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 .
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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) 1-4, 6, and 8 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Shindo et al. (US 2017/0011940 A1, hereafter Shindo).
Regarding Claim 1, Shindo discloses a method for determining a center position of a transferred semiconductor part comprising:
disposing at least one pair of component detecting sensors at a transferring path of the semiconductor part (Figures 3A-3E: the sensors 23a and 23b are at a transferring path of the semiconductor, Paragraph 47);
detecting different portions of the semiconductor part by each component detecting sensor (Paragraph 47: the sensors are position sensors, Paragraph 48: each sensor detects a respective edge);
calculating a centering position of the semiconductor part based on the detected different positions (Paragraph 74: the central position of the wafer is calculated using information from the sensors); and
fixing the semiconductor part at a designated position based on the calculating result (Figure 6: shows a method of correcting a conveyance route of a wafer, Paragraph 24).
Regarding Claim 2, Shindo discloses the limitations of claim 1. Shindo discloses at least one pair of component detecting sensors are disposed at a process chamber where the semiconductor part is secured (Figure 6 sensors 23a and 23b, substrate processing chamber 15).
Regarding Claim 3, Shindo discloses the limitations of claim 1. Shindo discloses the semiconductor part is a wafer (Paragraph 3) or an edge ring.
Regarding Claim 4, Shindo discloses the limitations of claim 1. Shindo discloses the different portions are located at both parts in a component bisector corresponding to the transferring path of the semiconductor part. (Figure 4: the left and right portions are on different sides of a component bisector corresponding to the transferring path, Paragraph 51).
Regarding Claim 6, Shindo discloses a system for determining a center position of a transferred semiconductor part, comprising:
a transferring robot for transferring the semiconductor part (Figure 1: conveyance robot 16);
a pair of component detecting sensors disposed at a process chamber for a process of the semiconductor part (Figure 6: sensors 23a and 23b, process chamber 15);
and a component location determining module for determining a center position of the semiconductor part based on two pairs of positions of the semiconductor part detected by each component detecting sensor (Figure 1: controller 17, Paragraph 48: controller calculates center position of wafer based on sensor outputs).
Regarding Claim 8, Shindo discloses the limitations of claim 6. Shindo discloses the semiconductor part is a wafer or an edge ring, and the semiconductor part is transferred from a transferring module to a process chamber (Figure 6, Paragraph 5).
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.
Claim(s) 5 and 7 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Shindo et al. (US 2017/0011940 A1, hereafter Shindo) in view of Beckhart et al. (US 6307211 B1, hereafter Beckhart).
Regarding Claim 5, Shindo discloses the limitations of claim 1. Shindo discloses the sensors are position sensors. Shindo does not disclose a height from a reference surface is measured by each component detecting sensor.
Beckhart discloses a semiconductor alignment tool that uses z-axis position sensors that is an optical transmitter and optical detector (Figures 8-10: z-axis detectors 134, 136, 138 are used to determine the vertical height of the semiconductor and if the detectors did not detect the same height it would indicate the semiconductor is tilted or misaligned, Column 2 Lines 47-65) for the purpose of being able to detect when the semiconductor is in the correct vertical position (Column 3 Lines 21-22, to detect the vertical distance of the semiconductor the sensor would have a reference surface to determine the distance from).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to
modify the invention of Shindo by making the position sensors of Shindo the z-axis position sensors for the purpose of being able to detect when the semiconductor is in the correct vertical position.
Regarding Claim 7, Shindo discloses the limitations of claim 6. Shindo discloses coordinates R and θ are determined by the component location determining module for calculating a distance along a transferring direction of the semiconductor part, a rotating angle based on the transferring direction (Paragraph 45: there are three motors configured to execute the rotation and movement of the pedestal 20 and the extension and retraction of the articulated arm, Figure 2: shows the conveyance robot capable of movement in the R and θ directions, Figure 6: to correct the center position of the wafer the controller would need to calculate the R and θ directions).
Shindo does not disclose three-dimensional coordinates R, θ, Z are determined by the component location determining module for calculating a distance along a transferring direction of the semiconductor part, a rotating angle based on the transferring direction, a height and an inclination.
Beckhart discloses a semiconductor alignment tool that uses z-axis position sensors that is an optical transmitter and optical detector (Figures 8-10: z-axis detectors 134, 136, 138, Column 2 Lines 47-65) for the purpose of being able to detect when the semiconductor is in the correct vertical position (Column 3 Lines 21-22, to detect the vertical distance of the semiconductor the sensor would have a reference surface to determine the distance from).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to
modify the invention of Shindo by making the position sensors of Shindo the z-axis position sensors for the purpose of being able to detect when the semiconductor is in the correct vertical position.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Choi et al. (US 20210335651 A1) discloses a semiconductor alignment tool that uses an edge ring.
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/J.K.T./Examiner, Art Unit 3653
/MICHAEL MCCULLOUGH/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3653
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