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 .
Rejection under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1)
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.
Claims 1-3, 5, 8-10, 12-18 and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Terajima Shigeru (JP 2011129800 A).
Terajima Shigeru (JP 2011129800 A) discloses, in figs. 1-7, an extreme ultraviolet (EUV) apparatus including an exposure tool, which includes
Regarding claims 1, 8, 10, 15,
providing, during the exposure operation, a flow of a gas across one or more mirrors included in the EUV lithography tool (see figs. 1-2, 4-7);
performing, using an extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography tool, while providing the flow of the gas to reduce possibility of contaminants from reaching the one or more mirrors of the EUV exposure tool during an exposure operation, an exposure operation to expose a semiconductor substrate to radiation to transfer a pattern from a reticle to the semiconductor substrate (see figs. 1-2, 4-7);
initiating a flow of a gas, prior to initiating an exposure operation, across one or more mirrors included in an extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography tool (see figs. 1-2, 4-7), wherein the flow of the gas is provided across one or more mirrors using one or more gas inlets 22 of the EUV lithography tool (see figs. 1-2, 4-7); and
performing, after initiating the flow of the gas and using the EUV lithography tool, an exposure operation to expose a semiconductor substrate to radiation to transfer a pattern from a reticle to the semiconductor substrate (see figs. 1-2, 4-7), wherein the flow of the gas is provided across the one or more mirrors during the exposure operation (see figs. 1-2, 4-7).
Regarding claims 2, 18, wherein the contaminants include at least one of: carbon (C), or tin (Sn) (see 6th para. of Background-Art; 3rd , 4th , 7th paras. of first embodiment; 3rd para. of second embodiment; 1st , 3rd , 4th , 5th paras. of third embodiment; 2nd , 5th paras. of fourth embodiment).
Regarding claims 3, 9, wherein the gas includes hydrogen (H₂) (see 7th para. of Background-Art; 1st , 2nd , 5th , 6th , 7th , 8th paras. of fourth embodiment).
Regarding claim 5, wherein providing the flow of the gas across the one or more mirrors comprises at least one of: providing the flow of the gas across one or more first mirrors included in an illuminator of the EUV exposure tool, or providing the flow of the gas across one or more second mirrors included in a projection optics box (POB) of the EUV exposure tool (see figs. 1-2, 4-7; Abstract; Technical Field; paragraphs 2, 4, 7 and 8 of first embodiment; paragraphs 2 and 3 of Third embodiment; claims).
Regarding claims 12, 16, 17, 20, wherein the gas collects byproducts which are formed by interacting oxygen and carbon for forming carbon dioxide (CO₂) from the exposure operation before landing on the one or more mirrors (see paragraphs 3-4 and 7 of first embodiment); and wherein the method further comprises an exhaust system 21 for pumping, vacuuming or removing the byproducts out of the EUV lithography tool (see 6th , 7th paras. of Background-Art; paras. 1, 3-5, 7-9 of first embodiment; paras. 1, 3-6 of second embodiment; paras. 1, 3, 5-6 of third embodiment; paras. 2, 4, 8 of fourth embodiment).
Regarding claim 13, wherein providing the flow of the gas into an illuminator of the EUV lithography tool using one or more gas inlets 22 associated with the illuminator (see the inlets 22 in figs. 1-2, 4-7).
Regarding claim 14, wherein providing the flow of the gas into a projection optics box of the EUV lithography tool using one or more gas inlets associated with the projection optics box (see the inlets in figs. 1-2, 4-7).
Rejection under 35 U.S.C. 103(a)
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 103(a) which forms the basis for all obviousness rejections set forth in this Office action:
(a) A patent may not be obtained though the invention is not identically disclosed or described as set forth in section 102 of this title, if the differences between the subject matter sought to be patented and the prior art are such that the subject matter as a whole would have been obvious at the time the invention was made to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which said subject matter pertains. Patentability shall not be negatived by the manner in which the invention was made.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims under 35 U.S.C. 103(a), the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned at the time any inventions covered therein were made absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and invention dates of each claim that was not commonly owned at the time a later invention was made in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 103(c) and potential 35 U.S.C. 102(e), (f) or (g) prior art under 35 U.S.C. 103(a).
Claims 6-7 and 19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103(a) as being unpatentable over Terajima Shigeru (JP 2011129800 A) in view of Moser et al. (2019/0302624).
Terajima Shigeru (JP 2011129800 A) discloses all the features as discussed above except a field facet mirror (FFM) as recited in claim 6; a pupil facet mirror (PFM) as recited in claim 7; and tin (Sn) contaminants as recited in claim 19.
Using the field facet mirror (FFM), the pupil facet mirror (PFM), and tin (Sn) contaminants is considered to be obvious variation in design, since it is well known in the art as Moser et al. (2019/0302624) discloses, in figs. 1-9, an extreme ultraviolet (EUV) apparatus including an exposure tool, which includes a field facet mirror (FFM) 3 (see fig. 9, [0051]); a pupil facet mirror (PFM) 4 (see fig. 9, [0051]); and tin (Sn) contaminants (the contaminant material is generated based on using the target material for generating EUV), (see [0006], [0007], [0054], [0059]), thus would have been obvious to one skilled in the art to use the field facet mirror (FFM), the pupil facet mirror (PFM), and tin (Sn) contaminants in the Terajima Shigeru (JP 2011129800 A) extreme ultraviolet (EUV) apparatus for transferring patterns from reticle on a semiconductor substrate.
Claims 4 and 11 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.
The Reasons for Allowable Subject Matter
The prior art fails to disclose a method for reducing or removing contaminants from reaching one or more mirrors of an EUV exposure tool, which includes providing a flow of a gas in a flow rate range of approximately 10 standard cubic centimeters per minute (SCCM) to approximately 300 SCCM as recited in claims 4 and 11.
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
1) Jonkers et al. (2009/0206279) discloses a method for removing contaminant particles from mirrors in a mirror chamber of a lithography device.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to KIET TUAN NGUYEN whose telephone number is (571)272-2479. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday-Friday 8-6.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Robert H. Kim can be reached on 571-272-2293. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 703-872-9306.
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/KIET T NGUYEN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2881
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