and configured to be lowered on top of the reaction chamber 420 in order to close it ([0142]), and The first load-lock element 110 comprises a first horizontal actuator 210 configured to transfer a substrate holder (or cassette) loaded with substrates to be processed into the reaction chamber element 160 ([0118], see the vertical actuator 240 in the figures, the claimed “wherein the cover part is arranged to move in a first direction (C) and the loading arrangement is arranged to move the substrate batch (B) in a second direction (D), which the second direction (D) is transverse to the first direction (C)” of Claim 17, “wherein the atomic layer deposition apparatus further comprises a lifter connected to the reaction chamber and arranged to move the cover part between the open position and the closed position of the reaction chamber” of Claim 18, and “wherein the lifter is connected to the cover part of the reaction chamber and arranged to move the cover part in vertical direction relative to the support part of the reaction chamber, which the support part is arranged as stationary inside the vacuum chamber” of Claim 19).
Regarding to Claim 21,
It is well-known an actuator for vertical, horizontal, or rotational movement, includes a motor, for instance, see motor 9 of Fig. 1 of WO 20220216994, filed in IDS, thus the vertical actuator 240 would have a motor for lifting, the claimed “wherein the lifter comprises a lifter motor arranged outside the vacuum chamber”).
Regarding to Claims 22 and 24-25,
‘809 teaches a shield element 440 (Figs. 4 and 7, [0144]), and the actuation of the shield element 440 and the opening and closing of the gate valves 230, 250 and/or lid 410 is synchronized and/or integrated with common actuators to carry out both tasks ([0145], the claimed “wherein the atomic layer deposition apparatus further comprises a thermal reflector arranged inside the vacuum chamber to surround at least part of the cover part of reaction chamber and to move together with the cover part” of Claim 22, and “wherein the thermal reflector is connected to the cover part of the reaction chamber such that the thermal reflector is movable together with the cover part” of Claim 24, and “wherein the thermal reflector is connected to the lifter such that the thermal reflector is movable together with the lifter” of Claim 25).
Regarding to Claim 23,
‘809 teaches At step 1130 the cassette is lowered into the reaction chamber 420 and the shield elements 440 are moved, in an embodiment raised, in front of the loading openings. At step 1140 the Atomic Layer Deposition is carried out in the reaction chamber 420. At step 1150 the cassette 810 is raised from the reaction chamber 420 and the shield elements 440 are moved, in an embodiment lowered, from front of the loading openings (Figs. 5 and 7, the claimed “wherein the atomic layer deposition apparatus further comprises a thermal reflector movably arranged inside the vacuum chamber such that, when the reaction chamber is in the closed position, the thermal reflector is arranged in a space between the loading connection and the reaction chamber, and when the reaction chamber is in the open position, the thermal reflector is moved away from the loading connection for providing an open path between the loading connection and the open reaction chamber”).
Regarding to Claim 26,
‘809 teaches The first load-lock 220 comprises, in an embodiment, a pump, for example a turbomolecular pump, configured to evacuate the load-lock ([0129]), and The vacuum chamber 310 comprises a vacuum or exhaust line, hereinafter denoted as foreline 630 connected to a pump (not shown) configured to evacuate the vacuum chamber 310 ([0149], the claimed “wherein the atomic layer deposition apparatus further comprises a vacuum system arranged to provide vacuum conditions to the loading chamber and to the vacuum 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 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 of this title, 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 set forth in Graham v. John Deere Co., 383 U.S. 1, 148 USPQ 459 (1966), that are applied 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 20 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over ‘809 in view of Bluck et al. (US 20130287526, hereafter ‘526).
Regarding to Claim 20,
‘809 teaches a cassette holder lid 410 connected to the vertical actuator and configured to be lowered on top of the reaction chamber 420 in order to close it ([0142]), and The first load-lock element 110 comprises a first horizontal actuator 210 configured to transfer a substrate holder (or cassette) loaded with substrates to be processed into the reaction chamber element 160 ([0118], the claimed “wherein the lifter is connected to the cover part of the reaction chamber and arranged to move the cover part in direction relative to the support part of the reaction chamber, which the support part is arranged as stationary inside the vacuum chamber”).
However, ‘809 does not explicitly teach the other limitations (BOLD and ITALIC letter) of:
Claim 20: wherein the lifter is connected to the cover part of the reaction chamber and arranged to move the cover part in horizontal direction relative to the support part of the reaction chamber, which the support part is arranged as stationary inside the vacuum chamber.
‘526 is analogous art in the field of A system for processing substrates (abstract). ‘526 teaches The chamber 400 may be installed in a horizontal or vertical orientation ([0059]).
Before the effective filling date of the claimed invention, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art to have installed the apparatus of ‘809, so to be either vertical or horizontal orientation, for its suitability as known installation method, with predictable result. The selection of something based on its known suitability for its intended use has been held to support a prima facie case of obviousness, see MPEP 2144.07.
Further, MPEP clearly guides rearrangement of parts is mere an obvious matter.
As the applicants clearly acknowledged as shown in the applicants’ Fig. 5, the examiner considers the horizontally installed apparatus of ‘809 may be rearranged to be vertically installed. Consequently, when the apparatus is vertically installed, the cover part moves in a horizontal direction relative to the support part.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to AIDEN Y LEE whose telephone number is (571)270-1440. The examiner can normally be reached on M-F: 9am-5pm PT.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Gordon Baldwin can be reached on 571-272-5166. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/AIDEN LEE/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1718
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