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 .
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(s) 9-14 and 17-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Bishop (U.S. Patent No. 6,091,488) in view of Zhao et al. (U.S. Patent No. 6,608,676 B1).
As to claim 9, Bishop discloses and shows in figures 6-7, 10 and 11, a device of inspecting a surface of an interconnect structure, the device comprising:
an excitation light source (laser 1 or 2) for generating an excitation light beam (col. 3, ll. 38-41; col. 6, l. 59 thru col. 7, l. 7);
a light shape adjustment module (items 1, 3 and 5, where the examiner is interpreting the structures of Bishop as structural equivalents for performing the same function) for adjusting the excitation light beam to cause the excitation light beam to form an elongated light spot (i.e. slit light as the result of light going through a common cylindrical lens) having a long axis and a short axis on a surface of the interconnect structure, and cause excitation lights for forming the elongated light spot to propagate along directions perpendicular to the long axis of the elongated light spot, wherein the interconnect structure comprises a metal layer (i.e. conductor lines) and a dielectric layer (i.e. resist layer) having fluorescence characteristics (col. 4, ll. 5-8; col. 6, ll. 22-32, col. 7, 52-58, the examiner notes that the manner in which light interacts with the interconnect structure is merely intended use, as nothing about the light shape module is further limited by saying how light is intended to be used on the sample under test which could obviously can be rotated or positioned in any manner, and based on the particular metal lines which commonly go in a plurality of directions are perpendicular to the lengthwise direction of the light line);
a sensor (TDI CCD Camera) for receiving a plurality of fluorescent signals generated from the dielectric layer upon excitation thereof by the elongated light spot (col. 7, ll. 1-7); and
a controller (i.e. computer disclosed but not shown) for determining a portion of a planar pattern of the metal layer according to the fluorescence signals (i.e. determining if a defect has occurred in the pattern analyzed by the system) (col. 8, ll. 40-42).
a first lens (shown via rectangles that cause light convergence in figures 7 and 10 but not explicitly labeled, said lenses are more explicitly shown in figure 11) receiving the collimated light beam that is incident onto the first lens (modified below is the light being a collimated beam via Zhao) along an optical axis of the first lens (where explicitly the light is shown as parallel and directly along the center of the rectangle lens disclosed); and an objective lens (3), wherein the first lens and the objective lens further shape the collimated light beam into the elongated light spot (i.e. slit as explicitly disclosed) for being incident on the surface of the interconnect structure (col. 6, ll. 27-32)
Bishop does not explicitly disclose a device, wherein the light shape adjustment module comprises: a light shaping system for shaping the excitation light beam into a collimated light beam, and the collimated light beam has a rectangular cross section.
However, Zhao does disclose and show in figure 1 and in (col. 4, ll. 24-29) the use of a collimated light beam as that is rectangular in cross section (explicitly shown in figure 1). Zhao does not explicitly disclose how the light becomes collimated, however the examiner takes office notice that a collimating lens is the most fundamental, obvious and clear way to make a common collimated light beam.
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Bishop wherein the light shape adjustment module comprises a light shaping system for shaping the excitation light beam into a collimated light beam, and the collimated light beam has a rectangular cross section in order to provide the advantage increased efficiency in using collimated in contrast with divergent light obviously one can maintain the highest possible flux to relay to the sample under test to increase the SNR for defect analysis.
As to claim 10, Bishop discloses a device, wherein the light shape adjustment module causes the excitation lights for forming the elongated light spot to propagate along directions perpendicular to an extension direction of the short axis (col. 4, ll. 5-8; col. 6, ll. 22-32, col. 7, 52-58; where the examiner finds this to be the implicit result of using a cylindrical lens, specifically that some light travels in a direction perpendicular to the short axis extension in order for light to propagate towards a sample, if light were travelling all in a direction parallel to the short axis extension light would exit the system and not travel along the central optical axis of the cylindrical lens).
As to claim 11, Bishop discloses a device, wherein the light shape adjustment module causes propagation directions of the excitation lights for forming the elongated light spot toward the surface of the interconnect structure to form an angle on a plane of incidence including the short axis (col. 6, ll. 59-67; i.e. the 45 degree angle explicitly disclosed and shown and the result of the “light shape adjustment module” relaying light down to the sample).
As to claim 12, Bishop does disclose the use of line based illumination, but fails to clearly show or exactly detail the dimensions of said line.
Bishop therefore does not explicitly disclose a device, wherein a length of the long axis of the elongated light spot is at least five times a length of the short axis of the elongated light spot.
However, Zhao does disclose and show in figure 2 and in (col. 4, ll. 24-29) a similar wafer inspection system that uses a similar focused line light, and as explicitly shown in figure 2, the line 20 has a geometric configuration where the length direction (long axis) is 5x the width (i.e. short axis).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Bishop a device, wherein a length of the long axis of the elongated light spot is at least five times a length of the short axis of the elongated light spot in order to provide the advantage of expected results and increased efficiency in making a wide line obviously one can inspect a larger area of the wafer under test in an efficient manner, where clearly a common rectangular construction is 5x the length relative to the width.
As to claim 13, Bishop discloses a device, wherein the metal layer comprises a wiring having a line width less than or equal to 20 μm (col. 7, 44-52; where the examiner is interpreting the claim to be non-limiting beyond the prior art need be capable of working with the noted sample, since the prior art has shown the same claimed structure it is being interpreted as capable of said use, for further clarification please see MPEP 2115).
As to claim 14, Bishop discloses a device, wherein the sensor comprises a line scanner (as disclosed the pixel array is 1024x96 pixels, which is being interpreted in being geometrically a rectangle, also being a line) (col. 8, ll. 15-19).
As to claim 17, Bishop does not explicitly disclose a device, wherein the light shape adjustment module further comprises a first filter disposed between the light shaping system and the first lens, and penetrable by excitation lights with a wavelength falling within a specific range.
However, Bishop does disclose and show in figure 7 and in (col. 7, ll. 31-35) the use of a fluorescent filter further in the light path. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to an additional fluorescence filter in between the light shaping system and the first lens, since it has been held that mere duplication of the essential working parts of a device involves only routine skill in the art. St. Regis Paper Co. v. Bemis Co., 193 USPQ 8.
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Bishop wherein the light shape adjustment module further comprises a first filter disposed between the light shaping system and the first lens, and penetrable by excitation lights with a wavelength falling within a specific range in order to provide the advantage of expected results and increase accuracy, in further filtering the light down to just the light used for fluorescence measurement obviously one can remove more potential noise from the optical system in removing unwanted wavelengths from reaching the sample under test, yielding again a higher SNR at the detector measurement surface.
As to claim 18, Bishop discloses and shows a device, wherein the first lens is capable of converging light rays (Fig. 7 and 11, explicitly show where the lenses as cited by the examiner are converging the light).
As to claim 19, Bishop disclose and shows in figure 7 a device, further comprising a second filter (fluorescence filter labeled as such in the figure noted) disposed between the interconnect structure and the sensor, and penetrable by the fluorescence signals generated from the dielectric layer upon excitation thereof by the elongated light spot (col. 7, ll. 41-35).
As to claim 20, Bishop as modified by Zhao discloses a device, wherein a length of the long axis of the elongated light spot equals a product of a length of a long axis of the cross section of the collimated light beam, a reciprocal of a focal length of the first lens, and a focal length of the objective lens (col. 6, ll. 22-32, this limitation is found to be not limiting beyond the prior art need to be capable of this result (which is being interpreted as such in the instant rejection), as applicant has failed to structurally distinguish anything for the system, other than claim an intended result of said system already claimed).
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 01/30/2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
The examiner notes that the 112(b) rejections have been overcome in light of the amendments made.
As to the argument that Bishop in view of Zhao failed to teach or disclose the amended limitations from claims 15-16, moved up into instant claim 9, the examiner respectfully disagrees. Applicant seems to be arguing that the particulars of the lens shaping adjustment module are unique over the prior art of record. The examiner has produced below one of the basic lens drawings provided for the instant invention. As explicitly shown below the lens can be a cylindrical lens 124, and the objective lens 123 is exactly that, a common objective lens that converges light. The examiner has cited the identical structures in Bishop to support the same light output. The examiner notes that the square input light merely defines how much of the area of the input face of the cylindrical lens is used, in other words it just simply defines how big the rectangle is that comes out of the curved surface of lens 124. The claim limitations structurally require “a first lens” and an “objective lens”. If applicant finds the prior art structure incapable of the recited function, then the claims would seemingly lack sufficient structure to perform the recited function. As such the rejection is maintained as not only is the basic structures as claimed met, but the actual same lenses are disclosed in Bishop as used and shown in figure 14 of applicant’s instant figures.
Further the examiner has shown via the secondary reference Zhao the simple concept of input light being a square/rectangular collimated beam. The examiner notes that applicant’s argument that the input light comes into the cylindrical lens of Bishop at an angle is moot, as the examiner was simply showing that a collimated square beam can be input to a cylindrical lens to predictably output slit/rectangular light. In response to applicant's arguments against the references individually, one cannot show nonobviousness by attacking references individually where the rejections are based on combinations of references. See In re Keller, 642 F.2d 413, 208 USPQ 871 (CCPA 1981); In re Merck & Co., 800 F.2d 1091, 231 USPQ 375 (Fed. Cir. 1986). The examiner also notes that at this time the “light shaping system” is being interpreted extremely broadly as any known optical system that is capable of collimating light to a rectangular cross section, simply as that is something well-known in the art. This also seems evidenced by applicant’s own figures as the light shaping system is merely shown as a black box 121, and nowhere disclosed or enabled in any particular way beyond that of basic optics used and known in the art to create collimated light. The only reason the claim element isn’t interpreted under 112(f) and rejected under 112(a)(b) for lacking written description and without clarity on corresponding structure is due to the basic nature of the function tied to the system. For these reasons the rejection is maintained at this time. It is suggested for compact prosecution that if adequate disclosure is within the instant disclosure applicant structural distinguish the system from the prior art via particular structural details of the lens array used to create the light as claimed.
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Conclusion
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MICHAEL P LAPAGE whose telephone number is (571)270-3833. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 8-5:30.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Tarifur Chowdhury can be reached at 571-272-2287. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/Michael P LaPage/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2877