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 .
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)(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.
Claim(s) 1-18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Dohi et al. (2014/0021366 A1).
As per claim 1, Dohi teaches an electron-optical system, the electron-optical system comprising:
an electron beam source configured to generate a primary electron beam (Fig. 7 (01));
an electron-optical column including a set of electron-optical elements (Fig. 7 (02, 04, 09, etc)) configured to direct at least a portion of the primary electron beam onto a portion of a sample
(Fig. 7 (10)), the set of electron-optical elements comprising;
an objective lens disposed along an optical axis (Fig. 7 (09));
a first deflector assembly disposed along the optical axis, wherein the first deflector assembly
includes a first Wien filter (Fig. 7 (07)); and
a second deflector assembly disposed along the optical axis, wherein the second deflector
assembly includes a second Wien filter (Fig. 7 (15)),
wherein the first Wien filter of the first deflector assembly is configured to deflect the primary
electron beam to a point on the objective lens to minimize coma blur (Fig. 4, para 44), wherein the objective lens generates off-axis chromatic aberration upon minimizing the coma of the primary electron beam (Fig. 4, para 42),
wherein the first Wien filter of the first deflector assembly is configured to correct the off-axis
chromatic aberration in the primary electron beam generated by the objective lens (Fig. 4, para 44); and
a detector assembly configured to detect secondary electrons emanating from the sample
(Fig.4, paras 50-51 – an SEM image is detected inherently indicates the detector assembly).
As per claim 2, 12, The electron-optical system of claim 1, wherein the off-axis chromatic aberration is rotationally symmetric, see fig 9.
As per claim 3, Dohi teaches a controller communicatively coupled to the detector assembly, the controller including one or more processors configured to execute a set of program instructions stored in memory – a controller with processors to run a set of instructions (11,102,103, 110)
As per claim 4, Dohi teaches the set of program instructions are configured to cause the one or more processors to: direct the first Wien filter of the first deflector assembly to deflect the primary electron beam to the point on the objective lens within the electron-optical column to correct for the coma blur; and adjust one of a strength or orientation of the first Wien filter of the first deflector assembly to correct the off-axis chromatic aberration in the primary electron beam generated by the objective lens. Fig. 7 and para. 56-60.
As per claim 5, Dohi teaches the set of program instructions are configured to cause the one or more processors to: adjust a beam voltage of the electron beam source to amplify an energy source spread of the electron beam source; and generate a sample image of the sample based on the adjusted beam voltage to identify existing aberration in the primary electron beam, see para. 31, 42, 57).
As per claim 6, 13, Dohi device teaches the second Wien filter of the second deflector assembly is configured to direct the secondary electrons emanating from the sample to the detector assembly, Fig.7 (15).
As per claim 7,14, Dohi’s first Wien filter of the first deflector assembly is configured to correct axial chromatic aberration in the primary electron beam caused by the second Wien filter, see fig 4, para 42).
As per claim 8, Dohi teaches at least one more electron source 1.
As per claim 9, Dohi teaches at least one electron detectors (Fig.4, paras 50-51 – an SEM image is detected inherently indicates the detector assembly).
As per claim 10, Dohi device is a scanning electron microscopy system, para. 1.
As per claim 11, Dohi discloses a SEM device comprising;
a controller communicatively coupled to a deflector assembly and a detector assembly, the controller including one or more processors configured to cause a set of program instructions to (para :
direct a first Wien filter of a first deflector assembly to deflect a primary electron beam to an objective lens within an electron-optical column to correct coma blur, wherein the objective lens generates off-axis chromatic aberration upon minimizing the coma of the primary electron beam;
adjust one of a strength or orientation of the first Wien filter to correct the off-axis chromatic aberration in the primary electron beam generated by the objective lens;
adjust a beam voltage of an electron beam source to amplify an energy source spread of the electron beam source; and
receive a sample image of the sample from a detector assembly to verify aberration correction in the primary electron beam, wherein the detector assembly generates the sample image of the sample based on the adjusted beam voltage, see elements (para 56-60 and elements 11,102,103, 110).
As per method claim of 15, Dohi’s teaches the following:
generating a primary electron beam with an electron beam source (Fig. 7 (01));
directing the primary electron beams to a sample with an electron-optical column (Fig. 7 (10);
deflecting the primary electron beam to an objective lens of the electron-optical column using a first Wien filter to correct for coma blur in the primary electron beam (Fig. 7 (07));
generating off-axis chromatic aberration in the primary electron beam using the objective lens (Fig. 4, para 42);
adjusting one of a strength or orientation of the Wien filter to correct the off-axis chromatic aberration in the primary electron beam generated by the objective lens (Fig. 4, para 44); and
detecting one or more secondary electrons emanating from the sample (Fig.4, paras 50-51 – an SEM image is detected inherently indicates the detector assembly).
As per claim 16, Dohi teaches the method adjusting a beam voltage of the electron beam source to amplify an energy source spread of the electron beam source, see para. 31, 42, 57.
As per claim 17, Dohi teaches the method directing the one or more secondary electrons emanating from the sample to a detector assembly using a second Wien filter of a second deflector assembly, fig. 7 (15) para 44.
As per claim 18, Dohi teaches the method of correcting axial chromatic aberration in the primary electron beam caused by the second Wien filter of the second deflector assembly using the first Wien filter of a first deflector assembly, para. 42.
Conclusion
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/ROBERT H KIM/ Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2881