DETAILED ACTION
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.
Claim(s) 1-5, 7-11 and 15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Miwa (US 2020/0006095).
Regarding claim 1, Miwa discloses a component holder(1, fig. 1) for processing a component (3, fig. 1), wherein the component holder comprises:
a support (7, fig. 1),
a component holding tool (1, fig. 1) configured to hold the component with a vacuum during a process step (para. 164), the component holding tool including a component contact surface (A on 5 in fig. 1) and a temperature-control apparatus (5, fig. 1),
wherein the temperature-control apparatus is arranged on the support (see fig. 1) such that, relative to the support, at least one (n) area (KZ in fig. 3) of the component contact surface of the component holding tool is temperature-controllable relative to a predefined process temperature for processing the component by means of relatively positive or negative temperature (para. 83, 85-86, 5), so that during the processing of the component, one or more areas of the component contact surface of the component holding tool is thermally shielded from the support (para. 86, 99, 75-76; wherein the temperature of each heating zone KZ is controlled independently and wherein the cooling of the base 7 and wafer 3 are controlled, such that desired temperatures are maintained on both the heating element and support).
Regarding claim 2, Miwa discloses wherein the support and the temperature-control apparatus each have at least one media line (19, fig. 1), with each media line arranged so that the support is connected to the temperature-control apparatus and the
temperature-control apparatus is connected to the component holding tool both force-fitting and/or form-fitting (para. 76-77), such that at least a portion of the relatively positive or negative temperature is suppliable or drainable for temperature-controlling via means of at least one medium for the processing of the component (para. 76-77).
Regarding claim 3, Miwa discloses wherein the temperature-control apparatus comprises at least one (n) temperature zone (KZ in fig. 3) which provides relatively positive temperature for the n corresponding areas of the component contact surface (para. 99, 146).
Claim 4 is rejected for the same reasons as claim 3. See above rejection.
Regarding claim 5, Miwa discloses wherein each temperature zone comprises one or more electric heating elements (see H in fig. 3 and para. 97, 99).
Regarding claim 7, Miwa discloses wherein each of the n one or more temperature zones is arranged to be electrically connected to one of a plurality
of electrical power supplies (21, fig. 2), and each of the electrical energy supplies is arranged to provide a predetermined and/or controlled supply of electrical energy to one of the temperature zones (para. 99, 85).
Regarding claim 8, Miwa discloses wherein at least one of the n temperature zones is arranged in an inner central area of the component contact surface (see inner KZ in fig. 3); and
wherein at least another of the n temperature zones is arranged in one or more outer areas of the component contact surface peripheral to the inner central area (see outer KZ in fig. 3).
Regarding claim 9, Miwa discloses wherein one or more heating elements (H in fig. 2) or one or more PTC thermistor heating elements are deposited as a thin film (15, fig. 2).
Regarding claim 10, Miwa discloses wherein the component contact surfaces comprise a triangular, square, trapezoidal, polygonal, quadrangular, rectangular, circular, elliptical, annular, arcuate form, or any combination thereof (see 5 in fig. 3 and in fig. 1).
Regarding claim 11, Miwa discloses wherein one or more of the temperature zones comprise a triangular triangular, square, trapezoidal, polygonal, quadrilateral, rectangular, polyangular, circular, elliptical, linear, annular, or arcuate form, or any combination thereof (see KZ in fig. 3).
Regarding claim 15, Miwa discloses holding, with a vacuum (para. 164), the component (3, fig. 1) in contact with the component holding tool (1, fig. 1) during a process step (para. 70),
controlling a relative temperature difference between at least two of the one or more areas (KZ in fig. 3)of the component contact surface during the process step (para. 85-86, 99, 5), and
releasing the component after the process step is complete (para. 164, Abstract, 3).
The remainder of the claim is rejected in the same manner as claim 1. See above rejection.
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) 6 and 16 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Miwa in view of Baseggio (US 2020/0353792), hereinafter referred to as “Base”.
Regarding claim 6, Miwa fails to disclose PTC thermistor heating elements.
Base discloses wherein one or more of the temperature zones comprises two or more PTC thermistor heating elements which are electrically connected in parallel (see para. 28 and Abstract).
When the invention was made (pre-AIA ) or before the effective filing date of the claimed invention (AIA ), it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to include the teachings of Base in the device of Miwa. The motivation for doing so would have been to specifically provide a known type of heating element, PTC thermistors, as the heating element of the device (Base; para. 28 and Abstract). Further wherein a PTC thermistor heating element provides better self-regulation and simpler temperature control when compared to a resistive heating element. Ultimately, resulting in a more efficient heating element and device.
Regarding claim 16, Miwa discloses method for using a component holder (1, fig. 1), the component holder comprising a support (7, fig. 1), a component holding tool (1, fig. 1) with a component contact surface (A on 5 in fig. 1) and a temperature-control apparatus (5, fig. 1), wherein the temperature-control apparatus is arranged on the
support (see fig. 1) such that, relative to the support, one or more areas (KZ in fig. 3) of the component contact surface of the component holding tool are temperature-controllable with a heating element (H in fig. 3) relative to a predefined process temperature for processing the component by means of relatively positive or negative temperature (para. 83, 85-86, 5), so that during the processing of the component, one or more areas of the component contact surface of the component holding tool are thermally shielded from the support (para. 86, 99, 75-76; wherein the temperature of each heating zone KZ is controlled independently and wherein the cooling of the base 7 and wafer 3 are controlled, such that desired temperatures are maintained on both the heating element and support), the method comprising:
holding, with a vacuum (par. 164), the component (3, fig. 1) in contact with the component holding tool during a process step (para. 70),
controlling a relative temperature difference between at least two of the one or more areas (KZ, fig. 3) of the component contact surface and/or between one or more heating elements corresponding to the two of the areas to achieve a homogeneous distribution of the temperature of the component contact surface during the process step (para. 151-52), and
releasing the component after the process step is complete (para. 164, Abstract, 3).
Miwa fails to disclose PTC thermistor heating elements.
Base discloses PTC thermistor heating elements (see para. 28 and Abstract).
When the invention was made (pre-AIA ) or before the effective filing date of the claimed invention (AIA ), it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to include the teachings of Base in the device of Miwa. The motivation for doing so would have been to specifically provide a known type of heating element, PTC thermistors, as the heating element of the device (Base; para. 28 and Abstract). Further wherein a PTC thermistor heating element provides better self-regulation and simpler temperature control when compared to a resistive heating element. Ultimately, resulting in a more efficient heating element and device.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 12-14 are allowed.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claims have been considered but are moot in view of new grounds of rejection. See new citations above.
Conclusion
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any extension fee pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ROBIN J MISHLER whose telephone number is (571)270-7251. The examiner can normally be reached on 8:00-5:00 M-F.
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/ROBIN J MISHLER/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2628
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