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 .
DETAILED ACTION
Priority
1. Receipt is acknowledged of papers submitted under 35 U.S.C. 119(a)-(d), which papers have been placed of record in the file.
Information Disclosure Statement
2. The information disclosure statements (IDS) submitted on 10/02/25, 10/08/24, have been entered. The submission is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Drawings
3. The drawings filed on 10/08/24. These drawings are acceptable.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
4. 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 of this title, 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.
5. Claim(s) 1-12 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hiroki (Pub. No. 2008/0056857) in view of Kodama (U.S. Pat. No. 2016/0078612), further in view of Ikeda et al. (U.S. Pub. No. 2007/0139642). Hereafter “Hiroki”, “Kodama”, “Ikeda”.
Regarding Claim(s) 1, Hiroki discloses a wafer aligner, comprising:
a body, (figure 1, the bracket 158 and mechanism 138 is not different from a body);
a stage, movably disposed on the body (figure 1, stage unit 110);
a stand, vertically disposed on the body and partially suspended above the body to allow the stand and the body to form a detection space, (figure 1, bracket 157 is not different from a stand, which is suspended above the body of the bracket 158 and mechanism 138), a wafer carried on the stage and driven by the stage to rotate relative to the body (figure 1, wafer W carried on the stage and driven by the stage 110 and rotatable stage 112 ), and an edge of the wafer passing by the detection space (figures 1, 2, an edge of the wafer W passing by the detection space of detection unit 150);
an optical module, comprising a light source and an image capture device, the light source disposed in the body, and the image capture device disposed in the stand (figures 1, 2, the light source 154A-C disposed in the body of the bracket 158, and the image capture device 152A-C disposed in the stand of bracket 157); and
a control module, electrically connected the stage and the optical module, (figures 2, 12, control module 200), and the light beam sequentially passes through the body and the detection space and is projected into the stand and received by the image capture device to detect the edge of the wafer ([0068, 0070-0071]; The following figure 1, light beam from light sources 154A-C sequentially passes through the body of bracket 158 and the detection space CC and is projected into the stand bracket 157 and received by the image capture device 152A-C to detect the edge of the wafer W).
However, Hiroki does not disclose at least one surface of the detection space formed by the stand and the body is a light-absorbing surface, and the control module drives the light source to project a light beam. Kodama discloses at least one surface of the detection space formed by the stand and the body is a light-absorbing surface, ([0059], lines 6-9; [0060]). It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention was made to modify Hiroki by having a light-absorbing surface in order to absorb stray light to obtain detected image efficiently.
Hiroki in view of Kodama disclose the claimed invention except for the control module drives the light source to project a light beam. Ikeda discloses the control module drives the light source to project a light beam ([0089]; Figure 4, light source 25, controller 41). It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention was made to modify Hiroki and Kodama by having the control module to drive the light source in order to control light source to output expected wavelength (Ikeda, [0089]).
Regarding Claim(s) 2, Hiroki discloses the stand has a connection structure and a detection structure, the connection structure is connected between the detection structure and the body, the detection structure is suspended above the body, the image capture device is located in the detection structure, and the at least one surface comprises a surface of the connection structure facing the detection space (the following figure 1, a connection structure AA, the detection structure BB, the bracket 158 and mechanism 138 is not different from a body. A surface of the connection structure AA is facing the detection space; wherein the detection space CC is the space between image capturing means 152A-C and light sources 154A-C).
Regarding Claim(s) 3, Hiroki discloses the detection structure has a detection surface that is exposed to the detection space and facing the body, (the following figure 1, the detection structure BB, the detection space CC, the body 158 & 138), and the surface of the connection structure facing the detection space is adjacent between the detection surface and the body (the following figure 1, the detection structure BB, the detection space CC, the body 158 & 138, the connection structure AA, the detection surface is the surface of the image capturing means 152A-C).
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Regarding Claim(s) 4, Hiroki discloses the stand has a connection structure and a detection structure, the connection structure is connected between the detection structure and the body, the detection structure is suspended above the body, the image capture device is located in the detection structure, and the at least one surface comprises a partial top surface of the body adjacent to the connection structure (the above figure 1, the stand 157 has a connection structure AA and a detection structure BB. The connection structure AA is connected between the detection structure BB and the body 158&138. One surface comprises a partial top surface of the body 158&138 adjacent to the connection structure AA).
Regarding Claim(s) 5, Hiroki discloses the partial top surface is an orthographic projection surface of the detection structure corresponding to the body (the above figure 1, the partial top surface is an orthographic projection surface of the detection structure BB corresponding to the body 158&138).
Regarding Claim(s) 6, Hiroki discloses the body has an opening that is located within a range of the partial top surface, and the light beam that is projected by the light source passes through the opening and enters the detection space (the above figure 1, the body 158&138 has an opening that is located within a range of the partial top surface. The light beam that is projected by the light sources 154A-C passes through the opening and enters the detection space CC).
Regarding Claim(s) 7, Hiroki discloses the detection structure has a detection surface that is exposed to the detection space and facing the partial top surface, and the connection structure is adjacent between the partial top surface and the detection surface (the above figure 1, the detection structure BB has a detection surface that is exposed to the detection space CC and facing the partial top surface. The connection structure AA is adjacent between the partial top surface and the detection surface of the image capturing means 152A-C. Note: the partial top surface is an orthographic projection surface of the detection structure BB corresponding to the body 158&138).
Regarding Claim(s) 8, Hiroki discloses the stand has a connection structure and a detection structure, the connection structure is connected between the detection structure and the body, the detection structure is suspended above the body, the image capture device is located in the detection structure, and the at least one surface comprises a surface of the connection structure exposed to the detection space and a partial top surface of the body (the above figure 1, the connection structure AA is connected between the detection structure BB and the body 158&138. The image capture device 152A-C is located in the detection structure BB. A surface of the connection structure AA exposed to the detection space CC and a partial top surface of the body 158&138. Note: the partial top surface is an orthographic projection surface of the detection structure BB corresponding to the body 158&138).
Regarding Claim(s) 9, Hiroki discloses the detection structure has a detection surface that is exposed to the detection space and facing the partial top surface, and the surface of the connection structure exposed to the detection space is adjacent between the partial top surface and the detection surface (the above figure 1, the detection structure BB has a detection surface of the image capturing means 152A-C, that is exposed to the detection space CC and facing the partial top surface. The surface of the connection structure AA exposed to the detection space CC is adjacent between the partial top surface and the detection surface of the image capturing means 152A-C. Note: the partial top surface is an orthographic projection surface of the detection structure BB corresponding to the body 158&138).
Regarding Claim(s) 10, Hiroki in view of Kodama, further in view of Ikeda disclose the claimed invention except for the material for the anodized light-absorbing surface is a black matte surface that has been anodized. It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to modify method or device of A reference with a black matte surface, since it has been held to be within the general skill of a worker in the art to select a known material on the basis of its suitability for intended use as a matter of obvious design choice. in re Leshin, 125 USPQ 416.
Regarding Claim(s) 11, Hiroki discloses a planar moving platform and a rotating platform that are respectively electrically connected to the control module, the rotating platform is disposed on the planar moving platform, the planar moving platform performs planar movement on the body, and the rotating platform rotates by a normal line of the plane (figure 2, a planar moving platform 138X, 138Y, a rotating platform 112, the control module 200).
Regarding Claim(s) 12, Hiroki discloses the stage further comprises an attachment unit that is electrically connected to the control module and structurally communicates with the rotating platform, and the control module drives the attachment unit to attach and fix the wafer on the rotating platform (figures 1-2, support pins 132A-C is not different from an attachment unit, control unit 200, rotating platform 112; [0020, 0053-0065]).
Fax/Telephone Information
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to TRI T TON whose telephone number is (571)272-9064. The examiner can normally be reached on 8am-4pm.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Michelle Iacoletti can be reached on (571)270-5789. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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May 12, 2026
/Tri T Ton/
Primary Examiner Art Unit 2877
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