DETAILED ACTION
Claims 1-9 are pending.
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 1-9 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. With respect to the recitation of the term “disposed on a left side with respect to an extension/contraction direction of the arm” and “disposed on the right side with respect to the extension/contraction direction”, it’s unclear/ambiguous how to determine/establish which side is the “left side” and which side is the “right side”. It seems to be that determining/establishing which side is right and which side is left, is relative/dependent on the viewer’s spatial position. A better claim interpretation and prior art search will be possible when said deficiency is corrected.
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.
Claim(s) 1-9 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Takizawa et al.,
US Patent No. 8,041,450 (hereinafter Takizawa).
Regarding claims 1-9, Takizawa discloses all the claimed limitations, as outlined below:
1. A method for teaching a transfer robot, wherein the transfer robot includes an arm that rotates around a vertical rotation axis and extends/contracts on a horizontal plane perpendicular to the rotation axis, and a substrate support attached to the arm, wherein the arm has a first protrusion disposed on a left side with respect to an extension/contraction direction of the arm, and a second protrusion disposed on a right side with respect to the extension/contraction direction of the arm, the first protrusion and the second protrusion move together with the substrate support by extension/contraction of the arm, a first sensor is disposed on the left side with respect to the extension/contraction direction, and a second sensor is disposed on the right side with respect to the extension/contraction direction, and the first protrusion intersects with detection light of the first sensor during the extension/contraction of the arm, and the second protrusion intersects with detection light of the second sensor during the extension/contraction of the arm, the method comprising: calculating angular deviation of the arm around the rotation axis based on an extension amount of the arm at the time when the second protrusion intersects with the detection light of the second sensor, and the extension amount of the arm at the time when the first protrusion intersects the detection light of the first sensor; and rotating the arm around the rotation axis to eliminate the calculated angular deviation (It can be noted that this claim has been rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, due to recitation of unclear/ambiguous terms/limitations. A better claim interpretation and prior art search will be possible when said deficiency is corrected. The Takizawa reference discloses a plurality of robotic arms that extend and contract and interact with a plurality of sensors. These sensors are positioned on the sides of the arms and mounted on a base of a chamber. See for example: C5 L43-56, C6 L56-67, C8 L37-54, C9 L1-44, and C10 L49-63).
2. The method for teaching the transfer robot of claim 1, wherein the first protrusion and the second protrusion have symmetrical shapes with respect to the extension/contraction direction, and the first sensor and the second sensor are arranged at symmetrical positions with respect to the extension/contraction direction (It can be noted that this claim has been rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, due to recitation of unclear/ambiguous terms/limitations. A better claim interpretation and prior art search will be possible when said deficiency is corrected. The Takizawa reference discloses a plurality of robotic arms that extend and contract and interact with a plurality of sensors. These sensors are positioned on the sides of the arms and mounted on a base of a chamber. See for example: C5 L43-56, C6 L56-67, C8 L37-54, C9 L1-44, and C10 L49-63).
3. The method for teaching the transfer robot of claim 1, wherein the first protrusion has a first inclined side intersecting obliquely with a direction perpendicular to the extension/contraction direction on the horizontal plane, and the second protrusion has a second inclined side intersecting obliquely with the direction perpendicular to the extension/contraction direction on the horizontal plane (It can be noted that this claim has been rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, due to recitation of unclear/ambiguous terms/limitations. A better claim interpretation and prior art search will be possible when said deficiency is corrected. The Takizawa reference discloses a plurality of robotic arms that extend and contract and interact with a plurality of sensors. These sensors are positioned on the sides of the arms and mounted on a base of a chamber. See for example: C5 L43-56, C6 L56-67, C8 L37-54, C9 L1-44, and C10 L49-63).
4. The method for teaching the transfer robot of claim 1, wherein the angular deviation of the arm around the rotation axis is calculated based on a first distance that is a movement distance of the arm from the start of the intersection between the first protrusion and the detection light of the first sensor to the end of intersection between the first protrusion and the detection light of the first sensor during the extension/contraction of the arm, and a second distance that is a movement distance of the arm from the start of the intersection between the second protrusion and the detection light of the second sensor to the end of the intersection between the second protrusion and the detection light of the second sensor during the extension/contraction of the arm (It can be noted that this claim has been rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, due to recitation of unclear/ambiguous terms/limitations. A better claim interpretation and prior art search will be possible when said deficiency is corrected. The Takizawa reference discloses a plurality of robotic arms that extend and contract and interact with a plurality of sensors. These sensors are positioned on the sides of the arms and mounted on a base of a chamber. See for example: C5 L43-56, C6 L56-67, C8 L37-54, C9 L1-44, and C10 L49-63).
5. The method of teaching the transfer robot of claim 4, wherein a direction of the angular deviation of the arm around the rotation axis is determined based on the first distance and the second distance (It can be noted that this claim has been rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, due to recitation of unclear/ambiguous terms/limitations. A better claim interpretation and prior art search will be possible when said deficiency is corrected. The Takizawa reference discloses a plurality of robotic arms that extend and contract and interact with a plurality of sensors. These sensors are positioned on the sides of the arms and mounted on a base of a chamber. See for example: C5 L43-56, C6 L56-67, C8 L37-54, C9 L1-44, and C10 L49-63).
6. The method for teaching the transfer robot of claim 4, wherein when the extension amount of the arm at the time when the intersection between the first protrusion and the detection light of the first sensor is ended on the assumption that there is no angular deviation of the arm around the rotation axis is set to an assumed extension amount of the first arm, and the extension amount of the arm at the time when the intersection between the second protrusion and the detection light of the second sensor is ended on the assumption that there is no angular deviation of the arm around the rotation axis is set to an assumed extension amount of the second arm, the angular deviation of the arm around the rotation axis is calculated by calculating the assumed extension amount of the first arm from the angular deviation of the arm around the rotation axis and an actually measured extension amount of the arm at the time when the intersection between the first protrusion and the detection light of the first sensor is ended, and calculating the assumed extension amount of the second arm from the angular deviation of the arm around the rotation axis and an actually measured extension amount of the arm at the time when the intersection between the second protrusion and the detection light of the second sensor is ended (It can be noted that this claim has been rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, due to recitation of unclear/ambiguous terms/limitations. A better claim interpretation and prior art search will be possible when said deficiency is corrected. The Takizawa reference discloses a plurality of robotic arms that extend and contract and interact with a plurality of sensors. These sensors are positioned on the sides of the arms and mounted on a base of a chamber. See for example: C5 L43-56, C6 L56-67, C8 L37-54, C9 L1-44, and C10 L49-63).
7. The method for teaching the transfer robot of claim 1, wherein the transfer robot is disposed in a substrate transfer chamber, and the extension amount of the arm at the time when the first protrusion intersects with the detection light of the first sensor and the extension amount of the arm at the time when the second protrusion intersects with the detection light of the second sensor are measured when the substrate transfer chamber is decompressed (It can be noted that this claim has been rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, due to recitation of unclear/ambiguous terms/limitations. A better claim interpretation and prior art search will be possible when said deficiency is corrected. The Takizawa reference discloses a plurality of robotic arms that extend and contract and interact with a plurality of sensors. These sensors are positioned on the sides of the arms and mounted on a base of a chamber. See for example: C5 L43-56, C6 L56-67, C8 L37-54, C9 L1-44, and C10 L49-63).
8. The method of teaching the transfer robot of claim 1, wherein the first sensor and the second sensor are provided in advance in a substrate processing system so that the transfer robot detects a substrate transferred by the substrate support and the arm (It can be noted that this claim has been rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, due to recitation of unclear/ambiguous terms/limitations. A better claim interpretation and prior art search will be possible when said deficiency is corrected. The Takizawa reference discloses a plurality of robotic arms that extend and contract and interact with a plurality of sensors. These sensors are positioned on the sides of the arms and mounted on a base of a chamber. See for example: C5 L43-56, C6 L56-67, C8 L37-54, C9 L1-44, and C10 L49-63).
9. A substrate processing system comprising: a substrate processing chamber where a substrate is processed; a substrate transfer chamber having therein a transfer robot configured to load/unload the substrate into/from the substrate processing chamber; and a controller, wherein the transfer robot includes an arm that rotates around a vertical rotation axis and extends/contracts on a horizontal plane perpendicular to the rotation axis, and a substrate support attached to the arm, the arm has a first protrusion disposed on a left side with respect to an extension/contraction direction of the arm, and a second protrusion disposed on a right side with respect to the extension/contraction direction of the arm, the first protrusion and the second protrusion move together with the substrate support by extension/contraction of the arm, a first sensor is disposed on the left side with respect to the extension/contraction direction, and a second sensor is disposed on the right side with respect to the extension/contraction direction, the first protrusion intersects with detection light of the first sensor during the extension/contraction of the arm, and the second protrusion intersects with detection light of the second sensor during the extension/contraction of the arm, and the controller calculates angular deviation of the arm around the rotation axis based on the extension amount of the arm at the time when the first protrusion intersects with detection light of the first sensor, and the extension amount of the arm at the time when the second protrusion intersects with detection light of the second sensor, and rotates the arm around the rotation axis to eliminate the calculated angular deviation (It can be noted that this claim has been rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, due to recitation of unclear/ambiguous terms/limitations. A better claim interpretation and prior art search will be possible when said deficiency is corrected. The Takizawa reference discloses a plurality of robotic arms that extend and contract and interact with a plurality of sensors. These sensors are positioned on the sides of the arms and mounted on a base of a chamber. See for example: C5 L43-56, C6 L56-67, C8 L37-54, C9 L1-44, and C10 L49-63).
Citation of Pertinent Prior Art
The following prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure:
Holbrooks, US Patent No. 6,167,322 - - relates to wafer handling system with fingers.
Downs et al., US Patent Application Publication No. 2002/0117380 – relates to gripper mechanism comprising two arms .
Adachi et al., US Patent Application Publication No. 2006/0192514 – relates to a calibration method for a wafer system.
Conclusion
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/CARLOS R ORTIZ RODRIGUEZ/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2119
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