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 .
Specification
The lengthy specification has not been checked to the extent necessary to determine the presence of all possible minor errors. Applicant’s cooperation is requested in correcting any errors of which applicant may become aware in the specification.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 1-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Fujimaki et al. [US 2018/0288863 A1].
Regarding claims 1, 19 and 20, Fujimaki et al. discloses an extreme ultraviolet light generation system / an electronic device manufacturing method configured to generate extreme ultraviolet light by irradiating a target substance with laser light (Figs. 1, 17, 20, 31), comprising:
a tank (82) configured to store the target substance in a liquid state (paragraph [0130] teaches liquid tin);
a nozzle (80) configured to output the target substance stored in the tank (paragraph [0118]);
a piezoelectric element (88) configured to apply vibration to the target substance to be output from the nozzle to generate droplets of the target substance (paragraphs [0135] teaches applying vibration using the piezoelectric element);
a droplet detection device (76) configured to detect a time interval of passage of the droplets output from the nozzle (paragraphs [0146]-[0147] teaches detecting the timing of the droplet); and
at least one processor (Fig. 36, see also paragraph [0419]), the processor acquiring a first value of a vibration parameter relating to the vibration of the piezoelectric element (88), acquiring a variation of the time interval corresponding to each of a plurality of values including the first value of the vibration parameter, and generating the droplets using a second value with which the variation of the time interval is smaller than that with the first value (Figs. 14 and 19, see also paragraph [0240] teaches wherein the smallest value as an optimum operation duty value, paragraph [0259] teaches choosing a smaller timing interval, see also paragraph [0282] and claim 3).
Regarding claim 2, Fujimaki et al. discloses wherein the processor acquires a variation of the time interval corresponding to each of the first value of the vibration parameter, a value larger than the first value, and a value smaller than the first value (Figs. 14 and 19, see also paragraph [0240] teaches wherein the smallest value as an optimum operation duty value, paragraph [0259] teaches choosing a smaller timing interval, see also paragraph [0282] and claim 3).
Regarding claim 3, Fujimaki et al. discloses wherein the processor calculates an approximate straight line in correlation between a value of the vibration parameter and the variation of the time interval, and causes the second value to be a value of the vibration parameter providing a smaller variation of the time interval than the first value based on a gradient of the approximate straight line (paragraph [0305]-[0307], see also Figs. 22A and 22B).
Regarding claims 4-7, Fujimaki et al. discloses wherein the vibration parameter is a duty of a voltage waveform of a rectangular wave for driving the piezoelectric element (as shown in Figs. 16A and 16B, paragraph [0190]), wherein the vibration parameter is a voltage for driving the piezoelectric element (paragraph [0216]), wherein the vibration parameter is a temperature of the piezoelectric element (paragraph [0155]), wherein the vibration parameter is a temperature of the nozzle (paragraph [0360]).
Regarding claims 8-10, Fujimaki et al. discloses wherein the processor generates the droplets by driving the piezoelectric element with a voltage waveform of a rectangular wave having a value of an operational duty, and generates the extreme ultraviolet light by irradiating the droplets with the laser light, wherein the processor acquires correlation between a duty of the rectangular wave and the variation of the time interval, and causes the value of the operational duty to be a value of the duty with which the variation of the time interval is smallest, wherein the processor causes the value of the operational duty to be the second value (Figs. 14 and 19, see also paragraph [0240] teaches wherein the smallest value as an optimum operation duty value, paragraph [0259] teaches choosing a smaller timing interval, see also paragraph [0282] and claim 3).
Regarding claims 11-13, Fujimaki et al. discloses wherein the target substance is a liquid target substance containing tin (paragraph [0130] teaches liquid tin), wherein the processor melts the tin at a predetermined temperature in a target supply unit including the tank (paragraph [0155]), wherein the processor controls a pressure of an inert gas to be supplied to the tank by a pressure regulator, and outputs outside liquid tin in the tank from the nozzle (paragraph [0125]-[0126]).
Regarding claim 14, Fujimaki et al. discloses wherein the piezoelectric element generates the droplets by being driven with the second value of the vibration parameter (Figs. 14 and 19, see also paragraph [0240] teaches wherein the smallest value as an optimum operation duty value, paragraph [0259] teaches choosing a smaller timing interval, see also paragraph [0282] and claim 3).
Regarding claim 15, Fujimaki et al. discloses wherein the piezoelectric element is driven by a rectangular wave having a duty value with which the variation of the time interval is smaller than a threshold (as shown in Figs. 16A and 16B, paragraph [0190]).
Regarding claim 16, Fujimaki et al. discloses wherein control of maintaining a combining state of the droplets is performed by finely adjusting a duty value for the piezoelectric element (Figs. 14 and 19, see also paragraph [0240] teaches wherein the smallest value as an optimum operation duty value, paragraph [0259] teaches choosing a smaller timing interval, see also paragraph [0282] and claim 3).
Regarding claims 17 and 18, Fujimaki et al. discloses wherein energy stability of the extreme ultraviolet light is improved by keeping the variation of the time interval small, wherein a combining state of the droplets is controlled using the variation of the time interval as an index (Figs. 14 and 19, see also paragraph [0240] teaches wherein the smallest value as an optimum operation duty value, paragraph [0259] teaches choosing a smaller timing interval, see also paragraph [0282] and claim 3).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to DEORAM PERSAUD whose telephone number is (571)270-5476. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8AM-5PM.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Minh-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.
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/DEORAM PERSAUD/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2882
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