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 § 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.
Claim 8 is 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.
As to claim 8, the limitation of “where in the first electron source and the second source are configured to emit the electrons by one of a first method, a second method and a third method” is indefinite. It is unclear whether the claimed contamination prevention device must be configured to perform all three methods, any one of the three methods, or selectively switch among the three methods. Accordingly, the metes and bounds of the claim are not reasonable certain.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1-2 and 9-10, 15-16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Wu et al (U.S.Pat. 10,928,724 B2).
With respect to claim 1, Wu discloses a contamination prevention device (120) for extreme ultra-violet (EUV) reticle (113) and comprising all features of the instant claim such as: at least one electron source having a first electron source on a first side of the EUV reticle outside a space between the EUV reticle and a slit plate (114; 192), wherein during an EUV exposure process, the at least one electron source (V; 190) is configured to emit the electrons into the space to neutralize the EUV reticle.
As to claim 15, Wu (figure 1) further discloses a first optical system (101) configured to transmit EUV from the EUV source to the EUV reticle and a second optical system (119) configured to transmit EUV from the EUV reticle (113) to the substrate (118).
As to claims 2 and 16, wherein when a scan direction is a first direction in the EUV exposure process, the at least one electron source has a second electron source on a second side of the EUV reticle in the first direction with respect to the first electron source (see figure 1).
As to claim 9, wherein when a scan direction (X or Y) is a first direction during the EUV exposure process, the at least one electron source (V; 190) is configured to emit the electrons into the space in the first direction (see figure 1).
As to claim 10, it is apparent the at least one electron source has an electron gun.
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 3-4 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Wu et al (U.S.Pat. 10,928,724 B2) in view of Budach (US 2024/0310722 A1).
With respect to claims 3-4, Wu discloses a contamination prevention device comprising substantially all limitations of the instant claims except for a sensor for detecting plasma during the EUV exposure process. This feature is well known per se. For example, Budach discloses a lithographic apparatus having a sensor (160) for detecting plasma/a surface charge of the EUV reticle (see paragraph [0121]). 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 employ the sensor as taught by Budach into the contamination prevention device of Wu for the purpose of detecting plasma/surface charge of the reticle and thereby properly cleaning the reticle as intended.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 5-7, 17-20 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.
Claim 8 would be allowable if rewritten to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, set forth in this Office action and to include all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Claims 11-14 are allowed.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: Claims 5-8, 11-14 and 17-20 have been found allowable since the prior art of record, either alone or in combination, neither discloses nor makes obvious a combination of a contamination prevention device for extreme ultra violet reticle comprising among other features, a first sensor in the place adjacent to a slit position of a slip plate and the first sensor configured to detect plasma in an EUV exposure process and a second sensor in the space adjacent to the slit position of the slit plate and the second sensor configured to measure a surface charge of the EUV reticle.
Prior Art Made of Record
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Somekh (U.S.Pat. 6,394,109 B1); Chang et al (U.S.Pat. 11,994,805 B2); Baur et al (U.S.Pat. 11,899,359 B2) disclose contamination prevention devices and have 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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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Toan Minh Ton can be reached at 571-272-2303. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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HUNG HENRY NGUYEN
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2882
Hvn
6/2/26
/HUNG V NGUYEN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2882
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