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 .
Response to Arguments
1. Applicant’s arguments filed on 06/02/2026 with respect to the amendments of claims 16, 29, 30 have been fully considered.
Regarding claim 17, applicant argued that Arakane does not disclose
the charge measurement device is arranged to measure the charge signal representative for the charge level of the object holder and/or the object in response to the object being moved towards the clamp side.
Examiner respectfully disagrees with the argument. Arakane discloses
a charge measurement device (includes a CPU 105 and a current sensor 80, see par. 0078), and the charge measurement device is arranged to measure the charge signal representative for the charge level of the object holder (22, see par. 0047-0048) and/or the object in response to the object being moved towards the clamp side (the charge level of the wafer holder 22 and the wafer W is measured by the controller 105 in response to the wafer W is moved down by the lift pins 90 at a distance of 0.5 mm, see par. 0078).
Regarding claims 16, 29, 30, upon to the amendments of claims 16, 29, 30, a new ground(s) of rejection is made in view of Arakane et al (USPN 2020/0343124) in view of Aruga et al (USPN 2010/0096262).
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.
2. Claims 16-19, 22-26, 29-32 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Arakane et al (USPN 2020/0343124) in view of Aruga et al (USPN 2010/0096262).
Regarding claims 16, 21, Arakane discloses an object holder (an electrostatic chuck 22, see figure 1) comprising:
a clamp side (a clamping surface of the chuck 22) configured to contact an object (a wafer W),
at least one electrode (an electrode 23) arranged at a distance from the clamp side (a distance between the clamping surface of the chuck 22 and the electrode shown in figure 1), and configured to be electrically isolated (electrically insulated by a dielectric layer 24) from the clamp side;
a controller (a controller 100, also see figure 1) configured to provide an electrode voltage to the at least one electrode (23) based on a measured charge signal representative for a charge level of the object holder and/or the object (a voltage provided to the electrode 23 based on an amount measured charge of the Wafer W, see step S18 in figure 9 and par. 0079) in order to decrease a potential difference between an electrical potential of the clamp side and an electrical potential of the object (a voltage to the electrode 23 is decreased by the controller 100 in response to the positive measured charge of the wafer see par. 0080, and figure 4c-d).
Arakane does not explicitly disclose the clamping side is electrically conductive as claimed.
However, providing an electrostatic chuck clamping surface including an electrically conductive is well known in the art.
Agura discloses an object holder (see figure 1) comprises an electrostatic chuck device (8) comprises a clamping side (a clamp surface of the chuck 8) configured to contact an object (a wafer 9), wherein the clamping side is electrically conductive (the clamp surface of the chuck 8 is formed with an electrical conductive layer (19) (see par. 0034, 0045).
It 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 to have modified a surface of the clamping side of Arakane to incorporate a conductive film as disclosed by Aruga in order to remove rapidly residual charge on the clamp side so improving stability of substrate separation.
Regarding claim 17, Arakane discloses the object holder comprises a charge measurement device (includes a CPU 105 and a current sensor 80), and the charge measurement device is arranged to measure the charge signal representative for the charge level of the object holder (22, see par. 0047-0048) and/or the object in response to the object being moved towards the clamp side (the charge level of the wafer holder 22 and the wafer W is measured by the controller 105 in response to the wafer W is moved down by the lift pins 90 at a distance of 0.5 mm, see par. 0078).
Regarding claim 18, Arakane discloses wherein the charge measurement device (105, 46) is arranged to measure a current (by the current sensor 80)
through the electrically conductive clamp side and/or the at least one electrode
Regarding claim 19, Arakane discloses the controller (100) is arranged to minimize the current through the electrically conductive clamp side and/or the at least one electrode (the current through the electrode 23 is minimized by adjusting the amount of charge of the wafer, see par. 0052 and step S17 of figure 9).
Regarding claim 22, Arakane discloses the controller (the controller 100 is a feedback controller) is a feedback controller or a feedforward controller arranged to provide the electrode voltage to the at least one electrode (23) based on a previously determined charge signal (such as a cycle of providing the electrode voltage to the at least one electrode (23) based on a previously determined charge signal, see figure 8, and par. 0079).
Regarding claim 23, Arakane discloses wherein the at least one electrode (the electrode 23) is an electrode of an electrostatic clamp configured for clamping the object (the wafer W) on the clamp side.
Regarding claim 24, Arakane discloses wherein the clamp side comprises multiple support (such as protrusions shown in figure 11b) extensions defining a support plane (see figure 11b).
Regarding claim 25, Arakane discloses wherein the object holder (the chuck 22) comprises multiple loading pins (lift pins 90) configured to load the object (the wafer) on the clamp side or to lift the object from the clamp side.
Regarding claim 26, Arakane discloses the object holder (22) is a substrate support, and the object is a substrate (the wafer W) (see figure 1).
Regarding claim 29, Arakane discloses a method (see figure 1, 8, 9) comprising:
moving an object towards a clamp side of an object holder (such as loading a wafer W toward a clamping surface of an electrostatic chuck 22 via a gate G, see par. 0031), wherein the clamp side configured to contact the object, the object holder comprising
at least one electrode (an electrode 23, see figure 1) arranged at a distance from the clamp side (the electrode 23 disposed a distance from the clamping surface of the chuck 22), and electrically isolated from the clamp side (the electrode 23 is electrically isolated via a dielectric layer 24), and
providing an electrode voltage to the at least one electrode based on a measured charge signal representative for a charge level of the object and/or the object holder in response to the object (the wafer W) moving towards to the clamp side (22, see S1 in figure 8)) in order to decrease a potential difference between an electrical potential of the clamp side and an electrical potential of the object (a voltage to the electrode 23 is controlled so that the voltage difference between the chuck 22 and the wafer W is reduced, see par. 0079-0080, and figure 4c-d), (the charge level of the wafer holder 22 and the wafer W is measured by the controller 105 in response to the wafer W is moved down by the lift pins 90 at a distance of 0.5 mm, see par. 0078).
Arakane does not explicitly disclose the clamping side is electrically conductive as claimed.
However, providing an electrostatic chuck clamping surface including an electrically conductive is well known in the art.
Agura discloses an object holder (see figure 1) comprises an electrostatic chuck device (8) comprises a clamping side (14 configured to contact an object (9), wherein the clamping side is electrically conductive (a surface of the clamping side 14 is formed with an electrical conductive layer (19) (see par. 0034, 0045).
It 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 to have modified a surface of the clamping side of Arakane to incorporate a conductive film as disclosed by Aruga in order to remove rapidly residual charge on the clamp side so improving stability of substrate separation.
Regarding claim 30, Arakane discloses a method (see figures 1, 8-9) comprising:
moving an object (a wafer W) away from a clamp side of an object holder (such as unloading a wafer W away, see par. 0031), wherein the clamp side (22) configured to contact the object (W), the object holder (the electrostatic chuck 22) comprising
at least one electrode (an electrode 23, see figure 1) arranged at a distance from the clamp side (the electrode 23 disposed a distance from a clamping surface of the chuck 22), and electrically isolated from the clamp side (electrically insulated via a dielectric layer 24), and
providing an electrode voltage to the at least one electrode based on a measured charge signal representative for a charge level of the object and/or the object holder (a charge level of the wafer is measured by the controller 105, see step S18 in figure 9) in response to the object moving away from the clamp side in order to decrease a potential difference between an electrical potential of the clamp side and an electrical potential of the object (a voltage to the electrode 23 is controlled so that the voltage difference between the chuck 22 and the wafer W is reduced, during an unloading process, see par. 0079-0080, and figure 4c-d).
Arakane does not explicitly disclose the clamping side is electrically conductive as claimed.
However, providing an electrostatic chuck clamping surface including an electrically conductive is well known in the art.
Agura discloses an object holder (see figure 1) comprises an electrostatic chuck device (8) comprises a clamping side (14 configured to contact an object (9), wherein the clamping side is electrically conductive (a surface of the clamping side 14 is formed with an electrical conductive layer (19) (see par. 0034, 0045).
It 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 to have modified a surface of the clamping side of Arakane to incorporate a conductive film as disclosed by Aruga in order to remove rapidly residual charge on the clamp side so improving stability of substrate separation.
Regarding claim 31, Arakane discloses wherein the measured charge signal (the measured charge signal of the wafer W is measured by the controller 105, see par. 0079) results from a movement of the object relative to the clamp side (as a result of unloading the wafer W form the clamp side 22).
Regarding claim 32, Arakane discloses wherein the controller (the controller 105) is configured to actively control the electrode voltage during a movement of the object towards or away from the clamp side to reduce the potential difference between the electrical potential of the clamp side and the electrical potential of the object as the object moves relative to the clamp side (during unloading processing of the wafer W, the controller 105 configured to gradually decrease to the voltage to the electrode 23 in response to a positive charge measured of the wafer, see par. 0079-0080).
3. Claims 16, 27, 28 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hoeks et al (USPN 2004/0114124) in view of by Arakane et al (USPN (USPN 2010/0096262).
Regarding claim 16, 27, 28, Hoeks discloses a lithographic apparatus (1, see figures 1-2) comprising an object holder (an electrostatic chuck 10 in figure 2), wherein the object holder (10) is a clamping unit (14, 12) of a substrate support, and the object is a mirror block of a substrate support (a mirror block of substrate support WT shown in figure 1), wherein the object holder (10) comprises a clamp side (a clamping surface of the chuck 10) configured to contact an object (a wafer W), wherein the clamp side is electrically conductive (an electrical conductive layer 22 formed on the clamp surface, see figure 2), and
at least one electrode (an electrode 14) arranged at a distance from the clamp side, and configured to be electrically isolated from the clamp side (electrically isolated via a dielectric layer 12).
Hoesks does not explicitly disclose the object holder comprises a controller as claimed.
Arakane discloses an object holder (an electrostatic chuck 22, see figure 1) comprising:
a controller (a controller 100, also see figure 1) configured to provide an electrode voltage to the at least one electrode (23) based on a measured charge signal representative for a charge level of the object holder and/or the object (a voltage provided to the electrode 23 based on an amount measured charge of the Wafer W, see step S18 in figure 9 and par. 0079) in order to decrease a potential difference between an electrical potential of the clamp side and an electrical potential of the object (a voltage to the electrode 23 is decreased by the controller 100 in response to the positive charge of the wafer see par. 0080, and figure 4c-d).
It 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 to have modified the object holder of Hoeks to incorporate an controller as disclosed by Arakane in order to prevent cracking and bouncing of a wafer.
Allowable Subject Matter
4. Claim 20 is 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
5. Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to DANNY NGUYEN whose telephone number is (571)272-2054. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8:00AM-4:30PM.
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/DANNY NGUYEN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2838
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