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
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.
Claims 1-7 and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kim et al. [US2021/0057263, “Kim”] in view of Kawadahara [US2022/0076980].
Kim discloses a substrate bonding apparatus comprising: an upper chuck (second bonding chuck 200) comprising a guide hole (shown in Figures where the pin 215 is located) extending in a vertical direction (paragraph 0033, 0035); a lower chuck (first bonding chuck 100) below the upper chuck (paragraph 0023); wherein the upper chuck and the lower chuck are configured to have a plurality of overlapped substrates placed between the upper chuck and the lower chuck (paragraphs 0023-24); a striking pin (215) configured to be driven within the guide hole and to strike the plurality of overlapped substrates (paragraph 0035).
Kim discloses a lower chuck but not a buffer member below the lower chuck, wherein the buffer member is configured to buffer a striking force transmitted by the striking pin.
Kawadahara discloses a bonding apparatus. Kawadahara discloses upper and lower chuck stages (10 and 20), and the stages includes elastic members (12a8) between the stage base (11, 21) and the elements (12a, 22a), wherein chuck elements (13, 23) are in between elements (12a, 22a) (paragraph 0047). Kawadahara discloses the elastic elements allow the elements (12, 22) to elastically deform in the Z direction which can dampen force applied to the held wafer and allow the elements to conform to the wafer shape (paragraph 0047).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of invention to modify the apparatus of Kim by including elastic members between the stage and the chucking surface as taught by Kawadahara in order to enable the chucking surface to conform to the held wafer and to dampen force applied to the wafer.
With respect to claim 2, Kawadahara discloses the buffer member is between the stage and the wafer contacting elements (12, 22) and when incorporated into the apparatus of Kim the elastic buffer member would be between the stage (110) and the wafer contacting member (120); resulting in the buffer member contacting the lower chuck.
With respect to claim 3, Kim discloses a stage (110) upon which the lower chuck (120) is placed, wherein the buffer member is between the lower chuck and the stage (as taught by Kawadahara).
With respect to claim 4, Kawadahara discloses the buffer member (elastic member 12a8) vertically fills at least a portion of a space between the chuck (12, 22) and the stage (11, 21).
With respect to claim 5, Kim discloses the lower chuck (120) comprises an upwardly convex portion (Figure 3B), and when combined with the teachings of Kawadahara the buffer member contacts the lower chuck below the upwardly convex portion as the elastic member is located where the chuck elements contact the wafer.
With respect to claim 6, Kim discloses the upper chuck (200) comprises a downwardly convex portion (in 220), and wherein the guide hole penetrates the downwardly convex portion (shown in Figure 5B).
With respect to claim 7, Kim discloses a center portion of the downwardly convex portion is thicker in the vertical direction than an edge portion of the downwardly convex portion (Figure 5B).
With respect to claim 20, Kim discloses a substrate bonding apparatus comprising: an upper chuck (second bonding chuck 200) comprising a guide hole (shown in Figures where the pin 215 is located) extending in a vertical direction (paragraph 0033, 0035); and an upper suction hole extending through the upper chuck (hole is implied to connect pump 290 to groove 230); a lower chuck (first bonding chuck 100) below the upper chuck (paragraph 0023); the lower chuck comprising: a lower suction hole extending through the lower chuck (hole is implied to connect pump 190 to groove 130); a striking pin (215) configured to be driven within the guide hole; wherein the upper chuck and the lower chuck are configured to have a plurality of overlapped substrates placed between the upper chuck and the lower chuck (paragraphs 0023-24); wherein the upper suction hole and the lower suction hole are configured to apply suction to the plurality of overlapped substrates (paragraphs 0023-24), wherein the striking pin is configured to strike the plurality of overlapped substrates (paragraph 0035).
Kim discloses a lower chuck but not a buffer member below the lower chuck, wherein the buffer member is configured to buffer a striking force transmitted by the striking pin.
Kawadahara discloses a bonding apparatus. Kawadahara discloses upper and lower chuck stages (10 and 20), and the stages includes elastic members (12a8) between the stage base (11, 21) and the elements (12a, 22a), wherein chuck elements (13, 23) are in between elements (12a, 22a) (paragraph 0047). Kawadahara discloses the elastic elements allow the elements (12, 22) to elastically deform in the Z direction which can dampen force applied to the held wafer and allow the elements to conform to the wafer shape (paragraph 0047).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of invention to modify the apparatus of Kim by including elastic members between the stage and the chucking surface as taught by Kawadahara in order to enable the chucking surface to conform to the held wafer and to dampen force applied to the wafer.
Claims 8 and 9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kim, Kawadahara, and further in view of Furuya [KR10-2016-0148477].
Kim as modified discloses a substrate bonding apparatus. Applicant is referred to paragraph 3 for a detailed discussion of Kim as modified. Kawadahara discloses the elastic buffer member but does not disclose a guide hole, However Kawadahara does disclose the elastic buffer members are smaller in diameter than a diameter of the wafer substrates. Kim does not disclose the buffer member but does disclose the guide hole.
Furuya discloses a bonding apparatus including a lower assembly (141) including a lower chuck (300) and a lower stage (301) with a diffusion plate (312a) for diffusing a load applied to the wafer substrates, similar to the elastic members of Kawadahara. Furuya discloses the diffusion plate (312a) is larger in diameter in a horizontal direction than a diameter of the guide hole (shown in component 140, in Figures 15 and 16) and the diameter in the horizontal direction is smaller than a diameter of the substrate worked upon (WL) in the horizontal direction (Figure 19).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of invention to modify the device of Kim by providing the buffer dimensions that are larger than the guide hole and smaller than the wafer worked upon as taught by Furuya in order to ensure the load is diffused by the buffer.
With respect to claim 9, it would have been within the ability of one of ordinary skill to optimize the diameter of the buffer member within the claimed range to ensure force dampening is provided without compromising the support provided to the material worked upon.
Claims 10-16 and 19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kim, Kawadahara, and further in view of Nelson [US2009/0096275].
Kim as modified discloses a substrate bonding apparatus. Applicant is referred to paragraph 3 for a detailed discussion of Kim as modified. Kawadahara discloses the elastic members include an elastic body such as rubber (paragraph 0047), but does not provide any of the specifics of claims 10-12.
Nelson discloses a device which includes a striker and a recoil buffer. Nelson discloses the buffer material can be an elastomeric or other impact absorbing material such as polyurethane or rubber, and suggests the material should be sufficiently stiff and resistant to breakdown due to repetitive impacts (paragraph 0040). Nelson discloses rubber and polyurethane as known alternatives for the purpose of an absorbing repetitive impacts in a device.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of invention to modify the device of Kim by substituting the rubber material with a polyurethane as Nelson discloses the materials as known alternatives for purpose of impact absorption.
With respect to claim 10, it would also be within the ability of one of ordinary skill to select a material within the claimed viscoelasticity range as Nelson suggests the material should be formulated to be sufficiently stiff and resistant to breakdown. Nelson also discloses the same material disclosed in the claims and one of ordinary skill would expect the same material to have the same viscoelastic property.
With respect to claim 11, Nelson discloses the buffer comprises a polymer (paragraph 0040).
With respect to claim 12, Nelson discloses the buffer comprises polyurethane (paragraph 0040).
With respect to claim 13, Kim discloses a substrate bonding apparatus comprising: an upper chuck (200) and a lower chuck (100) facing each other and configured to have a plurality of overlapped substrates to be disposed therebetween paragraphs 0033, 0035, 0023); a striking pin (215) configured to be driven within a guide hole penetrating the upper chuck and to strike the plurality of overlapped substrates (paragraph 0035); a stage (110) upon which the lower chuck (120) is placed.
Kim discloses a lower chuck but not a buffer member between the lower chuck and the stage.
Kawadahara discloses a bonding apparatus. Kawadahara discloses upper and lower chuck stages (10 and 20), and the stages includes elastic members (12a8) between the stage base (11, 21) and the elements (12a, 22a), wherein chuck elements (13, 23) are in between elements (12a, 22a) (paragraph 0047). Kawadahara discloses the elastic elements allow the elements (12, 22) to elastically deform in the Z direction which can dampen force applied to the held wafer and allow the elements to conform to the wafer shape (paragraph 0047).
Kim does not disclose a polymeric buffer. Kawadahara discloses the elastic members include an elastic body such as rubber (paragraph 0047), but does not provide any of the specifics of claims 10-12.
Nelson discloses a device which includes a striker and a recoil buffer. Nelson discloses the buffer material can be an elastomeric or other impact absorbing material such as polyurethane or rubber, and suggests the material should be sufficiently stiff and resistant to breakdown due to repetitive impacts (paragraph 0040). Nelson discloses rubber and polyurethane as known alternatives for the purpose of an absorbing repetitive impacts in a device.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of invention to modify the apparatus of Kim by including elastic members between the stage and the chucking surface as taught by Kawadahara in order to enable the chucking surface to conform to the held wafer and to dampen force applied to the wafer; and to modify the device of Kim by substituting the rubber material with a polyurethane as Nelson discloses the materials as known alternatives for purpose of impact absorption.
With respect to claim 14, Nelson discloses the buffer comprises polyurethane (paragraph 0040).
With respect to claim 15, it would also be within the ability of one of ordinary skill to select a material within the claimed viscoelasticity range as Nelson suggests the material should be formulated to be sufficiently stiff and resistant to breakdown. Nelson also discloses the same material disclosed in the claims and one of ordinary skill would expect the same material to have the same viscoelastic property.
With respect to claim 16, Kawadahara discloses the buffer member is between the stage and the wafer contacting elements (12, 22) and when incorporated into the apparatus of Kim the elastic buffer member would be between the stage (110) and the wafer contacting member (120); resulting in the buffer member contacting the lower chuck and the stage.
With respect to claim 19, Kim discloses the lower chuck comprises an upwardly convex portion, and wherein the upper chuck comprises a downwardly convex portion (shown in Figure 5B).
Claims 17 and 18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kim, Kawadahara, Nelson and further in view of Furuya.
Kim as modified discloses a substrate bonding apparatus. Applicant is referred to paragraph 5 for a detailed discussion of Kim as modified. Kawadahara discloses the elastic buffer member but does not disclose a guide hole, However Kawadahara does disclose the elastic buffer members are smaller in diameter than a diameter of the wafer substrates. Kim does not disclose the buffer member but does disclose the guide hole.
Furuya discloses a bonding apparatus including a lower assembly (141) including a lower chuck (300) and a lower stage (301) with a diffusion plate (312a) for diffusing a load applied to the wafer substrates, similar to the elastic members of Kawadahara. Furuya discloses the diffusion plate (312a) is larger in diameter in a horizontal direction than a diameter of the guide hole (shown in component 140, in Figures 15 and 16) and the diameter in the horizontal direction is smaller than a diameter of the substrate worked upon (WL) in the horizontal direction (Figure 19).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of invention to modify the device of Kim by providing the buffer dimensions that are larger than the guide hole and smaller than the wafer worked upon as taught by Furuya in order to ensure the load is diffused by the buffer.
With respect to claim 18, it would have been within the ability of one of ordinary skill to optimize the diameter of the buffer member within the claimed range to ensure force dampening is provided without compromising the support provided to the material worked upon.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to DANIEL MCNALLY whose telephone number is (571)272-2685. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9-5.
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/DANIEL MCNALLY/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1746
DPM
January 3, 2026