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 .
The response of the applicant has been read and given careful consideration. Rejection of the previous action, not repeated below are withdrawn based upon the amendment and arguments, response to the arguments are presented after the first rejection they are directed to.
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 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.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
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.
Claims 5-6 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being fully anticipated by Ando et al. 20100035192, as evidenced by Bartlau et al. 20100086876
Ando et al. 20100035192 exemplifies in example 1 a process of applying an organic antireflection film composition “ARC29A” (trade name, manufactured by Brewer Science Co., Ltd.) onto a 12-inch silicon wafer using a spinner, baking on a hot plate at 205 ° C. for 60 seconds and drying. An organic antireflection film having a thickness of 85 nm was formed. The negative resist composition 1 is applied onto the organic antireflection film using a spinner, prebaked (PAB) at 90 ° C. for 60 seconds on a hot plate, and dried to form a film. A resist film having a thickness of 100 nm was formed. Next, an ArF excimer laser (Nipole NSR-S308F (manufactured by Nikon; NA (numerical aperture) = 0.92, illumination condition: dipole-X) is applied to the resist film by an ArF excimer laser ( (193 nm) is selectively irradiated through a 6% halftone phase shift mask (6% Att-PSM; transmittance 6%) in which a line pattern is formed in the Y direction as a photomask (exposure amount: 27 mJ / cm) .sup.2 ). The target dimensions were “line width 80 nm, pitch 160 nm”, “line width 70 nm, pitch 140 nm”, and “line width 65 nm, pitch 130 nm”. Subsequently, selective irradiation was performed through a 6% halftone phase shift mask (6% Att-PSM; transmittance 6%) in which a line pattern was formed in the X direction as a photomask. At this time, dipole illumination (Dipole) -Y was used as the illumination condition, and the exposure amount was changed to 24 mJ / cm .sup.2 . Under this condition, the resist film was selectively irradiated with an ArF excimer laser. The same target dimensions as those used for the first exposure were used. Thereafter, PEB treatment of the exposed was performed at 110 ° C. for 60 seconds, and the resist pattern was developed with a 2.38 mass% tetramethylammonium hydroxide (TMAH) aqueous solution at 23 ° C. for 10 seconds, and then rinsed with pure water for 20 seconds (removing the undesired, unexposed portions to yield a photoresist patten). Thereafter, a heat treatment (post-bake) was performed at 100 ° C. for 60 seconds. As a result, a hole pattern with a hole diameter of 80 nm, a pitch of 160 nm, a hole diameter of 70 nm, a pitch of 140 nm, and a hole pattern of a hole diameter of 65 nm and a pitch of 130 nm were formed on the resist film [0494-0499]. Examples of the phase shift mask include a halftone phase shift mask, a Levenson type phase shift mask, and the like. Each of these phase shift masks can be commercially available. Specifically, as a halftone phase shift mask, specifically, MoSi (molybdenum) is used as a light-shielding portion (shifter film) having a transmittance of about several to 10% (generally 6%) on a quartz glass substrate. -A film in which a silicide) film, a chromium film, a chromium oxide film, a silicon oxynitride film, or the like is formed [0079].
Bartlau et al.20100086876 in figures 2 and 3, illustrates the effect of changes in the pattern size (delta CD, D critical dimension/size) of an 6% attenuating phase shift (attPSM) upon exposure to 193 nm in dry air (solid squares) and wet/moist air (open squares) as a function of exposure (kJ/cm2) [0030]. In the experiment, with up to 100kJ/cm2 of 193nm light irradiation 6% MoSi attenuated phase-shifting mask and an opaque binary MoSi mask (0M0G). during the irradiation, in cavity of super-clean air comprises ultra-clean dry air (less than H20 ppm) or about 20% relative humidity of maintaining a mask. using the narrow ArF excimer laser of 1000 Hz lower operating radiation. the size of the laser spot at the mask is about 2X7 mm, and approximate mJ per one pulse. Note that the energy density of each pulse in the testing device than the typical stepping motor large magnitude. When it is allowed to accelerate testing, the bolus rate will affect the cumulative radiation damage. each chip block (chiplet) in fast scanning laser beam, changing the total exposure dose at the each chip block. among the total of 121 position (die), irradiation of each mask is about 25. position measurement 400 interval in all 121 positions on along the X and Y directions of the isolated 400nm line and isolation. [0037] described above, in FIGS. 2 and 3 shows a CD (CD is the size of important characteristic of photomask is, typically referred to as "critical dimension") caused by the irradiation is changed. in very dry air irradiation 6X attenuated MoSi or opaque binary MoSi (0M0G) for line or space generates very small CD change or not change. However, the size of the interval in irradiation in humid air results in isolation of significantly reduced, and in response increasing the isolation of line size. This indicates that induced by irradiating the material growth. noted that compared with the attPSM material, OMOG is not easily generated by growth of radiation induced; under the condition that the same, attPSM growth growth higher than approximately 2 to 0M0G ratio of 2. 5 times. Thus, by reviewing, FIG. 2 illustrates a CD of 400nm isolated line CD of the 400nm transparent interval change, and FIG. 3 illustrates isolation of changes caused by 193nm irradiation. in dry air of irradiation (solid data points 2 hollow data points in FIG. 3) produces very little CD changes or there is no CD change. in a humid air hollow data point of irradiation (FIG. 2 solid data point in FIG. 3) for generating a large CD change, the CD change is increased along with the 193nm dose. and an opaque binary MoSi (OMOG) (circle) compared with MoSi material (square) 6X decay shows a much bigger irradiation caused by the moist air CD change (to 2.5X), indicating that 0M0G has excellent resistance to radiation damage. Note that for clarity only drawing CD change; the X Y measured CD change is approximately the same [0037].
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With respect to claim 5 and 6, the examiner holds that wafer bearing the photoresist patterned by exposure using an attenuated phase mask bears no artifact from the mode of exposure. The applicant bears the burden of establishing that the claimed process of exposure yields a materially distinct product. MPEP 2113.
The (photo)mask bears the pattern to be transferred by the exposure to the resist coated upon the wafer. The mask used in the cited example of the reference is an attenuated phase shift mask. It is entirely reasonable for the examiner to hold the position that the pattern in the photomask is accurately transferred to the photoresist in the exposure process. There may be an advantage in the of an attenuated phase shift mask in a Talbot lithographic exposure device which results in a material difference in the pattern formed in the photoresist, but the applicant has not evidenced that. The applicant is invited to provide evidence that the use of the Talbot lithographic exposure device results in a material difference in the pattern formed in the photoresist using conventional metrics for evaluating resist patterns (MTF, LER , LWR, etc). As there is no evidence in the record that the exposure apparatus used result in any artifacts in the exposed photoresist the examiner is merely giving the claims their broadest reasonable interpretation. The rejection stands.
Claims 5-6 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being fully anticipated by Coronel et al. 20020012851, as evidenced by Bartlau et al.20100086876.
Coronel et al. 20020012851 in example 1 teaches a ternary mask is fabricated using the following method. A 6.times.6 inches DUV att-PSM blank bearing reference EHQ60252SKS2A-AR3 supplied by Hoya Corp., Tokyo, Japan, can be used as the starting material. The att-PSM blank referenced 19 in FIG. 4A, represents the photomask at the initial stage of the fabrication process. Now turning to FIG. 4A, the blank consists of a 250 mils thick quartz plate 20 coated with a bottom 80 nm MoSi layer 21 (adapted to the 248 nm wavelength light radiation), a 100 nm thick layer 22 of chromium and a 300 nm thick ZEP 7000 top photoresist layer 23 (supplied by NIPPON ZEON Co. Ltd., Tokyo, Japan). A first configuration is printed in the top photoresist layer 23 utilizing a MEBES 4500D electron beam writing tool (commercialized by ETEC Systems Inc., Hayward, Calif., USA). This configuration is represented by a specific set of mask design data stored in the memory of the writing tool and corresponds to a first masking level. After exposure, the blank is shown in FIG. 4B. Then, the photoresist layer 23 is developed in an ASE 500 wet etch tool (from STEAG Hamatech, Sternenfels, Germany) to produce a masking layer as shown in FIG. 4C. Next, the chromium of layer 22 exposed through the patterned photoresist layer 23 is etched as standard, for instance, using an APT 3110, a tool supplied by FAIRCHILD CONVAC, Fremont, Calif., USA. At this stage of the mask fabrication process, the blank is shown in FIG. 4D. The remaining photoresist material of layer 23 is removed by wet etching in a ASC 500 tool (from STEAG Hamatech, Sternenfels, Germany) using a Piranha solution at 90.degree. C. as standard. After chromium etch has been completed, using the remaining chromium layer 22 as an in-situ hard mask, the phase shift material is etched by dry etching in a NEXTRAL 330 RIE reactor, a tool sold by NEXTRAL, Grenoble, France, using a CF4/02 chemistry as standard. The blank 19 is shown in FIG. 4E. Next, a new photoresist layer 24, for instance the IP3600 (TOKYO OHKA KOGYO Co. Ltd., Kanagawa, Japan) is deposited onto the photomask using a RC8 tool spin coater (from Karl SUSS, Munich, Germany) and exposed as standard (FIG. 4F). The second exposure pass consists in writing a second configuration corresponding to another masking level. This second writing operation is performed with an ALTA 3700 exposure tool (from ETEC Systems). The photoresist material of layer 24 is developed using the APT 3110 tool mentioned above to leave a patterned photoresist layer (FIG. 4G). Finally, using said patterned photoresist layer 24 as a masking layer, the chromium of layer 22 is etched as described above using the APT 3110 tool. Finally, the remaining photoresist of layer 24 is removed as described above in the ASC 500 tool. At the final stage of the fabrication process, the ternary att-PSM photomask of the present invention is shown in FIG. 4H where it bears numeral 25 (the protection pellicle has not been represented). Note that, for simplification reasons, the cleaning and inspection steps have not been described herein. A remarkable aspect of the present invention is that all the processing steps (photoresist deposition and development, chromium etch, . . . ) described above are standard and all the tools cited above are commercial products. The ternary att-PSM photomask of the present invention can be distinguished from conventional att-PSM masks only by the fact that there is now a desired pattern in the chromium layer (in addition to the chromium frame). The first configuration (which corresponds to a first masking level) is reproduced by the patterned PSM layer 21 while the second configuration (which corresponds to a second masking level) is reproduced by the patterned chromium layer 22. According to the present invention, there is a sort of concatenation of the two sets of mask design data that are printed in a single photomask instead of being separately printed in two different photomasks.
FIG. 5 shows the typical transmission function of the light intensity that is obtained on the photoresist-coated silicon wafer when it is illuminated through ternary att-PSM photomask 25 of FIG. 4H. The curve shown in FIG. 5 clearly demonstrates its ternary structure because the transmission function can now take three values (0%, 6%, and 100%) if the photomask 25 is used with a 248 nm wavelength radiation. However, the difference between these three values can be insufficient to reach the adequate contrast during the exposure step. In this instance, it is recommended to expose the silicon-coated wafer with a 365 nm wavelength light radiation, so that, the three above values respectively become 0%, 15% and 100%, which are much more favorable in that respect. Exposure of the Photoresist-coated Silicon Wafer The use of the ternary photomask 25 of FIG. 4H and advantages attached thereto will be now described by reference to FIG. 6. For this experiment, a standard 200 mm diameter silicon wafer is used. It is first coated with a layer of the TOK3250 photoresist (supplied by Tokyo Ohka Kogyo Co. Ltd., Kanagawa, Japan) using the TEL ACT8 photoresist coater (a tool manufactured by TOKYO ELECTRON Ltd, Tokyo, Japan). FIG. 6 schematically shows the structure referenced 26 comprising a substrate 27 coated with a photoresist stack 28 (use of an underlying layer of a BARC material is optional as usual). The photoresist stack 28 is baked using appropriate thermal treatments as standard, then exposed using the photomask 25. Exposure takes place in a Nikon NSR2205i-12-D, a step and repeat system (sold by Nikon Corp., Tokyo, Japan) which is tuned on the 365 nm wavelength mentioned above for better results. The exposed wafer is baked and developed using a TEL ACT8 tool (TOKYO ELECTRON Ltd, Tokyo, Japan) using standard operating conditions. As apparent in FIG. 6, the photoresist stack 28 has a corrugated surface and presents steps having two different heights H1 and H2. Photoresist stack 28 is quite identical to stack 18 of FIG. 3C in that respect but it is to be noted that this result has been obtained with only one photomask and one exposure step.
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With respect to claim 5 and 6, the examiner holds that wafer bearing the photoresist pattern form the attenuated phase mask used in the cited example bears no artifact from the mode of exposure. The applicant bears the burden of establishing that the claimed process of exposure yields a materially distinct product.
The (photo)mask bears the pattern to be transferred by the exposure to the resist coated upon the wafer. The mask used in the cited example of the reference is an attenuated phase shift mask. It is entirely reasonable for the examiner to hold the position that the pattern in the photomask is accurately transferred to the photoresist in the exposure process. There may be an advantage in the of an attenuated phase shift mask in a Talbot lithographic exposure device which results in a material difference in the pattern formed in the photoresist, but the applicant has not evidenced that. The applicant is invited to provide evidence that the use of the Talbot lithographic exposure device results in a material difference in the pattern formed in the photoresist using conventional metrics for evaluating resist patterns (MTF, LER , LWR, etc). ). As there is no evidence in the record that the exposure apparatus used result in any artifacts in the exposed photoresist the examiner is merely giving the claims their broadest reasonable interpretation. The rejection stands.
Claims 5 and 6 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being fully anticipated by Clube et al. WO 2020194267.
Clube et al. WO 2020194267 illustrates with reference to fig. 2, which shows schematically a first exemplary embodiment of the invention, an ArF excimer laser 1 emits a collimated beam of pulsed light at a wavelength of 193 nm and with FWHM dimensions ~3mm x 6mm (z x y). The intensity profile of the beam is approximately Gaussian in the vertical, short-axis direction, and approximately top-hat in the horizontal, long-axis direction. A laser with such properties can be obtained from, for example, Coherent Inc., Santa Clara, U.S.A. The beam is incident on a beam transformer 2 that comprises a first pair of cylindrical lenses for expanding the beam in the vertical direction and a second pair of cylindrical lenses for compressing the beam in the horizontal direction, such that the FWHM dimensions of the elongated beam of collimated light 3 are ~7mm x 2mm (z x y). The output beam of the transformer 3 is incident on a diffractive diffuser 4 that is mounted to a rotation stage (not shown) for rotating the diffuser 4 about a central, orthogonal axis that is offset from the illumination axis of the elongated beam. The diffuser 4 diffracts the light to produce a substantially homogenous distribution over a narrow range of angles with a half-cone angle of -2.5° with respect to the optical axis, and the rotation further improves the degree of homogenization. Such diffractive homogenizing diffusers are available from the companies HoloOr Ltd, Ness Ziona, Israel, and Jenoptik GmbH, Jena, Germany. The light scattered by the diffuser is collimated by a lens 5 with focal length ~2.4m to produce a beam of uniform intensity and diameter ~200mm. Whereas the drawing shows the lens 5 to be a single biconvex element, it should be understood that this is only a schematic representation and that the lens may have another shape and/or consist of more than a single lens element. The function of the lens 5 is to produce a well-collimated beam of light with the diameter required that, in the absence of the variable-transmission mask 7, would produce a uniform illumination of the fine-grating mask 9, the design of which could be readily determined by a person skilled in standard optical design of lens systems. The collimated beam from the lens 5 is then reflected by a mirror 6 so that it illuminates a variable-transmission mask 7 at normal incidence. The mask 7 is mounted on a mask chuck (not shown in the figure) that has a central aperture to allow passage of the beam transmitted by the mask 7. With reference to fig. 3, which schematically shows a magnified view of the variable-transmission mask 7, the variable-transmission grating 8 has dimensions ~50mm x 50mm and is composed of periodic alternating chrome lines 15 and spaces with a period 100pm on the surface of a transparent fused silica substrate. The grating 8 has been formed using standard electron-beam or laser- beam mask writing techniques. Whereas the period of the lines of the variable-transmission grating 8 is constant over its area, the ratio of the width of the chrome lines 15 to the grating period, i.e. the duty cycle, varies in an approximately continuous though non-linear fashion between the values of -0.2 and 0.8 in a direction parallel to the lines and is constant in the orthogonal direction. The linewidth of the substantially parallel chrome lines 15 therefore varies from 20 to ~80pm along the 50mm-50mm length of the lines 15. The mask 7 is oriented so that the grating lines 15 are parallel to the y axis. Moreover, the rate of variation of the duty cycle is not constant but varies along the lines 15. An approximately continuous, or smooth, variation of duty cycle may be realized by, preferably, defining the grating lines 15 as a sequence of trapezoids each with its 2 parallel edges parallel to the x axis and its 2 inclined sides tilted by the appropriate angle for producing the local rate of change of linewidth required in the y direction. The smaller the separation selected between the 2 parallel edges of each trapezoid the more closely the sequence of trapezoids approximates to a smooth, continuous variation of linewidth. A similar variable-transmission mask composed of a periodic pattern of alternating opaque lines and spaces with a spatially varying duty cycle has been proposed in combination with another DTL-related exposure scheme and other optical arrangement for another purpose, specifically for enabling a seamless stitching together of high-resolution gratings patterns for manufacturing large-area polarizers. The details of the scheme proposed are described in unpublished U.S. provisional pat. appl. no. 62/659,731 , entitled “Methods and systems for printing large periodic patterns by overlapping exposure fields”, which is included in its entirety by way of reference in the present application. The grating pattern 8 in the variable-transmission mask 7 diffracts the transmitted light in the xz plane to produce a 0.sup.th and higher diffraction orders that propagate towards a fine-grating mask 9 located at a distance of ~50mm below the variable-transmission mask 7. Because the diffraction orders spatially separate in the xz plane as they propagate towards the fine-grating mask 9, it is advantageous that the width of the variable-transmission grating 8 in the x direction is designed sufficiently larger than the corresponding width of the fine grating 10 so that the entire fine-grating pattern 10, including its left and right edges, is illuminated by all the diffraction orders of significant relative intensity transmitted by the variable-transmission mask 7 (preferably all those with diffraction efficiency >0.5%). The fine-grating mask 9 bears a TT- phase-shift grating 10 with dimensions 50mm x 50mm and a uniform period of 600nm. The phase-shift grating 10 was produced using standard techniques, by first fabricating an amplitude grating in a chrome mask using e-beam lithography, then RIE etching of the fused silica substrate material to the required depth between the chrome lines, and finally removing the chrome lines by etching. The mask 9 is oriented so that the lines of the fine-grating pattern 10 are parallel to the x axis, and so orthogonal to the lines of the grating 15 in the variable-transmission mask 7. Unlike the grating 8 in the variable-transmission mask 7, the duty cycle of the grating 10 in the fine-grating mask 9 is uniform and -0.5. The light-field transmitted by the fine-grating pattern 10 is incident on a photoresist-coated glass wafer 11 located on a vacuum chuck 12 that is mounted onto z-direction displacement stage of a DTL- exposure system (not shown in the figure). The orientation of the grating lines 15 in the variable-transmission mask 7 are arranged orthogonal to those in the fine-grating mask in order that the angular divergence in the xz plane of the orders diffracted by the variable-transmission mask 7 does not degrade the resolution of the grating pattern printed into the photoresist layer 11. As taught in the prior art on displacement Talbot lithography (see, for example, U.S. pat. no. 12/831 ,337), the beam illuminating each point of a linear grating in the mask needs to be well collimated in the plane orthogonal to the direction of the grating lines, otherwise the lines of the printed grating will be smeared out and the resolution lost. The resolution of the printed pattern is not, however, degraded if the light in the illuminating beam has a range of angles on incidence in the plane that is parallel to the grating lines. The rectilinearity of the features in the variable- transmission mask 7 and their orthogonality with respect to the lines of the corresponding grating 10 in the fine-grating mask 9 are therefore important features of the present invention (page 13/~line 41-page 16/line 9)
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Whereas the variable-transmission masks in figs. 15 and 16 are dark-field masks, i.e. with chrome surrounding the grating pattern 57, this is not essential: in other variants of these embodiments they may instead be light-field masks, i.e. with no chrome surrounding the grating pattern. Whereas the 0.sup.th-order variable-transmission masks described in the above embodiments are amplitude masks, that is the gratings are in form of alternating lines of transparent and opaque material, in other, related embodiments they may instead be phase shift masks, partially transmitting chrome, or attenuated phase shift masks, in which the thickness and linewidths of the particular materials employed are suitably designed for obtaining the required spatial variation of intensity in the transmitted 0.sup.th-order beam (page 32/~lines 21-37).
With respect to claim 5 and 6, the examiner holds that wafer bearing the photoresist patterned using a masked exposure in a Talbot lithographic exposure bears no artifact form the type of mask used in the exposure. The applicant bears the burden of establishing that the claimed process of exposure yields a materially distinct product.
The (photo)mask bears the pattern to be transferred by the exposure to the resist coated upon the wafer. The apparatus used in the cited example of the reference is a Talbot lithographic exposure apparatus. It is entirely reasonable for the examiner to hold the position that the pattern in the photomask is accurately transferred to the photoresist in the Talbot lithographic exposure process. There may be an advantage in the of an attenuated phase shift mask in a Talbot lithographic exposure device which results in a material difference in the pattern formed in the photoresist, but the applicant has not evidenced that. The applicant is invited to provide evidence that the use of an attenuated phase mask in the Talbot lithographic exposure device results in a material difference in the pattern formed in the photoresist using conventional metrics for evaluating resist patterns (MTF, LER , LWR, etc). As there is no evidence in the record that the photomask used result in any artifacts in the exposed photoresist the examiner is merely giving the claims their broadest reasonable interpretation. The rejection stands.
Claims 1,3-8 and 10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Clube et al. WO 2020194267, in view of Bartlau et al.20100086876.
Clube et al. WO 2020194267 exemplifies the apparatus and process of using it in the exposure of a photoresist using a Talbot lithography configuration, but does not exemplify the use an attenuating phase shift mask.
It would have been obvious to modify the apparatus of figure 2 of Clube et al. WO 2020194267 and the process for its use by replacing the mask used with a MoSi attenuating phase shift mask such as that taught by Bartlau et al.20100086876 as useful in 193 nm exposure processes with a reasonable expectation of success in forming a useful resist pattern based upon the disclosure that the amplitude masks used can be replaced with attenuated phase shift masks in Clube et al. WO 2020194267 at (page 32/~lines 21-37).
The applicant argues that the examiner has not considered and secondary consideration. The applicant has not advanced any secondary considerations to distinguish over the prior art. There is ample motivation to modify Clube et al. to use attenuated phase masks based upon the explicit direction to attenuated phase shift masks in Clube et al. WO 2020194267 at (page 32/~lines 21-37). On pages 8 and 9 of the response the applicant describes benefits recognized in Bartlau et al.20100086876, ignoring that this is prior art and not a discovery by the applicant. To characterize benefits recognized in the prior art applied as unexpected at the time of the applicant’s invention is disingenuous.
With respect to claims 1,3,4,7 and 10, the examiner has interpreted “associated with Talbot lithography” to require a Talbot lithographic exposure apparatus.
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Martin J Angebranndt whose telephone number is (571)272-1378. The examiner can normally be reached 7-3:30 pm EST.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Mark F Huff can be reached at 571-272-1385. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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MARTIN J. ANGEBRANNDT
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 1737
/MARTIN J ANGEBRANNDT/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1737 October 10, 2025