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 .
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 3/8/24 has been considered by the examiner.
Claim Objections
Claims 14 and 16 are objected to because of the following informalities: The claim recites “a multiplicity of extreme ultraviolet light source” which includes a grammatical error. Appropriate correction is required.
Claim 15 objected to because of the following informalities: Claim 15 recites “which reflects the extreme ultraviolet”, lacking the term “light”. Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 8 and 10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Claim 8 recites the limitation "the anode electrodes" in line 3. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 10 recites the limitation "a multiplicity of the anode electrodes" in line 3. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1-7, 9, 11-13, and 17-19 are allowed.
The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance:
The prior art fails to teach or suggest a device for outputting extreme ultraviolet light source based on an electron beam, the apparatus comprising: a chamber; an electron beam emission unit including a cathode electrode and a plurality of emitters, each of which contains carbon-based material and which are arranged over the cathode electrode in such a manner as to be spaced apart from each other, the electron beam emission unit generating an electron beam within the chamber; andan anode electrode positioned within the chamber, but in a manner that is spaced apart from the electron beam emission unit, and ionized upon incidence of the electron beam thereon, thereby generating plasma, wherein extreme ultraviolet is generated from the plasma as recited in claim 1.
Any comments considered necessary by applicant must be submitted no later than the payment of the issue fee and, to avoid processing delays, should preferably accompany the issue fee. Such submissions should be clearly labeled “Comments on Statement of Reasons for Allowance.”
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to DAVID A VANORE whose telephone number is (571)272-2483. The examiner can normally be reached Monday to Friday 7AM to 6 PM.
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DAVID A. VANORE
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2881
/DAVID A VANORE/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2878
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