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 .
DETAILED ACTION
Information Disclosure Statement
1. The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 01/30/25 has been entered. The submission is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Drawings
2. The drawings filed on 08/08/24. These drawings are acceptable.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
3. 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 of this title, 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.
4. Claim(s) 1-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Asami Koichi. (JP Pub. No. H07140042) in view of Rogers et al. (U.S. Pub. No. 2007/0133077), further in view of Sun et al. (US Pub. No. 2022/0163423). Hereafter “Asami”, “Rogers”, “Sun”. (Please see attached files for Asami’s reference).
Regarding Claim(s) 1, 10, Asami teaches an optical metrology system (figure 3), comprising:
a light engine comprising:
a light source disposed over one or more lens arrays (figure 3, a light source 61, lens 615 and collimators lens 613 are not different from a lens array);
one or more condenser lens disposed under the one or more lens arrays (figure 3, condenser lens 615 disposed under the one or more lens arrays of collimator lens 613), wherein the one or more condenser lens disposed over a reticle (figure 1, condenser lens 615 disposed over mask plate 1, mask plate 1 is not different from a reticle); and
a projection lens, having a first focal length, (figure 3, projection lens 615 having a first focal length), wherein the projection lens is configured to align with an in-coupler of an optical device (figure 3, projection lens 615 aligned with an in-coupler of thin film 2a or glass substrate 2, thin film 2a or glass substrate 2 is not different from an optical device); and
a reflection detector (figure 3, element 62) comprising:
a camera lens, having a second focal length, wherein the camera lens is configured to align with an out-coupler of the optical device (figure 3, camera lens 622 aligned with an out-coupler of thin film 2a or glass substrate 2, thin film 2a or glass substrate 2 is not different from an optical device, camera lens 622 has a second focal length); and
a camera disposed over the camera lens, the camera configured to receive light from the camera lens (figure 3, sensor 623 is not different from a camera, a camera 623 disposed over the camera lens 622),
wherein the first focal length and the second focal length are different (the first focal length of lens 615 and the second focal length of lens 622 are different).
However, Asami does not teach microlens arrays, and a projection lens disposed under the reticle. Rogers teaches microlens arrays (figures 11, 12, microlens 403; [0109], lines 6-8). It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention was made to modify Asami by having microlens arrays in order to focus the beam to a multiplicity of intermediate spots (Rogers, [0109], lines 9-11). Further, Sun teaches a projection lens disposed under the reticle (figure 3A-B, lens 310, reticle 322). It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention was made to modify Asami and Rogers by having a projection lens disposed under the reticle in order to illuminate the reticles for inspection (Sun, [0035], lines 9-12).
Further, regarding to claim 10, selection of the first focal length is about 10 mm to about 20 mm, and the second focal length is about 20 mm to about 40 mm, or similar range is well known. It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention was made to choose appropriate focal length range for the benefit of well operated inspection system. It has been held that where the general conditions of a claim are disclosed in the prior art, discovering the optimum or workable ranges involves only routine skill in the art. In re Aller, 105 USPQ 233.
Regarding Claim(s) 2, Asami teaches the first focal length is less than the second focal length (figure 3, the first focal length of lens 615 is less than the second focal length of lens 622).
Regarding Claims 3, 6, 8, 13, 15, selection of the first focal length is about 10 mm to about 20 mm, and the second focal length is about 20 mm to about 40 mm, or a third focal length of about 10 mm to about 60 mm, and the second condenser lens comprises a fourth focal length of about 10 mm to about 60 mm, or the first microlens array comprises a fifth focal length of about 0.2 mm to about 2 mm, and the second microlens array comprises a sixth focal length of 0.2 mm to 2 mm, or similar range is well known. It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention was made to choose appropriate focal length range for the benefit of well operated inspection system. It has been held that where the general conditions of a claim are disclosed in the prior art, discovering the optimum or workable ranges involves only routine skill in the art. In re Aller, 105 USPQ 233.
Regarding Claim(s) 4, 11, Asami, Rogers, Sun teach all the limitations of claim 1, or claim 10, as stated above except for a first condenser lens and a second condenser lens. Sun teaches a first condenser lens and a second condenser lens, (Figures 3A-B, a first condenser lens 306 and a second condenser lens 310). It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention was made to modify Asami, Rogers, Sun, by having a first condenser lens and a second condenser lens in order to focus light beam efficiently.
Regarding Claim(s) 5, 12, Asami, Rogers, Sun teach all the limitations of claims 1, 4, or claims 10, 11, as stated above except for the first condenser lens is disposed over the one or more microlens arrays, and the second condenser lens is disposed under the one or more microlens arrays. Rogers teaches the first condenser lens is disposed over the one or more microlens arrays, and the second condenser lens is disposed under the one or more microlens arrays, (Figures 11, 12, the first condenser lens 216 is disposed over the one or more microlens arrays 403, and the second condenser lens 404, 408, is disposed under the one or more microlens arrays 403). It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention was made to modify Asami, Rogers, Sun, by having the first condenser lens is disposed over the one or more microlens arrays, and the second condenser lens is disposed under the one or more microlens arrays in order to focus the beam to a multiplicity of intermediate spots efficiently (Rogers, [0109], lines 9-11).
Regarding Claim(s) 7, 14, Asami, Rogers, Sun teach all the limitations of claim 1, or claim 10, as stated above except for one or more microlens arrays comprise a first microlens array and a second microlens array. Sun teaches microlens arrays comprise a first microlens array and a second microlens array, (Figures 11-12, microlens array 403 comprises a first microlens array and a second microlens array in rows and columns). It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention was made to modify Asami, Rogers, Sun, by having microlens arrays comprise a first microlens array and a second microlens array in order to have plurality illumination spots.
Regarding Claim(s) 9, 16, Asami, Rogers, Sun teach all the limitations of claim 1, or claim 10, as stated above except for a controller communicatively coupled to the light engine and the reflection detector, wherein the controller is configured to process a test pattern from the reflection detector. Sun teaches a controller communicatively coupled to the light engine and the reflection detector, wherein the controller is configured to process a test pattern from the reflection detector, (Figure 2, controller 220; [0026]). It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention was made to modify Asami, Rogers, Sun, by having a controller in order to process image for detection (Sun, [0026], lines 24-26).
Regarding Claim(s) 17, Asami teaches a method, comprising:
aligning a light engine with an in-coupler of an optical device (figure 3, system light source 611 is not different from a light engine, thin film 2a or glass substrate 2 is not different from an optical device), the light engine comprising one or more lens arrays, one or more condenser lens disposed under the one or more lens arrays (figure 3, condenser lens 615 disposed under the lens arrays of collimator 613), a reticle disposed under the one or more condensers (figure 1, mask plate 1 is not different from a reticle, which disposed under the one or more condenser lens 615), wherein the projection lens comprises a first focal length (figure 3, projection lens 615 comprises a first focal);
projecting a test pattern onto the optical device using the light engine (figure 3, thin film 2a or glass substrate 2 is not different from an optical device, spot Sp is not different from a test pattern, system light source 611 is not different from a light engine);
aligning a reflection detector with an out-coupler of the optical device (figure 3, light receiving system is not different from reflection detector, with an out-coupler of thin film 2a or glass substrate 2, thin film 2a or glass substrate 2 is not different from an optical device), the reflection detector comprising a camera lens and a camera disposed over the camera lens (figure 3, light receiving system 62 is not different from reflection detector, camera lens 622, sensor 623 is not different from a camera), wherein the camera lens comprises a second focal length, wherein the first focal length is less than the second focal length (the first focal length of lens 615 is less than the second focal length of lens 622);
receiving a reflected test pattern from the optical device using the reflection detector (figure 3, thin film 2a or glass substrate 2 is not different from an optical device, spot Sp is not different from a test pattern, light receiving system 62 is not different from reflection detector receiving a reflected test pattern spot Sp); and
determining one or more metrology metrics for the optical device based on the reflected test pattern (page 1, abstract).
However, Asami does not teach microlens arrays, and a projection lens disposed under the reticle. Rogers teaches microlens arrays (figures 11, 12, microlens 403; [0109], lines 6-8). It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention was made to modify Asami by having microlens arrays in order to focus the beam to a multiplicity of intermediate spots (Rogers, [0109], lines 9-11). Further, Sun teaches a projection lens disposed under the reticle (figure 3A-B, lens 310, reticle 322). It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention was made to modify Asami and Rogers by having a projection lens disposed under the reticle in order to project light to the reticles such that the reticles are illuminated (Sun, [0035], lines 9-12).
Regarding Claim(s) 18, Asami, Rogers, Sun teach all the limitations of claim 17 as stated above except for the one or more metrology metrics comprise image sharpness, luminance uniformity, and distortion. Sun teaches the one or more metrology metrics comprise image sharpness, luminance uniformity, and distortion ([0023, 0025]). It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention was made to modify Asami, Rogers, Sun, by having luminance uniformity in order to ensure that the optical devices meet image quality standards, (Sun, [0023]).
Regarding Claim(s) 19, Asami teaches modulating the test pattern based on one or more optical device properties (figure 3, spot SP is not different from the test pattern based on one or more thin film 2a or glass substrate 2 properties).
Regarding Claim(s) 20, Asami teaches the one or more optical device properties comprises physical dimensions, material composition, and internal structures (figure 4; Page 1, [0002]).
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April 4, 2026
/Tri T Ton/
Primary Examiner Art Unit 2877
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