Appeal No. 1999-1674
Application No. 08/923,949
tank, a wafer carrier, a single first jet nozzle in the bottom
[center] of the tank and a plurality of second jet nozzles
. . . . ” See the final Office action dated June 9, 1998, page
2, together with the Answer, page 3. These jet nozzles, which
are particularly placed at the bottom of the tank, are used to
generate up and down swirling motion in the cleaning liquid in
the tank. See Seiichiro, column 3, lines 1-15, together with
Seiichiro’s Figures 2 and 3. The purpose of this arrangement is
to eliminate zones of poor circulation of the cleaning liquid in
the wafer cleaning tank. See column 1, lines 30-45.
Recognizing the absence of the teaching on the part of
Seiichiro regarding the claimed nozzle arrangement, the examiner
relies on the disclosures of Hayami and Ando. See the final
Office action dated June 9, 1998, page 2, together with the
Answer, page 3. The examiner asserts that both Hayami and Ando
teach that the employment of the claimed plurality of first jet
nozzles in the bottom center of the tank is known. See the final
Office action dated June 9, 1998, pages 2-3, together with the
Answer, page 3. The examiner also asserts that Hayami teaches
that the employment of the claimed plurality of second jet
nozzles on the sides of the tank with their openings facing the
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