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 .
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55, which papers have been placed of record in the file.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 1/2/2025 is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 11/14/2025 is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 11/19/2025 is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 8/21/2026 is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Drawings
The drawings were received on 1/2/2025. These drawings are considered acceptable by Examiner.
America Invents Act
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 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.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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.
1. Claim(s) 1-3, 5-7, 9-17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being obvious over Takashi et al., (WO 2022/219814 A1) in view of Yu et al., (U.S. Pub. No. 2010/0072405 A1).
Regarding Claim(s) 1, 3, Takashi et al., teaches a photoelectron source comprising: a photocathode (10, photocathode, see at least Fig. 1A) supported on a surface side of a substrate (11, transparent substrate, ¶ [0010]-¶ [0020]); a light source (7) emitting excitation light (12b) from a back surface side of the substrate (11); and an element (3) disposed at a position opposed to the photocathode (10) on the surface side of the substrate (11) and focus the excitation light (12b) which has passed through the substrate (11) to the photocathode (10) and include an extraction hole (gap in 3) through which photoelectrons emitted from the photocathode (10) pass when the excitation light (12b) is incident on the photocathode (10). Takashi et al., is silent regarding the material of the element.
In the same field of endeavor, Yu et al., teaches a photocathode that includes a reflecting mirror being a concave mirror (20) in order to improve the backscatter redirection by implementing a concavity shaped mirror, thereby improving overall functionality of the photoelectron source during operation.
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 element, as disclosed by Yu et al., in the photoelectron source of Takashi et al., in order to improve the backscatter redirection by implementing a concavity shaped mirror, thereby improving overall functionality of the photoelectron source during operation.
Regarding Claim 2, Takashi et al., as modified by Yu et al., teaches the photoelectron source according to Claim 1, wherein the reflecting mirror (3 as modified) has an electrode function to extract the photoelectrons emitted from the photocathode (10) to the extraction hole (gap in 3), and a positive potential relative to the photocathode (10) is applied to the reflecting mirror.
Motivation to combine would be the same as stated above.
Regarding Claim 5, Takashi et al., as modified by Yu et al., teaches the photoelectron source according to Claim 1, wherein the reflecting mirror (3 as modified) is a plane mirror, and provided with a lens or a light collection mirror set between the light source (7) and the substrate (11), the lens or the light collection mirror being configured to cause the excitation light (12b) reflected by the plane mirror to be focused on the photocathode (10).
Motivation to combine would be the same as stated above.
Regarding Claim 6, Takashi et al., teaches the photoelectron source according to Claim 1, wherein the substrate (11, transparent substrate, ¶ [0010]-¶ [0020]) is transparent to the excitation light (12b).
Regarding Claim 7, Takashi et al., teaches the photoelectron source according to Claim 6, further comprising a conductive film (lower surface of 10) provided on the surface of the substrate (11), the conductive film allowing the excitation light (12b) to penetrate therethrough, wherein the photocathode (10) is provided on the conductive film.
Regarding Claim 9, Takashi et al., teaches the photoelectron source according to claim 1, further comprising a support plate (main housing of photoelectron, not shown) provided on the surface side of the substrate (11), wherein the photocathode (10) is provided on a side of the support plate opposite to the substrate (11).
Regarding Claim 10, Takashi et al., teaches the photoelectron source according to claim 9, wherein an opening which allows the excitation light (12b) to pass therethrough is formed in the support plate, and the opening is formed in an area other than a portion where the photocathode (10) is provided.
Regarding Claim 11, Takashi et al., teaches the photoelectron source according to claim 10, wherein the support plate is a plate having a light shielding property (intrinsic, housing of the photocathode).
Regarding Claim 12, Takashi et al., teaches the photoelectron source according to claim 1, further comprising a plurality of light sources (7, multiple sources, ¶ [0011]), each of which is the light source (7), wherein the photocathode (10) is irradiated with excitation light (12b) from the plurality of light sources (7).
Regarding Claim 13, Takashi et al., teaches the photoelectron source according to claim 12, an intensity of the excitation light (12b) from the plurality of light sources (7) is independently controllable (¶ [0014]).
Regarding Claim 14, Takashi et al., teaches a multi-photoelectron source (multiple electron sources, ¶ [0014]) comprising a plurality of photoelectron sources, each of which is the photoelectron source according to claim 1, each of which is the photoelectron source according to wherein a multi-electron beam is generated by photoelectrons which are respectively extracted through the extraction hole (gap in 3) of the plurality of photoelectron sources (¶ [0014]).
Regarding Claim 15, Takashi et al., teaches the multi-photoelectron source according to claim 14, further comprising an angle limiting aperture array substrate (11) that includes apertures corresponding to beams in the multi-electron beam and that limits a divergence angle of an electron beam which passes through the apertures (angle modulation function, ¶ [0012]).
Regarding Claim 16, Takashi et al., teaches a multi-beam irradiation apparatus comprising: the multi-photoelectron source according to claim 14; and a stage on which a substrate (11) is placed, the substrate (11) to be irradiated with a multi-electron beam generated by the multi-photoelectron source.
Regarding Claim 17, Takashi et al., teaches a photoelectron source comprising: a photocathode (10) supported on a surface of a substrate (11); a light source (7) emitting excitation light (12b) from a back surface side of the substrate (11); an electrode disposed at a position opposed to the photocathode (10) on the surface side of the substrate (11) configured to apply an electric field to the photocathode (10) in a direction to extract electrons; and an element including an extraction hole (gap in 3) through which the photoelectrons extracted from the photocathode (10) pass; the excitation light (12b) which has passed through the substrate (11). Takashi et al., is silent regarding the material of the element.
In the same field of endeavor, Yu et al., teaches a photocathode that includes a reflecting mirror being a concave mirror (20) in order to improve the backscatter redirection by implementing a concavity shaped mirror, thereby improving overall functionality of the photoelectron source during operation.
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 element, as disclosed by Yu et al., in the photoelectron source of Takashi et al., in order to improve the backscatter redirection by implementing a concavity shaped mirror, thereby improving overall functionality of the photoelectron source during operation.
2. Claim(s) 4 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being obvious over Takashi et al., (WO 2022/219814 A1) in view of Yu et al., (U.S. Pub. No. 2010/0072405 A1) in further view of Shnitser et al., (U.S. Pub. No. 2017/0062637 A1).
Regarding Claim 4, Takashi et al., as modified by Yu et al., teaches the invention set forth above (see rejection in the corresponding claim(s) above). Takashi et al., as modified by Yu et al., is silent regarding the material of the concave mirror.
In the same field of endeavor, Shnitser et al., teaches a photoelectron wherein a mirror includes a silicon substrate having a light reflective surface coated with aluminum, rhodium or ruthenium (¶ [0031]) in order to improve the reflectivity of the surface for use during photoelectron operation.
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 composition of the mirror, as disclosed by Shnitser et al., in the photoelectron of Takashi et al., as modified by Yu et al., in order to improve the reflectivity of the surface for use during photoelectron operation.
3. Claim(s) 8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being obvious over Takashi et al., (WO 2022/219814 A1) in view of Yu et al., (U.S. Pub. No. 2010/0072405 A1) in further view of Vellianitis et al., (U.S. Pub. No. 2023/0012239 A1).
Regarding Claim 8, Takashi et al., as modified by Yu et al., teaches the invention set forth above (see rejection in the corresponding claim(s) above). Takashi et al., as modified by Yu et al., is silent regarding a conductive film.
In the same field of endeavor, Vellianitis et al., teaches a device that includes SnGeO film (¶ [0079]) in order to provide a conductive film that is heavily doped with a conductive metal in order to aid in facilitating the driving of a device.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to add the conductive film, as disclosed by Vellianitis et al., in the photoelectron of Takashi et al., as modified by Yu et al., in order to provide a conductive film that is heavily doped with a conductive metal in order to aid in facilitating the driving of a device.
Furthermore, one of ordinary skill in the art would have been led to using a conductive film as a matter of choice. Applicant(s) has not disclosed that the materials is for a particular unobvious purpose, produce an unexpected or significant result, or are otherwise critical and it appears prima facie that the process would possess utility using another configuration (In re Dailey, 357 F.2d 669, 149 USPQ 47 (CCPA 1966)).
Examiner's Note
The Examiner cites particular figures, paragraphs, columns and line numbers in the reference(s), as applied to the claims above. Although the particular citations are representative teachings and are applied to specific limitations within the claims, other passages, internally cited references, and figures may also apply. In preparing a response, it is respectfully requested that the Applicant fully consider the references, in their entirety, as potentially disclosing or teaching all or part of the claimed invention, as well as fully consider the context of the passage as taught by the reference(s) or as disclosed by the Examiner.
Contact Information
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Examiner H. Featherly whose telephone number is 571-272-8654. The examiner can normally be reached on M-. If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, James Greece can be reached on 571-272-3711.
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/H. Featherly/
Examiner Featherly
Art Unit 2875 Patent Examiner
/JAMES R GREECE/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2875
Prosecution Insights