Appeal No. 2003-0626
Application No. 09/410,896
through a cavity in the cooling chamber housing. See id. pages
3-4. In general, heat conductance to the cooling fluid in the
wafer pedestal is less efficient than that provided by cooling
fluid in the chamber. Id., page 4, lines 10-12. Due to the
difference in cooling rates on the top and bottom surfaces of the
wafer, thermal stresses may cause a vertical movement of the
wafer from the pedestal resulting in inaccurate placement of the
wafer or the dropping of the wafer resulting in a total loss of
the wafer. See id., at lines 12-20.
According to the inventors, the present invention provides a
cooling stage for a semiconductor substrate which may be used as
a wafer pedestal to provide improved cooling to the wafer and
reduce the wafer movements on the pedestal. See id., pages 5 and
6.
Discussion
Rejection of Claim 12 under 35 U.S.C. § 112, second
paragraph
Appellants fail to present arguments traversing this ground
of rejection. See examiner’s answer, Paper No. 14, mailed
September 6, 2002, page 4, last paragraph and appeal brief
(references to appellants’ “appeal brief” refer to the “REVISED
APPEAL BRIEF”, Paper No. 13, filed May 20, 2002), page 2, second
paragraph. Accordingly, we summarily affirm this ground of
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