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 .
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of Species A, Fig. 1, claims 1-4, 10, 11 and 13-26 in the reply filed on 07/16/2026 is acknowledged.
Claims 5-9, 12 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected species, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on 07/16/2026.
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(s) 1-4, 10, 11 and 14-16 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Nomoto (US PG Pub. 2021/0404711) in view of Okazaki et al. (JP 2004232951 A).
Regarding claim 1, Nomoto discloses a cooling device for cooling a cooling target, comprising: a circulation system (CA, Fig. 1) configured to circulate a refrigerant for cooling the cooling target (80; paragraph 22), wherein a container (7) including a region where heat is exchanged between the refrigerant and at least a part of the cooling target is provided in the circulation system (paragraph 24), the circulation system circulates the refrigerant so that the refrigerant enters the container at a predetermined temperature (paragraph 24).
Nomoto does not explicitly teach the refrigerant is a mixed refrigerant obtained by mixing a first refrigerant of a first boiling point and a second refrigerant of a second boiling point higher than the first boiling point, the circulation system circulates the mixed refrigerant so that the mixed refrigerant enters the container at a predetermined temperature, and the first refrigerant has a vapor pressure higher than a pressure resistance of the container at the predetermined temperature.
Okazaki teaches the concept of a cooling device utilizing a refrigerant that is a mixed refrigerant obtained by mixing a first refrigerant of a first boiling point and a second refrigerant of a second boiling point higher than the first boiling point (paragraphs 36-37) and the first refrigerant has a vapor pressure higher than a pressure resistance of the container at the predetermined temperature (paragraphs 23-24, 36-37) that allows the system to efficiently operate by overcoming the problem of pressure resistance and improving the operating efficiency of the system (paragraphs 21-22). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of filing to modify the cooling device of Nomoto to have the refrigerant include a mixed refrigerant obtained by mixing a first refrigerant of a first boiling point and a second refrigerant of a second boiling point higher than the first boiling point, the circulation system circulates the mixed refrigerant so that the mixed refrigerant enters the container at a predetermined temperature, and the first refrigerant has a vapor pressure higher than a pressure resistance of the container at the predetermined temperature taught by Okazaki in order to overcome the pressure resistance and losses in the system and achieve higher operating efficiency.
Regarding claim 2, Nomoto as modified discloses the cooling device according to claim 1, wherein the circulation system circulates the mixed refrigerant so that the region is exposed to the mixed refrigerant having entered the container while the first refrigerant and the second refrigerant are in a liquid phase state, and the mixed refrigerant including the first refrigerant, a part of which is in a vapor phase state, and the second refrigerant in the liquid phase state is discharged from the container (adding the teachings of Okazaki to the system of Nomoto would allow the circulation system circulates the mixed refrigerant so that the region is exposed to the mixed refrigerant having entered the container while the first refrigerant and the second refrigerant are in a liquid phase state, and the mixed refrigerant including the first refrigerant, a part of which is in a vapor phase state, and the second refrigerant in the liquid phase state is discharged from the container).
Regarding claim 3, Nomoto as modified discloses the cooling device according to claim 1, wherein the first refrigerant and the second refrigerant are mixed at such mixing ratio that the first refrigerant ebullient-cools the cooling target to enter a vapor phase state in the region, and the second refrigerant convection-cools the cooling target in a liquid phase state and compresses the first refrigerant in the vapor phase state in the region (adding the teachings of Okazaki to the system of Nomoto would allow the first refrigerant and the second refrigerant to be mixed at such mixing ratio that the first refrigerant ebullient-cools the cooling target to enter a vapor phase state in the region, and the second refrigerant convection-cools the cooling target in a liquid phase state and compresses the first refrigerant in the vapor phase state in the region).
Regarding claim 4, Nomoto as modified discloses the cooling device according to claim 1, and Okazaki further teaches wherein the mixed refrigerant is a non-azeotropic mixed refrigerant (Abstract).
Regarding claim 10¸ Nomoto as modified discloses the cooling device according to claim 1, wherein a heater (4) configured to heat the mixed refrigerant so that a temperature of the mixed refrigerant becomes the predetermined temperature is provided in the circulation system (paragraph 23).
Regarding claim 11, Nomoto as modified discloses the cooling device according to claim 1, wherein a condenser (2) configured to condense a mixed refrigerant in a gas-liquid mixed phase state discharged from the container to obtain a mixed refrigerant in a liquid phase state, a pump (3) configured to send the mixed refrigerant in the liquid phase state from the condenser, and a pressure reducer (6) configured to reduce a pressure of the mixed refrigerant in the liquid phase state sent from the pump and supply the mixed refrigerant to the container are provided in the circulation system (Fig. 1).
Regarding claim 14, Nomoto as modified discloses a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus (paragraph 1) that includes a heat generating portion (paragraph 2), comprising: a cooling device defined in claim 1, wherein the cooling device is configured to cool the heat generating portion as a cooling target (80).
Regarding claim 15, Nomoto as modified discloses the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus is formed as a pattern forming apparatus configured to form a pattern (paragraph 2).
Regarding claim 16, Nomoto as modified discloses a semiconductor manufacturing method comprising: a step of processing a substrate by a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus defined in claim 14 (paragraph 10); and a step of treating the substrate processed in the step (paragraph 51).
Claim 13 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Nomoto (US PG Pub. 2021/0404711) in view of Okazaki et al. (JP 2004232951 A) further in view of Nishiyama et al. (US PG Pub. 2019/0277549).
Regarding claim 13, Nomoto as modified discloses the cooling device according to claim 1, but does not explicitly teach wherein the first refrigerant is one of R1234zeE and R-1234yf.
Nishiyama teaches the concept of a cooling device including a refrigeration cycle that uses R1234yf as a known non-azeotropic refrigerant mixture to be circulated in the refrigerant circulation system (paragraph 87). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of filing to modify the cooling device of Nomoto to have the first refrigerant is one of R1234zeE and R-1234yf in order to select a known material based upon its suitability for its intended use (see MPEP 2144.07).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JOSEPH F TRPISOVSKY whose telephone number is (571)270-5296. The examiner can normally be reached M-F: 8AM-4PM.
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/JOSEPH F TRPISOVSKY/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3763
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