DETAILED ACTION
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.
Claims 1 and 3-15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Wieland (US PGPub 2021/0210309, hereinafter Wieland).
Regarding claim 1, Wieland discloses a charged particle optical device for a charged particle beam (charged particle assessment tool, see abstract), the device being configured to project an array of beams of charged particles along primary beam paths towards a sample (three sub-beams 311-313 are projected toward a sample 208, see paragraph [0070]), the device comprising:
an objective lens array configured to project the beams onto a sample and comprising at least two electrodes along primary beam paths of an array of beams of charged particles (objective lens 331 projects three sub-beams 311-313 toward a sample 308, see Fig. 3 and paragraph [0070]; objective lens 401 depicted in more detail including electrodes in Fig. 4);
an up-beam array of detectors positioned up-beam of at least one electrode along the primary beam paths of the at least two electrodes (sensor unit 503 is mounted to the upper electrode of objective lens 501, see paragraph [0121])
a down-beam array of detectors positioned down-beam of the at least one electrode along the primary beam path (array of detector modules 402, see Fig. 4-5 and paragraph [0091]; located downstream of electrodes of objective lens 401, see Fig. 4; both embodiments of the sensor units 503 of the upper electrode and detection device 240 of the lower electrodes may be integrated with objective lens 501, see paragraph [0121]);
at least one voltage supply configured to be electrically connected to the objective lens array (voltage supply (not shown) applies potentials to the electrodes of the objective lens, see paragraph [0125]); and
a controller configured to control a potential applied by the at least one voltage supply to the at least one electrode of the objective lens array (voltage supply (not shown) applies potentials to the electrodes of the objective lens, see paragraph [0125]; controller configured to control potentials applied to the electrodes of the control lenses and the objective lenses to affect the landing energy for detection, see paragraph [0135]);
wherein the up-beam array of detectors and the down-beam array of detectors are configured simultaneously to detect signal particles (both embodiments of the sensor units 503 of the upper electrode and detection device 240 of the lower electrodes may be integrated with objective lens 501, see paragraph [0121], for detection).
Regarding claim 3, Wieland discloses the down-beam array of detectors is positioned down-beam of the objective lens array along the primary beam paths and facing the sample in use (on the output side of the objective lens 401, the side facing the sample 208, a detector module 402 is provided, see paragraph [0091]).
Regarding claim 4, Wieland discloses a potential of the down-beam array of detectors relative to a potential of the sample is selected to control detection of the signal particles by the down-beam array of detectors, preferably the control in detection of the signal particles is in an energy range of the signal particles with respect to the respective primary beam paths (controller configured to control potentials applied to the electrodes of the control lenses and the objective lenses to affect the landing energy of the secondary electrons relative to the detection array, see paragraph [0135]).
Regarding claim 5, Wieland discloses the charged particle optical device is configured to repel secondary signal particles emitted from the sample away from the down-beam array of detectors (controller configured to control potentials applied to the electrodes of the control lenses and the objective lenses to affect the landing energy of the secondary electrons relative to the detection array, see paragraph [0135]. The controller reduces landing energy by applying a potential to the electrodes to apply a repelling force to the secondary electrons. Any electrons below a certain energy level would be repelled.)
Regarding claim 6, Wieland discloses the position of the down-beam array of detectors relative to the sample is selected to control detection of secondary signal particles by the down-beam array of detectors (interchangeable detector modules 240a-c may be interchangeable so that the detector module can be swapped between operable and non-operable positions between assessments of successive samples, see paragraphs [0146-0147]).
Regarding claim 7, Wieland discloses the objective lens array comprises at least two electrodes in which are defined aperture arrays, corresponding apertures in the at least two electrodes are aligned with and arranged along a primary beam path, the at least two electrodes comprising an upper electrode and a lower electrode, the upper electrode being up-beam of the lower electrode along the primary beam path (objective lens 401 comprises an upper and lower electrode, aligned with one another to form a beam path to the sample 208, see Fig. 4).
Regarding claim 8, Wieland discloses the down-beam array of detectors is associated with the lower electrode (detector module 402 located on the output side of the objective lens 401, see Fig. 4 and paragraph [0091]).
Regarding claim 9, Wieland discloses the down-beam array of detectors is associated with a down-beam surface of the lower electrode (detector module 402 located on the output side of the objective lens 401, see Fig. 4 and paragraph [0091]; electron detection device is integrated with the lower electrode of an array objective lens, see paragraph [0121]).
Regarding claim 10, Wieland discloses the up-beam array of detectors is associated with one of the at least two electrodes of the objective lens array (sensor units 503 may be integrated into or associated with the electrode of the objective lens 501 furthest from the sample 208, see paragraph [0121]).
Regarding claim 11, Wieland discloses the up-beam array of detectors is associated with an up-beam surface of one of the at least two electrodes of the objective lens array, preferably wherein the up-beam array of detectors is associated with an up-beam surface of the (sensor units 503 may be integrated into or associated with the electrode of the objective lens 501 furthest from the sample 208, see paragraph [0121]).
Regarding claim 12, Wieland discloses the up-beam array of detectors is associated with a down beam surface of one of the at least two electrodes of the objective lens array (sensor units may be positioned with the sensing surfaces located between the upbeam and downbeam facing surfaces of the upper electrodes, see paragraph [0121]).
Regarding claim 13, Wieland discloses defined in each electrode are defined aperture arrays, desirably the objective lens array comprises at least two electrons in which are defined aperture arrays (objective lens 401 comprises an upper and lower electrode, aligned with one another to form a beam path through the array of apertures to the sample 208, see Fig. 4).
Regarding claim 14, Wieland discloses each array of detectors comprises a plurality of detector elements around each beam aperture (detector modules 402 are formed around each beam aperture 406, see Figs. 4-6 and paragraph [0091]).
Regarding claim 15, Wieland discloses a method of detecting charged particles emitted from a sample using a multi-beam charged particle assessment tool comprising the charged particle optical device (three sub-beams 311-313 are projected toward a sample 208, see paragraph [0070]; causing backscattered electrons to be released from the sample 208 which are detected by detector modules 402, see paragraph [0091]).
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.
Claim 2 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Wieland in view of Kruit et al. (US PGPub 2019/0259564, hereinafter Kruit).
Regarding claim 2, Wieland discloses the up-beam array of detectors is arranged along the primary beam path (sensor unit 503 is mounted to the upper electrode of objective lens 501, see paragraph [0121]).
Wieland fails to disclose the array of detectors is configured to face up-beam of the primary beam paths away from the sample.
Kruit discloses a photo detector 130 directly above or on top of the electron to photon converter section 82 (e.g. facing away from the sample 11, see Fig. 13 and paragraph [0113]).
Kuit modifies Wieland by suggesting providing the detectors on top of the electrodes to face away from the sample.
Since both inventions are drawn to charged particle devices, it would have been obvious to the ordinary artisan before the effective filing date to modify Wieland by providing the detectors on top of the electrodes to face away from the sample for the purpose of minimizing the amount of components for a faster detection.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to HANWAY CHANG whose telephone number is (571)270-5766. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday 7:30 AM - 4:00 PM EST.
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Hanway Chang
/HC/ Examiner, Art Unit 2878
/GEORGIA Y EPPS/ Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2878