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 following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 1-15,18-21 and 32 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
In claim 1 at line 6, please replace “in reflection of” with - - based upon- -
In claim 14, at line 9, it is not clear what the “convolution” step corresponds to.
In claim 21, at line 6, please replace “by reflecting” with - - based upon- - .
In claim 32, at line 7, please replace “in reflection of” with - - based upon- -
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 1-15,18-21 and 32 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zu 20210341847, in view of Hsu et al. 20200073226.
Zu 20210341847 teaches with respect to figure 5, a process for determining the deviation vectors on the basis of alignment marks. This is used to generate a map of the deviation vectors as illustrated in figures 6 and 7.
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The use of feedback data based upon quality analysis where the quality analysis includes a deviation vectors and the length of the longest deviation vector is compared to a reference value and if the longest deviation vector is greater than the reference value, the mask is considered defective (unqualified). The position of each deviation vector which is greater than the reference value is then used to adjust the data in the mask plate before a new mask plate is made ([0069,0074] and figure 8 and 9).
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Exemplarily, FIG. 2 illustrates a structural schematic diagram of a deviation vector provided by an embodiment of the disclosure. As shown in FIG. 2, after the deviation coordinate of the alignment mark in the mask pattern manufactured with the mask plate is acquired, the deviation vector corresponding to each deviation coordinate may be labeled in the layout of the mask pattern. By this time, a coordinate system is established with the preset coordinate of the alignment mark in the layout of the mask pattern as an origin of coordinates O; and with the origin of coordinates O as a start point O of the deviation vector, and the deviation coordinate as an end point of the deviation vector, the deviation vector corresponding to the deviation coordinate as well as a quadrant where the deviation vector is located, and a direction of the deviation vector may be obtained; and the vector length of the deviation vector is obtained from a coordinate of the deviation vector. As shown in FIG. 2A, when the measurement coordinate of the alignment mark in the mask pattern manufactured with the mask plate is (x11, y11), and the preset coordinate of the alignment mark in the layout of the mask pattern is (x12, y12), the deviation coordinate (x1, y1) is (x11-x12, y11-y12); if both x11-x12 and y11-y12 are greater than 0, then the deviation vector is located in a first quadrant of the coordinate system, and accordingly, the direction of the deviation vector may be obtained and the length of the deviation vector may be calculated through the deviation coordinate (x1, y1). As shown in FIG. 2B, when the measurement coordinate of the alignment mark in the mask pattern manufactured with the mask plate is (x21, y21), and the preset coordinate of the alignment mark in the layout of the mask pattern is (x22, y22), the deviation coordinate (x2, y2) is (x21-x22, y21-y22); if x21-x22 is less than 0 and y21-y22 is more than 0, then the deviation vector is located in a second quadrant of the coordinate system, and accordingly, the direction of the deviation vector may be obtained and the length of the deviation vector may be calculated through the deviation coordinate (x2, y2). As shown in FIG. 2C, when the measurement coordinate of the alignment mark in the mask pattern manufactured with the mask plate is (x31, y31), and the preset coordinate of the alignment mark in the layout of the mask pattern is (x32, y32), the deviation coordinate (x3, y3) is (x31-x32, y31-y32); if both x31-x32 and y31-y32 are less than 0, then the deviation vector is located in a third quadrant of the coordinate system, and accordingly, the direction of the deviation vector may be obtained and the length of the deviation vector may be calculated through the deviation coordinate (x3, y3). As shown in FIG. 2D, when the measurement coordinate of the alignment mark in the mask pattern manufactured with the mask plate is (x41, y41), and the preset coordinate of the alignment mark in the layout of the mask pattern is (x42, y42), the deviation coordinate (x4, y4) is (x41-x42, y41-y42); if x41-x42 is greater than 0 and y41-y42 is less than 0, then the deviation vector is located in a fourth quadrant of the coordinate system, and accordingly, the direction of the deviation vector may be obtained and the length of the deviation vector may be calculated through the deviation coordinate (x4, y4)[0035].
Hsu et al. 20200073226 teaches with respect to figure 2A, an EUV mask including a substrate (102), a reflective Mo/Si muyltilayer, a capping layer (106), an absorber layer (10*, a hardmask (202) and a resist, which has been patterned by exposure and development (204). The resist pattern is transferred into the hardmask by etching, the resist is then stripped/removed and the hardmask used to pattern the absorber layer (2D), the hardmask is removed and the result is then subjected to a femtosecond laser treatment to form a border region (102) [0013-0045].
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Zu 20210341847 does not describe the processing of the photomask, including etching
With respect to claims 1,2,14,15,21 and 32, it would have been obvious to modify the process of Zu 20210341847 who determines the error vectors at different positions of the mask and then calculates/models the positional errors based upon these as illustrated in figure 7 by applying this mask pattern correction technique to forming EUV masks using the processing of Hsu et al. 20200073226 which includes resist exposure, resist development, etching and laser annealing of the border region with a reasonable expectation of forming a useful EUV photomask.
With respect to claims 1-15,18-21 and 32, it would have been obvious to modify the process of Zu 20210341847 who determines the error vectors at different positions of the mask and then calculates/models the positional errors based upon these as illustrated in figure 7, by applying this mask pattern technique to forming EUV masks using the processing of Hsu et al. 20200073226 which includes resist exposure, resist development, etching and laser annealing of the border region and then using the feedback processes of Zu 20210341847 which evaluate the manufactured masks on the basis of the largest vector and sort them into useful and non-useful masks (unqualified) and then use the vector lengths to improve the positional errors in later produced masks with a reasonable expectation of forming a useful EUV photomask with improved position error correction..
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Pforr 20120227014 teaches a process of minimizing errors in photolithographic masks which includes determining a reference displacement vector field, the reference displacement vector field correlates displacement vectors of the errors of the plurality of photolithographic masks, determining for each of the photolithographic mask a difference displacement vector field as a difference between the reference displacement vector field and the displacement vectors of the errors of the respective photolithographic mask, and correcting the errors for each of the photolithographic masks using the respective difference displacement vector field (abstract, [0014]) In order to reduce the overall error correction effort, the defined method does not correct the pattern placement errors of each mask separately and independently from the other masks of the mask set, but takes the pattern placement errors of the other masks of the mask set into account. It only to corrects the deviations of the pattern placement errors of each mask from a reference distribution of placement errors which can be denoted by the term reference displacement vector field. Since the inventive method corrects deviations of each mask from such a reference displacement vector field, it prevents the correction of pattern placement errors having displacement vectors with a large magnitude. Therefore, the inventive method is well suited for a production process having a high throughput [0016]. In a further aspect, correlating of the displacement vectors comprises determining difference displacement vectors depending on a position at the photolithographic mask as a difference of the displacement vectors of two different masks, determining an average displacement value by averaging the to norms of the difference displacement vectors across an area of the photolithographic mask, determining a maximum displacement value as the maximum of the norms of the difference displacement vectors across an area of the photolithographic masks, defining a weighted average comprising the average displacement value, the maximum displacement value and weighting parameters, determining a weighted averaged displacement value for each photolithographic mask by averaging the weighted average with respect to the plurality of photolithographic masks, and determining the reference displacement vector field as the displacement vector field of the photolithographic masks having the lowest weighted averaged displacement value of the plurality of photolithographic masks [0019].
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Dirksen et al. 5674650 teaches in FIG. 17 shows the result of a known distortion measurement performed with the test mask of FIG. 14. To this end the alignment data of the extra alignment marks are used for the best focusing. The local distortion of the projection lens system is the difference between the position where the mark is actually imaged and the position where the mark would be imaged if the magnification of the projection lens system were correct, independent of the position in the image field. FIG. 17 shows the result, obtained after intermediate operations, of the distortion measurements, in which errors in the mask in the form of vectors, 200-240, have not been taken into account. A vector length of 2.8 mm represents a distortion of approximately 100 nm. By definition, the distortion on the optical axis, position 200, is zero. For the measured projection lens system the largest distortion is approximately 170 nm, for vector 203.
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Kenmochi JP 2015062054 teaches the use of position error vectors (see figure 12) across the mask surface to correct the mask.
Nishio et al. 20120202142 teaches with respect to figure 5, a diagram exemplifying position shifts of the mask patterns calculated by using the marks 16, 17 for measuring position shifts in the exposure masks A and B. While the position shift (vector a) of the mask pattern of the exposure mask A is in the lower left direction, the position shift (vector b) of the mask pattern of the exposure mask B is in the upper right direction. Usually, if the shift amount (|vector b|) from the position serving as a reference does not exceed a reference value for shipment judgment of a product, the product is judged to be non-defective and shipped in the manufacture of an exposure mask. However, a position shift (vector b-a) arises in a pattern actually formed on a wafer, which is a position shift of the mask pattern of the exposure mask B with reference to the mask pattern of the exposure mask A and this leads to a decrease in yield. Thus, the calculation apparatus 13 calculates a position shift of a mask pattern of the exposure mask B with reference to a mask pattern of the exposure mask A, that is, a difference (vector b-a) between the position shift of a mask pattern of the exposure mask A and the position shift of a mask pattern of the exposure mask B (Act 1-5). Then, the calculation apparatus 13 compares the position shift amount with a reference value, and judges as permission for shipment (OK) of the exposure mask B if the position shift amount is within the reference value and refusal of shipment (NG) if the position shift amount exceeds the reference value (Act 1-6) [0032-0034]. As the position shift amount (vector a)of a mask pattern of the exposure mask A, the average value of position shifts of each pattern 16 for measuring position shifts of the exposure mask A can also be used. The (vector b) showing the position shift amount of a mask pattern of the exposure mask B similarly can be shown by the average value of position shifts of each pattern 17 for measuring position shifts of the exposure mask B. By using the average values of position shifts in each pattern 16, 17 for measuring position shifts as described above, the calculation of drawing conditions for drawing a mask pattern by a drawing apparatus or reflection of a differential vector in drawing processes is simplified so that work efficiency can be improved [0037]. Thus, as shown together with FIG. 9, the calculation apparatus 23 calculates a difference (vector c.sub.2-c.sub.1) between the position shift of the alignment shift measuring pattern after exposure and the position shift of the mask position shift amount measuring pattern inside the integrated circuit (Act 2-3). Then, the control apparatus 24 reflects the obtained difference data in a alignment parameter (Act 2-4) and the exposure apparatus 25 provides exposing treatment to a wafer (Act 2-5). The reflection of the obtained difference data in a alignment parameter means correcting the alignment parameter based on the obtained difference data, but a correction cannot be made in each point of position shift measuring patterns in the exposing treatment of wafer and thus, a correction value obtained by averaging the position shift in all measuring points is reflected as a least shift. That is, the average value of position shifts of the four alignment shift measuring patterns after exposure 27 formed at two locations each at upper and lower edges is used as the position shift (vector c.sub.1) of the alignment shift measuring pattern after exposure. Also as the position shift (vector c.sub.2) of the mask position shift amount measuring pattern 28 inside the integrated circuit, the average value of position shifts of the mask position shift amount measuring pattern 28 contained in each of the regions 29. Then, the alignment parameter is corrected by using a difference of these average values (vector c.sub.2-c.sub.1) as a correction value [0043]. Then, the control apparatus 24 shown in FIG. 6 reflects the obtained difference data in the alignment parameter (Act 3-5) and the exposure apparatus 25 exposes a wafer on which a pattern has been formed by the exposure mask D in the preceding process by using the exposure mask E (Act 3-6). In the reflection of the obtained difference data in the alignment parameter, as described in the second embodiment, the average value of differences between the average value (vector d.sub.1) of position shifts of the alignment shift measuring patterns after exposure 27a and the position shift (vector d.sub.2) of a pattern inside the integrated circuit 29 in the exposure mask D is used as the differential vector d.sub.2-d.sub.1. Also, the average value of differences between the average value (vector e.sub.1) of position shifts of the alignment shift measuring patterns after exposure 27b and the position shift (vector e.sub.2) of the mask position shift measuring pattern 28b inside the integrated circuit 29b in the exposure mask E is used as the differential vector e.sub.2-e.sub.1. Then, the wafer position measuring apparatus 26 measures the alignment shift of the wafer based on the alignment shift measuring pattern after exposure. If the alignment shift is within a reference value, the exposure mask is judged to be shippable (OK) and distributed and if the alignment shift exceeds the reference value, the exposure mask is judged to be not shippable (NG) (Act 3-7) and exposing treatment is provided again. If exposing treatment is provided again, the exposing treatment is provided by applying the shift amount in each of the X/Y directions for exposure to an exposure apparatus so that the alignment shift amount of wafer measured based on the alignment shift measuring pattern after exposure is within a reference value [0053].
Oshemkov et al. EP 3598231 reaches using a laser to anneal an EUV photomask using a laser to form a pattern of dots.
Mangai et al. 20130029253 teaches laser annealing an EUV mask to forma black border [0013,0017,0024].
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, Ching-Yu (Coris) Fung can be reached at 571-270-5713. 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 June 26, 2026
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