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
Election/Restrictions
1. Applicant’s election without traverse of Group I, Claims 1-10, 18 in the reply filed on 08/25/26 is acknowledged. Claims 11-13, 19-20 have been cancelled.
Rejoin the Claims
2. Claims 14-18 were previously restricted, the Restriction office action was filed on 08/25/26, these claims are rejoined.
Information Disclosure Statement
3. The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 01/13/25 has 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
4. The drawings filed on 01/13/25. These drawings are acceptable.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
5. 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.
6. 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.
7. Claims 1, 5-6, 8-10, 14-18, are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being anticipated by Ehrne et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 11,282,725) in view of Igarashi et al. (U.S. Pub. No. 2016/0025410). Hereafter “Ehrne”, “Igarashi”.
Regarding Claims 1, Ehrne teaches a wafer processing system, (column 1, lines 34-47), comprising:
a wafer storage device, (figures 1, 2, wafer container 22 is not different from the wafer transport device; Column 1, lines 34-47), comprising:
a chamber having a mouth, (figure 2, container 22 is not different from a chamber, opening 92 is not different from a container mouth);
one or more sets of rails extending from two side walls on opposing sides of the chamber, (the following figure 2, holding device 64 is not different from rail extending from each of the two opposing side walls A1, A2, and to support a wafer 48);
wherein rails of each set of the one or more sets of rails extending from the two side walls are spaced to receive and support a wafer between the side walls (the following figure 2, holding device 64 is not different from rail extending from the two opposing side walls A1, A2, are spaced to receive and support a wafer 48 between the side walls A1, A2); and
one or more sensors carried by the wafer transport device (figure 2, the wafer transport device 22, sensors 12’, 14’, 32’, 38’, 12, 32, 38, sensor module 14; Column 33, lines 32-50; Column 43, lines 3-34)
However, Ehrne does not teach sensors configured to measure weight of at least one wafer. Igarashi teaches sensors configured to measure weight of at least one wafer (figure 9, sensor 47; [0066]). It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention was made to modify Ehrne by having sensors to measure a weight in order to detect the variation of the weight of substrate (Igarashi, [0066]).
Regarding Claim 5, Ehrne in view of Igarashi teach the claimed invention according to claim 1 as stated above except for at least four sensors. Ehrne further teaches at least four sensors (column 10, lines 23-27).
Regarding Claim 6, Ehrne in view of Igarashi teach the claimed invention according to claims 1, 5, as stated above except for four sensors are located on lower rails of aligned sets of rails extending from the side walls. Ehrne further teaches four sensors are located on lower rails of aligned sets of rails extending from the side walls (the following figure 2, sensors 12’, 14’, 32’, 38’, 12, 32, 38, sensor module 14, element 64 is not different from a lower rails, rails 64 having a length defined along each of the opposing side walls A1, A2,).
Regarding Claim 8, Ehrne in view of Igarashi teach the claimed invention according to claims 1, 5, 6, as stated above except for at least one of the at least four sensors comprises a sensor array. Ehrne further teaches a sensor array (figure 2, sensor module 14 comprising sensors 12’, 14’, 32’, 38’, 12, 14, 32, 38, is not different from a sensor array).
Regarding Claim 9, Ehrne in view of Igarashi teach the claimed invention according to claim 1 as stated above except for the one or more sensors comprise one or more base sensors positioned and configured to collectively measure an assembly within the chamber including the one or more sets of rails extending from the two side walls and wafers supported by the one or more sets of rails between the two side walls. Ehrne further teaches the one or more sensors comprise one or more base sensors positioned and configured to collectively measure an assembly within the chamber including the one or more sets of rails extending from the two side walls and wafers supported by the one or more sets of rails between the two side walls (the following Figure 2, sensor 38 or 38’ is not different from base sensor, element 64 is not different from rails, side walls A1, A2; Column 33, lines 21-50).
Regarding Claim 10, Ehrne in view of Igarashi teach the claimed invention according to claims 1 and 9 as stated above except for the one or more sets of rails extending from each side wall comprises the assembly supported on the one or more base sensors and the one or more base sensors are configured, in combination, to measure a collective weight of all of the assembly and any wafers supported by each of the one or more sets of rails. Ehrne further teaches the one or more sets of rails extending from each side wall comprises the assembly supported on the one or more base sensors (the following figure 2, element 64 is not different from rails extending from side walls A1, A2, element 64 comprising the assembly supported sensor 12’, 14’, 32’, 38’, 12, 32, 38, sensor 38 or 38’ is not different from base sensor; Column 33, lines 21-50). Although Ehrne does not teach to measure a collective weight of all of the assembly and any wafers, Igarashi teaches this limitation ([0066], lines 8-11). It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention was made to modify Ehrne by having sensors to measure a weight in order to detect the variation of the weight of substrate (Igarashi, [0066]).
Regarding Claims 14, Ehrne teaches a method of measuring physical characteristics of a wafer, (column 29, lines 41-55), comprising:
positioning the wafer within a wafer storage device, (figures 1, 2, wafer 48, wafer container 22 is not different from the wafer storage device; Column 1, lines 34-47), comprising a chamber having a mouth (figure 2, container 22 is not different from a chamber, opening 92 is not different from container mouth) and a set of mutually aligned rails extending from two opposing side walls of the chamber (the following figure 2, holding device 64 is not different from rails extending from each of the two opposing side walls A1, A2, and to support a wafer 48),
wherein the wafer is positioned on the set of mutually aligned rails (the following figure 2, holding device 64 is not different from rails extending from the two opposing side walls A1, A2, are spaced to receive and support a wafer 48 between the side walls A1, A2); and
measuring one or more physical characteristics of the wafer with one or more sensors positioned on at least one rail of the set of mutually aligned rails (figure 2, the wafer transport device 22, sensors 12’, 14’, 32’, 38’, 12, 32, 38, sensor module 14, theses sensors for measuring one or more physical characteristics of the wafer, element 64 is not different from rails; Column 33, lines 32-50; Column 43, lines 3-34).
However, Ehrne does not teach sensors configured to measure weight of the wafer. Igarashi teaches sensors configured to measure weight of the wafer (figure 9, sensor 47; [0066]). It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention was made to modify Ehrne by having sensors to measure a weight in order to detect the variation of the weight of substrate (Igarashi, [0066]).
Regarding Claims 15, 17, Ehrne in view of Igarashi teach the claimed invention according to claims 14 and 16 as stated above except for the physical characteristic of the wafer also comprises at least one of a shape, or a thickness of the wafer, determining a shape of the wafer based on differences in the one or more physical characteristics of the wafer from the two separate sensors. Ehrne further teaches the physical characteristic of the wafer also comprises at least one of a shape, or a thickness of the wafer, determining a shape of the wafer based on differences in the one or more physical characteristics of the wafer from the two separate sensors, (column 13, lines 3-21; Column 44, lines 17-28).
Regarding Claim 16, Ehrne in view of Igarashi teach the claimed invention according to claim 14 as stated above except for comparing measurements of the one or more physical characteristics of the wafer from two separate sensors of the one or more sensors positioned on the at least one rail of the set of mutually aligned rails, wherein the two separate sensors are positioned at different positions on the at least one rail of the set of mutually aligned rails. Ehrne teaches comparing measurements of the one or more physical characteristics of the wafer from two separate sensors (column 36, lines 59-64; Column 47, lines 39-41, 50-52), of the one or more sensors positioned on the at least one rail of the set of mutually aligned rails, wherein the two separate sensors are positioned at different positions on the at least one rail of the set of mutually aligned rails (sensors 12’, 14’, 32’, 38’, 12, 32, 38, sensor module 14, are positioned at different positions on element 64. Element 64 is not different from rails).
Regarding Claim 18, Ehrne in view of Igarashi teach the claimed invention according to claim 1 as stated above except for at least one sensor of the one or more sensors is positioned on a bottom surface of a rail of the one or more sets of rails. Ehrne further teaches at least one sensor of the one or more sensors is positioned on a bottom surface of a rail of the one or more sets of rails (figure 2, sensors 12, 12’ are positioned both on a bottom surface and upper surface of a rails 64. Sensors 38’, 32’ are positioned on a bottom surface of rails 64).
8. Claims 2-4, is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being anticipated by Ehrne et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 11,282,725) in view of Igarashi et al. (U.S. Pub. No. 2016/0025410), further in view of Thakur et al. (U.S. Pub. No. 2003/0106723). Hereafter “Ehrne”, “Igarashi”, “Thakur”.
Regarding Claims 2-3, Ehrne in view of Igarashi teach the claimed invention according to claim 1 as stated above except for at least two force sensors, one low force sensor and at least one high force sensor. Ehrne further teaches force sensor, (column 10, lines 23-27; Column 12, lines 56-66). However, Ehrne does not teach at least two force sensors. Thakur teaches at least two force sensors, one low force sensor and at least one high force sensor, ([0041, 0076, 0079, 0080]; Figures 11-13, gauges 88a/88b, 88c/88d, 88e/88f and 88g/88h. Element 88a is not different from one low force sensor, and element 88b is not different from one high force sensor). 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 Ehrne and Igarashi by having at least two force sensors in order to measure weight more efficiently, (Thakur, [0041, 0079, 0080]).
Regarding Claim 4, Ehrne in view of Igarashi and Thakur teach the claimed invention according to claims 1-3 as stated above except for the at least one low force sensor is configured to measure weights between about 0.01 mg and about 1 mg in increments of about 0.001 mg and the at least one high force sensor is configured to measure weights between about 100 mg and about 10 g. However, selection of force sensors to measure weights between about 0.01 mg and about 1 mg in increments of about 0.001 mg, or between about 100 mg and about 10 g, or similar range is well known. It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention was made to choose appropriate weight range for the force sensors for the benefit of well operated inspection system. It has been held that where the general conditions of a claim are disclosed in the prior art, discovering the optimum or workable ranges involves only routine skill in the art. In re Aller, 105 USPQ 233.
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Allowable Subject Matter
9. Claims 11-13, 19-20. have been cancelled.
10. Claims 7 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
11. The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: there was no prior art found by the examiner that suggested modification or combination with the cited art so as to satisfy the combination of all the limitations in claims 7.
12. As claim 7, the prior art of record taken alone or in combination, fails to disclose or render obvious a wafer processing system, comprising a chamber having a mouth; sets of rails extending from the two side walls are spaced to receive and support a wafer; and one or more sensors to measure a weight of at least one wafer; wherein the at least four sensors are located on lower rails of aligned sets of rails; wherein: a first sensor of the at least four sensors is positioned on a front region of a lower rail of a set of rails extending from one side wall; a second sensor of the at least four sensors is positioned on a rear region of the lower rail of the set of rails extending from the one side wall; a third sensor of the at least four sensors is positioned on a front region of a lower rail of the set of rails extending from another side wall; and a fourth sensor of the at least four sensors is positioned on a rear region of the lower rail of the set of rails extending from the other side wall; in combination with the rest of the limitations of claims 1 and 5, and 6, and 7.
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, Kara Geisel can be reached on (571)272-2416. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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September 27, 2026
/Tri T Ton/
Primary Examiner Art Unit 2877
