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 .
Drawings
The drawings with 19 sheets of Figs. 1-19D received on 12/23/2024 are acknowledged and accepted.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
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 1-2, 4-8, 10-11, 13-19, and 28 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lee et al., US 2018/0224574 A1 (hereinafter referred to as Lee), in view of Yakunin et al., US 2012/0147350 A1 (hereinafter referred to as Yakunin).
As to claim 1, Lee teaches (Figs. 3, 4, and 7) an optical device (102, para [0054], meta-optical device 102, Fig. 3), comprising:
a membrane (30, SU, para [0054], the combination of the nano-structure forming layer 30 provided on the support layer SU is considered the membrane, Fig. 3) comprising a plurality of apertures (NS, 31, para [0054], the nano-structures NS include a concave portion 31, Fig. 3) extending at least partially through a thickness of the membrane (30, t, para [0054], the concave portion 31 is provided in the nano-structure forming layer 30 at a thickness t, Fig. 3), configured to:
structure incoming light (paras [0046]-[0047], the nano-structures cause a phase delay of the incoming light) having a wavelength (para [0064], wavelengths of incident light) to produce modified light (paras [0046] and [0068], the nano-structure is formed to have good optical modulation characteristics, such as phase shift, thus the incoming light is modified to produce phase shifted light), wherein the wavelength of the incoming light is in a range to a wavelength of ultraviolet light (para [0070], ultraviolet wavelength band ranging from about 300 nm to about 400 nm); and
transmit the modified light through the membrane (SU, 1500, paras [0055] and [0061]-[0064], the support layer SU is formed from a transparent material, the meta-optical device 1500 is located on the emission surface and emits the light of the light-emitting device 1200, the nano-structures have high light transmittance, Fig. 7);
wherein an index of refraction within a first aperture of the plurality of apertures is greater than an index of refraction of the membrane (NS, SU, para [0055], a refractive index of the nano-structure NS is greater than a refractive index of the support layer SU, Fig. 3).
Lee does not teach the optical device wherein the wavelength of the incoming light is in a wavelength of X-ray light.
Lee and Yakunin are related as optical devices having a plurality of apertures.
However, Yakunin teaches (Figs. 2 and 3) an optical device (100, para [0071], a spectral purity filter 100, Fig. 3), comprising:
a membrane (102F, para [0072], the filter part 102F, Fig. 3) comprising a plurality of apertures (104, para [0072], a plurality of apertures 104, Fig. 3), configured to transmit light (para [0071], the spectral purity filter 100 is configured to transmit extreme ultraviolet (EUV) radiation, Fig. 3) wherein the wavelength of the incoming light is in a range extending from a wavelength of X-ray light (3, SO, paras [0004] and [0063], EUV radiation is considered soft x-ray, radiation unit 3 provides a radiation source SO which is a vapor of Sn emitting radiation in the EUV range, thus the incoming light is X-ray light, Fig. 2) to a wavelength of ultraviolet light (3, SO, paras [0005] and [0063], EUV sources based on tin (Sn) emit EUV and deep UV (DUV) radiation in the range of 100-400 nm, the radiation unit 3 provides a radiation source SO which is a vapor of Sn, thus the incoming light includes ultraviolet light, Fig. 2).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the optical device of Lee with the incoming X-ray light of Yakunin, because doing so provides an effective and easy to manufacture spectral purity filter (para [0015]).
As to claim 2, Lee in view of Yakunin teaches all the limitations of the instant invention as detailed above with respect to claim 1, and Lee further teaches the optical device, wherein at least one of a vacuum, a gaseous medium, a liquid medium, or a solid medium, is disposed in the first aperture of the plurality of apertures (13, NS, para [0057], the meta-optical device includes a cover layer 13 configured to cover the nano-structures NS, the cover layer is formed of air, if Fig. 3 were to show a cover layer, the cover layer would be air, thus a gaseous medium of air is disposed in the nano-structures NS, Figs. 3 and 4).
As to claim 4, Lee in view of Yakunin teaches all the limitations of the instant invention as detailed above with respect to claim 1, and Lee further teaches the optical device, wherein the membrane comprises crystalline silicon (NS, para [0065], single-crystal silicon (c-Si) is used as a material for the nano-structure NS, Fig. 3).
As to claim 5, Lee in view of Yakunin teaches all the limitations of the instant invention as detailed above with respect to claim 1.
Lee does not teach the optical device, wherein the incoming light comprises an extreme ultraviolet wavelength in a range of 10 nm to 121 nm.
Lee and Yakunin are related as optical devices having a plurality of apertures.
However, Yakunin teaches an optical device, wherein the incoming light comprises an extreme ultraviolet wavelength in a range of 10 nm to 121 nm (3, SO, paras [0004] and [0063], EUV radiation is electromagnetic radiation having a wavelength within the range of 10-20 nm, radiation unit 3 provides a radiation source SO which is a vapor of Sn emitting radiation in the EUV range, Fig. 2).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the optical device of Lee with the extreme ultraviolet wavelength in a range of 10 nm to 121 nm of Yakunin, because doing so provides an effective and easy to manufacture spectral purity filter (para [0015]).
As to claim 6, Lee in view of Yakunin teaches all the limitations of the instant invention as detailed above with respect to claim 1, and Lee further teaches the optical device, wherein:
the membrane comprises a first surface (NSA, para [0054], the top of the nano-structure array NSA is considered the first surface, Fig. 3) and a second surface (SU, para [0054], the top of the support layer SU is considered the second surface, Fig. 3); and
the plurality of apertures each has an opening in a plane defined by the first surface (31, para [0054], the concave portion 31 of the nano-structures NS have an opening on the first surface, Fig. 3) and has another opening in a plane defined by the second surface (31, para [0054], the concave portion 31 of the nano-structures NS have another opening on the second surface, Fig. 3).
As to claim 7, Lee in view of Yakunin teaches all the limitations of the instant invention as detailed above with respect to claim 1, and Lee further teaches the optical device, wherein in transmitting the modified light, the membrane is configured to operate as at least one of a converging lens, a diverging lens, a cylindrical lens, a corrector of optical aberrations of a second optical element, a diffraction grating, or a waveplate (NS, 1500, paras [0053] and [0062], the meta-optical device functions as a convex lens or a concave lens using the nano-structure NS, the meta-optical device 1500 can focus, diverge, shape, or deflect light, Figs. 3 and 7).
As to claim 8, Lee in view of Yakunin teaches all the limitations of the instant invention as detailed above with respect to claim 1, and Lee further teaches the optical device, wherein at least one optical property is constant at a plurality of incident wavelengths (1500, paras [0064] and [0068], the nano-structure NS is formed of a material has low absorbance of wavelengths of incident light, thus the light transmittance is constant the incident wavelengths).
As to claim 10, Lee in view of Yakunin teaches all the limitations of the instant invention as detailed above with respect to claim 1.
Lee does not teach the optical device, wherein a phase profile of the modified light that is transmitted produces diffracted orders with a same diffraction angle at a plurality of wavelengths.
Lee and Yakunin are related as optical devices having a plurality of apertures.
However, Yakunin teaches an optical device, wherein a phase profile of the modified light that is transmitted produces diffracted orders with a same diffraction angle at a plurality of wavelengths (para [0008], since the wavelength of EUV radiation is much smaller than the size of the apertures, EUV radiation is transmitted through the apertures without substantial diffraction, thus producing a zero-order diffraction of the EUV wavelengths).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the optical device of Lee with the diffraction angle of Yakunin, because doing so provides an effective and easy to manufacture spectral purity filter (para [0015]).
As to claim 11, Lee in view of Yakunin teaches all the limitations of the instant invention as detailed above with respect to claim 1, and Lee further teaches the optical device, wherein the modified light includes light with at least one of a modified optical phase profile, modified amplitude profile, or modified polarization profile (paras [0046]-[0047], the nano-structures cause a phase delay of the incoming light, thus the optical phase profile is modified due to the phase shift of the light).
As to claim 13, Lee in view of Yakunin teaches all the limitations of the instant invention as detailed above with respect to claim 1, and Lee further teaches the optical device, wherein each of the plurality of apertures has non-cylindrical symmetry (NS, para [0050], the nano-structure NS can have any of various cross-sectional shapes, such as a square shape, a rectangular shape, an oval shape, or a triangular shape, Fig. 3).
As to claim 14, Lee in view of Yakunin teaches all the limitations of the instant invention as detailed above with respect to claim 1, and Lee further teaches the optical device, wherein: a cross-sectional profile of the first aperture of the plurality of apertures is constant over a length of the first aperture (31, NS, para [0054], the nano-structures NS have engraved cylindrical shapes, the portion 31 having a cylindrical shape is provided on the nano-structure forming layer 30, because of the cylindrical shape the cross-sectional profile of the aperture has a constant length, Fig. 3).
As to claim 15, Lee in view of Yakunin teaches all the limitations of the instant invention as detailed above with respect to claim 1, and Lee further teaches the optical device, wherein the plurality of apertures are periodically placed on the membrane (NSA, para [0047], the arrangement of the nano-structure array NSA is periodic, Fig. 3).
As to claim 16, Lee in view of Yakunin teaches all the limitations of the instant invention as detailed above with respect to claim 1, and Lee further teaches the optical device, wherein the plurality of apertures are quasirandomly placed on the membrane (NSA, para [0047], the arrangement of the nano-structure array NSA is quasi-periodic, Fig. 3).
As to claim 17, Lee in view of Yakunin teaches all the limitations of the instant invention as detailed above with respect to claim 1, and Lee further teaches the optical device, wherein the thickness of the membrane is constant over a length and a width of the membrane (t, paras [0064] and [0070], the thickness of the nano-structure NS and support layer are constant over the length and width of the membrane as shown in Fig. 3).
As to claim 18, Lee in view of Yakunin teaches all the limitations of the instant invention as detailed above with respect to claim 1.
Lee does not teach the optical device, wherein the membrane is a layer of silicon from a silicon-on-insulator (SOI) wafer.
Lee and Yakunin are related as optical devices having a plurality of apertures.
However, Yakunin teaches an optical device, wherein the membrane is a layer of silicon from a silicon-on-insulator (SOI) wafer (102, para [0077], the substrate 102 comprises a SOI (silicon-on-insulator) wafer, Fig. 3).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the optical device of Lee with the SOI wafer of Yakunin, because doing so provides an effective and easy to manufacture spectral purity filter (para [0015]).
As to claim 19, Lee teaches (Figs. 3 and 7) an optical device (102, para [0054], meta-optical device 102, Fig. 3), comprising:
a membrane (30, SU, para [0054], the combination of the nano-structure forming layer 30 provided on the support layer SU is considered the membrane, Fig. 3) comprising a plurality of apertures (NS, 31, para [0054], the nano-structures NS include a concave portion 31, Fig. 3) extending at least partially through a thickness of the membrane (30, t, para [0054], the concave portion 31 is provided in the nano-structure forming layer 30 at a thickness t, Fig. 3), configured to:
structure incoming light (paras [0046]-[0047], the nano-structures cause a phase delay of the incoming light) having a wavelength (para [0064], wavelengths of incident light) to produce modified light (paras [0046] and [0068], the nano-structure is formed to have good optical modulation characteristics, such as phase shift, thus the incoming light is modified to produce phase shifted light), wherein the wavelength of the incoming light is in a range to a wavelength of ultraviolet light (para [0070], ultraviolet wavelength band ranging from about 300 nm to about 400 nm); and
reflect the modified light away from the membrane (SU, para [0056], the support layer SU includes a reflective layer for reflecting incident light, Fig. 3);
wherein an index of refraction within a first aperture of the plurality of apertures is greater than an index of refraction of the membrane (NS, SU, para [0055], a refractive index of the nano-structure NS is greater than a refractive index of the support layer SU, Fig. 3).
Lee does not teach the optical device wherein the wavelength of the incoming light is in a wavelength of X-ray light.
Lee and Yakunin are related as optical devices having a plurality of apertures.
However, Yakunin teaches (Figs. 2 and 3) an optical device (100, para [0071], a spectral purity filter 100, Fig. 3), comprising:
a membrane (102F, para [0072], the filter part 102F, Fig. 3) comprising a plurality of apertures (104, para [0072], a plurality of apertures 104, Fig. 3), configured to transmit light (para [0071], the spectral purity filter 100 is configured to transmit extreme ultraviolet (EUV) radiation, Fig. 3) wherein the wavelength of the incoming light is in a range extending from a wavelength of X-ray light (3, SO, paras [0004] and [0063], EUV radiation is considered soft x-ray, radiation unit 3 provides a radiation source SO which is a vapor of Sn emitting radiation in the EUV range, thus the incoming light is X-ray light, Fig. 2) to a wavelength of ultraviolet light (3, SO, paras [0005] and [0063], EUV sources based on tin (Sn) emit EUV and deep UV (DUV) radiation in the range of 100-400 nm, the radiation unit 3 provides a radiation source SO which is a vapor of Sn, thus the incoming light includes ultraviolet light, Fig. 2).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the optical device of Lee with the incoming X-ray light of Yakunin, because doing so provides an effective and easy to manufacture spectral purity filter (para [0015]).
As to claim 28, Lee in view of Yakunin teaches all the limitations of the instant invention as detailed above with respect to claim 19.
Lee does not teach the optical device, wherein a phase profile of the modified light that is reflected produces diffracted orders with a same diffraction angle at a plurality of wavelengths.
Lee and Yakunin are related as optical devices having a plurality of apertures.
However, Yakunin teaches an optical device, wherein a phase profile of the modified light that is reflected produces diffracted orders with a same diffraction angle at a plurality of wavelengths (para [0008], since the wavelength of EUV radiation is much smaller than the size of the apertures, EUV radiation is transmitted through the apertures without substantial diffraction, thus producing a zero-order diffraction of the EUV wavelengths).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the optical device of Lee with the diffraction angle of Yakunin, because doing so provides an effective and easy to manufacture spectral purity filter (para [0015]).
Claims 3, 9, and 12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lee et al., US 2018/0224574 A1 (hereinafter referred to as Lee), in view of Yakunin et al., US 2012/0147350 A1 (hereinafter referred to as Yakunin), and further in view of Hanania et al., US 2023/0228909 A1 (hereinafter referred to as Hanania).
As to claim 3, Lee in view of Yakunin teaches all the limitations of the instant invention as detailed above with respect to claim 2.
Lee does not teach the optical device, wherein the index of refraction within the first aperture corresponds to an index of refraction of the at least one of the vacuum, the gaseous medium, the liquid medium, or the solid medium.
Lee and Hanania are related as optical devices having a plurality of apertures.
However, Hanania teaches (Figs. 1A-1B) an optical device (100, para [0043], metalens 100, Fig. 1A), comprising:
a membrane (101, para [0043], first bulk material 101 forming the bulk of the metalens structure, Figs. 1A-1B) comprising a plurality of apertures (103, para [0043], a second material 103 forming the metalens elements), configured to transmit light (para [0042], the metalens are used to transmit electromagnetic radiation) wherein the index of refraction within the first aperture corresponds to an index of refraction of the at least one of the vacuum, the gaseous medium, the liquid medium, or the solid medium (101, 103, para [0044], the first bulk material 101 is a material with a high index of refraction, the second material 103 is a material with low index of refraction, a high index of refraction is 1.5 or higher while a low index of refraction is 1.5 or less, thus corresponding when both are equal to 1.5).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the optical device of Lee with the indexes of refraction of Hanania, because doing so produces the desired optical effect on a target wavelength (para [0045]).
As to claim 9, Lee in view of Yakunin teaches all the limitations of the instant invention as detailed above with respect to claim 1.
Lee does not teach the optical device, wherein a phase profile of the modified light that is transmitted produces focusing of incident light at a plurality of wavelengths with a same focal length.
Lee and Hanania are related as optical devices having a plurality of apertures.
However, Hanania teaches an optical device, wherein a phase profile of the modified light that is transmitted produces focusing of incident light at a plurality of wavelengths with a same focal length (502, para [0056], the metalens array 502 focuses the target wavelengths to the image sensors 506, Fig. 5).
Therefore, It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the optical device of Lee with the focusing a plurality of wavelengths at the same focal length of Hanania, because doing so optimizes the capture of the target wavelengths by the image sensor (para [0056]).
As to claim 12, Lee in view of Yakunin teaches all the limitations of the instant invention as detailed above with respect to claim 1.
Lee does not teach the optical device, wherein the incoming light has a first polarization profile and the modified light has a second polarization profile.
Lee and Hanania are related as optical devices having a plurality of apertures.
However, Hanania teaches an optical device, wherein the incoming light has a first polarization profile and the modified light has a second polarization profile (para [0034], the phase-modulating thin-film modifies the phase of lights, such modifications alters the polarization of light, Figs. 1A-1B).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the optical device of Lee with the polarization profiles of Hanania, because doing so produces the desired optical effect on a target wavelength (para [0045]).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Moldovan, US 2019/0154892 A1, teaches a diffractive optical device comprising a plurality of apertures for focusing x-rays.
Leem et al. US 2023/0144948 A1, teaches an optical device comprising a plurality of pillar-shaped holes for exhibiting a phase delay profile of light.
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/J.A.J./JENNIFER A JONES
Examiner
Art Unit 2872
/STEPHONE B ALLEN/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2872
09/24/2026
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