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 .
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 7/1/26 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive. While the examiner agrees that Beha fails to disclose that the UV pulsed picosecond laser collects signals at each point in a raster to determine which metal features are toggling at the reference frequency in the ROI, Beha’01 discloses this limitation, as detailed in the rejection below.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 1, 3-7, 10, 12-16, 19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Beha et al (US Patent No.: US 4,843,329 of record, “Beha”) in view of Beha et al (“Photoemission Sampling Technique for High-Speed Integrated-Circuit Testing”, “Beha’01”, of record, as cited and attached in IDS dated 8/1/24).
Regarding Claim 1, Beha discloses a system (Figure 3), comprising:
A tester device for fault isolation on a region of interest (ROI) (Figure 3; Column 4, l.24-29 discloses taking a region of interest (ROI) and testing for faults; Column 5, l.30);
An ultraviolet (UV) laser configured to pulse a UV beam targeting the ROI (Figure 3, UV laser 27; Column 5, l.-37-45);
A detector configured to capture excited electrons as signals based on the UV beam targeting the ROI (Figure 3; Column 5, l.57-Column 6, l.9 discloses a process capturing excited electrons and refusing low energy electrons); and
A time-domain electrical signal analyzer synchronized to a reference frequency, wherein the time-domain electrical signal analyzer causes a generation of a rastered image associated with the fault isolation (Figure 3; Column 5, l.49-53; Column 6, l.10-24 discloses a sequential generation of the image, where the control unit 31 is used to scan the board and generate the image, so it must be synchronized with either the tester frequency or a pulsed UV beam frequency).
Beha fails to disclose that the UV laser is a pulsed picosecond UV laser that collects the signals at each point in a raster to determine which metal features are toggling at the reference frequency in the ROI.
However, Beha’01 discloses that the UV laser is a pulsed picosecond UV laser (Beha’01, Abstract discloses a pulsed picosecond UV laser) that collects the signals at each point in a raster to determine which metal features are toggling at the reference frequency in the ROI (Beha’01, Pages 356-357 discloses collecting the signals at each point to determine which metal lines are toggling)
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify the laser as disclosed by Beha to be a pulsed picosecond UV laser as disclosed by Beha’01. One would have been motivated to do so for the purpose of being able to sample by the same laser source as the sampling pulse thereby guaranteeing a jitter-free operation (Beha’01, Abstract).
Regarding Claim 3, Beha in view of Beha’01 discloses the system of claim 1, wherein the integrated circuit comprises a transistor layer that is enclosed between a first metal layer and a second metal layer (Column 6, l.50-58 disclose how connections that are buried below the surface can still be tested; Figure 1A discloses first metal layer P21, second metal layer P22; Column 5, l. 1-11).
Regarding Claim 4, Beha in view of Beha’01 discloses the system of claim 3, wherein the tester device sends signals through the integrated circuit (Column 1, l.44-51 discloses a concept of using integrated circuits to send testing signals; Column 5, l.49-56 discloses a control unit used to send these signals, where it is also known that in order to generate excited electrons, a signal must be sent through the integrated circuit).
Regarding Claim 5, Beha in view of Beha’01 discloses the system of claim 1, wherein the rastered image is compared to a reference image of a similar region of the integrated circuit (Column 6, l.20-25 discloses a final evaluation of the resulting image).
Regarding Claim 6, Beha in view of Beha’01 discloses the system of claim 1, wherein the UV beam passes through an electron photoemitting microscope having a predetermined UV objective lens (Column 5, l.37-45 disclose the use of means for focusing or spreading the light generated by the source 27, which is generally considered to be a lens).
Regarding Claim 7, Beha in view of Beha’01 discloses the system of claim 1, wherein the rastered image is generated by mapping pixels associated with the signals onto an optical image (Column 6, l.10-24).
Regarding Claim 10, Beha discloses a method (Figure 3) comprising:
Attaching a device under test (DUT) comprising a region of interest (ROI) for fault isolation to a tester device (Figure 3; Column 4, l.24-29 discloses taking a region of interest (ROI) and testing for faults; Column 5, l.30), wherein the DUT is an integrated circuit (Column 1, l.44-51 discloses a concept of using integrated circuits to send testing signals);
Pulsing an ultraviolet (UV) beam targeting the ROI on the DUT using a UV laser (Figure 3, UV laser 27; Column 5, l.-37-45);
Capturing, using a detector, excited electrons as signals based on the UV beam targeting the ROI (Figure 3; Column 5, l.57-Column 6, l.9 discloses a process capturing excited electrons and refusing low energy electrons);
Synchronizing a time domain electrical signal analyzer to a reference frequency; and generating a rastered image associated with the fault isolation (Figure 3; Column 5, l.49-53; Column 6, l.10-24 discloses a sequential generation of the image, where the control unit 31 is used to scan the board and generate the image, so it must be synchronized with either the tester frequency or a pulsed UV beam frequency).
Beha fails to disclose that the UV laser is a pulsed picosecond UV laser that collects the signals at each point in a raster to determine which metal features are toggling at the reference frequency in the ROI.
However, Beha’01 discloses that the UV laser is a pulsed picosecond UV laser (Beha’01, Abstract discloses a pulsed picosecond UV laser) that collects the signals at each point in a raster to determine which metal features are toggling at the reference frequency in the ROI (Beha’01, Pages 356-357 discloses collecting the signals at each point to determine which metal lines are toggling)
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify the laser as disclosed by Beha to be a pulsed picosecond UV laser as disclosed by Beha’01. One would have been motivated to do so for the purpose of being able to sample by the same laser source as the sampling pulse thereby guaranteeing a jitter-free operation (Beha’01, Abstract).
Regarding Claim 12, Beha in view of Beha’01 discloses the method of claim 10, wherein the integrated circuit comprises a transistor layer that is enclosed between a first metal layer and a second metal layer (Column 6, l.50-58 disclose how connections that are buried below the surface can still be tested; Figure 1A discloses first metal layer P21, second metal layer P22; Column 5, l. 1-11).
Regarding Claim 13, Beha in view of Beha’01 discloses the method of claim 12, wherein the tester device sends signals through the integrated circuit (Column 1, l.44-51 discloses a concept of using integrated circuits to send testing signals; Column 5, l.49-56 discloses a control unit used to send these signals, where it is also known that in order to generate excited electrons, a signal must be sent through the integrated circuit).
Regarding Claim 14, Beha in view of Beha’01 discloses the method of claim 10, wherein the rastered image is compared to a reference image of a similar region of the integrated circuit (Column 6, l.20-25 discloses a final evaluation of the resulting image).
Regarding Claim 15, Beha in view of Beha’01 discloses the method of claim 10, wherein the UV beam passes through an electron photoemitting microscope having a predetermined UV objective lens (Column 5, l.37-45 disclose the use of means for focusing or spreading the light generated by the source 27, which is generally considered to be a lens).
Regarding Claim 16, Beha in view of Beha’01 discloses the method of claim 10, wherein the rastered image is generated by mapping pixels associated with the signals onto an optical image (Column 6, l.10-24).
Regarding Claim 19, Beha discloses an apparatus (Figure 3) comprising:
A device under test (DUT) (Figure 3) comprising a region of interest (ROI) for fault isolation (Figure 3; Column 4, l.24-29 discloses taking a region of interest (ROI) and testing for faults; Column 5, l.30); wherein the DUT is an integrated circuit (Column 1, l.44-51 discloses a concept of using integrated circuits to send testing signals);
A tester device for fault isolation on a region of interest (ROI) (Figure 3; Column 4, l.24-29 discloses taking a region of interest (ROI) and testing for faults; Column 5, l.30);
An ultraviolet (UV) laser configured to pulse a UV beam targeting the ROI (Figure 3, UV laser 27; Column 5, l.-37-45);
A detector configured to capture excited electrons as signals based on the UV beam targeting the ROI (Figure 3; Column 5, l.57-Column 6, l.9 discloses a process capturing excited electrons and refusing low energy electrons); and
A time-domain electrical signal analyzer synchronized to a reference frequency, wherein the time-domain electrical signal analyzer causes a generation of a rastered image associated with the fault isolation (Figure 3; Column 5, l.49-53; Column 6, l.10-24 discloses a sequential generation of the image, where the control unit 31 is used to scan the board and generate the image, so it must be synchronized with either the tester frequency or a pulsed UV beam frequency).
Beha fails to disclose that the UV laser is a pulsed picosecond UV laser that collects the signals at each point in a raster to determine which metal features are toggling at the reference frequency in the ROI.
However, Beha’01 discloses that the UV laser is a pulsed picosecond UV laser (Beha’01, Abstract discloses a pulsed picosecond UV laser) that collects the signals at each point in a raster to determine which metal features are toggling at the reference frequency in the ROI (Beha’01, Pages 356-357 discloses collecting the signals at each point to determine which metal lines are toggling)
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify the laser as disclosed by Beha to be a pulsed picosecond UV laser as disclosed by Beha’01. One would have been motivated to do so for the purpose of being able to sample by the same laser source as the sampling pulse thereby guaranteeing a jitter-free operation (Beha’01, Abstract).
Claims 8-9, 17-18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Beha in view Beha’01 in further view of Tong et al (US Publication No.: US 2024/0219460 A1 of record, “Tong”).
Regarding Claim 8, Beha in view of Beha’01 discloses the system of claim 7.
Beha fails to disclose that the pixels are associated with a metal signal line that toggles at the reference frequency.
However, Tong discloses a similar system where the pixels are associated with a metal signal line that toggles at the reference frequency (Tong, Paragraph 0043).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify the pixels as disclosed by Beha to toggle as disclosed by Tong. One would have been motivated to do so for the purpose of acquiring information regarding failure (Tong, Paragraph 0043).
Regarding Claim 9, Beha in view of Beha’01 discloses the system of claim 1.
Beha fails to disclose that the reference frequency is based on a tester frequency, a device under test (DUT) frequency, or a pulsed UV beam frequency.
However, Tong discloses a similar system where the reference frequency is based on a tester frequency, a device under test (DUT) frequency, or a pulsed UV beam frequency (Tong, Paragraph 0043).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify the frequency as disclosed by Beha to be based on a particular frequency as disclosed by Tong. One would have been motivated to do so for the purpose of acquiring information regarding failure (Tong, Paragraph 0043).
Regarding Claim 17, Beha in view of Beha’01 discloses the method of claim 16.
Beha fails to disclose that the pixels are associated with a metal signal line that toggles at the reference frequency.
However, Tong discloses a similar system where the pixels are associated with a metal signal line that toggles at the reference frequency (Tong, Paragraph 0043).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify the pixels as disclosed by Beha to toggle as disclosed by Tong. One would have been motivated to do so for the purpose of acquiring information regarding failure (Tong, Paragraph 0043).
Regarding Claim 18, Beha in view of Beha’01 discloses the method of claim 10.
Beha fails to disclose that the reference frequency is based on a tester frequency, a device under test (DUT) frequency, or a pulsed UV beam frequency.
However, Tong discloses a similar system where the reference frequency is based on a tester frequency, a device under test (DUT) frequency, or a pulsed UV beam frequency (Tong, Paragraph 0043).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify the frequency as disclosed by Beha to be based on a particular frequency as disclosed by Tong. One would have been motivated to do so for the purpose of acquiring information regarding failure (Tong, Paragraph 0043).
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). 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 MARIAM QURESHI whose telephone number is (571)272-4434. The examiner can normally be reached 9AM-5PM EST M-F.
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/MARIAM QURESHI/Examiner, Art Unit 2871
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