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 § 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 7, 14, 20 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 7 state the sealing bearings contain any gear wear particulates within the sealed bearings. The specification did not disclose why the sealed gears would contain gear wear particulates, instead specification stated only for prevention (0009). For examination purposes it has been assumed that the seals are intended to prevent particulates from entering the bearing.
Similarly, claims 14 and 20 are rejected due to same wording as claim 7.
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 1-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Goodwin et al. (U.S. Patent ‘155) in view of Gagliardi (U.S. Patent ‘091) and Tanaka (GB ‘893).
Regarding claim 1, Goodwin et al. teaches a transfer arm (100), configured to move a wafer inside a piece of equipment designed to manufacture electronic circuits, comprising: a hand (110); a left wrist (120L) and a right wrist (120R) connected to the hand, wherein the hand and the left wrist and the right wrist comprise gears (700) and bearings (720), and wherein the gears are hidden from a line of sight of the wafer during a manufacturing process of the electronic circuits on the wafer; a left upper arm (130L) connected to the left wrist and a right upper arm (130R) connected to the right wrist by a left wrist threaded section and a right wrist threaded section respectively; a left elbow (140L) connected to the left upper arm and a right elbow (140R) connected to the right upper arm by a left upper elbow threaded section and a right upper elbow threaded section respectively; a left lower arm (150L) connected to the left elbow and a right lower arm (150R) connected to the right elbow by a left lower elbow threaded section and a right lower elbow threaded section respectively; and a left shoulder (160L) connected to the left lower arm and a right shoulder (160R) connected to the right lower arm by a left shoulder threaded section and a right shoulder threaded section respectively.
Regarding claim 2, Goodwin et al. teaches the transfer arm of claim 1, wherein a continuous airtight passage runs through the right shoulder, right lower arm, right elbow, right upper arm, right wrist and hand to permit the transfer arm to hold the wafer via Bernoulli’s principle.
Regarding claim 3, Goodwin et al. teaches the transfer arm of claim 1, wherein a continuous airtight passage runs through the left shoulder, left lower arm, left elbow, left upper arm, left wrist and hand to permit the transfer arm to hold the wafer via the Bernoulli’s principle.
Regarding claim 4, Goodwin et al. teaches the transfer arm of claim 1, wherein a continuous airtight passage runs through the right shoulder, right lower arm, right elbow, right upper arm, right wrist and hand and another continuous airtight passage runs through the left shoulder, left lower arm, left elbow, left upper arm, left wrist and hand to permit the transfer arm to hold the wafer via Bernoulli’s principle.
Regarding claim 9, Goodwin et al. teaches the transfer arm of claim 1, wherein left wrist, right wrist, left upper arm, right upper arm, left elbow, right elbow, left lower arm, right lower arm, left shoulder and right shoulder are easily disconnected from each other and the transfer arm for easy internal cleaning.
On the other hand, regarding claims 1 and 5, Goodwin et al. doesn’t teach sealed gears or sealed gears that are in a closed compartment.
Regarding claim 1, Gagliardi teaches sealed gears are in a robotic environment.
Regarding claim 5, Gagliardi teaches sealed gears in a closed compartment.
Goodwin et al. and Gagliardi are in the same field of endeavor to the claimed invention because they are in the same field of robotic substrate processing. It would have been prima facie obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Goodwin et al. in view of Gagliardi to include gears sealed within a closed compartment. Doing so would have protected the gears from environmental factors.
On the other hand, regarding claims 1, 6-8, Goodwin et al. doesn’t teach sealed bearings, sealed bearings to prevent gear wear particulates from transporting to the wafer during the manufacture of electronic circuits, sealed bearings that contain any gear wear particulates within the sealed bearings, or wrist bearings that are sealed from corrosive processes gasses used to manufacture the electronic circuits.
Regarding claim 1, Tanaka teaches sealed bearings are in a robotic environment.
Regarding claim 6, Tanaka teaches sealed gears to prevent gear wear particulates from transporting to the wafer during the manufacture of electronic circuits.
Regarding claim 7, Tanaka teaches sealed gears that contain any gear wear particulates within the sealed bearings.
Regarding claim 8, Tanaka teaches wrist bearings that are sealed from corrosive processes gasses used to manufacture the electronic circuits.
Goodwin et al. and Tanaka are in the same field of endeavor to the claimed invention because they are in the same field of robotics. It would have been prima facie obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Goodwin et al. in view of Tanaka to include bearings sealed to prevent gear wear particulates and corrosive gases used to manufacture the electronic circuits. Doing so would have protected the bearings from environmental factors.
Regarding claim 10, Goodwin et al. teaches transfer arm configured to move a wafer inside a piece of equipment designed to manufacture electronic circuits, comprising: a hand; a left wrist and a right wrist connected to the hand, wherein the hand and the left wrist and the right wrist comprise sealed gears and sealed bearings, and wherein the sealed bearings are sealed from corrosive process gasses; a left upper arm connected to the left wrist and a right upper arm connected to the right wrist by a left wrist threaded section and a right wrist threaded section respectively; a left elbow connected to the left upper arm and a right elbow connected to the right upper arm by a left upper elbow threaded section and a right upper elbow threaded section respectively; a left lower arm connected to the left elbow and a right lower arm connected to the right elbow by a left lower elbow threaded section and a right lower elbow threaded section respectively; and a left shoulder connected to the left lower arm and a right shoulder connected to the right lower arm by a left shoulder threaded section and a right shoulder threaded section respectively.
Regarding claim 15, Goodwin et al. teaches the transfer arm of claim 10, wherein left wrist, right wrist, left upper arm, right upper arm, left elbow, right elbow, left lower arm, right lower arm, left shoulder and right shoulder are easily disconnected from each other and the transfer arm for easy internal cleaning.
On the other hand, regarding claims 10, and 11-12 Goodwin et al. doesn’t teach sealed gears or sealed gears are in a closed compartment, or sealed gears hidden from a line of sight of the wafer during the manufacture of the electronic circuits.
Regarding claim 10, Gagliardi teaches sealed gears are in a robotic environment.
Regarding claim 11, Gagliardi teaches sealed gears in a closed compartment.
Regarding claim 12, Gagliardi teaches sealed gears in a hidden from a line of sight of the wafer during the manufacture of the electronic circuits.
Goodwin et al. and Gagliardi are in the same field of endeavor to the claimed invention because they are in the same field of robotic substrate processing. It would have been prima facie obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Goodwin et al. in view of Gagliardi to include gears sealed within a closed compartment or gears hidden from a line of sight of the wafer during the manufacture of the electronic circuits. Doing so would have protected the gears from environmental factors.
On the other hand, regarding claims 10, 13-14, Goodwin et al. doesn’t teach sealed bearings, sealed bearings to prevent gear wear particulates from transporting to the wafer during the manufacture of electronic circuits, or sealed bearings that contain any gear wear particulates within the sealed bearings.
Regarding claim 10, Tanaka teaches sealed bearings are in a robotic environment.
Regarding claim 13, Tanaka teaches sealed gears to prevent gear wear particulates from transporting to the wafer during the manufacture of electronic circuits.
Regarding claim 14, Tanaka teaches sealed gears that contain any gear wear particulates within the sealed bearings.
Goodwin et al. and Tanaka are in the same field of endeavor to the claimed invention because they are in the same field of robotics. It would have been prima facie obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Goodwin et al. in view of Tanaka to include bearings sealed to prevent gear wear particulates from transporting to the wafer during the manufacture process of the electronic circuits on the wafer and sealed bearings containing any gear wear particulates within the sealed bearings. Doing so would have protected the bearings from environmental factors.
Regarding claim 16, Goodwin et al. teaches a transfer arm configured to move a wafer inside a piece of equipment designed to manufacture electronic circuits, comprising: a hand; a left wrist and a right wrist connected to the hand, wherein the hand and the left wrist and the right wrist comprise sealed gears and sealed bearings; a left upper arm connected to the left wrist and a right upper arm connected to the right wrist by a left wrist threaded section and a right wrist threaded section respectively; a left elbow connected to the left upper arm and a right elbow connected to the right upper arm by a left upper elbow threaded section and a right upper elbow threaded section respectively; a left lower arm connected to the left elbow and a right lower arm connected to the right elbow by a left lower elbow threaded section and a right lower elbow threaded section respectively; a left shoulder connected to the left lower arm and a right shoulder connected to the right lower arm by a left shoulder threaded section and a right shoulder threaded section respectively; and wherein the left upper arm, right upper arm, left elbow, right elbow, left lower arm, right lower arm, left shoulder and right shoulder are easily disconnected and removable from the transfer arm using their respective threaded sections to permit internal mechanical cleaning of each of the left upper arm, right upper arm, left elbow, right elbow, left lower arm, right lower arm, left shoulder and right shoulder.
On the other hand, regarding claims 16-18, Goodwin et al. doesn’t teach sealed gears or sealed gears are in a closed compartment.
Regarding claim 16, Gagliardi teaches sealed gears are in a robotic environment.
Regarding claim 17, Gagliardi teaches sealed gears in a closed compartment.
Regarding claim 18, Gagliardi teaches sealed gears in a hidden from a line of sight of the wafer during the manufacture of the electronic circuits.
Goodwin et al. and Gagliardi are in the same field of endeavor to the claimed invention because they are in the same field of robotic substrate processing. It would have been prima facie obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Goodwin et al. in view of Gagliardi to include gears sealed within a closed compartment or gears hidden from a line of sight of the wafer during the manufacture of the electronic circuits. Doing so would have protected the gears from environmental factors.
On the other hand, regarding claims 16, 19-20, Goodwin et al. doesn’t teach sealed bearings, sealed bearings to prevent gear wear particulates from transporting to the wafer during the manufacture of electronic circuits, or sealed bearings that contain any gear wear particulates within the sealed bearings.
Regarding claim 16, Tanaka teaches sealed bearings are in a robotic environment.
Regarding claim 19, Tanaka teaches sealed gears to prevent gear wear particulates from transporting to the wafer during the manufacture of electronic circuits.
Regarding claim 20, Tanaka teaches sealed gears that contain any gear wear particulates within the sealed bearings.
Goodwin et al. and Tanaka are in the same field of endeavor to the claimed invention because they are in the same field of robotics. It would have been prima facie obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Goodwin et al. in view of Tanaka to include bearings sealed to prevent gear wear particulates from transporting to the wafer during the manufacture process of the electronic circuits on the wafer and sealed bearings containing any gear wear particulates within the sealed bearings. Doing so would have protected the bearings from environmental factors.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Hestermann (DE ‘590) and Huang et al. (CN ‘608) disclose different transfer arms with varied configurations for moving wafers inside equipment designed to manufacture electronic circuits.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Elia Ahadi whose telephone number is (571) 270-3145. The examiner can normally be reached on 7:30 AM - 5:00 PM.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Saul Rodriguez can be reached on (571) 272-7097. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/SAUL RODRIGUEZ/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3652
/ELIA AHADI/
Examiner, Art Unit 3652
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