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 .
Summary
This communication is a First Office Action Non-Final Rejection on the merits.
Claims 1 – 5 are currently pending and considered below.
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.
Claims 1 – 5 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over You et al. (Hereinafter You) (CN 104882395 B) in view of Goto et al. (Hereinafter Goto) (CN 107924862 A).
As per claim 1, You teaches the limitations of:
A substrate processing apparatus for processing a substrate (See at least abstract; wherein the substrate processing apparatus includes a load lock chamber, a transfer chamber configured at one side of the load lock chamber, a processing chamber, which is set on one side of the transfer chamber, and a substrate transfer robot, disposed in the transfer chamber, the load lock chamber and the processing chamber between the transferring substrate ), the substrate processing apparatus comprising:
a transfer module for transferring the substrate therein (See at least abstract; a substrate transfer robot, disposed in the transfer chamber, the load lock chamber and the processing chamber between the transferring substrate);
a transfer arm disposed inside the transfer module and provided with at least one holding arm for holding the substrate (See at least page 4 paragraph 2; the robot may include: a rotating shaft provided in the conveying chamber, the loader is rotatably connected to the upper part of the rotary shaft, through the first shutter that the unprocessed is to the processing chamber, and unloading is rotatably connected to the rotating shaft through the second gate out of the processed in the processing chamber.); and
at least one processing module connected to the transfer module, the at least one processing module comprising at least one processing chamber for processing the substrate therein (See at least abstract), the at least one processing chamber comprising:
a substrate support having a support surface for supporting the substrate (See at least abstract; a plurality of supporting frame, supporting a inside the processing chamber);
a plate member disposed above the substrate support (See at least figure 2 #140); and
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a lateral wall unit configuring an inner surface of the at least one processing chamber (See at least page 7 paragraph 2; the side of the body 132a can form the carried into space or gate 131a to the outside 131b. gate 131a, 131b formed adjacent to the chamber 120 of the main body 132a of the side), wherein:
a processing space surrounded by the substrate support, the plate member, and the lateral wall unit is in the at least one processing chamber (See at least figure 2 and page 7 paragraph 2); but does not explicitly teach the limitation of:
the transfer arm comprises a sensor for positioning the transfer arm based on distances, in the processing space, from the transfer arm to the substrate support, the plate member, and the lateral wall unit.
Goto teaches the limitation of:
the transfer arm comprises a sensor for positioning the transfer arm based on distances, in the processing space, from the transfer arm to the substrate support, the plate member, and the lateral wall unit (See page 12 paragraph 6 – page 13 paragraph 1; As shown in FIG. 8, the hand 72 is provided with a substrate for detecting at least one optical sensor 24 or barrier 3. hand according to the shape 72 has two sets of light sensors 3A, 3B.there is no need to distinguish the two light sensors 3A, 3B, it is indicative of " light sensors 3(additional characters without letters). two light sensors 3 in one optical sensor 3A is that 72 of52 into a square configuration of two strands of tip part of the projecting part 31 and the52 into the other configuration of two strands of tip part with a receiving part 32 of the transmission type optical sensor. the other light sensor 3B is that 72 of 52 into a square configuration of two strands of tip part with a projection 31 and a reflective portion 32 of the light sensor. However, the substrate according to the invention carrying robot 7 regardless of type while the hand 72 is provided with at least one light sensor 3.).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to include the transfer arm comprises a sensor for positioning the transfer arm based on distances, in the processing space, from the transfer arm to the substrate support, the plate member, and the lateral wall unit as taught by Goto in the system of You, since the claimed invention is merely a combination of old elements, and in the combination each element merely would have performed the same function as it did separately, and one of ordinary skill in the art would have recognized that the results of the combination were predictable.
As per claim 2, the combination of You and Goto teaches the limitations of:
wherein the sensor is a photoelectric sensor configured to be rotatable about an axis with an extension direction of the transfer arm as the axis, scans an inside of the at least one processing chamber, and measures a distance between the transfer arm and the substrate support, the plate member, and the lateral wall unit (You, see at least figure 2, and Goto, see at least page 2 paragraph 2 and page 19 paragraph 9 – page 20 paragraph 1).
As per claim 3, the combination of You and Goto teaches the limitations of:
wherein the substrate support is configured to be movable in a vertical direction inside the at least one processing chamber (You, see at least page 7 paragraph 5 – page 8 paragraph 1).
As per claim 4, the combination of You and Goto teaches the limitations of:
wherein the substrate support is configured to be movable in a vertical direction inside the at least one processing chamber (You, see at least page 7 paragraph 5 – page 8 paragraph 1).
Regarding claim 5:
Claim 5 is rejected using the same rationale, mutatis mutandis, applied to claim 1 above, respectively.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Yoshida et al. (WO 2021161582 A1) discloses substrate conveying device, and substrate positional displacement measuring method.
Weaver et al. (CN 107534000 A) discloses the buffer chamber wafer heating mechanism and supporting the mechanical arm.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to IG T AN whose telephone number is (571)270-5110. The examiner can normally be reached M - F: 10:00AM- 4:00PM.
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IG T AN
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 3662
/IG T AN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3662
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