DETAILED ACTION
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
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 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.
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of papers submitted under 35 U.S.C. 119(a)-(d), which papers have been placed of record in the file.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statements (IDS) submitted on 1/24/2024 and 6/3/2024 are in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statements have been considered by the examiner.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
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 1-13 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 pre-AIA the applicant regards as the invention.
Regarding claim 1, claimed term of “….are aligned approximately parallel or congruently with respect to an optical axis of the reflective optical element” (line 12-13) is vague and renders the claims indefinite. The term “approximately” does not define a range/scope of claimed parallelism or congruence. It is unclear that what is a certain range/scope of claimed technical feature in question. Further, one of ordinary skill in the art would not be reasonably apprised of the scope of the invention.
More, claimed term of “….the EUV radiation generated by the target material” (line 8-9) is vague and renders the claims indefinite, it appears that the target material can generate the EUV radiation itself. Actually, it is the laser excited target material emits the EUV radiation according to instant disclosure.
Claims 2-13 are rejected as containing the deficiencies of claim 1 through their dependency from claim 1.
Therefore proper amendments are required in order to clarify the scopes of the claims and overcome the rejections.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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.
Claim 1 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Hori et al (US 20120307851).
Regarding Claim 1, Hori teaches a focusing device for focusing at least two laser beams onto a moving target material in a target region for generating extreme ultraviolet (EUV) radiation (abstract; figs. 9-11), the focusing device comprising:
a first focusing element for focusing a first laser beam onto the target material at a first position in the target region (fig. 10, 3a, 15g, DL/PS; ¶[0134], line 1-7, EUV light generation system; the pre-pulse laser beam from the YAG pulse laser apparatus 3a and the main pulse laser beam from the CO2 pulse laser apparatus 3b are guided into the chamber 1 along separate beam paths; figs. 22B-25B, --Pre-Pulse laser beam in X-Y coordinate plane);
a second focusing element for focusing a second laser beam onto the target material at a second position in the target region (fig. 10, 3b, 15f, DL/PS; figs. 22D-25D, --Main-Pulse laser beam in X-Y coordinate plane); and
a reflective optical element for reflecting the EUV radiation generated by the target material (fig. 10, 5-- EUV collector mirror);
wherein an optical axis of the first focusing element and/or an optical axis of the second focusing element are aligned approximately parallel or congruently with respect to an optical axis of the reflective optical element (fig. 10, 5, 15f, XIV axis).
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 of this title, 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 1-13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zhang et al (WO 2019192841) in a view of Hori et al (US 20120307851).
Regarding Claim 1, Zhang teaches a focusing device for focusing at least two laser beams onto a moving target material in a target region for generating extreme ultraviolet (EUV) radiation (abstract; figs. 4 and 10-11), the focusing device comprising:
a first focusing element for focusing a first laser beam onto the target material at a first position in the target region (fig. 4, 405a, 425a, 406a, 442a; ¶[0064], line 1-14, The EUV light source 400 includes light-generation modules 405a, 405b, and 405c. The light-generation module 405a emits a first light beam 406a. The light-generation module 405b emits a second light beam 406b. The light-generation module 405c emits a third light beam 406c; a CO2 laser, a Q-switched Nd:YAG laser);
a second focusing element for focusing a second laser beam onto the target material at a second position in the target region (fig. 4, 405c, 425c, 406c, 442c); and
a reflective optical element for reflecting the EUV radiation generated by the target material (fig. 11, 1135--collector mirror).
But Zhang does not specifically disclose that wherein an optical axis of the first focusing element and/or an optical axis of the second focusing element are aligned approximately parallel or congruently with respect to an optical axis of the reflective optical element.
However, Hori teaches a system/method for generating extreme ultraviolet light (abstract; figs. 9-11), wherein an optical axis of the first focusing element and/or an optical axis of the second focusing element are aligned approximately parallel or congruently with respect to an optical axis of the reflective optical element (fig. 10, 3b- second laser, 5- reflective optical element, 15f- second focusing element, XIV axis).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the focusing device of Zhang by the system/method for generating extreme ultraviolet light of Hori for a purpose of a EUV light with higher energy and a high conversion efficiency (CE). (¶[0104], line 1-7).
Regarding Claim 2, Zhang - Hori combination teaches that the focusing device as claimed in claim 1, wherein: the first focusing element is configured to guide the first laser beam along a first principal axis between the first focusing element and the target region, wherein the first principal axis is offset and/or tilted with respect to the optical axis of the first focusing element (fig. 4, 405a, 425a, 432b, as disclosed in Zhang; fig. 10, 3a, 15g, PS, XIV axis, as disclosed in Hori); and/or
the second focusing element is configured to guide the second laser beam along a second principal axis between the second focusing element and the target region, and wherein the second principal axis is offset and/or tilted with respect to the optical axis of the second focusing element.
Regarding Claim 3, Zhang - Hori combination teaches that the focusing device as claimed in claim 2, wherein a first beam shaping element is embodied as a segment of the first focusing element configured as rotationally symmetrical with respect to the optical axis of the first focusing element; and/or
a second beam shaping element is embodied as a segment of the second focusing element configured as rotationally symmetrical with respect to the optical axis of the second focusing element (¶[0061], line 1-11, The beam transport system 325 also includes a focusing system 326. The focusing system 326 includes any combination of optical elements arranged to focus the modified light beam 332a and the second light beam 306b. For example, the focusing system 326 may include lenses and/or mirrors (---having rotationally symmetrical with respect to the optical axis). The modified light beam 332a is focused at or near an initial target region 342a, and the second light beam 306b is focused at or near a modified target region 342b. In the example illustrated in FIG. 3, the focusing system 326 focuses the modified light beam 332a and the second light beam 306b even though these beams do not follow the same beam path through the focusing system 326, as disclosed in Zhang).
Regarding Claim 4, Zhang - Hori combination teaches that the focusing device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the optical axis of the first focusing element and the optical axis of the second focusing element are aligned approximately parallel or congruently with respect to the optical axis of the reflective optical element, and the optical axis of the first focusing element and the optical axis of the second focusing element are offset by less than 3 mm with respect to one another (fig. 9, 3a, 3b, 15b, XIV axis, --overlapping, as disclosed in Hori).
Regarding Claim 5, Zhang - Hori combination teaches that the focusing device as claimed in claim 3, wherein the first beam shaping element is embodied as a lens or a mirror; and/or the second beam shaping element is embodied as a lens or a mirror (¶[0061], line 1-11, The beam transport system 325 also includes a focusing system 326. The focusing system 326 includes any combination of optical elements arranged to focus the modified light beam 332a and the second light beam 306b. For example, the focusing system 326 may include lenses and/or mirrors (--having rotationally symmetrical with respect to the optical axis). The modified light beam 332a is focused at or near an initial target region 342a, and the second light beam 306b is focused at or near a modified target region 342b. In the example illustrated in FIG. 3, the focusing system 326 focuses the modified light beam 332a and the second light beam 306b even though these beams do not follow the same beam path through the focusing system 326, as disclosed in Zhang).
Regarding Claim 6, Zhang - Hori combination teaches that the focusing device as claimed in claim 1, wherein a first double mirror arrangement is disposed downstream of the first focusing element as viewed in a beam direction; and/or
wherein a second double mirror arrangement is disposed downstream of the second focusing element as viewed in the beam direction (fig. 10, 22, 24, as disclosed in Zhang).
Regarding Claim 7, Zhang - Hori combination teaches that the focusing device as claimed in claim 2, wherein the first focusing element is configured to guide a third laser beam along a third principal axis into the target region, wherein the third principal axis forms an acute angle of more than 2° with respect to the first principal axis of the first laser beam (fig. 4, 405b, 432b, as disclosed in Zhang).
Regarding Claim 8, Zhang - Hori combination teaches that an extreme ultraviolet (EUV) beam generating apparatus comprising a vacuum chamber, into which a target material is introducible into a target region for generating EUV radiation (fig. 10, 1; ¶[0085], line 1-9, The chamber 1 may be a vacuum chamber, as disclosed in Hori), the EUV beam generating apparatus comprising:
a focusing device for focusing at least two laser beams onto the target material in the target region as claimed in claim 1 (fig. 10, 15f, 15g, PS, as disclosed in Hori), and
a first beam source for generating the first laser beam and a second beam source for generating the second laser beam (fig. 10, 3a, 3b, as disclosed in Hori).
Regarding Claim 9, Zhang - Hori combination teaches that the EUV beam generating apparatus as claimed in claim 8, wherein the first laser beam has a first wavelength, and the second laser beam has a second wavelength different than the first wavelength (¶[0134], line 1-7, the pre-pulse laser beam from the YAG pulse laser apparatus 3a and the main pulse laser beam from the CO2 pulse laser apparatus 3b, as disclosed in Hori).
Regarding Claim 10, Zhang - Hori combination teaches that the EUV beam generating apparatus as claimed in claim 9, wherein the first wavelength is between 500 and 1200 nm, and the second wavelength is between 8 µm and 12 µm (¶[0134], line 1-7, the pre-pulse laser beam from the YAG pulse laser apparatus 3a ( -- wavelength 1.06 µm = 1060 nm) and the main pulse laser beam from the CO2 pulse laser apparatus 3b ( -- wavelength 10.6 µm), as disclosed in Hori).
Regarding Claim 11, Zhang - Hori combination teaches that the EUV beam generating apparatus as claimed in claim 8, wherein the first laser beam is pulsed and/or the second laser beam is pulsed (¶[0134], line 1-7, the pre-pulse laser beam from the YAG pulse laser apparatus 3a and the main pulse laser beam from the CO2 pulse laser apparatus 3b, as disclosed in Hori).
Regarding Claim 12, Zhang - Hori combination teaches that the EUV beam generating apparatus as claimed in claim 8, further comprising a third beam source for generating a third laser beam (fig. 4, 405b, 406b, 432b, as disclosed in Zhang).
Regarding Claim 13, Zhang - Hori combination teaches that the EUV beam generating apparatus as claimed in claim 12, wherein the third laser beam is pulsed and/or
has a different wavelength than the second laser beam and/or
a different polarization than the second laser beam (¶[0064], line 1-13, the spectral content of at least one of the light beams 405a, 405b, 405c may be different from the other light beams; The light beams 405a and 405b may be two different emission lines of the CO2 laser. The emission lines of a CO2 laser include, for example, light at 9.4 µm, 10.26 µm, and 10.59 µm; the other of the light beams 405a and 405b is a beam having a wavelength of 1.06 µm produced by a solid-state laser (such as, for example, a Q-switched Nd:YAG laser), as disclosed in Zhang).
Examiner’s Note
Regarding the references, the Examiner cites particular figures, paragraphs, columns and line numbers in the reference(s), as applied to the claims above. Although the particular citations are representative teachings and are applied to specific limitations within the claims, other passages, internally cited references, and figures may also apply. In preparing a response, it is respectfully requested that the Applicant fully consider the references, in their entirety, as potentially disclosing or teaching all or part of the claimed invention, as well as fully consider the context of the passage as taught by the reference(s) or as disclosed by the Examiner.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communication from the examiner should be directed to Jie Lei whose telephone number is (571) 272 7231. The examiner can normally be reached on Mon.-Thurs. 8:00 am to 5:30 pm.
If attempts to reach the examiner by the telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner's supervisor, Thomas Pham can be reached on (571) 272 3689.The Fax number for the organization where this application is assigned is (571) 273 8300.
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/JIE LEI/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2872