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 .
Objected drawings
The drawings are objected to under 37 CFR 1.83(a). The drawings must show every feature of the invention specified in the claims. Therefore, the monitoring device configured to detect an increase in the pressure measured by the pressure sensor and to responsively output an indication that the tin storage assembly requires refill of the droplet material as recited in claim 1; the heating means and the pressurizing means is in the tin storage assembly for heating and pressurizing the droplet material as recited in claim 2; the tin storage assembly comprises a primary reservoir and a secondary reservoir as recited in claim 3; the primary reservoir and the secondary reservoir are interconnected so that an amount of the droplet material in the primary reservoir is equal to an amount of the droplet material in the secondary reservoir during normal operation of the EUV apparatus as recited in claim 4; the secondary reservoir is further connected to a tin refill tank to receive further droplet material when the primary reservoir and the secondary reservoir are substantially depleted as recited in claim 5; the storage capacity of the secondary reservoir is greater than a storage capacity of the primary reservoir as recited in claim 6; the bottom of the primary reservoir is disposed at a same height as a bottom of the secondary reservoir as recited in claim 7; the conduit connected to the tin transfer assembly, wherein the pressure sensor is disposed within the conduit in proximity to a junction of the tin transfer assembly and the conduit as recited in claim 8; the junction is disposed at a location that is closer to the droplet generator than the tin storage assembly as recited in claim 9; the conduit is disposed through a sidewall of the tin transfer assembly as recited in claim 10; the monitoring device is coupled to an alarm and a system to output at least one of an alarm signal and a shutdown command signal as recited in claim 11; the monitoring device is further configured to output a command to refill the tin storage assembly as recited in claim 12; the primary reservoir and the secondary reservoir in the tin storage assembly are interconnected so that an amount of the droplet material in the primary reservoir is substantially equal to an amount of the droplet material in the secondary reservoir during operation of the droplet generator as recited in claim 14; the bottom of the primary reservoir is disposed at a same height as a bottom of the secondary reservoir as recited in claim 15; the secondary reservoir is further connected to the tin refill tank and the tin refill tank is configured to provide additional droplet material when the primary reservoir and the secondary reservoir are depleted as recited in claim 16; the storage capacity of the secondary reservoir is greater than a storage capacity of the primary reservoir as recited in claim 17; the monitoring device configured to detect a spike in the pressure measured by the pressure sensor and to responsively trigger the tin refill tank to refill the tin storage assembly as cited in claim 18; the primary reservoir and the secondary reservoir in the tin storage assembly are connected such that an amount of the droplet material in the primary reservoir and the secondary reservoir are equal as recited in claim 19; and the monitoring device is further configured to responsively shutdown the droplet generator as recited in claim 20 must be shown or the feature(s) canceled from the claim(s). No new matter should be entered.
Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. The figure or figure number of an amended drawing should not be labeled as “amended.” If a drawing figure is to be canceled, the appropriate figure must be removed from the replacement sheet, and where necessary, the remaining figures must be renumbered and appropriate changes made to the brief description of the several views of the drawings for consistency. Additional replacement sheets may be necessary to show the renumbering of the remaining figures. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
Rejection under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1)
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 1-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Sun et al. (2023/0345610).
Sun et al. (2023/0345610) discloses, in figs. 1A-5B, an extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography apparatus, which includes:
Regarding claims 1, 13, 18,
a droplet generator 115 configured to receive droplet material from a tin storage assembly 430 via a tin transfer assembly 440 (see fig. 2B);
a pressure sensor 454 configured to measure a pressure within a flex line 444 in the tin transfer assembly 440 (see figs. 2B, 3A, [0045]-[0050], [0057], [0059]);
a monitoring device configured to detect an increase in the pressure measured by the pressure sensor and to responsively output an indication that the tin storage assembly requires refill of the droplet material (see abstract, [0031], [0032], [0038], [0039], [0040], [0041], [0042], [0043], [0045], [0046], [0048], [0049], [0050], [0051], [0056], [0057], [0058], [0059]); and
a tin refill tank 413 configured to refill the tin storage assembly 430 before the tin storage assembly 430 is depleted of the droplet material (see fig. 2B, abstract, [0031], [0044], [0046], [0056], [0057], [0058]).
Regarding claim 2, wherein the tin storage assembly is configured to heat and pressurize the droplet material (see [0043], [0057], claim 2).
Regarding claims 3, 14, 19, wherein the tin storage assembly 430 comprises a primary reservoir 437 and a secondary reservoir 433 (see figs. 2A, 2B).
Regarding claims 4, 14, 19, wherein the primary reservoir 437 and the secondary reservoir 433 are interconnected so that an amount of the droplet material in the primary reservoir 437 is equal to an amount of the droplet material in the secondary reservoir 433 during normal operation of the EUV apparatus (see figs. 2A, 2B, [0041], [0042], [0057], [0058], [0059], claims 4, 14, 19).
Regarding claims 5, 16, wherein the secondary reservoir 433 is further connected to a tin refill tank 413 to receive further droplet material when the primary reservoir 437 and the secondary reservoir 433 are substantially depleted (see fig. 2B, [0039], [0041], [0044], [0057], [0058], [0059]).
Regarding claims 6, 17, wherein a storage capacity of the secondary reservoir 433 is greater than a storage capacity of the primary reservoir 437 (see figs. 2A, 2B, [0041], [0042], [0057], [0058]).
Regarding claims 7, 15, wherein a bottom of the primary reservoir 437 is disposed at a same height as a bottom of the secondary reservoir 433 (see fig. 2B, [0041], [0042], [0057], [0058]).
Regarding claim 8, further comprising a conduit 452, in a flex line 444, connected to the tin transfer assembly 440, wherein the pressure sensor 454 is disposed within the conduit 452 in proximity to a junction of the tin transfer assembly 440 and the conduit 452 (see figs. 2A, 2B, 3A, 3B, [0045], [0046], [0047], [0057]).
Regarding claim 9, wherein the junction, in the tin transfer assembly 440, is disposed at a location that is closer to the droplet generator 115 than the tin storage assembly 430 (see figs. 2A, 2B, 3A, 3B, [0057]).
Regarding claim 10, wherein a conduit 452 is disposed through a sidewall of a flex line 444 of the tin transfer assembly 440 (see figs. 2A, 2B, 3A, 3B, [0046], [0057], claim 10).
Regarding claim 11, wherein the monitoring device is further configured to output at least one of an alarm and a shutdown command (see [0031], [0039], [0040], [0042], [0046], [0048], [0049], [0050], [0051], [0055], [0057], [0059], claims 11, 20).
Regarding claim 12, wherein the monitoring device is further configured to output a command to refill the tin storage assembly (see [0031], [0032], [0039], [0040], [0041], [0042], [0048], [0051], [0057], [0058], [0059]).
Regarding claim 20, wherein the monitoring device is further configured to responsively shutdown the droplet generator (see [0039], [0040], [0042], [0049], [0057], [0059]).
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Lai et al. (2022/0334495), Sun et al. (2022/0338335), and Yang et al. (2025/0116938) disclose an extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography apparatus including a droplet generator, a tin transfer assembly, a tin storage assembly, a tin refill tank, a pressure sensor, and a monitoring device.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to KIET TUAN NGUYEN whose telephone number is (571)272-2479. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday-Friday 8-6.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Robert H. Kim can be reached on 571-272-2293. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 703-872-9306.
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/KIET T NGUYEN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2881