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 § 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.
Claims 1-11 and 13-19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Leidig et al (U.S.Pat. 6,988,811) in view of Tanaka (U.S.Pat. 8,300,213).
With respect to claims 1, 4-5 and 7-9, 13, 15-16, Leidig discloses an exposure method and a corresponding exposure apparatus (60) for processing a multilayer liquid crystal film (16; 18) having a compound with a photo-aligned group (col. 2-3 and col.5-6 and figure 1) and comprising: an exposure step of relatively moving the film and an optical member in an optical axis direction of the optical member while rotating a polarization direction of a linearly polarized light (see col.11, lines 39-62). Leidig does not expressly disclose the linearly polarized light is focused in a ring shape with the optical member to expose the film, as recited in the claims. However, this feature is well known in the art. For example, Tanaka discloses an exposure apparatus having a light source unit (1) that emits linearly polarized light; a rotating unit (20; 21; 23) that rotates a polarization direction of the linearly polarized light emitted from the light source unit; an optical member/axicon unit (5; 10) that focuses the linearly polarized light transmitted through the rotating unit in a ring shape/annular illumination (see figures 2A-2C; 4) ; a stage that support a film/photoresist, the stage being disposed to be spaced from the optical member in an optical axis direction of the optical member and a moving unit/stage unit that changes a distance in the optical axis direction of the optical member between the optical member and the stage. In view of such teachings, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to combine the teachings of Tanaka and Leidig to obtain the claimed invention as recited in the claims. It would have been obvious to a skilled artisan to employ an axicon lens/mirror as taught by Tanaka into the exposure apparatus of Leidig to focus the linearly polarized light in a ring shape for generating a desired intensity and thereby improving the quality of the exposure apparatus.
As to claims 2-3 and 14, it is noted that Tanaka discloses adjusting exposure conditions by controlling the configuration of illumination optics along the optical axis and continuously changing relative movement speed constitute routine optimization of exposure parameters (see col.14, lines 5-21).
As to claims 6 and 10-11, and 18-19, Leidig discloses the linearly polarized light has ultraviolet light/laser light source (see col.2, lines 34-35).
As to claim 8, Tanaka discloses illumination optics providing collimated light incident on the axicon (see figure 1).
Claims 12 and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Leidig et al (U.S.Pat. 6,988,811) in view of Tanaka (U.S.Pat. 8,300,213) in view of Schuster (U.S.Pat. 6,885,502).
With respect to claims 12 and 20, Leidig as modified by Tanaka, discloses an exposure apparatus and a corresponding method comprising substantially all of the limitations of the instant claims except for a shutter as recited in the instant claims. Schuster discloses an exposure apparatus having a shutter (53) provided between a light source (51) and a stage (60). It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to employ the shutter as taught by Schuster into the apparatus/method of Leidig as modified by Tanaka for the purpose of blocking the undesired illumination light and thereby improving the thorough put of the exposure apparatus/method.
Prior Art Made of Record
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Toyoda (U.S. Pat. 10,281,632) discloses an exposure apparatus and has been cited for technical background.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to HUNG HENRY NGUYEN whose telephone number is (571)272-2124. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 7:00AM-4:30PM.
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HUNG HENRY NGUYEN
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2882
Hvn
1/22/26
/HUNG V NGUYEN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2882