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 .
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 10/3/2024 have been considered by the examiner.
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.
Claims 1-4 and 11-18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Wang et al. (PG Pub U.S 2011/0209727).
Regarding claim 1, Wang teaches a substrate cleaning apparatus comprising: a cleaning module (abstract and figs 1-2 and 6-8) including a transfer mechanism (106 in fig 25) for transferring a substrate in a first direction (para 0110-0111), and bringing, into contact with the substrate transferred in the first direction (linear; para 0111), a cleaning member (24) rotating about a rotation axis extending in a second direction that is not perpendicular (claim 12) (parallel across substrate) to the first direction (para 0072-0073; fig 6-8), to perform cleaning (para 0072-0073), and a control device (74) (para 0086) that changes a cleaning condition including a rotation speed of the cleaning member based on information about at least one of the substrate and the cleaning module (para 0025, 0048, 0064, 0086, 0101, claims 4-5 and 13).
Regarding claim 2, Wang teaches wherein the control device changes the cleaning condition based on whether a component of the substrate cleaning apparatus normally operates during cleaning by the cleaning module (para 0076 and 0086).
Regarding claim 3, Wang teaches wherein the control device changes the cleaning condition based on at least one of a drive current and a drive torque of a motor that drives the transfer mechanism or the cleaning member (para 0076 and 0086).
Regarding claim 4, Wang teaches wherein the cleaning module brings, into contact with at least one surface of the substrate transferred in the first direction (0110-0111; linear), a plurality of cleaning members (24 and 50) (para 0072-0074) rotating about respective rotation axes extending in a plurality of different second directions (fig 2), to perform cleaning (para 0077-0084) (each axis being above and below the substrate so different directions).
Regarding claim 11, Wang teaches wherein the cleaning member includes a plurality of protrusions (18a) formed on a surface that contacts the substrate (para 0070, 0072, and 0075).
Regarding claim 12, Wang teaches wherein the cleaning member is cylindrical (para 0072-0073; roller brush reads on cylindrical).
Regarding claim 13, Wang teaches wherein in the cleaning module, a first cleaning member (24) and a second cleaning member (50) are arranged (figs 7-8 and para 0072-0074), the first cleaning member is the cleaning member that cleans one surface of the substrate (figs 7-8 and para 0072-0074), and the second cleaning member is the cleaning member that cleans the other surface of the substrate (figs 7-8 and para 0072-0074).
Regarding claim 14, the limitation “wherein the substrate is a rectangular substrate” is considered an article worked upon by a structure. “Expressions relating the apparatus to contents thereof during an intended operation are of no significance in determining patentability of the apparatus claim.” Furthermore, “[i]nclusion of material or article worked upon by a structure being claimed does not impart patentability to the claims.” See MPEP 2115.
Regarding claim 15, Wang teaches wherein the first direction and the second direction are directions along the surface of the substrate (para 0072-0073, 0110-0111 and claim 12; fig 6-8).
Regarding claim 16, Wang teaches a substrate processing apparatus comprising the
substrate cleaning apparatus according to claim 1 (abstract and para 0110-0111).
Regarding claim 17, Wang teaches a substrate polishing apparatus (102) and a drying module (120) (para 0111).
Regarding claim 18, Wang teaches a substrate cleaning method comprising:
transferring a substrate in a first direction (para 0110-0111), bringing, into contact with the substrate transferred in the first direction, a cleaning member rotating about a rotation axis extending in a second direction that is not perpendicular to the first direction (para 0072-0073 and claim 12), to perform cleaning (para 0072-0073), and changing a cleaning condition including a rotation speed of the cleaning member based on information about at least one of the substrate and the cleaning module (para 0025, 0048, 0064, 0086, 0101, claims 4-5 and 13).
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.
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 5 and 10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Wang et al. (PG Pub U.S 2011/0209727).
Regarding claim 5, Wang fails to teach wherein the transfer mechanism or the cleaning module comprises a detector that detects a position of the substrate, and the control device changes the cleaning condition based on a detected position of the substrate. However, since the transfer of the substrate and cleaning of the substrate is automated and controlled based on position of the substrate (para 0110-0111), it is reasonably expected to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention that the controller also operates as a detector that detects a position of the substrate, and the control device changes the cleaning condition based on a detected position of the substrate in order to effectively transfer and clean the substrate accordingly.
Regarding claim 10, Wang fails to teach wherein the cleaning member includes a sponge. However, Wang also teaches that the roll brush can be a sponge (para 0005) in order to achieve the predictable result of scrubbing the substrate surface. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention for the cleaning member to include a sponge as further taught by Wang in order to achieve the predictable result of scrubbing the substrate surface.
23. Claim 19 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Wang et al. (PG Pub U.S 2011/0209727) and further in view of Kubo et al. (PG Pub U.S 2021/0220878).
24. Regarding claim 19, Wang teaches a substrate cleaning apparatus comprising a cleaning module to perform change processing of changing a cleaning condition including a rotation speed of a cleaning member based on information about at least one of the substrate and the cleaning module (para 0025, 0048, 0064, 0086, 0101, claims 4-5 and 13), the cleaning module including a transfer mechanism for transferring the substrate in a first direction (para 0110-0111), and bringing, into contact with the substrate transferred in the first direction (linear; para 0111), the cleaning member rotating about the rotation axis extending in a second direction that is not perpendicular to the first direction (claim 12), to perform cleaning (para 0072-0073).
Wang fails to teach a non-transitory storage medium that stores a program for causing a processor. However, Kubo teaches it is known for a substrate cleaning apparatus to include non-transitory storage medium that stores a program for a processor (para 0048) in order to effectively automate the cleaning and transferring of the substrate. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Wang such that it includes a non-transitory storage medium that stores a program for a processor as taught by Kubo in order to effectively automate the cleaning and transferring of the substrate.
Allowable Subject Matter
25. Claims 6-9 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.
26. The following is an examiner’s statement for reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
27. The closest prior art of record is Wang et al. (PG Pub U.S 2011/0209727).
28. Wang teaches the limitations of claim 1 as detailed above.
29. Regarding claim 6, Wang fails to teach wherein the control device changes the direction of the rotation axis to the second direction within a predetermined time before time when the cleaning member starts contacting the substrate.
30. Regarding claim 7, Wang fails to teach wherein the control device changes the direction of the rotation axis to the second direction within a predetermined time before time when the cleaning member starts separating from the substrate.
31. Regarding claim 8, Wang fails to teach wherein the control device changes orientations of transfer of the substrate and of rotation of the cleaning member to reverse orientations (xxx), when the cleaning member completely separates from the substrate.
Conclusion
32. Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to PRADHUMAN PARIHAR whose telephone number is (571)270-1633. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 10am-6pm EST.
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/P.P/Examiner, Art Unit 1714
/KAJ K OLSEN/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 1714
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