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.
Claim(s) 1-17 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Osada et al (US 2026/0040872 A1, hereafter Osada) in view of Nagafuchi et al. (US 2024/0109200 A1, hereafter Nagafuchi).
Regarding Claim 1, Osada discloses a substrate processing system with a substrate transfer apparatus comprising:
A hand configured to hold and to transfer one substrate at a time (Figure 4A: AR, Paragraph 69), from a carrier that stores a plurality of substrates, in horizontal postures, with a predetermined interval between the substrates in a vertical direction, and that has an opening for taking out and storing substrate on one side surface (Figure 1: container C which may be a front-opening unified pod or FOUP, Paragraph 43), by advancing between adjacent upper and lower substrates (Paragraph 43, Paragraph 70: the transport arm AR is capable of horizontal movement in an XY plane, lifting and lowering in a Z-axis direction, and revolution in X, Y, and Z axis, Figure 8A and 8B show the transport arm AR is capable of this movement);
a sensor holding member that is a member configured to be advanced between the adjacent upper and lower substrates (Figure 8A and 8B show the transport arm AR is capable of this movement), and that includes
a second sensor configured to measure a distance with respect to a lower one of the adjacent upper and lower substrates (Figure 7A-8B: optical sensor 540 facing the bottom surface, sensor 54);
a control unit configured to control to advance and to retract the hand and the sensor holding member between the adjacent upper and lower substrates, through the opening of the carrier (Figure 1: CU, TR1, TR2, and TR3, Paragraph 49: control unit CU controls each of the transfer robots which includes the transfer arms on the transfer robots, Paragraph 43: transfer robot TR3 takes substrates from container C), wherein
the control unit is configured:
to advance the sensor holding member between a first substrate that is a substrate to be transferred and a second substrate that is on a lower side of the first substrate (Figure 9 shows the transfer robot would be capable of this with substrate W being on top of the arm AR, Paragraph 93), and to measure a minimum distance between the substrates (Paragraph 73: the sensors function as a distance and light intensity sensor, Paragraph 90: the controller can compare the output from the sensors with a reference point), based on a sum of a first minimum distance and a second minimum distance (Paragraph 88: the controller can determine the distance from each sensor and compare it to a reference position), the first minimum distance being a distance with respect to the substrate at a first measurement point where the first sensor is closest to the first substrate (Figure 9: the first sensor is 540A which is the sensor closest to the first substrate above), and the second minimum distance being a distance with respect to the substrate at a second measurement point where the second sensor is closest to the second substrate (Figures 7A-8B: the second sensor is 540 which is the sensor closest to the second substrate below),
The embodiment shown Figures 7A-8B of Osada does not disclose a first sensor configured to measure a distance with respect to upper one of the adjacent upper and lower substrates; and
the control unit is configured to adjust a height at which the hand is advanced, based on the minimum distance between the substrates so that a distance between the hand and the first substrate and a distance between the hand and the second substrate both become equal to or more than a predetermined distance, when the hand is advanced between the first substrate and the second substrate
Osada discloses an embodiment shown in Figure 9 with sensor configured to measure a distance with respect to upper one of the adjacent upper and lower substrates (Figure 9: optical sensor 540A facing the upper surface, sensor 54) for the purpose of being able to measure components above the transport arm (Paragraph 92).
Nagafuchi discloses a transfer system and transferring method for semiconductor substrates that uses a controller, robotic arm, and reflective sensors (Figure 2 and 8: robotic arm 10, sensors S1 and S2, and controller 20). The controller uses the sensors on the robotic arm to perform a mapping process of the environment and the arm’s movements are affected by the results of the sensors (Paragraph 34, Figures 9 and 11) for the purpose to aid in the loading and unloading process (Paragraph 34).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date to
modify the invention of Osada by including the sensor configured to measure a distance with respect to upper one of the adjacent upper and lower substrates disclosed in Figure 9 of Osada for the purpose of being able to measure components above the transport arm and making the movements of the robotic arm change based on the output of the sensors as disclosed by Nagafuchi so the distance between the hand and the first substrate and a distance between the hand and the second substrate both become equal to or more than a predetermined distance, when the hand is advanced between the first substrate and the second substrate for the purpose of correcting the position of the semiconductor before pickup.
Regarding Claim 2, Osada in view of Nagafuchi discloses the limitations of claim 1. Osada additionally discloses the hand has a tip end provided with a guide member against which an end of a substrate comes into abutment (Osada, Figure 4A and 4B: guide members PD which an end of a substrate comes into abutment on arm AR),
the first sensor and the second sensor are provided to a tip end of the sensor holding member (Figures 7A-9), and
the tip end of the sensor holding member has a thickness, in a height direction, thinner than a thickness of the tip end of the hand in the height direction (Osada, Figure 9: sensor holding member 56 is thinner than the pad PD part of the hand).
Regarding Claim 3, Osada in view of Nagafuchi discloses the limitations of claim 1. The combination as applied in claim 1 discloses the first sensor (Osada, Figure 9: optical sensor 540A facing the upper surface) measures a distance while being moved from an end of the first substrate (Osada, Paragraph 89: the sensor can take multiple measurements), the end being positioned at the opening of the carrier, toward a back of the carrier (Osada, Figure 5B: rails 542, Paragraph 80: the sensors are on rails to move along the arm, Paragraph 70: transport arm is also capable of moving the sensor without using rails).
the second sensor (Osada, Figures 7A-8B: the second sensor is 540 which is the sensor closest to the second substrate below) measures a distance while being moved from an end of the second substrate (Osada, Paragraph 89: the sensor can take multiple measurements), the end being positioned at the opening of the carrier, toward the back of the carrier (Osada, Figure 5B: rails 542, Paragraph 80: the sensors are on rails to move along the arm, Paragraph 70: transport arm is also capable of moving the sensor without using rails), and
the control unit is configured:
to adjust a height at which the hand is advanced in such a manner that a predetermined distance or more is ensured between the hand and the first substrate and between the hand and the second substrate (Osada, Paragraph 49: control unit controls transfer arms, Paragraph 90: the controller can compare the output from the sensors with a reference point which can be the minimum distance between the substrates), at the first measurement point where the first sensor is positioned closest to the first substrate and at the second measurement point at which the second sensor is positioned closest to the second substrate (Osada, Paragraph 90).
Regarding Claim 4, Osada in view of Nagafuchi discloses the limitations of claim 3. The combination as applied in claim 3 discloses the control unit is configured to adjust the height at which the hand is advanced in such a manner that a distance between the hand and the first substrate at the first measurement point becomes equal to a distance between the hand and the second substrate at the second measurement point (Nagafuchi, Figures 9 and 11: the arm’s movements are dependent on the output of the sensors), (Osada, Paragraph 70: the transport arm AR is capable of horizontal movement in an XY plane, lifting and lowering in a Z-axis direction, and revolution in X, Y, and Z axis, Paragraph 49: control unit controls transfer arms, Paragraph 90: the controller can compare the output from the sensors with a reference point which can be the minimum distance between the substrates).
Regarding Claim 5, Osada in view of Nagafuchi discloses the limitations of claim 1. The combination as applied in claim 1 discloses the sensor holding member is configured not to transfer the substrate (Osada, Figure 9: pad holds substrate W, Paragraph 93).
Regarding Claim 6, Osada in view of Nagafuchi discloses the limitations of claim 3. The combination as applied in claim 3 does not disclose the control unit is configured not to advance the hand between the first substrate and the second substrate when a distance between the first substrate and the second substrate is too short to adjust the distance between the hand and the first substrate at the first measurement point and the distance between the hand and the second substrate at the second measurement point to equal to or more than the predetermined distance, simultaneously.
Nagafuchi additionally discloses the control unit is configured to not advance the hand between the first and second substrate when there is not enough room to insert the hand (Figure 9 and 11, Paragraphs 122 and 133) for the purpose of preventing substrates from being damaged due to a contact even when the substrates are significantly deflected (Paragraph 6).
It would It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date to modify the invention as applied in claim 3 by including the advancement prevention system disclosed by Nagafuchi to the control unit for the purpose of preventing substrates from being damaged due to a contact even when the substrates are significantly deflected.
Regarding Claim 7, Osada in view of Nagafuchi discloses the limitations of claim 1. The combination as applied in claim 1 discloses a top surface of the sensor holding member is positioned higher than a bottom end of the first sensor (Osada, Figure 9: the pad PD on the sensors holding member AR is positioned higher than the bottom end of the first sensor 54)
The combination as applied in claim 1 does not disclose a bottom surface of the sensor holding member is positioned lower than a top end of the second sensor.
Osada discloses using a pad portion of the arm for the purpose of preventing the lens structure from coming into contact with the transport target (Figure 9: Pad PD lens 56, Paragraph 93).
It would It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date to modify the invention as applied in claim 1 by including the pads disclosed by Osada onto the bottom part of the arm for the purpose of preventing the lens structure from coming into contact with the transport target.
Regarding Claim 8, Osada in view of Nagafuchi discloses the limitations of claim 1. The combination as applied in claim 1 discloses the hand has a first holding body that holds one end of the substrate, and a second holding body that holds another end of the substrate (Osada, Figure 4A: two holding bodies can be seen on the transport arm the first holding body is 52A and the second is 52B)
the sensor holding member includes at least two sensor groups each including the first sensor and the second sensor (Osada, each of the holding bodies has a first top sensor shown Figure 9 and a bottom second sensor shown in Figures 7A-8B)
the first sensor group measures a distance between the first substrate and the second substrate at a position where the first holding body is advanced (Osada, Paragraph 73: the sensors function as a distance and light intensity sensor, Paragraph 89: the sensor can take multiple measurements)
and a second sensor group measures a distance between the first substrate and the second substrate at a position where the second holding body is advanced (Osada, Paragraph 73: the sensors function as a distance and light intensity sensor, Paragraph 89: the sensor can take multiple measurements).
Regarding claim 9, Osada in view of Nagafuchi discloses the limitations of claim 8. The combination as applied in claim 8 discloses the sensor holding member includes a first projection extending correspondingly to the first holding body (Osada, Figure 4A: Curved first projection can be seen on first holding member 52A), and a second projection extending correspondingly to the second holding body (Osada, Figure 4A: Curved second projection can be seen on second holding member 52B).
Regarding claim 10, Osada in view of Nagafuchi discloses the limitations of claim 9. The combination as applied in claim 9 discloses the sensor holding member includes the sensor group at a tip end of the first projection (Osada, the top and bottom sensors seen in figures 7A-9 are located at the tip of the holding member, Paragraph 80: the lens is movable along a rail allowing it to move along the holding member), and includes the sensor group at a tip end of the second projection (Figures 7A-9, Paragraph 80).
Regarding claim 11, Osada in view of Nagafuchi discloses the limitations of claim 9. The combination as applied in claim 9 discloses the sensor holding member is provided with the first sensor and the second sensor at the same position of the first projection, and is provided with the first sensor and the second sensor at the same position of the second projection (Osada, the top and bottom sensors seen in figures 7A-9 are located at the tip of the holding member, Paragraph 80: the lens is movable along a rail allowing it to move along the holding member).
Regarding Claim 12, Osada in view of Nagafuchi discloses the limitations of claim 1. The combination as applied in claim 1 does not disclose the control unit does not advance the hand between the first substrate and the second substrate when the distance between the first substrate and the second substrate is too short to advance the sensor holding member between the first substrate and the second substrate.
Nagafuchi additionally discloses the control unit is configured to not advance the hand between the first and second substrate when there is not enough room to insert the hand (Figure 9 and 11, Paragraphs 122 and 133) for the purpose of preventing substrates from being damaged due to a contact even when the substrates are significantly deflected (Paragraph 6).
It would It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date to modify the invention as applied in claim 1 by including the advancement prevention system disclosed by Nagafuchi to the control unit for the purpose of preventing substrates from being damaged due to a contact even when the substrates are significantly deflected.
Regarding Claim 13, Osada in view of Nagafuchi discloses the limitations of claim 1. The combination as applied in claim 1 discloses when the first substrate is left out in the carrier, after the second substrate is transferred from the carrier, the control unit causes the hand to transfer the first substrate (Osada, Figure 1: trasnsfer robot TR3, load lock modules LL1, LL2, and carrier SR, Paragraph 44: the control unit uses the transfer robot to move the substrates between load ports, load lock modules, the aligner, and the storage, the transfer robot can move a first substrate from the carrier to a load lock module, take a second substrate from the load lock module and place it back in the carrier, and place the first substrate back into the carrier from the load lock module).
Regarding Claim 14, Osada in view of Nagafuchi discloses the limitations of claim 1. The combination as applied in claim 1 discloses the control unit is configured: to advance the sensor holding member between the first substrate and the second substrate at a first speed, and to advance the hand between the first substrate and the second substrate at a second speed that is higher than the first speed (Osada, Paragraph 44: during the picking and placement process of the substate, the hand would have to move at a first speed toward the substrates or substrate holder, slow down to a stop to release or grab the substrate, then speed back up from stopping to remove the substrate or leave the container, there are multiple speeds the hand travels at because it slows down and speeds back up again).
Regarding Claim 15, Osada in view of Nagafuchi discloses the limitations of claim 1. The combination as applied in claim 1 discloses the sensor holding member is at a same position as a position of the hand before being advanced between the substrates (Osada, Figures 7A-9: the sensors 54 can be located on the same position on the hand).
Regarding Claim 16, Osada in view of Nagafuchi discloses the limitations of claim 1. The combination as applied in claim 1 discloses the hand is also used as the sensor holding member, and the first sensor and the second sensor are mounted on the hand (Osada, Figure 4A: the first sensors on 52A and second sensors on 52B sensors are mounted on the hand AR).
Regarding Claim 17, Osada in view of Nagafuchi discloses the limitations of claim 1. The combination as applied in claim 1 discloses a processing unit configured to perform predetermined processing on the substrate transferred by the substrate transfer apparatus (Osada, Figure 1: plasma processing chambers PM1 to PM12, Paragraph 69).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Kwon et al. (US 2025/0087511 A1) discloses a method for determining the center position of a transferred semiconductor and adjusting it, Dao et al. (US 2025/0029862 A1) discloses a measuring method for measuring a gap between an upper and lower surface for semiconductor manufacturing, and Saito et al. (US 20220020623 A1) discloses a substrate transferring device that uses sensors to detect the height of the substrate.
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/J.K.T./Examiner, Art Unit 3653
/MICHAEL MCCULLOUGH/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3653
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