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 .
Specification
The lengthy specification has not been checked to the extent necessary to determine the presence of all possible minor errors. Applicant’s cooperation is requested in correcting any errors of which applicant may become aware in the specification.
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 1-3, 6, 11-13 and 17-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Chiu et al. [US 2012/0037522 A1].
Regarding claim 1, Chiu et al. discloses an article comprising a reticle contact for a reticle pod (as shown in Fig. 2), the reticle contact including:
a reticle contact body (Figs. 4, 5, 8A and 8B, items 34 and 46) configured to be received in a cover (30) of the reticle pod or a baseplate (40) of the reticle pod (as shown in Fig. 2); and
a reticle contact region (34 and 46) at a distal end of the reticle contact body, wherein the reticle contact region includes a wear reduction feature (paragraphs [0034] and [0036] teaches high polymer material or high wear-resistant high polymer material, PEEK, to reduce friction against the reticle).
Regarding claims 2 and 3, Chiu et al. discloses wherein the wear reduction feature includes one or more elongate arcing projections, wherein the one or more elongate arcing projections surround a reticle contact region (as shown in Fig. 8B and supporting piece 46, semi-circular protruding points 461 and guiding sidewall 462).
Regarding claim 6, Chiu et al. discloses wherein the wear reduction feature includes at least one relief (342) provided in the reticle contact region (as shown in Fig. 5).
Regarding claims 11-13, Chiu et al. discloses wherein the wear reduction feature includes a first region of the reticle contact region where a thickness of the reticle contact is relatively less than a thickness of the reticle contact at a second region of the reticle contact surface, wherein the first region of the reticle contact overlaps with a center of the reticle contact region, wherein the wear reduction feature includes a plurality of projections from the reticle contact region, wherein at least one of the plurality of projections has an elongate cross-sectional shape (as shown in Figs. 4, 5, 8A and 8B).
Regarding claims 17-20, Chiu et al. discloses a reticle pod, comprising a cover, a baseplate, and a plurality of the articles, further comprising a pod dome and a pod door (as shown in Fig. 2).
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 4, 5, 7-10, 14 and 15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Chiu et al.
Regarding claims 4, 5, 7-10, 14 and 15, Chiu et al. discloses the article, as applied above.
Chiu et al. does not teach wherein the one or more elongate arcing projections include one or more rings, each of said one or more rings surrounding a center of the reticle contact region, wherein a maximum height of the reticle contact region is provided on at least one of the one or more arcing projections, and wherein transitions from side walls of the one or more arcing projections to a reticle contact surface of the one or more arcing projections are radiused over a distance of 0.3 millimeters (mm) or less, wherein the relief has a depth of at least 0.1 millimeters (mm), wherein the reticle contact surface has a radius R1, a transition between the side wall of the wear reducing feature to the reticle contact surface has a radius R2, and R2 is less than 80% of R1, wherein the side wall of the wear reducing feature has a height of 0.2 mm or greater, wherein the at least one relief includes a ring-shaped trench, wherein the ring-shaped trench has an inner diameter in a range from 0.1 millimeters (mm) to 3.0 mm, wherein transitions from side walls of the ring-shaped trench to a reticle contact surface of the reticle contact region are radiused over a distance of 0.3 millimeters (mm) or less.
However, Chiu et al. discloses wherein the contact region has a guiding sidewall (462) to guide the reticle and restricts the reticle between the guiding sidewall (paragraph [0036], see also Fig. 8B). Further, Chiu et al. discloses two protruding ribs (342) are further disposed on the front of the upper supporting piece creating a trench radius over a distance (paragraph [0034], see also Fig. 5). As such, the dimensions and shape of the contact region are art recognized result affecting parameter.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to determine the optimum or workable dimensions and shape of the contact region by routine experimentation. The normal desire of scientists or artisans to improve upon what is already generally known would result in a system that allows for optimum dimensioned and shaped contact regions comprising wear reduction features, suitable for being used to transport reticles in EUV lithography process
Claim 16 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Chiu et al. in view of Raschke et al. [US 2021/0057248 A1].
Regarding claim 16, Chiu et al. discloses the article, as applied above.
Chiu et al. does not teach further comprising a flexible mounting configured to allow the reticle contact to move relative the cover of the reticle pod or the baseplate of the reticle pod when the flexible mounting is deformed.
However, Raschke et al. discloses wherein the reticle contact member comprises a resilient member, configured to respond to the application of a downward force in the Z-direction permitting the reticle contact member to move from a first retracted position to a second position (Fig. 14A and 14B items 616 and 618, see also paragraph [0068]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to provide a flexible mounting configured to allow the reticle contact to move relative the cover of the reticle pod, as taught by Raschke et al. in the system of Chiu et al. because such a modification provides a suitable alternative reticle contact member to allow the reticle contact to move relative the cover of the reticle pod (paragraph [0068] of Raschke et al.).
Conclusion
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/DEORAM PERSAUD/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2882
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