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 .
The preliminary amendment filed on April 09, 2024 has been entered. Claims 1, 3-5, 7, 9, 11, 14-20 and 22-27 are pending in this application.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
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) 1, 3, 4, 11, 15-17, 19, 20 and 23-27 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Johnson [US 8994920 B1].
As per Claims 1 and 26, Johnson teaches a mask for lithography process (See fig. 1, Column 2 lines 27-44), comprising:
a substrate (substrate 504) configured to be transmissive to an exposure beam for lithography, wherein the exposure beam is in a first frequency band (.lamda..sub.1, See fig. 7, Column 7 line 49 – Column 8 line 4); and
a photochromic layer 601 provided on one side of the substrate 504 and comprising a photochromic material, the photochromic layer being configured to generate a corresponding mask pattern under illumination of a modulation beam with a spatial structure (See fig. 3, distributions 301 (for .lamda..sub.1) and 302 (for .lamda..sub.2)), wherein the modulation beam is a beam having a non-uniform intensity distribution (See fig. 3, wherein the wavelength of the beam varies spatially in the horizontal direction) on a section perpendicular to its travelling direction, the photochromic material is in a non-light-transmitting state or a light-transmitting state to the exposure beam based on whether the photochromic material is illuminated by modulation light in the modulation beam, and the modulation beam is in a second frequency band separated from the first frequency band (Column 10 lines 29-45, wherein a dichroic reflective film over the central area could be used to block .lamda..sub.2 while transmitting .lamda..sub.1).
As per Claim 3, Johnson teaches the mask according to claim 1, wherein the photochromic material is configured to be in the non-light-transmitting state to the exposure beam when illuminated by the modulation light in the modulation beam; and the photochromic material is configured to be in the light-transmitting state to the exposure beam when not illuminated by the modulation light in the modulation beam (Column 10 lines 29-45, wherein a dichroic reflective film over the central area could be used to block .lamda..sub.2 while transmitting .lamda..sub.1).
As per Claim 4, Johnson teaches the mask according to claim 1, wherein the photochromic material is configured to be in the light-transmitting state to the exposure beam when illuminated by the modulation light in the modulation beam (.lamda..sub.2); and the photochromic material is configured to be in the non-light-transmitting state to the exposure beam when not illuminated by the modulation light in the modulation beam (.lamda..sub.1) (Column 10 lines 29-45, wherein a dichroic reflective film over the central area could be used to block .lamda..sub.2 while transmitting .lamda..sub.1, See fig. 7, Column 7 line 49 – Column 8 line 4).
As per Claim 11, Johnson teaches the mask according to claim 1, wherein the photochromic layer 601 comprises a photochromic material in a shape of continuous film (See fig. 7).
As per Claim 15, Johnson teaches the mask according to claim 1, wherein the mask further comprises: a modulation light source 102 configured to generate a modulation beam with a spatial structure (See fig. 1, Column 5 lines 35-43).
As per Claim 16, Johnson teaches the mask according to claim 15, wherein the modulation light source comprises: a first optical generator configured to generate an initial beam in a second frequency band, the initial beam having a uniform light intensity distribution on a section perpendicular to its travelling direction; and a spatial optical modulator configured to convert the initial beam into the modulation beam with the spatial structure under the action of a control signal, wherein the control signal is generated based on a mask pattern (See fig. 3, Column 6 lines 23-31).
As per Claim 17, Johnson teaches the mask according to claim 1, wherein the modulation beam is a near-field beam relative to the photochromic layer (Column 11 lines 14-21).
As per Claim 19, Johnson teaches a lithographing apparatus comprising: the mask according to claim 1; and a control module configured to generate a control signal according to a layout, the control signal being used for generating a modulation beam with a spatial structure corresponding to the layout (Para 7 lines 18-29).
As per Claim 20, Johnson teaches the lithographing apparatus according to claim 19, further comprising: a modulation light source 102 configured to generate the modulation beam with the spatial structure (See fig. 1, Column 5 lines 35-43).
As per Claim 23, Johnson teaches the lithographing apparatus according to claim 19, further comprising: a second optical generator 502 configured to generate an exposure beam in a first frequency band (See fig. 5, Column 7 lines 36-48).
As per Claim 24, Johnson teaches the lithographing apparatus according to claim 23, wherein the exposure beam has a uniform light intensity distribution on a section perpendicular to its travelling direction (See fig. 3).
As per Claim 25, Johnson teaches a lithographing apparatus comprising: the mask according to claim 15; and a control module configured to generate a control signal according to a layout, the control signal being used for generating a modulation beam with a spatial structure corresponding to the layout (Para 7 lines 18-29).
As per Claim 27, Johnson teaches a lithographing method based on a mask that is the mask according to claim 1, comprising: making a modulation beam with a spatial structure illuminate on the mask, to generate a corresponding mask pattern on the mask, wherein the modulation beam is a beam having a non-uniform intensity distribution on a section perpendicular to its travelling direction (See fig. 3, wherein the wavelength of the beam varies spatially in the horizontal direction); after generating the mask pattern, making the exposure beam illuminate on a sample via the mask, to expose the sample; after exposing the sample, turning off the exposure beam; and after turning off the exposure beam, turning off the modulation beam (See fig. 1, Column 5 lines 35-62).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
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.
Claim(s) 5, 7, 9 and 14 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Johnson as applied above, in view of Menon [US 20140199636 A1].
As per Claim 5, Johnson teaches the mask according to claim 1.
Johnson further disclosed the .lamda..sub.1 radiation passing from the inspection surface through the photochromic layer is filtered by an array of small transmittance windows at the .lamda..sub.2 optical nulls, which are created by .lamda..sub.2-induced absorbance of .lamda..sub.1 radiation in the photochromic layer (Column 8 lines 34-39).
Johnson does not explicitly teach wherein when the photochromic material is in the light-transmitting state, transmittance to the exposure beam is 60%-99%; and, when the photochromic material is in the non-light-transmitting state, transmittance to the exposure beam is 5%-30%.
Menon teaches the perfluorinated bridge in these systems can prevent photooxidation of the active triene moiety and suppress competing nonproductive isomerization pathways. Specifically, BTE can be used in the AML because BTE displays an absorption band centered at 313 nm in the open state (e.g., state A) and one centered at 582 nm in the closed state (e.g., state B). These spectral features allow the use of the 325-nm line of the helium-cadmium laser for the writing beams and the 633-nm line of the helium-neon laser for the confining beams. High intensities can be applied at the nodal wavelength .lamda..sub.2 because 633-nm light may have no effect on most photoresists (Para 63 and 78).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at time the invention was made to incorporate the claimed material and wavelength range in order to irradiate the photoresist to a more effective beam.
As per Claims 7 and 9, Johnson teaches the mask according to claim 1.
Johnson does not explicitly teach wherein a wavelength corresponding to the first frequency band that is between 193-405 nm; and wherein a wavelength corresponding to the second frequency band that is between 500-580 nm, or between 580-1100 nm, or a part of 500-580 nm, or a part of 580-1100 nm.
Menon teaches the operation of providing the substrate with the photoresist in the first transition state can further include: coating a substrate with the photoresist; and uniformly exposing the photoresist to photons with a first wavelength in the first wavelength band to convert the photoresist into the first transition state. In an example, the first wavelength band can be in the range of 250 nanometers (nm) to 400 nm and the second wavelength band can be in the range of 500 nm to 700 nm. In another example, the operation of modifying the standing wave relative to the substrate can further include displacing the substrate relative to an illumination source generating the standing wave (Para 63).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at time the invention was made to incorporate the claimed wavelength range in order to effectively irradiate the photoresist to a desired level.
As per Claim 14, Johnson teaches the mask according to claim 1.
Johnson does not explicitly teach wherein the photochromic material comprises 1,2-bis(5,5′-dimethyl-2,2′-bithiophen-yl)perfluorocyclopent-1-ene.
Menon teaches any thermally-stable photochromic system or molecules (e.g., A/B) containing electroactive moieties can qualify for use in the technology described herein. Specifically, the thermally stable photochromic system can display an increase in conjugation length upon illumination with .lamda..sub.1 and, conversely, a decrease in conjugation length upon illumination with .lamda..sub.2. In the specific cases detailed in the above examples, bithienylethene (BTE) can serves as the photochromic system. In another example, 1,2-bis(5,5'-dimethyl-2,2'-bithiophen-yl)perfluorocyclopent-1-ene can serve as a photochromic molecule (Para 71).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at time the invention was made to incorporate the claimed material in order to irradiate the photoresist to a desired beam.
Claim(s) 18 and 22 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Johnson as applied above, in view of Nei et al. [US 6342941 B1, hereafter Nei].
As per Claims 18 and 22, Johnson teaches the mask according to claim 1 and 19.
Johnson does not explicitly teach a temperature controller comprising a temperature maintaining unit configured to be provided adjacent to the mask or the photochromic layer, to maintain a temperature of the mask within a preset temperature range.
Nei teaches a temperature sensor 88 is placed on, or built in, the reticle stand 77 projecting inwardly from the right and left sides of the reticle case 78, and measures temperature of the reticle R. The main controller 22 controls the reticle heater HT on the basis of the measured value of the temperature sensor 88, and maintains the reticle R at a desired temperature (Column 12 lines 25-31).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at time the invention was made to incorporate the temperature control system of Nei in the exposure apparatus of Johnson in order to improve the quality of image transfer.
Conclusion
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/MESFIN T ASFAW/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2882