CTNF 18/277,053 CTNF 84414 DETAILED ACTION Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status 07-03-aia AIA 15-10-aia The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA. This is the initial office action for US Patent Application No. 18/277053 by Goda et al. Claims 1-12 are currently pending and have been fully considered. Priority 02-26 AIA Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55. Claim Objections 07-29-01 AIA Claim 1 is objected to because of the following informalities: Claim 1: For the formula: 0.5 x da + dc, it appears there should be parentheses around da + dc in order to clarify that thicknesses of the absorption layer and outermost layer are first added together and then multiplied by 0.5. It appears Applicant’s specification describes adding the aforementioned thicknesses first and then multiplying by 0.5 . Appropriate correction is required. Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102 07-07-aia AIA 07-07 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 – 07-08-aia AIA (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. 07-15 AIA Claim s 1-12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102( a)(1 ) as being anticipated by Matsuo (US 2012/0021344 A1) . Regarding claims 1 and 6, Matsuo teaches (Figures 11, 12, [0103] and [0113]) a reflective photomask blank comprising a substrate 1; a multi-layered reflection film 2 (reflective part) formed on the substrate and configured to reflect EUV light; and an absorption film and anti-reflection layer 5c (a low reflective part formed on the reflective part and configured to absorb an incident light, wherein the low reflective part is a multi-layer structural body having at least two or more layers including an absorption layer and an outermost layer). With further regard to claim 6, Matsuo also teaches a reflective photomask 20 comprising the layers discussed above. With further regard to claims 1 and 6, Matsuo teaches [0089] the extinction coefficient of the absorption film is equal to 0.0721 (an extinction coefficient k to a wavelength of 13.5 nm of the absorption layer is k>0.041) and the total film thickness of the absorption film [0031] is configured to be from 25 nm to 45 nm and the anti-reflection layer [0135] has a thickness of 16 nm (a film thickness satisfying 0.5×da+dc≥27.5 nm, wherein the film thickness of the absorption layer is da and the film thickness of the outermost layer is dc, when the absorption film is 25-45 nm, the low end of the absorption film thickness range results in 0.5 x 25 + 16 = 28.5 nm and the high end of the absorption film thickness range results in 0.5 x 45 + 16 = 38.5 nm, therefore the absorption film thickness range satisfies the equation 0.5×da+dc≥27.5 nm). With regard to claim 2, Matsuo teaches [0089] the absorption film is configured to have a refractive index of 0.936 which satisfies the range recited in claim 2. With regard to claims 3 and 7, Matsuo teaches [0089] the absorption film comprises tin oxide (SnO) wherein Sn is present in an amount of 50 atomic percent. With regard to claims 4, 8 and 9, Matsuo teaches [0089] the absorption film comprises tin oxide (SnO) wherein Sn is present in an amount of 50 atomic percent and the anti-reflection film [0133] comprises a silicon (Si) or ruthenium (Ru) film wherein the Si and Ru are present in an amount of 100 atomic percent. With regard to claims 5 and 10-12, Matsuo teaches [0031] the total thickness of the absorption film may be from 25 nm to 45 nm which falls within the claimed thickness ranges recited in claims 5 and 10-12. Matsuo further teaches [0089] the absorption film comprises tin oxide (SnO) and an optical density (Figure 2 and [0090]) of greater than 1.5 is achieved. 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To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000. /STEWART A FRASER/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1724 Application/Control Number: 18/277,053 Page 2 Art Unit: 1724 Application/Control Number: 18/277,053 Page 3 Art Unit: 1724 Application/Control Number: 18/277,053 Page 4 Art Unit: 1724 Application/Control Number: 18/277,053 Page 5 Art Unit: 1724