91DETAILED 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 .
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 –
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, 2, 4, 6-11 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Nagano (US 2018/0105936).
Regarding claim 1, Nagano teaches a substrate processing apparatus comprising:
a first boat, 3a, configured to hold a substrate in a shelf-like manner;
a second boat, 3b, coaxial with the first boat and provided to move up and down relative to the first boat, the second boat configured to hold the substrate in a shelf-like manner;
a processing container, 2, configured to accommodate therein the first boat and the second boat;
a gas supply, 11, configured to supply a film forming gas into the processing container;
a first support, 10, configured to support the first boat, see paragraph 0021;
a second support, 30, 31, and 32, configured to support the second boat and provided to be movable up and down, see paragraph 0032; and
a controller, 33, configured to control a delivery of the substrate between the first boat and the second boat by moving the second boat up and down during a film forming process, see paragraph 0035.
Regarding claim 2, Nagano teaches the first boat, 3a, includes a first bottom plate, 5a, and a first ceiling plate, also 5a, see figure 3A, provided to vertically face each other, and a first support column, 6a, having a first placement surface, 20a, on which the substrate is placed and connecting the first bottom plate and the first ceiling plate to each other, see figure 3A and paragraph 0024,
wherein the second boat, 3b, includes a second bottom plate, 5b, and a second ceiling plate, also 5b, see figure 3A, provided to vertically face each other, and a second support column, 6b, having a second placement surface, 20b, on which the substrate is placed and connecting the second bottom plate and the second ceiling plate, see figures 3A and paragraph 0024, and
wherein the substrate is delivered between the first boat and the second boat by moving the second placement surface up and down relative to the first placement surface, see paragraph 0034.
Regarding claim 4, Nagano teaches the first support and the second support are configured to rotate in synchronization with each other, see paragraph 0039.
Regarding claim 6, Nagano teaches the delivery of the substrate is performed such that the substrate is delivered to one placement surface of the first placement surface, 20a, and the second placement surface, 20b, that has a relatively higher position than the other by moving the second boat up and down, see paragraphs 0032 and 0034.
Regarding claim 7, Nagano teaches a center point of the first support column and a center point of the second support column are provided on a same arc of concentric circles, see figure 2C.
Regarding claim 8, Nagano teaches a substrate processing method comprising:
forming a film on a substrate in a processing container in which the substrate is loaded into a first boat configured to hold the substrate in a shelf-like manner and a second boat coaxial with the first boat and provided to move up and down relative to the first boat, the second boat configured to hold the substrate in a shelf-like manner; and
delivering the substrate between the first boat and the second boat by moving the second boat up and down during the forming a film, see paragraphs 0042-0043.
Regarding claim 9, Nagano teaches the first boat, 3a, includes a first bottom plate, 5a, and a first ceiling plate, also 5a, see figure 3A, provided to vertically face each other, a first support column, 6a, having a first placement surface, 20a, on which the substrate is placed and connecting the first bottom plate and the first ceiling plate to each other, wherein the second boat, 3b, includes a second bottom plate, 5b, and a second ceiling plate, also 5b, see figure 3A, provided to vertically face each other, a second support column, 6a, having a second placement surface, 20b, on which the substrate is placed and connecting the second bottom plate and the second ceiling plate, and wherein the delivering the substrate is performed such that the substrate is delivered to one placement surface of the first placement surface and the second placement surface that has a relatively higher position than the other by moving the second boat up and down, see paragraph 0034 and 0043.
Regarding claim 10, Nagano teaches a center point of the first support column and a center point of the second support column are provided on a same arc of concentric circles, see figure 2C.
Regarding claim 11, Nagano teaches the first boat is supported by a first support, 10, see paragraph 0021, while the second boat is supported by a second support, 30, 31, and 32, see paragraph 0032, and wherein the first support and the second support are configured to rotate in synchronization with each other, see paragraph 0039.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 3, 5, and 12 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.
Regarding claim 3, Nagano is considered to be the best prior art and does not teach each of the second bottom plate and the second ceiling plate includes a notch through which the first support column is inserted. The examiner was unable to find a teaching of a notch, as claimed, among the prior art and there would be not motivation to modify the apparatus of Nagano with a notch. As such, this feature is allowable.
Regarding claims 5 and 12, Nagano is considered to be the best prior art and specifically teaches that the delivery of the substrate between the first and second boat only occurs once, see paragraphs 0042 through 0044. The examiner could find no teaching among the prior art that teaches this process being repeated several times and there is no motivation to modify the Nagano reference to teach such a feature.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Additional prior art cited, such as US 2006/0249080, US 2012/0258414 and US 12,476,126 teach additional examples of vertical boat type wafer carriers and substrate processing systems.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to KAITLIN S JOERGER whose telephone number is (571)272-6938. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 7:30-5 (CST).
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, Ernesto Suarez can be reached at (571)270-5565. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/KAITLIN S JOERGER/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3655
5 October 2026
Prosecution Insights