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 .
The amendment filed on July 16, 2026 has been entered. Claims 1-20 are pending in this application.
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.
Claim(s) 1, 3-6, 8, 16, 17, 19 and 20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ershov et al. [US 20070187627 A1, hereafter Ershov] in view of Mizoguchi et al. [US 20130319466 A1, hereafter Mizoguchi].
As per Claim 1, Ershov teaches a method of generating extreme ultraviolet (EUV) radiation in a semiconductor manufacturing system (See fig. 1, Para 9), comprising:
capturing image of a surface of a collector mirror of an EUV radiation source (Para 48); and
based on the at least one captured image of the plurality of regions of the surface of the collector mirror, performing at least one of:
generating a signal indicating cleaning of the collector mirror is required (See fig. 8, Para 48), or
adjusting a direction of a flow of a gas over at least one of the plurality of regions of the surface of the collector mirror based on a location of a deposited metal layer on the at least one of the plurality of regions of the surface of the collector mirror in the at least one captured image.
Ershov does not explicitly teach capturing at least one image of a plurality of regions of a surface of a collector mirror of an EUV radiation source.
Mizoguchi teaches the debris sensor 93F may include a light-emitting unit 931F and a light-receiving unit 932F. The light-emitting unit 931F and the light-receiving unit 932F may each be electrically connected to the EUV light generation control system 5F (See fig. 11, Para 158).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at time the invention was made to incorporate the detection system as claimed in order to improve detection or measurement accuracy.
As per Claim 3, Ershov in view of Mizoguchi teaches the method of claim 1.
Mizoguchi further disclosed illuminating the surface of the collector mirror with light during the capturing the at least one image of the plurality of regions of the surface of the collector mirror (See fig. 11, Para 158).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at time the invention was made to incorporate the detection system as claimed in order to improve detection or measurement accuracy.
As per Claim 4, Ershov in view of Mizoguchi teaches the method of claim 3.
Ershov further disclosed wherein the light is non-ionizing light (Para 48).
As per Claim 5, Ershov in view of Mizoguchi teaches the method of claim 1.
Ershov further disclosed wherein the method includes the generating the signal indicating cleaning of the collector mirror is required, and the generating the signal occurs when a percentage of the plurality of regions of the surface of the collector mirror covered by the deposited metal layer in the at least one captured image exceeds a threshold value (Para 49-50).
As per Claim 6, Ershov in view of Mizoguchi teaches the method of claim 5.
Mizoguchi further disclosed wherein the threshold value ranges from 10 to 20 percent of the plurality of regions of the surface of the collector mirror being covered by the deposited metal layer (See fig. 11, Para 163).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at time the invention was made to incorporate the detection system as claimed in order to improve detection or measurement accuracy.
As per Claim 8, Ershov teaches a semiconductor manufacturing system (See fig. 1, Para 9), comprising:
an extreme ultraviolet (EUV) radiation source (Para 9) comprising:
a chamber 26,
a droplet generator configured to generate metal droplets in the chamber (Para 28),
an excitation laser source configured to irradiate the metal droplets to generate EUV radiation (Para 26), and
a collector mirror configured to direct the EUV radiation outside the chamber (Para 25);
one or more gas outlet systems configured to direct gas over a surface of the collector mirror (Para 12);
a detection module configured to capture one image of the collector mirror (Para 48); and
an analyzer module configured to at least one of:
generate a signal indicating cleaning of the collector mirror is required based on the at least one captured image (Para 48-49), or
direct the one or more gas outlet systems to adjust a direction of a flow of gas over at least one of the plurality of regions of the surface of the collector mirror based on the at least one captured image.
Ershov does not explicitly teach a detection module configured to capture at least one image of a plurality of regions of the surface of the collector mirror.
Mizoguchi teaches the debris sensor 93F may include a light-emitting unit 931F and a light-receiving unit 932F. The light-emitting unit 931F and the light-receiving unit 932F may each be electrically connected to the EUV light generation control system 5F (See fig. 11, Para 158).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at time the invention was made to incorporate the detection system as claimed in order to improve detection or measurement accuracy.
As per Claim 16, Ershov teaches a control system 708 (See fig. 8, Para 48) for maintenance of an extreme ultraviolet (EUV) radiation source, the control system comprising:
a detection module configured to capture image of a surface of a collector mirror of the EUV radiation source (Para 48);
a gas control system configured to control a direction of a gas flow over the surface of the collector mirror (Para 12, wherein the controller directs the gas towards the collector); and
an analyzer module configured to at least one of:
generate a signal indicating cleaning of the collector mirror is required based on the at least one captured image (See fig. 8, Para 48), or
direct the gas control system to adjust the direction of the gas flow over at least one of the plurality of regions of the surface of the collector mirror based on the at least one captured image.
Ershov does not explicitly teach a detection module configured to capture at least one image of a plurality of regions of a surface of a collector mirror of the EUV radiation source.
Mizoguchi teaches the debris sensor 93F may include a light-emitting unit 931F and a light-receiving unit 932F. The light-emitting unit 931F and the light-receiving unit 932F may each be electrically connected to the EUV light generation control system 5F (See fig. 11, Para 158).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at time the invention was made to incorporate the detection system as claimed in order to improve detection or measurement accuracy.
As per Claim 17, Ershov in view of Mizoguchi teaches the control system of claim 16.
Ershov further disclosed wherein the detection module includes one or more image sensors (Para 48).
As per Claim 19, Ershov in view of Mizoguchi teaches the control system of claim 16.
Ershov further disclosed wherein the analyzer module is configured to generate the signal indicating cleaning of the collector mirror is required based on the at least one captured image, and the analyzer module is further configured to generate the signal when a percentage of the collector mirror covered by debris in the at least one captured image exceeds a threshold value (Para 49-50).
As per Claim 20, Ershov in view of Mizoguchi teaches the control system of claim 19.
Mizoguchi further disclosed wherein the threshold value ranges from 10 to 20 percent of the collector mirror being covered by the debris (See fig. 11, Para 163).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at time the invention was made to incorporate the detection system as claimed in order to improve detection or measurement accuracy.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 2, 7, 9-15 and 18 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.
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MESFIN ASFAW whose telephone number is (571)270-5247. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday 8 am - 4 pm.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Toan Ton can be reached at 571-272-2303. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/MESFIN T ASFAW/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2882
Prosecution Insights