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 .
Claims 1 and 2 are pending.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
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 and 2 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over MIGIYAMA’333 (JP 2021061333A) in view of MOHN (US 2017/0137943 A1) and KURITA (US 2023/0343646 A1).
Re 1, MIGIYAMA’333 teaches of a protective member forming apparatus (100) configured to spread a liquid resin on an entire surface of a wafer (W) on one side, cure the liquid resin and form a protective member to protect the entire surface of the wafer on the one side (Fig. 1), comprising:
a sheet holder (stage 20) configured to hold a sheet (film 12) (see Figs. 2, 3, and4);
a wafer holder (holding table 52) configured to locate the wafer to face the sheet holder and hold the wafer thereat (see Figs. 2, 5, and 6);
a liquid resin feeding nozzle (supply port 41a) configured to feed the liquid resin onto the sheet held by the sheet holder or onto the wafer held by the wafer holder (see Figs. 2, 4, and 12);
a lift/lower device (see the elevating plate 64, and of the raising and lower of the wafer holding means) configured to lift or lower the sheet holder and the wafer holder relatively (see Fig. 2);
a first emitter configured to emit electromagnetic waves to the liquid resin and cure the liquid resin (see light 90 that cures); and
The MIGIYAMA’333 teaches of a second emitter configured to emit UV (see light source 91 that is controlled for imaging).
MIGIYAMA does not teach of the second emitter configured to emit UV rays or plasma at a surface of the sheet held by the sheet holder and improve wettability of the surface of the sheet.
Whereupon, the MOHN teaches of known method in regards to exposing the substrate with a treatment with UV, and in different teachings including as a pre-treatment, or in a multi-station UV module, see [0051], wherein, the UV exposure provides to activate a substrate and improve wettability. Further, additional of UV cure operations that typically take place at much higher temperatures, see [0055]. See also teaching in [0092] regarding operation of a UV source at one temperature and then exposing at a higher temperature for curing. The teaching by MOHN of multi-station UV suggests of a plurality of emitter sets of UV which would encompass the claimed first and second emitters of UV rays.
Further, KURITA teaches of irradiating of a sheet with UV light before resin is applied, and wherein wettability of the sheet can be improved, and the time until filling the resin is completed can be shorted, see [0015].
Whereupon, it would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art to have modified the MIGIYAMA’333 with the additional emitter as taught by MOHN for improved wettability, and similarly as taught by KURITA for the use of UV light upon a sheet for improving wettability and further shortening time for application of the resin upon the sheet.
Re 2 (upon 1), comprising a third emitter configured to emit UV rays or plasma at a surface of a wafer sheet adhered to a surface of the wafer held by the wafer holder and improve wettability of the surface of the wafer sheet.
See MPEP 2144.04(VI)(B) is a duplication of parts in regards to the emitters. See teaching by MOHN and KURITA regarding the application of the UV upon a surface for improving wettability. Whereupon, in light of the duplication of parts, in this case of the emitters, from the teaching of the MOHN and KURITA that would be applicable to the surface of the wafer sheet for a similar known effect of improving wettability of the surface of the sheet.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. See attached PTO-892 form, the references cited pertain the general teaching of improving wettability.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to EMMANUEL S LUK whose telephone number is (571)272-1134. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 9 to 5.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Xiao S Zhao can be reached at 571-270-5343. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/EMMANUEL S LUK/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1744
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