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
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 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 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.
Claim(s) 1-12 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Raatz et al. (US 20210249291 A1) in view of Moura et al. (US 20210265188 A1).
Regarding Claim 1, Raatz teaches:
a transfer system (10 & 100) used in a semiconductor manufacturing device in which a moving body (200) having a magnet (24) moves while being levitated from a floor (100 & 200) by a magnetic force to transfer a substrate (36) to a processing module (37) for processing the substrate, comprising:
a through-hole forming member (112 & 206) having a through-hole formed in a vertical direction (Fig. 3A & Fig. 7D);
a blocking member (128) that blocks the through-hole to form the floor (Fig. 7D);
a housing of which bottom wall serving as the floor and of which inside is evacuated to create a vacuum atmosphere in a moving area of the moving body that is formed on the floor [0011 & 0025 & 0083];
a magnet array (24 & 26) provided inside the floor to move the moving body (Fig. 3A & Fig. 7D); and
a magnetic sensor (116 & 132) disposed inside the floor at positions overlapping the through-hole forming member and the blocking member in plan view (Fig. 7D & Fig. 11), and configured to detect a magnetic force of the magnet [0112 & 0114 & 0115].
Raatz does not teach:
the magnet arrays are a electromagnets.
Moura teaches:
a transfer system (118) used in a semiconductor manufacturing device (100) in which a moving body (1500) moves while being levitated from a floor by a magnetic force [0082] to transfer a substrate to a processing module (120) for processing the substrate, comprising:
a blocking member that forms the floor [0082];
a housing (118) of which bottom wall serving as the floor and of which inside is evacuated to create a vacuum atmosphere in a moving area of the moving body that is formed on the floor [0079 & 0080 & 0088];
an electromagnet (1700) provided inside the floor to move the moving body [0108 & 0143]; and
a magnetic sensor (1815) configured to detect a magnetic force of the magnet [0072 & 0077].
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the transfer system used in a semiconductor manufacturing device in which a moving body having a magnet that moves while being levitated from a floor by a magnetic force, a moving area of the moving body that is formed as a floor and a magnet array provided inside the floor to move the moving body taught by Raatz with the transfer system used in a semiconductor manufacturing device in which a moving body that moves while being levitated from a floor by a magnetic force, a moving area of the moving body that is formed as a floor and an electromagnet provided inside the floor to move the moving body taught by Moura in order to provide a transfer system with a position control system capable of fine and rapid position adjustment to increase accuracy and throughput in the system.
Regarding Claim 2, Raatz teaches:
the magnetic sensors overlapping the through-hole forming member and the magnetic sensors overlapping the blocking member are located at lattice points of a rectangular lattice in plan view (Fig. 11).
Regarding Claim 3, Raatz teaches:
the magnetic sensors overlapping the through-hole forming member and the magnetic sensors overlapping the blocking member are located at the same height (Fig. 7D).
Regarding Claim 4, Raatz teaches:
the respective magnets are disposed above the respective magnetic sensors (Fig. 7D).
Raatz does not teach:
the magnet arrays are a electromagnets.
Moura teaches:
the magnet arrays are a electromagnets (1700).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the transfer system used in a semiconductor manufacturing device in which a moving body having a magnet that moves while being levitated from a floor by a magnetic force, a moving area of the moving body that is formed as a floor and a magnet array provided inside the floor to move the moving body taught by Raatz with the transfer system used in a semiconductor manufacturing device in which a moving body that moves while being levitated from a floor by a magnetic force, a moving area of the moving body that is formed as a floor and an electromagnet provided inside the floor to move the moving body taught by Moura in order to provide a transfer system with a position control system capable of fine and rapid position adjustment to increase accuracy and throughput in the system.
Regarding Claim 5, Raatz teaches:
a plurality of the through-holes and a plurality of the blocking members are provided (Fig. 7D), and
the through-hole forming member has a lattice beam (Fig. 7D).
Regarding Claim 6, Raatz teaches:
the blocking member is a case body (114) having therein a storage space (Fig. 7D), and
a control device (120 & 122) for the plurality of electromagnets and the magnetic sensors is included in the storage space (Fig. 7D) [0086].
Regarding Claim 7, Raatz teaches:
a first substrate (116) laminated on the case body and the lattice beam, and having the magnetic sensors (Fig. 7D) [0086],
a second substrate laminated on the first substrate and having the plurality of electromagnets [0086 & 0112], and
the plurality of magnets are provided at positions overlapping the lattice beam and at positions overlapping the through-holes in plan view (Fig. 7D & Fig. 11).
Raatz does not teach:
the magnet arrays are a electromagnets.
Moura teaches:
the magnet arrays are a electromagnets (1700).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the transfer system used in a semiconductor manufacturing device in which a moving body having a magnet that moves while being levitated from a floor by a magnetic force, a moving area of the moving body that is formed as a floor and a magnet array provided inside the floor to move the moving body taught by Raatz with the transfer system used in a semiconductor manufacturing device in which a moving body that moves while being levitated from a floor by a magnetic force, a moving area of the moving body that is formed as a floor and an electromagnet provided inside the floor to move the moving body taught by Moura in order to provide a transfer system with a position control system capable of fine and rapid position adjustment to increase accuracy and throughput in the system.
Regarding Claim 8, Raatz teaches:
the first substrate includes a plurality of first divided pieces, each being provided with the magnetic sensors (Fig. 7D), and
the second substrate includes a plurality of second divided pieces, each being provided with the magnets [0086 & 0112].
Raatz does not teach:
the magnet arrays are a electromagnets.
Moura teaches:
the magnet arrays are a electromagnets (1700).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the transfer system used in a semiconductor manufacturing device in which a moving body having a magnet that moves while being levitated from a floor by a magnetic force, a moving area of the moving body that is formed as a floor and a magnet array provided inside the floor to move the moving body taught by Raatz with the transfer system used in a semiconductor manufacturing device in which a moving body that moves while being levitated from a floor by a magnetic force, a moving area of the moving body that is formed as a floor and an electromagnet provided inside the floor to move the moving body taught by Moura in order to provide a transfer system with a position control system capable of fine and rapid position adjustment to increase accuracy and throughput in the system.
Regarding Claim 9, Raatz teaches:
an upper surface of the case body is inserted into the through-hole in plan view (Fig. 7D & Fig. 11),
the first divided piece and the second divided piece include one divided piece covering the upper surface of the case body and another divided piece covering the lattice beam (Fig. 7D),
said one divided piece is connected to the control device in the storage space [0086 & 0118], and
the control device connected to the other divided piece is provided outside the storage space (Fig. 7D).
Regarding Claim 10, Raatz teaches:
the upper surface of the case body is inserted into the through-hole in plan view (Fig. 7D & Fig. 11), and
the first divide piece and the second divided piece are provided for each case body, and are formed to extend from the upper surface of the case body to an upper surface of the lattice beam (Fig. 7D).
Regarding Claim 11, Raatz teaches:
an upper part of a sidewall of the case body has a protrusion that protrudes laterally and covers the lattice beam from the top (Fig. 7D), and
the first divided piece and the second divided piece are provided for each case body, and are formed on the upper surface of the case body to extend from an area overlapping the through-holes to the protrusion (Fig. 7D).
Regarding Claim 12, Raatz teaches:
a semiconductor manufacturing method in which a moving body (200) having a magnet (24) moves while being levitated from a floor (100) by a magnetic force to transfer a substrate (36) to a processing module (37) for processing the substrate, comprising:
evacuating a housing of which bottom wall serves as the floor formed by blocking a through-hole of a through-hole forming member that is formed in a vertical direction with a blocking member, and creating a vacuum atmosphere in a moving area of the moving body that is formed on the floor [0011 & 0025 & 0083];
moving the moving body by a magnet array (26) provided on the floor (Fig. 3A & Fig. 7D); and
detecting a magnetic force of the magnet [0112 & 0114 & 0115] by a magnetic sensor (116 & 132) provided at positions overlapping the blocking member and the through-hole forming member in plan view (Fig. 7D & Fig. 11).
Raatz does not teach:
the magnet arrays are a electromagnets.
Moura teaches:
a semiconductor manufacturing method in which a moving body (1500) moves while being levitated from a floor by a magnetic force [0082] to transfer a substrate to a processing module (120) for processing the substrate, comprising:
evacuating a housing (118) of which bottom wall serves as the floor [0079 & 0080 & 0088], and creating a vacuum atmosphere in a moving area of the moving body that is formed on the floor [0079 & 0080 & 0088];
moving the moving body by an electromagnet (1700) provided on the floor [0108 & 0143]; and
detecting a magnetic force of the magnet by a magnetic sensor (1815) [0072 & 0077].
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the method of processing a substrate utilizing a transfer system used in a semiconductor manufacturing device in which a moving body having a magnet that moves while being levitated from a floor by a magnetic force, a moving area of the moving body that is formed as a floor and a magnet array provided inside the floor to move the moving body taught by Raatz with the method of processing a substrate utilizing a transfer system used in a semiconductor manufacturing device in which a moving body that moves while being levitated from a floor by a magnetic force, a moving area of the moving body that is formed as a floor and an electromagnet provided inside the floor to move the moving body taught by Moura in order to provide a transfer system with a position control system capable of fine and rapid position adjustment to increase accuracy and throughput in the system.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Patent publications US 20230143372 A1, US 20220037181 A1, US 20220130701 A1, and US 20220223447 A1 have been cited by the examiner as pertinent to the applicant’s disclosure because they teach: electromagnetic transfer systems used in semiconductor manufacturing devices.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to BRENDAN P TIGHE whose telephone number is 571-272-4872. The Examiner can normally be reached on Monday-Thursday, 7:00-5:30 EST
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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/BRENDAN P TIGHE/Examiner, Art Unit 3652
/SAUL RODRIGUEZ/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3652
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