DETAILED ACTION
The communication dated 03/11/2026 has been entered and fully considered.
Claims 1-6 are currently pending. Claim 5 is withdrawn.
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 .
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of Invention I: Claims 1-4 and 6 in the reply filed on 03/11/2026 is acknowledged.
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.
Claims 1-4 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.
Claim 1 refers to a position display. It is unclear if the position display is physically embedded in the position confirmation plate or if it is projected/developed during the course of the operation. For the purpose of examination, Examiner is determining that the position display is not physical and is something that is developed during the course of the operation.
Claims 2-4 are rejected under 112(b) due to dependency on claim 1.
Claim 4 refers to a lattice-shaped reference line. It is unclear if the lattice-shaped reference line is physically on the position confirmation plate or if it is a grid that a controller assigns to the confirmation plate. For the purpose of examination, Examiner is determining that the lattice-shaped reference line is a grid that a controller assigns to the confirmation plate.
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.
Claim 1 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Isokawa JP2017183595 (henceforth referred to as Isokawa) in view of Ilic et al. U.S. Publication 2016/0014906 (henceforth referred to as Ilic).
As to claim 1, Isokawa teaches a nozzle position adjusting device used for a substrate cleaning device including a substrate support portion that supports a substrate and a nozzle that jets a cleaning liquid toward the substrate (paragraph [0009] an adjustment unit for adjusting the supply position of the cleaning liquid supplied from the supply unit to the substrate),
Isokawa differs from the instant claim in failing to teach the nozzle position adjusting device comprising: a position confirmation plate in which a position display is formed and which is installed in the substrate support portion; and a positioning mechanism configured to extend from the nozzle toward the position confirmation plate, wherein the positioning mechanism determines a position of the nozzle with respect to the position confirmation plate by using the position display.
Ilic teaches a nozzle position adjusting device (paragraph [0045] proximity Sensor S provides control over the height between the nozzle 26 and the substrate material 10). Ilic teaches nozzle position adjusting device comprising:
a position confirmation plate (paragraph [0045] substrate material 10 reads on the claimed position confirmation plate) in which a position display is formed (paragraph [0045] proximity sensor S develops a topography map of substrate material 10. The topography map reads on the claimed position display) and which is installed in the substrate support portion (paragraph [0035] stage 14 holds the heated platform 12 and the substrate material 10 is secured onto a heated platform 12); and
a positioning mechanism configured to extend from the nozzle toward the position confirmation plate, wherein the positioning mechanism determines a position of the nozzle with respect to the position confirmation plate by using the position display (paragraphs [0045] and [0064] touch probe sensor S, which reads on the positioning mechanism, is mobile in the Z-direction and makes contact with a point on the surface of the substrate material 10, to detect and record the Z-position).
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 the substrate cleaning apparatus as taught by Isokawa with a nozzle position adjusting device as taught by Ilic. It would have been obvious to use a nozzle position adjusting device as taught by Ilic, as it can create grid/topography map of the surface of the substrate, which can then be used to maintain a constant distance between the nozzle and the substrate material (paragraph [0064]). Whether using a camera (as taught by Isokawa) or a touch probe sensor (as taught by Ilic), it would have resulted in an apparatus that can adjust the positioning of the nozzle to the surface of the substrate.
Claim 2 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Isokawa JP2017183595 (henceforth referred to as Isokawa) and Ilic et al. U.S. Publication 2016/0014906 (henceforth referred to as Ilic) as applied to claim 1 above, in further view of Huang et al. CN217803357 (henceforth referred to as Huang).
As to claim 2, Isokawa further teaches the position of the nozzle is determined with respect to the position display (paragraph [0034] the position detection unit 10 may detect the target position and the supply position at the position on the xy coordinate system. By detecting the supply position, it would detect the nozzle position).
Isokawa and Ilic differ from the instant claim in failing to teach the positioning mechanism includes a holder and a rod held by the holder to be expandable and contractible in a direction closer to and away from the position confirmation plate, and the position of the nozzle is determined, based on a position of a tip of the rod with respect to the position display.
Huang teaches a nozzle position adjusting device (paragraphs [n0003] and [n0042] a leveling device obtains the coordinate position of the print head assembly, in order to adjust the height of the nozzle of the print head assembly to achieve automatic leveling of the printing platform). Huang teaches the positioning mechanism includes a holder (FIGS. 4-6 paragraph [n0044] housing 60) and a rod held by the holder to be expandable and contractible in a direction closer to and away from the position confirmation plate (FIGS. 4-6 paragraph [n0044] probe 10, which reads on the claimed rod, can extend or retract in a direction perpendicular to the printing platform).
The combination or Isokawa and Huang would result in the position of the nozzle is determined, based on a position of a tip of the rod with respect to the position display (It would have been obvious to one skilled in the art to substitute Isokawa’s position detector with the Huang’s probe) .
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 the substrate cleaning apparatus as taught by Isokawa and Ilic with a rod and holder as taught by Huang. Having the rod be retractable can prevent it from being contaminated or damaged when not in use.
Claims 3-4 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Isokawa JP2017183595 (henceforth referred to as Isokawa), Ilic et al. U.S. Publication 2016/0014906 (henceforth referred to as Ilic), and Huang et al. CN217803357 (henceforth referred to as Huang) as applied to claim 2 above, in further view of Tsuruta U.S. Publication 2011/0089346 (henceforth referred to as Tsuruta).
As to claim 3, Isokawa, Ilic, and Huang differ from the instant claim in failing to teach one or a plurality of engagement recesses are formed in the position confirmation plate, the tip of the rod is engageable with the engagement recess, and the positioning mechanism determines the position of the rod by the tip being engaged with the engagement recess.
Tsuruta teaches a semiconductor treating device (paragraph [0028] electron-beam writing apparatus). Tsuruta teaches one or a plurality of engagement recesses are formed in the position confirmation plate (FIG. 3 paragraph [0035] the calibration substrate has multiple recesses 120 arranged at regular intervals).
The combination of either Ilic or Huang and Tsuruta would result in the tip of the rod (Ilic’s touch probe sensor S or Huang’s probe 10) is engageable with the engagement recess, and the positioning mechanism determines the position of the rod by the tip being engaged with the engagement recess (Tsuruta teaches that the position of the recesses 120 can be measured (paragraphs [0032]-[0045])). It would have been obvious to one skilled in the art to substitute Tsuruta’s position detector with the Ilic’s or Huang’s probe).
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 the substrate cleaning apparatus as taught by Isokawa, Ilic, and Huang with engagement recesses as taught by Tsuruta. It would have been obvious to use recesses as a means of detection points to map out the positions of a substrate.
As to claim 4, Tsuruta further teaches the position display has a lattice-shaped reference line (FIG. 5A paragraphs [0044]- [0045] the measured positions of the recesses 120 have their own corresponding intersection grids that result in a positional map. The intersection grid, reads on the claimed lattice-shaped reference line, and the positional map reads on the position display), and the engagement recess is formed at an intersection of the reference line (If there are non-physical reference lines arranged in a lattice shape, the engagement recesses in Figure 3 can be formed at an intersection of the non-physical reference lines).
Claim 6 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Isokawa JP2017183595 (henceforth referred to as Isokawa) in view of Ilic et al. U.S. Publication 2016/0014906 (henceforth referred to as Ilic) and Huang et al. CN217803357 (henceforth referred to as Huang).
As to claim 6, Isokawa teaches a nozzle position adjusting holder (paragraph [0040] support column 22 can extend and retract to change the supply position of the supply unit 20) used for a substrate cleaning device including a substrate support portion that supports a substrate and a nozzle that jets a cleaning liquid toward the substrate (paragraph [0009] an adjustment unit for adjusting the supply position of the cleaning liquid supplied from the supply unit to the substrate)
Isokawa differs from the instant claim in failing to teach wherein the nozzle position adjusting holder is used for a nozzle position adjusting device including a position confirmation plate having a position display and installed in the substrate support portion, and a positioning mechanism having a rod and extending from the nozzle toward the position confirmation plate, and the nozzle position adjusting holder holds the rod to be expandable and contractible in a direction closer to and away from the position confirmation plate.
Ilic teaches a nozzle position adjusting holder (FIG. 1 proximity sensor S is located on carriage 16, which reads on the claimed holder). Ilic teaches wherein the nozzle position adjusting holder is used for a nozzle position adjusting device (paragraph [0045] proximity Sensor S provides control over the height between the nozzle 26 and the substrate material 10) including a position confirmation plate (paragraph [0045] substrate material 10 reads on the claimed position confirmation plate) having a position display (paragraph [0045] proximity sensor S develops a topography map of substrate material 10. The topography map reads on the claimed position display) and installed in the substrate support portion (paragraph [0035] stage 14 holds the heated platform 12 and the substrate material 10 is secured onto a heated platform 12).
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 the substrate cleaning apparatus as taught by Isokawa with a nozzle position adjusting holder and device as taught by Ilic. It would have been obvious to use a nozzle position adjusting device as taught by Ilic, as it can create grid/topography map of the surface of the substrate, which can then be used to maintain a constant distance between the nozzle and the substrate material (paragraph [0064]). Whether using a camera (as taught by Isokawa) or a touch probe sensor (as taught by Ilic), it would have resulted in an apparatus that can adjust the positioning of the nozzle to the surface of the substrate.
Huang teaches a nozzle position adjusting device (paragraphs [n0003] and [n0042] a leveling device obtains the coordinate position of the print head assembly, in order to adjust the height of the nozzle of the print head assembly to achieve automatic leveling of the printing platform). Huang teaches wherein the nozzle position adjusting holder is used for a nozzle position adjusting device (paragraph [n0036] the leveling device, which reads on the claimed nozzle position adjusting device, has housing 60), a positioning mechanism having a rod and extending from the nozzle toward the position confirmation plate (FIGS. 4-6 paragraphs [n0013], [n0040] and [n0044] a leveling device, which contains the probe, is disposed on the printhead assembly, which contains a nozzle. The probe 10 reads on the claimed rod and can extend towards the printing platform), and
the nozzle position adjusting holder holds the rod to be expandable and contractible in a direction closer to and away from the position confirmation plate (FIGS. 4-6 paragraph [n0044] the probe 10 is movably disposed in the sliding hole 61 of the housing 60, which reads on the claimed holder. The probe 10 can extend or retract in a direction perpendicular to the printing platform).
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 the substrate cleaning apparatus as taught by Isokawa and Ilic with a rod and holder as taught by Huang. Having the rod be retractable can prevent it from being contaminated or damaged when not in use.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to LAUREN G ORTA whose telephone number is (703)756-5455. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday 7:30-5:00.
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/L.G.O./Examiner, Art Unit 1711
/MICHAEL E BARR/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 1711
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