CTNF 19/006,347 CTNF 84924 DETAILED ACTION Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status 07-03-aia AIA 15-10-aia The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA. The preliminary amendment filed on February 11, 2025 has been entered. Claims 13-29 are pending in this application. Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102 07-06 AIA 15-10-15 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. 07-07-aia AIA 07-07 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 – 07-08-aia AIA (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. 07-15-aia AIA Claim(s) 13-16 and 19-29 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102 (a)(1) as being anticipated by Iwanaga [US 20040160592 A1] . As per Claims 13 and 29 , Iwanaga teaches an exposure apparatus (See fig. 1, a scanning exposure apparatus 50) for performing scanning exposure on each of a plurality of shot regions in a substrate (Para 31), comprising: a stage (a wafer stage 12) configured to hold the substrate (Para 33); a driver configured to drive the stage (Para 35, stage sync movement control unit 102); and a controller configured to control the scanning exposure on each of the plurality of shot regions while controlling the driver in accordance with a driving profile for driving the stage (Para 36), wherein the driving profile includes a first constant acceleration section (uniform-acceleration section B) in which velocity of the stage is changed at a first constant acceleration in a first direction, a second constant acceleration section (uniform-acceleration section F) in which velocity of the stage is changed at a second constant acceleration in a second direction opposite to the first direction, and a connection section connecting the first constant acceleration section and the second constant acceleration section (Para 54), and wherein at least one of a timing when acceleration of the stage switches from the first constant acceleration section to the connection section and a timing when the acceleration of the stage switches from the connection section to the second constant acceleration section is included in a period (a section Expo (from the start of the section B to the end of the section F)) in which the scanning exposure on one shot region among the plurality of shot regions is performed (See fig. 6, Para 54-56). As per Claim 14 , Iwanaga teaches the apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the controller is configured to adjust a time width of the connection section, in accordance with one selected among a first case in which reduction of driving time of the stage is prioritized and a second case in which reduction of a positioning error of the stage is prioritized, such that the time width of the connection section in the first case is narrower than that in the second case (See fig. 6, Para 54-55). As per Claim 15 , Iwanaga teaches the apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the controller is configured to adjust, as the time width of the connection section, a ratio of time of the connection section with respect to total time of the connection section and one of the first constant acceleration section or the second constant acceleration section (Para 57-60). As per Claim 16 , Iwanaga teaches the apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the connection section in the driving profile is formed in a curved shape that causes the acceleration of the stage to monotonically change between the acceleration in the first constant acceleration section and the acceleration in the second constant acceleration section (See fig. 6, Para 54). As per Claim 19 , Iwanaga teaches the apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the connection section in the driving profile is formed in a point-symmetric curved shape with a center point of the connection section as a point of symmetry (See fig. 6). As per Claim 20 , Iwanaga teaches the apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the connection section in the driving profile is formed such that, when the connection section is decomposed into a trigonometric series, a frequency of the trigonometric series is not higher than a bandwidth of a control system of driving of the stage (Para 56). As per Claim 21 , Iwanaga teaches the apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the driving profile is formed by a differentiable curve in an entire range (Para 37). As per Claim 22 , Iwanaga teaches the apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the scanning exposure on the one shot region is performed in a partial period of the connection section (See fig. 6). As per Claim 23 , Iwanaga teaches the apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the scanning exposure on the one shot region is performed in a period including the entire connection section, a part of the first constant acceleration section continuous with the connection section, and a part of the second constant acceleration section continuous with the connection section (See fig. 6, Para 54). As per Claim 24 , Iwanaga teaches the apparatus according to claim 13, wherein an absolute value of the acceleration of the stage in the first constant acceleration section and/or the second constant acceleration section of the driving profile is set to a maximum acceleration at which the driver can drive the stage (See fig. 6, Para 54). As per Claim 25 , Iwanaga teaches the apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the connection section connects the first constant acceleration section and the second constant acceleration section with a curve so as not to include a period in which the stage moves at a constant velocity (See fig. 6, section C and E). As per Claim 26 , Iwanaga teaches the apparatus according to claim 23, wherein in a period including at least a part of the connection section, the scanning exposure on the one shot region is performed while driving the stage in the first direction (Para 54). As per Claim 27 , Iwanaga teaches the apparatus according to claim 23, wherein a direction in which the stage moves in the first constant acceleration section changes from the second direction to the first direction, and a direction in which the stage moves in the second constant acceleration section changes from the first direction to the second direction (See fig. 6, Para 54). As per Claim 28 , Iwanaga teaches a method of manufacturing an article, the method comprising: forming a pattern on a substrate by using an exposure apparatus according to claim 13; processing the substrate, on which the pattern has been formed, to manufacture the article (See fig. 1, Para 7) . Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103 07-06 AIA 15-10-15 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. 07-20-aia AIA 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. 07-21-aia AIA Claim (s) 17 and 18 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Iwanaga as applied in claim 13 above, in view of Yuan et al. [US 20010021009 A1, hereafter Yuan] . As per Claim 17 , Iwanaga teaches the apparatus according to claim 13. Iwanaga does not explicitly show wherein the connection section in the driving profile is formed in a sine wave shape. Yuan teaches wherein the connection section in the driving profile is formed in a sine wave shape (See fig. 2 and 4). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at time the invention was made to incorporate the method of scanning exposure as claimed in order to improve the throughput (Para 11). As per Claim 18 , Iwanaga teaches the apparatus according to claim 13. Yuan further disclosed wherein the connection section in the driving profile is formed in a shape expressed by a polynomial (Para 10). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at time the invention was made to incorporate the method of scanning exposure as claimed in order to improve the throughput (Para 11). Conclusion 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. 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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 Application/Control Number: 19/006,347 Page 2 Art Unit: 2882 Application/Control Number: 19/006,347 Page 3 Art Unit: 2882 Application/Control Number: 19/006,347 Page 4 Art Unit: 2882 Application/Control Number: 19/006,347 Page 5 Art Unit: 2882 Application/Control Number: 19/006,347 Page 6 Art Unit: 2882 Application/Control Number: 19/006,347 Page 7 Art Unit: 2882 Application/Control Number: 19/006,347 Page 8 Art Unit: 2882
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