DETAILED ACTION
Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
1. The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Priority
2. Acknowledgment is made of applicant's claim for foreign priority based on an application filed in China on 11/09/2023. It is noted, however, that applicant has not filed a certified copy of the China 202323036015.7 application as required by 37 CFR 1.55.
3. The examiner acknowledged the a certified copy of the China 202311490878.3 filed on 11/09/2023
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
4. 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.
5. Claims 11-20 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 line 1-2 of claim 11, the applicants wrote “the plurality of support portion comprises a first portion and second support portions” (emphasis added on the plural of “second support portions”). However, in line 12-16 of claim 11, the applicants wrote “a second contact portion of the wafer is located above the wafer treatment liquid ….. and the second contact portion is portion of the wafer for contact surface of each second support portion” (emphasis added on singular of “second contact portion”). If there are a plurality of second support portions then there must be a plurality of second contact portions because each second contact portion corresponds to each of the plurality of second support portions. It is unclear whether a singular “second contact portion” or a plural “second contact portions” is required in claim 11.
In line 19-20 of claim 11, the phrase “the second contact portion” is indefinite for the same reason as discussed above because it is unclear whether a singular “second contact portion” or a plural “second contact portions” is required in claim 11.
In line 24 of claim 11, the phrase “the second contact portion” is indefinite for the same reason as discussed above because it is unclear whether a singular “second contact portion” or a plural “second contact portions” is required in claim 11.
In line 11-12 of claim 13, the phrase “the contact surface of the first support portion is descended to a position f being separated from the first contact portion of the wafer” (emphasis added) is indefinite. It is unclear from the claim what “position f” is.
In line 7 of claim 15, the phrase “the second contact portion” is indefinite for the same reason as discussed above in claim 11 because it is unclear whether a singular “second contact portion” or a plural “second contact portions” is required in claim 15.
In line 8 of claim 16, the phrase “the second contact portion” is indefinite for the same reason as discussed above in claim 11 because it is unclear whether a singular “second contact portion” or a plural “second contact portions” is required in claim 16.
In lines 6-7 of claim 17, the phrase “the second contact portion” is indefinite for the same reason as discussed above in claim 11 because it is unclear whether a singular “second contact portion” or a plural “second contact portions” is required in claim 17.
Claims 12-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, because they directly or indirectly depend on indefinite claim 11.
Allowable Subject Matter
4. Claims 1-10 are allowed.
5. Claims 11-20 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.
6. The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
As to claims 1-8, the cited prior arts fail to disclose or suggest the contact surface of at least one support portion is a state of contacting the wafer when driven by the action system; and the contact surface of the at least one support portion is in a state of being separated from the wafer in a region of intersecting with a liquid surface during being driven by the action system into the wafer treatment liquid.
As to claims 9-10, the cited prior arts fail to disclose or suggest using the action system to drive the plurality of support portions to move in conjunction with each other, to drive the wafer into the wafer treatment liquid, wherein during the wafer entering into the wafer treatment liquid:
a contact surface of at least one support portion is in a state of contacting the wafer when driven by the action system; and
a contact surface of at least one support portion is in a state of being separated from the wafer in a region of intersecting with a liquid surface during being driven by the action system into the wafer treatment liquid.
The closest prior arts Hwang et al. (US 2009/0095327 A1) discloses A substrate support unit, comprising: a first support part movable in a first direction, the first support part supporting a first portion of a substrate in which a processing fluid is supplied in a direction corresponding to the first direction; and a second support part movable in a second direction, the second support part supporting a second portion of the substrate, wherein at least one of the first support part and the second support part supports the substrate while the processing fluid is supplied, wherein the first support part and the second support part support the substrate at different times while a process with respect to the substrate is progressed.
Conclusion
7. The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. See Notice of Reference Cited form
8. Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to BINH X TRAN whose telephone number is (571)272-1469. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday.
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BINH X. TRAN
Examiner
Art Unit 1713
/BINH X TRAN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1713
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