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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 02/29/2024, 03/05/2025, and 09/23/2025 have been received and considered by the examiner.
Claim Interpretation
Regarding claim 1, the following claim limitation have been interpreted in view of applicant’s definition in accordance of the specification:
Claim limitation of “a movement trajectory of the wafer transfer device and the second trajectory are approximately Z-shaped” in claim 1, lines 17-18 is interpreted “”approximately" means that the first trajectory 51, the movement trajectory 52 of the wafer transfer device and the second trajectory 53 are not necessarily straight lines and may be curved and arc lines with small waves, but the overall movement trend is a straight line on the whole when seen on the macro level” as disclosed in the specification, paragraph 0039;
Drawings
The drawings are objected to under 37 CFR 1.83(a). The drawings must show every feature of the invention specified in the claims. Therefore, the
“wafer transfer device” in claim 1, line 10;
must be shown or the feature(s) canceled from the claim(s). No new matter should be entered.
Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. The figure or figure number of an amended drawing should not be labeled as “amended.” If a drawing figure is to be canceled, the appropriate figure must be removed from the replacement sheet, and where necessary, the remaining figures must be renumbered and appropriate changes made to the brief description of the several views of the drawings for consistency. Additional replacement sheets may be necessary to show the renumbering of the remaining figures. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). 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.
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 4-5 and 7-13 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.
The term “approximately a straight line” in claim 4, lines 3 and 4 is a relative term which renders the claim indefinite. The term “approximately” is not defined by the claim, the specification does not provide a standard for ascertaining the requisite degree, and one of ordinary skill in the art would not be reasonably apprised of the scope of the invention.
The term “the polishing arms of the two polishing modules are both close to the wafer transfer passage” in claim 7, lines 2-3 is a relative term which renders the claim indefinite. The term “close” is not defined by the claim, the specification does not provide a standard for ascertaining the requisite degree, and one of ordinary skill in the art would not be reasonably apprised of the scope of the invention.
Claim 12 recites the limitation "the first working position" in lines 2-3. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claims 5 depends on claim 4, claims 8-11 and 13 depend on claim 7, and are therefore rejected accordingly under 35 USC 112(b).
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.
Claims 1-9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Shen (US Pub. No. 2021/0205952).
Regarding claim 1, Shen discloses: a wafer polishing system (Figures 1-2 and see also paragraph 0064), comprising:
at least one polishing unit (see figure 1 annotated below Detail A);
wherein, the polishing unit comprises a wafer transfer passage (see figure 1 annotated below Detail B) and at least two polishing modules (see figure 1 annotated below Detail C and Detail D) located on two sides of the wafer transfer passage (see figure 1 annotated below);
each of the polishing modules comprises a polishing platform (elements 4/5 and elements 9/10) and a polishing arm (elements 2/3 and elements 7/8) capable of driving a wafer to move with respect to the polishing platform to implement a polishing process (see paragraphs 0068-0073);
at least two working positions (elements 1/6) are arranged in the wafer transfer passage (see figure 1 annotated below), and a wafer transfer device (element 22) is able to move between the working positions (see paragraph 0066);
after the polishing arm of one polishing module obtains the wafer from one working position in the wafer transfer passage, the polishing process is completed, the wafer is placed back into the wafer transfer passage along a first trajectory (See paragraph 0070 where the prior art discloses “a robot arm loads the wafer to be polished” on element 22 (wafer transfer device) and moves beneath a portion (element 3) of the polishing arm at one of the working positions (element 1) in order transfer the wafer to the polishing area for polishing, thus the polishing arm of one polishing module obtains the wafer from one working position in the wafer transfer passage (Detail B). See paragraph 0068 where the prior art discloses the wafer that has been polished in the first stage (i.e. one of the polishing module (Detail C)) it “is to be transferred” to element 1 (one of the at least two working positions). Therefore, as shown in the figure 1 annotated below, the wafer is placed back in the wafter transfer passage (Detail B) along a first trajectory (Box E)), and the wafer transfer device moves to transfer the wafer to the other working position (See paragraph 0069 where the prior art discloses element 22 (wafer transfer device) loads the wafer (i.e. at one of the working positions (element 1)) and “then directly moves” to element 6 (other working position). Therefore, as shown in the figure 1 annotated below, the wafer transfer device moves to transfer the wafer to the other working position.), from which the polishing arm of the other polishing module obtains the wafer along a second trajectory (see figure 1 annotated below Box G) to complete another polishing process (See paragraph 0070 where the prior art discloses a portion (element 8) of the other polishing arm of the other polishing module “is transferred to” the other working position (element 6) in order for the polished wafer to be “taken away” by element 8 in order to polished (see paragraph 0072). Therefore, as shown in the figure 1 annotated below, the polishing arm of the other polishing module obtains the wafer along a second trajectory (see figure 1 annotated below Box G));
the first trajectory, a movement trajectory (see figure 1 annotated below Box F) of the wafer transfer device and the second trajectory are approximately Z-shaped (see figure 1 annotated below showing the combination of the trajectory (Box E-G) are approximately Z-shaped).
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Regarding claim 2, Shen discloses: the wafer polishing system according to claim 1, wherein a number of the working positions is the same as a number of the polishing arms (see figure 1 showing two working positions (elements 1/6) and two polishing arms (elements 2/7), thus being the same number).
Regarding claim 3, Shen discloses: the wafer polishing system according to claim 2, wherein the polishing arms of the polishing modules are centrosymmetric with respect to a centre point of a connecting line between the working positions at initial and tail ends (see figure 1 annotated above showing the both the polishing arms (elements 2/3 and elements 7/8) having portions centrosymmetric with respect to a centre point (middle point of the dotted line where Box F is located) of a connecting line (dotted line where Box F is located) between the working positions at initial and tail ends (left arrow and right arrow of dotted line where Box F is located)) .
Regarding claim 4, Shen discloses: the wafer polishing system according to claim 1, wherein the first trajectory is an arc line (see figure 1 annotated above Box E in the form of an arc line), a straight line or approximately a straight line; and the second trajectory is an arc line, a straight line (see figure 1 annotated above Box G in the form of an arc line) or approximately a straight line.
Regarding claim 5, Shen discloses: the wafer polishing system according to claim 4, wherein the polishing arm drives the wafer to reciprocate with respect to the polishing platform along an arc trajectory to implement the polishing process, and the arc trajectory is concentric with the arc-shaped first trajectory or the arc- shaped second trajectory (see figure 1 annotated above showing both the polishing arm (elements 2/7) driving the wafer to reciprocate with respect to the polishing platform (elements 4/5 and elements 9/10) along an arc trajectory (dotted line with arrow in the direction towards the polishing platform) to implement the polishing process, and the arc trajectory is concentric with both the arc-shaped first trajectory or the arc-shaped second trajectory (dotted line with arrow in the direction towards the wafer transfer passage)).
Regarding claim 6, Shen discloses: the wafer polishing system according to claim 1, wherein a number of the wafer transfer device is one (see figure 2 showing only one element 22 (wafer transfer device)).
Regarding claim 7, Shen discloses: the wafer polishing system according to claim 2, wherein a number of the polishing modules is two (see figure 1 annotated above on page 007 showing two polishing modules (Detail C and Detail D), and the polishing arms of the two polishing modules are both close to the wafer transfer passage (see figure 1 annotated above on page 007) and are arranged diagonally with respect to the wafer transfer passage (see figure 1 annotated above on page 007 showing portions of the polishing arms (elements 2/3 and elements 7/8) being arranged diagonally with respect to the wafer transfer passage (Detail B)).
Regarding claim 8, Shen discloses: the wafer polishing system according to claim 7, whereinafter a first polishing arm (elements 2/3) obtains the wafer from a first working position (element 1), the wafer is polished on a first polishing platform (element 4/5); after the corresponding polishing module completes the polishing process (see paragraph 0068), the first polishing arm places the wafer back to the first working position (see figure 1 annotated above page 007 and see also paragraph 0068), the wafer transfer device moves from the first working position to a second working position (element 6), a second polishing arm (elements 7/8) obtains the wafer from the second working position (see figure 1 annotated above page 007 and see also paragraph 0069/0070), and the wafer is polished on a second polishing platform (elements 9/10); and at the same time, another wafer is placed on the wafer transfer device (see paragraph 0070), the wafer transfer device moves from the second working position to the first working position (see figure 1 annotated above page 007 and see also paragraph 0071), and the first polishing arm obtains the wafer for polishing (see figure 1 annotated above page 007 and see also paragraph 0071).
Regarding claim 9, Shen discloses: the wafer polishing system according to claim 8, wherein the wafer transfer device transfers the wafer from the first working position to the second working position, and the first polishing arm is cleaned at the first working position (see paragraph 0069) and rotates to the first polishing platform for polishing after obtaining a new wafer (see paragraphs 0070-0071).
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.
Claims 10-14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Shen (US Pub. No. 2021/0205952).
Regarding claim 10, Shen discloses: the wafer polishing system according to claim 7, whereinafter a first polishing arm (elements 2/3) obtains the wafer from a first working position (element 1), the wafer is polished on a first polishing platform (element 4/5); after the corresponding polishing module completes the polishing process (see paragraph 0068), the first polishing arm places the wafer back to the first working position (see figure 1 annotated above page 007 and see also paragraph 0068) and rotates to the first polishing platform (see figure 1 annotated above page 007 and see also paragraph 0070-0071), the wafer transfer device moves from the first working position to a second working position (element 6), a second polishing arm (elements 9/10) obtains the wafer from the second working position (see figure 1 annotated above page 007 and see also paragraph 0069/0070), and the wafer is polished on a second polishing platform (elements 9/10), and the wafer transfer device moves from the second working position to the first working position (see figure 1 annotated above page 007).
Furthermore, Shen discloses utilizing a robot arm in on order to load a wafer to be polished on the wafer transfer device (element 22) at the second working position (see paragraph 0070). However, Shen does not disclose wherein another wafer is placed on the wafer transfer device to be obtained by the first polishing arm from the first working position.
Shen further discloses an alternate embodiment comprising a wafer transfer passage (Figure 3 and see also paragraph 0074) comprising a wafer transfer device (element 18) at a first working position (element 1). Shen further teaches wherein another wafer is placed on the wafer transfer device to be obtained by the first polishing arm from the first working position (see paragraph 0078 where the prior art discloses utilizing a robot art to place an “unpolished wafer” (i.e. another wafer) into on element 18 (wafer transfer device) at the first working positioned (element 1) in order to be polished).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Shen to incorporate the teachings of alternate embodiment Shen in order to provide wherein another wafer is placed on the wafer transfer device to be obtained by the first polishing arm from the first working position. One of ordinary skill in the art would recognize that having placing the other/new wafer at the first working position would necessarily allow the wafer polishing system to continue to function appropriately as intended in order to polish multiple different wafers in an automated/control manner to a desired finish.
Regarding claim 11, Shen modified discloses: the wafer polishing system according to claim 10, whereinafter the wafer transfer device moves away from the first working position, the first polishing arm is cleaned at the first working position (see paragraph 0069) and then rotates to the first polishing platform (see paragraphs 0070-0071).
Regarding claim 12, Shen discloses: the wafer polishing system according to claim 7, whereinafter a first polishing arm (elements 2/3) obtains the wafer from the first working position (element 1), the wafer is polished on a first polishing platform (element 4/5); after the corresponding polishing module completes the polishing process (see paragraph 0068), the first polishing arm places the wafer back to the first working position (see figure 1 annotated above page 007 and see also paragraph 0068), the wafer transfer device moves from the first working position to a second working position (element 6), a second polishing arm (elements 7/8) obtains the wafer from the second working position (see figure 1 annotated above page 007 and see also paragraph 0069/0070), and the wafer is polished on a second polishing platform (elements 9/10); and the wafer transfer device moves from the second working position to the first working position, the first polishing arm rotates to the first polishing platform (see figure 1 annotated above page 007).
Furthermore, Shen discloses utilizing a robot arm in on order to load a wafer to be polished on the wafer transfer device (element 22) at the second working position (see paragraph 0070). However, Shen does not disclose wherein another wafer is placed on the wafer transfer device to be obtained by the first polishing arm from the first working position.
Shen further discloses an alternate embodiment comprising a wafer transfer passage (Figure 3 and see also paragraph 0074) comprising a wafer transfer device (element 18) at a first working position (element 1). Shen further teaches wherein another wafer is placed on the wafer transfer device to be obtained by the first polishing arm from the first working position (see paragraph 0078 where the prior art discloses utilizing a robot art to place an “unpolished wafer” (i.e. another wafer) into on element 18 (wafer transfer device) at the first working positioned (element 1) in order to be polished).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Shen to incorporate the teachings of alternate embodiment Shen in order to provide wherein another wafer is placed on the wafer transfer device to be obtained by the first polishing arm from the first working position. One of ordinary skill in the art would recognize that having placing the other/new wafer at the first working position would necessarily allow the wafer polishing system to continue to function appropriately as intended in order to polish multiple different wafers in an automated/control manner to a desired finish.
Regarding claim 13, Shen discloses: the wafer polishing system according to claim 12, wherein before another wafer is placed on the wafer transfer device, the first polishing arm is cleaned (see paragraphs 0069-0071).
Regarding claim 14, Shen discloses all the limitations as stated in the rejection of claim 1, but appears to be silent wherein a number of the polishing unit is two or more, and the two or more polishing units are sequentially arranged in an extension direction of the wafer transfer passage.
Shen further discloses an alternate embodiment (see paragraph 0080) comprising the one polishing unit (Figure 1) and further teaches a number of the polishing unit is two or more (see paragraph 0080 where the prior art discloses have “3 or more module” of Figure 1), and the two or more polishing units are sequentially arranged in an extension direction of the wafer transfer passage (see paragraph 0080).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Shen to incorporate the teachings of alternate embodiment Shen in order to provide wherein a number of the polishing unit is two or more, and the two or more polishing units are sequentially arranged in an extension direction of the wafer transfer passage. One of ordinary skill in the art would recognize that providing a plurality of polishing units would necessarily further improve the flexibility of wafer manufacturing, improve manufacturing efficiency, reduce equipment space, and increase output as disclosed by Shen (see paragraph 0080).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ALBERTO SAENZ whose telephone number is (313)446-6610. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 7:30-4:30PM EST.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Brian Keller can be reached at (571) 272-8548. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/A.S./Examiner, Art Unit 3723
/BRIAN D KELLER/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3723
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