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 .
Drawings
2. The drawings are objected to as failing to comply with 37 CFR 1.84(p)(5) because they include the following reference character(s) not mentioned in the description: 756 of Fig. 7. Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d), or amendment to the specification to add the reference character(s) in the description in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(b) 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. 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.
Specification
3. The disclosure is objected to because of the following informalities: on line 3 of paragraph [0124] ‘step 908’ should read -step 910-.
Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
4. 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.
5. Claims 1-5 and 11-15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Goorden (WO 2020/224882 A1).
As for claims 1 and 13 (treating claim 1 as the apparatus for the practice of claim 13), Goorden in a dark field microscope discloses/suggests a system (claims 1 and 13) (Fig. 6 and Fig. 11: apparatus for the practice of the method) comprising: a radiation source configured to generate a radiation beam (claim 1)(Fig. 6: LS with SMF; Fig. 11: ILS with MMF); an optical system configured to: direct the radiation beam toward a target structure, wherein the target structure is configured to produce scattered radiation from the radiation beam comprising one or more scattered beams, and receive the scattered radiation from the target structure (claims 1 and 13)(Fig. 6: treating optical system as all optical components between M1 and W; Fig. 11: treating optical system as all optical components between M1 and W; abstract; noting that specimen (W) is to be measured by collecting scattered radiation; noting paragraph [0043] refers to a target on substrate W; claim 19: refers to a metrology target; and noting paragraph [0029] with Fig. 3b); an optical element configured to control a position of the one or more scattered beams (Fig. 6: M1; Fig. 11: M1); a detection system configured to receive a portion of the position-controlled scattered radiation and to generate a detection signal (claims 1 and 13) (Fig. 6: treating detection system as the DET and all components between DET and M1; Fig. 11: treating detection system as the DET and all components between DET and M1).
As for a processor configured to determine a property of the target structure based on at least the detection signal (claims 1 and 13), Goorden does not explicitly state this for the embodiments of Figures 6 and 11. However, he does state that Figure 11 is a simplified representation of a combination of apparatuses illustrated in Figure 5/6 and Figure 7 (paragraph 0060) and states that dark field microscope or metrology device are applicable to dark field alignment sensors in the context of lithography applications (paragraph 0033). And Goorden demonstrates that a processor is used to process the images of the interference pattern captured by a detector or camera in which the measurement target on the substrate is a periodic structure, an alignment mark, in which positional information can be determined which can be used as an alignment sensor for performing alignment in a lithographic manufacturing process (paragraph 0049; Fig. 7: 380).
Therefore, it would be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have a processor configured to determine a property of the target structure based on at least the detection signal (claims 1 and 13) in order to determine the alignment in a lithographic manufacturing process of an alignment mark on a substrate like a wafer with an alignment sensor.
As for claims 2 and 14, Goorden discloses/suggests everything as above (see claims 1 and 13). In addition, Goorden discloses/suggests wherein the optical element is positioned in an illumination path between the radiation source and the optical system (claim 2) (Fig. 6: M1 is between LS with SMF and the optical components, the optical system, between M1 and W; Fig. 11: M1 is between ILS with MMF and the optical components, the optical system, between M1 and W); and the optical element is configured to adjust an angle of incidence of the radiation beam with respect to the target structure (claims 2 and 14) (abstract: scanning illumination over at least two different subsets of the maximum range of illumination angles; paragraphs [0009, 0035, 0037, 0045]).
As for claim 3, Goorden discloses/suggests everything as above (see claim 2). In addition, Goorden discloses/suggests wherein the optical element comprises a reflective system configured to tilt the radiation beam in a first direction and in a second direction (Fig. 6: M1 and showing double-headed arrow; Fig. 11: M1 and showing double-headed arrow).
As for claim 4, Goorden discloses/suggests everything as above (see claim 1). In addition, Goorden discloses/suggests wherein the optical element is positioned in a detection path between the optical system and the detection system; and the optical element is configured to shift the one or more scattered beams (Fig. 6: M1 depicted as rectangular (plate) and showing double-headed arrow; Fig. 11: M1 depicted as rectangular (plate) and showing double-headed arrow).
As for claim 5, Goorden discloses/suggests everything as above (see claim 4). In addition, Goorden discloses/suggests wherein the optical element comprises a plate configured to be tilted in a first direction and in a second direction (Fig. 6: M1 depicted as rectangular (plate) and showing double-headed arrow; Fig. 11: M1 depicted as rectangular (plate) and showing double-headed arrow).
As for claim 11, Goorden discloses/suggests everything as above (see claim 1). In addition, Goorden discloses/suggests wherein the property of the target structure comprises an alignment position (refer to claim 1 above: ‘And Goorden demonstrates that a processor is used to process the images of the interference pattern captured by a detector or camera in which the measurement target on the substrate is a periodic structure, an alignment mark, in which positional information can be determined which can be used as an alignment sensor for performing alignment in a lithographic manufacturing process (paragraph 0049; Fig. 7: 380).
Therefore, it would be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have a processor configured to determine a property of the target structure based on at least the detection signal in order to determine the alignment in a lithographic manufacturing process of an alignment mark on a substrate like a wafer with an alignment sensor.’).
As for claim 12, Goorden discloses/suggests everything as above (see claim 1). In addition, Goorden discloses/suggests, wherein the optical element is configured to independently control a position of the one or more scattered beams (Fig. 6: M1 with CON; Fig. 11: M1 with CON).
As for claim 15, Goorden in a dark field microscope discloses/suggests a lithography apparatus (Fig. 1: 200 with LA; paragraph 0014; paragraph 0017: noting LA being a so-called dual stage type with exposure station and measurement station; paragraphs 0028 with 0033) comprising: an illumination apparatus configured to illuminate a pattern of a patterning device (paragraph 0014: treating as ‘conditioned radiation’ as referring to an illumination apparatus); a projection system configured to project an image of the pattern onto a substrate (paragraph 0014); and a metrology system (Figs. 6 and 11 with paragraph [0011]) including: a radiation source configured to generate a radiation beam (Fig. 6: LS with SMF; Fig. 11: ILS with MMF); an optical system configured to: direct the radiation beam toward a target structure, wherein the target structure is configured to produce scattered radiation from the radiation beam comprising one or more scattered beams, and receive the scattered radiation from the target structure (Fig. 6: treating optical system as all optical components between M1 and W; Fig. 11: treating optical system as all optical components between M1 and W; abstract; noting that specimen (W) is to be measured by collecting scattered radiation; noting paragraph [0043] refers to a target on substrate W; claim 19: refers to a metrology target; and noting paragraph [0029] with Fig. 3b); an optical element configured to control a position of the one or more scattered beams (Fig. 6: M1; Fig. 11: M1); a detection system configured to receive a portion of the position-controlled scattered radiation and to generate a detection signal (Fig. 6: treating detection system as the DET and all components between DET and M1; Fig. 11: treating detection system as the DET and all components between DET and M1).
As for a processor configured to determine a property of the target structure based on at least the detection signal, Goorden does not explicitly state this for the embodiments of Figures 6 and 11. However, he does state that Figure 11 is a simplified representation of a combination of apparatuses illustrated in Figure 5/6 and Figure 7 (paragraph 0060) and states that dark field microscope or metrology device are applicable to dark field alignment sensors in the context of lithography applications (paragraph 0033). And Goorden demonstrates that a processor is used to process the images of the interference pattern captured by a detector or camera in which the measurement target on the substrate is a periodic structure, an alignment mark, in which positional information can be determined which can be used as an alignment sensor for performing alignment in a lithographic manufacturing process (paragraph 0049; Fig. 7: 380).
Therefore, it would be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have a processor configured to determine a property of the target structure based on at least the detection signal in order to determine the alignment in a lithographic manufacturing process of an alignment mark on a substrate like a wafer with an alignment sensor.
Allowable Subject Matter
6. Claims 6-10 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Conclusion
7. The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure: please refer to the attached PTO-892.
Fax/Telephone Numbers
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Gordon J. Stock, Jr. whose telephone number is (571) 272-2431.
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supervisor, Kara Geisel, can be reached at 571-272-2416. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/GORDON J STOCK JR/
Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2877