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 § 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.
Claim 6 is 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.
The term “high pressure ” in claim 6 is a relative term which renders the claim indefinite. The term “high” is not defined by the claim, the specification does not provide a standard for ascertaining the requisite degree, and one of ordinary skill in the art would not be reasonably apprised of the scope of the invention.
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 (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 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 1 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Takatoshi et al. (JP3543987 B2).
Regarding claim 1, Takatoshi et al. discloses a wafer carrier dry cleaner, comprising: a receiver comprising a clean room (see reproduced Fig. 1below), wherein the clean room comprises at least one port 51 used to load a wafer carrier C; a purge chamber 10 comprising a nozzle 12 configured to purge clean gas towards the wafer carrier (Fig. 1, paragraph [0010]) and a vacuum chamber 20, wherein a pump (paragraph [0019]) is connected to the vacuum chamber 20 and configured to exhaust air in the vacuum chamber when the wafer carrier is located within the vacuum chamber, wherein the purge chamber 10 and the vacuum chamber 20 are located in the clean room (Fig. 1). As for the limitations, “a nozzle configured to purge clean gas towards the wafer carrier” in lines 4-5 of claim 1, “ a pump … configured to exhaust air in the vacuum chamber when the wafer carrier is located within the vacuum chamber” in lines 7-8 of claim 1, they are viewed as functional or intended use limitations. As MPEP 2114 states, “[a] claim containing a “recitation with respect to the manner in which a claimed apparatus is intended to be employed does not differentiate the claimed apparatus from a prior art apparatus” if the prior art apparatus teaches all the structural limitations of the claim”. In this case, the limitations above do not add any structural limitations to the claim and Takatoshi et al. discloses all the structural limitations. Additionally, the nozzle 12 of Takatoshi et al. is capable of being used to purge clean gas towards the wafer carrier, and the pump is capable of being used to exhaust air in the vacuum chamber when the wafer carrier is located within the vacuum chamber.
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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.
Claims 2-3 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Takatoshi et al. (JP3543987 B2) in view of Kotsugai et al.(US 2020/0035530 A1).
Regarding claim 2, Takatoshi et al. further discloses a filter 52 connected to the clean room to reduce a number of particles in the clean room (Fig. 1). The wafer carrier dry cleaner of Takatoshi et al. as above includes all that is recited in claim 2 except for a fan filter unit connected to the clean room to reduce a number of particles in the clean room. Kotsugai et al. teaches a fan filter unit 62 connected to a clean room 60a to reduce a number of particles in the clean room (Fig. 1). Therefore, it would have been obvious to someone with ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify the wafer carrier dry cleaner of Takatoshi et al. to substitute the fan filter unit 62 of Kotsugai et al. for the filter 52 of Takatoshi et al. in order to provide extremely uniform, stable unidirectional airflow and easily achieve local high cleanliness.
Regarding claim 3, Kotsugai et al. discloses wherein the wafer carrier 2 comprises a box (Figs. 1-4, 6, not numbered, paragraph [0037] discloses a box-shaped casing) and a door 4 closing an opening 2c of the box, a purge chamber 60a comprises two nozzles 20 (Fig. 5), the two nozzles 20 are configured to respectively purge the clean gas towards the box and the door after the box and the door is separated from the box (Fig. 5). Therefore, it would have been obvious to someone with ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify the wafer carrier dry cleaner of Takatoshi et al. to include a wafer carrier having a box and a door closing an opening of the box; and to provide the purge chamber with another nozzle, the two nozzles are configured to respectively purge the clean gas towards the box and the door after the box and the door is separated from the box as taught by Kotsugai et al. in order to improve the purge efficiency.
Claim 4 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Takatoshi et al. (JP3543987 B2) in view of Hirotani et al. (TW 202114026 A).
The wafer carrier dry cleaner of Takatoshi et al. as above discloses all that is recited in claim 4 except for further comprising: a transport module located within the clean room, wherein the transport module is located between the at least one port, the purge chamber and the vacuum chamber to transport the wafer carrier from one of the at least one port, the purge chamber and the vacuum chamber to another one of the at least one port, the purge chamber and the vacuum chamber. Hirotani et al. teaches a transport module 7 located within a clean room 3, wherein the transport module 7 is located between at least one port (Fig. 1, at where wafer cassette 6 located), and chambers (Fig. 1, chamber 12, and not numbered chamber within which wafer cassette shelf 8 located). Therefore, it would have been obvious to someone with ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify the wafer carrier dry cleaner of Takatoshi et al. to include a transport module of Hirotani et al. and to locate the transport module within the clean room between the at least one port, the purge chamber and the vacuum chamber to transport the wafer carrier from one of the at least one port, the purge chamber and the vacuum chamber to another one of the at least one port, the purge chamber and the vacuum chamber in order to facilitate transfer of wafer carrier between the port and chambers.
Claim 5 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Takatoshi et al. (JP3543987 B2) in view of Hirotani et al. (TW 202114026 A) as applied to claim 4 as above, and further in view of Kotsugai et al.(US 2020/0035530).
The wafer carrier dry cleaner of Tokatoshi et al. as above includes all that is recited in claim 5 except for further comprising: a robot located on the transport module in the clean room, wherein the wafer carrier comprises a box and a door closing an opening of the box, the robot is configured to assemble the wafer carrier with the box and the door. Kotsugai et al. teaches a robot 16 located on the transport module 17 in the clean room 60a, wherein the wafer carrier 2 comprises a box and a door 4 closing an opening of the box, the robot 16 is configured to assemble the wafer carrier with the box and the door (Fig. 1). Therefore, it would have been obvious to someone with ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to further modify the wafer carrier dry cleaner of Tokatoshi et al. to include a robot located on the transport module in the clean room, wherein the wafer carrier comprises a box and a door closing an opening of the box, the robot is configured to assemble the wafer carrier with the box and the door as taught by Kotsugai et al. in order to facilitate open/close the wafer carrier.
Claim 6 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Takatoshi et al. (JP3543987 B2) in view of Lock et al. (CN 102197455 B).
Regarding claim 6, Takatoshi et al. further discloses the clean gas is nitrogen with high pressure (Fig. 1, paragraph [0007]). The wafer carrier dry cleaner of Takatoshi et al. as above includes all that is recited in claim 6 except for wherein the nozzle is connected to a controller, the controller is configured to determine a pressure and a temperature of the clean gas, the clean gas comprises compress dry air or nitrogen with high pressure. Lock et al. discloses nozzles170A for supplying clean gas, the nozzle 170A is connected to a controller 160, the controller 160 is configured to determine a pressure and a temperature of the clean gas, the clean gas comprises compress dry air or nitrogen with high pressure (Fig. 12, paragraph [0053]). Therefore, it would have been obvious to someone with ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify the wafer carrier dry cleaner of Takatoshi et al. to include a controller and to connect the nozzle to the controller, the controller is configured to determine a pressure and a temperature of the clean gas, the clean gas comprises compress dry air or nitrogen with high pressure as taught by Lock et al. in order to efficiently monitor the purging process.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JESSICA J YUEN whose telephone number is (571)272-4878. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 9am-5pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, MICHAEL G HOANG can be reached at (571) 272-6460. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/Jessica Yuen/
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 3762
JY
Prosecution Insights