Last updated: August 17, 2026

Application No. 18/776,833

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MITIGATING CONTAMINATION

Non-Final OA

Filed

Jul 18, 2024

Priority

Aug 27, 2021 — continuation of 11/675,272 +1 more

Examiner

CHANG, HANWAY

Art Unit

Tech Center

Assignee

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.

OA Round

1 (Non-Final)

Interview Optional

— +7.9% interview lift. Interview lift (+7.9%) is below the 15.0% threshold. A written response is recommended.

Based on 664 resolved cases, 2023–2026

Examiner Intelligence

CHANG, HANWAY View full profile →

Grants 86% — above average

Career Allowance Rate

570 granted / 664 resolved

+25.8% vs TC avg

Moderate +8% lift

Without

With

+7.9%

Interview Lift

resolved cases with interview

Typical timeline

2y 2m

Avg Prosecution

12 currently pending

Career history

695

Total Applications

across all art units

Statute-Specific Performance

§101

2.1%

-37.9% vs TC avg

§103

41.7%

+1.7% vs TC avg

§102

33.3%

-6.7% vs TC avg

§112

5.9%

-34.1% vs TC avg

Black line = Tech Center average estimate • Based on career data from 664 resolved cases

Prosecution Timeline

Jul 18, 2024

Application Filed

Jul 31, 2026

Non-Final Rejection mailed (current)

Precedent Cases

Applications granted by this same examiner with similar technology

18/015,804

Patent 12706289

SAMPLE SUPPORT

3y 7m to grant Granted Aug 11, 2026

18/083,433

Patent 12700563

ELECTROSTATIC MIRROR CHROMATIC ABERRATION CORRECTORS

3y 7m to grant Granted Aug 04, 2026

18/206,907

Patent 12700523

SELF-CENTERING VOLTAGE STANDOFF

3y 1m to grant Granted Aug 04, 2026

18/225,283

Patent 12695050

METHOD OF DETERMINING A BEAM CONVERGENCE OF A CHARGED PARTICLE BEAM, AND CHARGED PARTICLE BEAM SYSTEM

3y 0m to grant Granted Jul 28, 2026

18/334,995

Patent 12688995

METHOD OF PROCESSING ION BEAM BASED ON OPTICAL MICROSCOPY IMAGING

3y 1m to grant Granted Jul 21, 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

86%

Grant Probability

94%

With Interview (+7.9%)

2y 2m (~1m remaining)

Median Time to Grant

Low

PTA Risk

Based on 664 resolved cases by this examiner. Grant probability derived from career allowance rate.