Last updated: July 17, 2026

Application No. 18/736,137

MULTI-THICKNESS OVERLAY MEASUREMENT SYSTEM

Non-Final OA

Filed

Jun 06, 2024

Priority

Oct 16, 2023 — provisional 63/544,233

Examiner

BOLOGNA, DOMINIC JOSEPH

Art Unit

2877

Tech Center

2800 — Semiconductors & Electrical Systems

Assignee

KLA Corporation

OA Round

1 (Non-Final)

Interview Optional

— +11.4% interview lift. Interview lift (+11.4%) is below the 15.0% threshold. A written response is recommended.

Based on 770 resolved cases, 2023–2026

Examiner Intelligence

BOLOGNA, DOMINIC JOSEPH View full profile →

Grants 84% — above average

Career Allowance Rate

648 granted / 770 resolved

+16.2% vs TC avg

Moderate +11% lift

Without

With

+11.4%

Interview Lift

resolved cases with interview

Typical timeline

2y 4m

Avg Prosecution

33 currently pending

Career history

795

Total Applications

across all art units

Statute-Specific Performance

§101

2.7%

-37.3% vs TC avg

§103

79.2%

+39.2% vs TC avg

§102

5.0%

-35.0% vs TC avg

§112

7.8%

-32.2% vs TC avg

Black line = Tech Center average estimate • Based on career data from 770 resolved cases

Prosecution Timeline

Jun 06, 2024

Application Filed

Apr 14, 2026

Non-Final Rejection mailed (current)

Precedent Cases

Applications granted by this same examiner with similar technology

17/926,469

Patent 12681149

Forward Monitoring System

3y 7m to grant Granted Jul 14, 2026

18/535,408

Patent 12678049

PHOTOSENSITIVE DEVICE

2y 7m to grant Granted Jul 14, 2026

17/999,349

Patent 12674892

ELECTROMAGNETIC-WAVE DETECTION APPARATUS AND DISTANCE-MEASUREMENT APPARATUS

3y 7m to grant Granted Jul 07, 2026

18/397,385

Patent 12674750

METHOD FOR ANALYSING AN OBJECT COMPRISING SEVERAL SUPERPOSED LAYERS, BY OPTICAL REFLECTANCE MEASUREMENTS

2y 6m to grant Granted Jul 07, 2026

18/522,026

Patent 12674746

TIP-ENHANCED SPECTROSCOPY

2y 7m to grant Granted Jul 07, 2026

Study what changed to get past this examiner. Based on 5 most recent grants.

Strategy Recommendation AI-generated — please review before filing

Get a prosecution strategy drawn from examiner precedents, rejection analysis, and claim mapping.

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Prosecution Projections

1-2

Expected OA Rounds

84%

Grant Probability

96%

With Interview (+11.4%)

2y 4m (~2m remaining)

Median Time to Grant

Low

PTA Risk

Based on 770 resolved cases by this examiner. Grant probability derived from career allowance rate.