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 § 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.
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.
Claims 1, 5, 6, 7, 11-13 and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Mu et al. 2016/0358796 and in view of Xiamen CN 212623563, provided by Applicant.
In Re Claims 1, 5, 6, 7, 11-13 and 20, Mu et al. teach a transfer apparatus, comprising: a first transfer assembly (202a), configured to transfer a first workpiece (112, Wa, Fig. 1) to a chamber (108); a second transfer assembly (202b), configured to transfer a second workpiece (113, Wb, Fig. 1) from the chamber;
Mu et al. do not teach an isolation assembly, disposed below the first transfer assembly and above the second transfer assembly and configured to isolate energy transfer between the first workpiece and the second workpiece; and a support assembly, configured to restrict the isolation assembly between the first transfer assembly and the second transfer assembly.
However, Xiamen teaches an isolation assembly (1), disposed below the first transfer assembly 211) and above the second transfer assembly (212) and configured to isolate energy transfer between the first workpiece and the second workpiece; (Example 3, second paragraph) and a support assembly (213), configured to restrict the isolation assembly between the first transfer assembly and the second transfer assembly; and wherein the isolation assembly comprises a cold source to reduce a temperature of the isolation assembly. (Cold cavity Example 3, Paragraph 2) and wherein the isolation assembly has a thickness in a range of about 2.5mm to about 3.5mm; (1, Fig. 6) and wherein the isolation assembly is equally spaced from the first transfer assembly and the second transfer assembly in a vertical projection direction. (Fig. 6) and wherein a distance between the first transfer assembly and the second transfer assembly in a vertical projection direction is in a range of about 4mm to about 5mm. (Fig. 6) and wherein the first transfer assembly comprises at least one transfer arm, (Fig. 6) and the at least one transfer arm is configured to transfer the first workpiece to the chamber; (Fig. 6) and a first end (left end, Fig. 6) of the first transfer assembly is coupled to the support assembly and a second end (right end, Fig. 6) of the first transfer assembly is configured to reciprocate along the first workpiece transfer direction; and wherein the second transfer assembly comprises at least one transfer arm, (Fig. 6) and the at least one transfer arm is configured to transfer the second workpiece from the chamber; and a first end (left end, Fig. 6) of the second transfer assembly is coupled to the support assembly and a second end (right end, Fig. 6) of the second transfer assembly is configured to reciprocate along the second workpiece transfer direction. wherein the first end (left end, Fig. 6) of the first transfer assembly is coupled to the support assembly and the first end (left end, Fig. 6) of the second transfer assembly is coupled to the support assembly through a fixed coupling.
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the application was filed to use an isolation assembly, disposed below the first transfer assembly and above the second transfer assembly in the apparatus of Mu et al. as taught by Xiamen with a reasonable expectation for success in order to prevent overheating of equipment.
Claim 21 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Mu et al. 2016/0358796 and in view of Xiamen CN 212623563, provided by Applicant.
In Re Claim 21, Mu et al. teach a processing system, comprising: a chamber (108), configured to process a workpiece (wafer); and a transfer apparatus, configured to transfer a first workpiece (112, Wa, Fig. 1) to the chamber and transfer a second workpiece (113, Wb, Fig. 1) from the chamber, the transfer apparatus comprising: a first transfer assembly (202a), configured to transfer a first workpiece to a chamber; a second transfer assembly (202b), configured to transfer a second workpiece from the chamber;
Mu et al. do not teach an isolation assembly, disposed below the first transfer assembly and above the second transfer assembly and configured to isolate energy transfer between the first workpiece and the second workpiece; and a support assembly, configured to restrict the isolation assembly between the first transfer assembly and the second transfer assembly.
However, Xiamen teaches an isolation assembly (1), disposed below the first transfer assembly 211) and above the second transfer assembly (212) and configured to isolate energy transfer between the first workpiece and the second workpiece; (Example 3, second paragraph) and a support assembly (213), configured to restrict the isolation assembly between the first transfer assembly and the second transfer assembly;
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the application was filed to use an isolation assembly, disposed below the first transfer assembly and above the second transfer assembly in the system of Mu et al. as taught by Xiamen with a reasonable expectation for success in order to prevent overheating of equipment.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 2-4, 8-10, 14-19, 22 and 23 are 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
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure: Shen et al., Caveny and Blank et al. teach first and second transfer assemblies and an isolation assembly.
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GLENN F. MYERS
Examiner
Art Unit 3652
/GLENN F MYERS/Examiner, Art Unit 3652
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