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 § 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 1-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yang et al (U.S.Pat. 11,243,478 B2) in view of Chang et al (U.S.Pat. 11,822,256).
With respect to claim 1, Yang discloses an extreme ultraviolet (EUV) exposure system (100) comprising: a reticle stage (114) configured to support a reticle (122); a camera/sensor (see col.8, line 40) configured to generate temperature data associated with the reticle (see col.8, lines 40-48) when the reticle is supported by the reticle stage in a first exposure operation/initial state ; a controller (CL) configured to determine based on the temperature data (such as temperature profiles), one or more parameters (see col.8, lines 20-40) for heating the reticle prior to a second exposure condition subsequent to the first exposure operation, one or more heaters (124A; 1241) configured to heat the reticle based on the one or more parameters to a desired temperature in the reticle library (see col.14, 40-43).
As to claim 2, Yang teaches determining based on the temperature data, a saturation temperature (STN) of the reticles (see col.10, lines 40-55).
As to claim 3, Yang discloses a first heater (1241) in a reticle storage slot/reticle library (see col. 14, lines 40-43).
As to claim 4, it is shown in figure 10, the one or more heaters has the first heater and the second heater (1241).
As to claim 5, the one or more parameters has at least one of a temperature parameter, a heating parameter or a during parameter (see col.8, lines 53-67).
Thus, Yang discloses substantially all limitations of instant claims 1-5 except for the camera being a thermal camera, as recited. This feature is well known per se. Chang (figure 1) discloses a semiconductor apparatus having a thermal camera (136) positioned near the reticle stage (130) for measuring the temperature of the reticle (108). It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to incorporated the teachings of Yang and Chang to obtain the claimed invention. It would have been obvious to a skilled artisan to employ the thermal camera as taught by Chang in to the exposure system of Yang for the purpose of detecting the temperature of the recite as intended by Yang.
As to claim 6, Yang discloses controlling temperature of the reticle in a reticle library or storage environment and controlling reticle handling operations associated with exposure processing (see col.10, lines 60-65; see figure 11A, 11B, steps 210-S230).
As to claims 7-8, and 19-20, it is disclosed that the one or more components (heating components 1241) are associated with at least one of the reticle slot of the reticle library (see figure 10). Furthermore, Yang discloses a controller (CT) that regulates reticle temperature based on measurement data and performs thermal conditioning of reticles prior to use in exposure processing (see col.6, lines 15-44).
As to claims 9-12, Yang does not expressly disclose “provide a first signal to the one or more components, of the EUV exposure system, to heat the reticle according to the heating parameter”, as recited in the claims.
As to claims 13-16, Yang does not expressly disclose providing a first signal to the heater for heating the reticle to the saturation temperature, as recited in the claims.
As to claim 17, Yang does not expressly disclose receiving the temperature data indicating the saturation temperature of the reticle, as recited.
As to claim 18, Yang does not expressly disclose providing a second signal to the one or more components to maintain the saturation temperature of the reticle, as recited in the claim.
However, Yang teaches “the selected reticle is adjusted to be in the default state STO in the reticle library” (see col.10, lines 60-65). This is a concrete evidence that “some signals” (such as a first signal and a second signal) have to provide to one or more components (such as heating components of the heaters ) in the library to adjust the temperature of the reticle to the desired temperature/saturation temperature, as intended by Yang. 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 implement controller signaling sequences to coordinate heating operations and reticle handling operations because semiconductor manufacturing systems routinely use controller signals to coordinate heating, storage and transport operations. Providing a first signal to initiate heating and a second signal to initiate reticle retrieval represents routine control sequencing and would have been an obvious implementation detail of the thermal management control system disclosed by Yang. The purpose of doing so would have been to control the temperature of the reticle to a desired temperature/saturation temperature and thereby preventing the deformation of the reticle as intended by Yang.
Prior Art Made of Record
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Van Goch et al (US 20024/0134289 A) discloses an exposure apparatus having devices for controlling the temperature of the reticle and has 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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HUNG HENRY NGUYEN
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2882
Hvn
1/29/26
/HUNG V NGUYEN/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2882