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.
Claims 1-12 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.
In claim 1, lines 7 and 11, the phrases “shaped like a left half of Y” and “shaped like a right half of Y” with a term “like” renders the claim indefinite. For the purpose of examination, the phrases “shaped as a left half of Y” and “shaped as a right half of Y”
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) 1-3, 5, 7-8, and 10-12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over JPH 11100122A in view JPH 0849073A or JPH-052244.
As to claim 1, JP’122 teaches (see Figs 5-17 and para [0013-0027]) a standing wafer holder (see Fig 1), comprising: at least one base unit (wafer support 8), wherein: the base unit (8) comprises a first wafer seat and a second wafer seat (left and right sides of the wafer support 8, see Figs 5-6 and 16-17); a top of the first wafer seat is provided with a first arc-shaped concave surface (see Figs 5-6), a first acting surface (20) is formed on a side (see Fig 16), facing the second wafer seat (left side of support 8), of the first wafer seat (right side of support 8) and corresponds to an area where the first arc-shaped concave surface is located, and; a top of the second wafer seat (left side of support 8) is provided with a second arc-shaped concave surface (see Figs 5-6), a second acting surface (19) is formed on a side, facing the first wafer seat (right side of support 8), of the second wafer seat (left side of support 8) and corresponds to an area where the second arc-shaped concave surface (see Figs 5-6) is located; the first acting surface (20) and the second acting surface (19) work together to support a wafer vertically. JP’122 lacks teaching the first acting surface shaped as a left half of Y and the second acting surface shaped as right half of Y. However, JP’073 teaches a substrate holder having first and second acting surfaces shaped as left half of Y and right half of Y respectively (see Figs 3C, 3D, 4C &4D for left and right sides of each Y-shaped substrate holding groove 22). JP’244 also teaches a wafer jig comprising first and second acting surfaces having left and right halves of a letter Y (see Fig 5). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective fling date of the claimed invention to include the first acting surface shaped as a left half of Y and the second acting surface shaped as right half of Y in JP’122 to take advantage of that the contact area between the substrate and the groove can be reduced and the tilting of the substrate can be reliably prevented as taught by JP’073 (see English Translation on page 5).
As to claim 2, JP’122 teaches (see Fig 17) the first acting surface (20) is in line contact with the wafer (2) and the second acting surface (19) is in line contact with the wafer to support the wafer vertically; or, the first acting surface (20) is in line contact with the wafer (2) and the second acting surface (19) is in surface contact with the wafer to support the wafer vertically; or, the first acting surface (20) is in surface contact with the wafer (2) and the second acting surface (19) is in surface contact with the wafer (2) to support the wafer vertically.
As to claims 3 and 5, JP’122 lacks teaching the first acting surface comprises a first inclined surface and a first vertical surface, and the second acting surface comprises a second inclined surface and a second vertical surface. JP’244 teaches (see Fig 11E) the first acting surface comprises a first inclined surface and a first vertical surface, and the second acting surface comprises a second inclined surface and a second vertical surface; and the first vertical surface and the second vertical surface are matched and in contact with each other, and wherein the first inclined surface and the second vertical surface are respectively in line contact with the wafer/outer edges of two sides of the wafer (see Figs 3-4 and 11E, for the Y-shaped substrate holding groove 22 having inclined portions 22a in the left and right of the groove 22, the vertical groove portion 22b, and the groove bottom surface 22c, the first and second vertical surfaces in contact with the wafer and outer edges of two sided of the wafer). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective fling date of the claimed invention to include the acting surfaces each comprises an inclined surface and a vertical surface as claimed with matched the first vertical surface and the second vertical surface in contact with each other in JP’122 to make the contact area of the substrate W substantially small by omitting the center of the vertical groove portion 22b and to facilitate the flow of the droplet (see English Translation on page 5).
As to claims 7-8 and 12, JP’122 lacks teaching the first and second vertical surfaces’ radius in relation to the radius of the wafer and central angle of the arc-shaped concave surfaces. JP’244 teaches (see Figs 5-17) a surface contact width of the wafer with the first vertical surface or/and the second vertical surface is h, a radius of the wafer is R (wafer 2 is considered to have width and radius), wherein the ratio of h to R is capable of being 0.01-1; and the central angle of the first arc-shaped concave surface is capable of being 30°-180 (since no specific angle of the arc-shaped surface is taught in JP’244). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective fling date of the claimed invention to include since such a modification would have involved a mere change in the size of a component. A change of size is generally recognized as being within the ordinary level of skill in the art. In re Rose, 105 USPQ 237 (CCPA 1955).
As to claim 10, in JP’122 the first wafer sear and the second wafer seat are configured as an integrated structure (see Figs 5-6).
Regarding claim 11, in JP’122 teaches (see Figs 5-6) the first arc-shaped concave surface and/or the second arc-shaped concave surface are continuous or discontinuous, and the first acting surface and/or the second acting surface are identical or different in structure.
Claim 4 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over JPH 11100122A in view JPH 0849073A or JPH-052244 as applied to claim 1 and further in view of Kobayashi et al (US 5,595,604).
JP’122 lacks teaching the first acting surface comprises a first inclined surface and a first vertical surface, and the second acting surface comprises a second inclined surface and a second vertical surface, wherein the first vertical surface mismatched with the second vertical surface is in surface contact with the wafer. JP’244 teaches (see Fig 11E) the first acting surface comprises a first inclined surface and a first vertical surface, and the second acting surface comprises a second inclined surface and a second vertical surface; and the first vertical surface, wherein the first inclined surface and the second vertical surface are respectively in line contact with the wafer (see Figs 3-4 and 11E, for the Y-shaped substrate holding groove 22 having inclined portions 22a in the left and right of the groove 22, the vertical groove portion 22b, and the groove bottom surface 22c, the first and second vertical surfaces in contact with the wafer). Kobayashi et al also teaches (Figs 1a-1c) the first vertical surface and the second vertical surface vertically mismatched and in contact with each other, the first inclined surface is in line contact with the wafer; the second vertical surface mismatched with the first vertical surface, is in surface contact with the wafer, and the first vertical surface mismatched with the second vertical surface is in surface contact with the wafer (see Figs 1a and 1b and column 4, line 62-column 5, line22 for mismatched groove with different inclination angles). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective fling date of the claimed invention to include first and second acting surfaces having first and second inclined surfaces wherein the first vertical surface and the second vertical surface are vertically mismatched and in contact with each other the first inclined surface is in line contact with the wafer as claimed in JP’122 to form a uniform film all over both surfaces of a wafer as taught by Kobayashi et al (see column 3, lines 19-29).
Claim 9 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over JPH 11100122A in view JPH 0849073A or JPH-052244 as applied to claim 1 and further in view of Nguyen (US 4,840,530).
JP’122 lacks teaching multiple base units. However, Nguyen teaches (see Figs 3, 18 and 25) multiple base units (11, 13), wherein the second wafer seat and the first wafer seat of every two adjacent said base units (11,13) are integrated, the first wafer seat and the second wafer seat are configured as an integrated structure. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective fling date of the claimed invention to include multiple base units as claimed in JP’122 for multiple effects of receiving individual wafers or substrates.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 6 would be allowable if rewritten to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, set forth in this Office action and to include all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: prior art of records (including JP’122, JP’073, JP’244, Kobayashi et al and Nguyen) does not disclose or suggest a standing wafer holder provided with at least one base unit, the base unit, comprising, among others, a top of the first wafer seat, a first acting surface shaped as a left half of Y & a second acting surface each shaped as a right half of Y, the first acting surface comprising a first inclined surface and a first vertical surface and second acting surface comprising a second inclined surface and a second vertical surface, wherein a support surface perpendicular to the first vertical surface or the second vertical surface is formed at a bottom of the first vertical surface or at a bottom of the second vertical surface, a step surface is formed at the bottom of the second vertical surface or at the bottom of the first vertical surface, the step surface is erected on the support surface and is horizontally movable along the support surface to adjust a distance between the first vertical surface and the second vertical surface, and the distance is 0.5-2 mm.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to YEWEBDAR T TADESSE whose telephone number is (571)272-1238. The examiner can normally be reached 7.00-3:30 PM.
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YEWEBDAR T. TADESSE
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 1717
/YEWEBDAR T TADESSE/
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