DETAILED ACTION
Notice to Applicant
1. The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
2. Claims 1-20 are pending.
Priority
3. Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Drawings
4. The drawings are objected to because of the following informalities.
In step S37 of Figure 15, it appears that the inequality X ≥ Wafer Yend should be revised to Y ≥ Wafer Yend because, as described in lines 18-19 of page 23 of the specification, step S37 is used to determine if the Y-axis position exceeds an end portion of the Y-axis direction of the wafer WF.
In reference to Figure 18, lines 20-22 of page 23 of the specification indicate that a horizontal axis represents a frequency and a vertical axis represents an absorption amount. However, a vertical axis is not shown in Figure 18.
Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. The figure or figure number of an amended drawing should not be labeled as “amended.” If a drawing figure is to be canceled, the appropriate figure must be removed from the replacement sheet, and where necessary, the remaining figures must be renumbered and appropriate changes made to the brief description of the several views of the drawings for consistency. Additional replacement sheets may be necessary to show the renumbering of the remaining figures. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
5. 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.
6. Claims 1, 9-10, and 12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Guisan et al. (US 2018/0267128 – hereinafter “Guisan”).
Per claim 1, Guisan teaches a device for measuring magnetic characteristics (¶58), comprising:
a first magnetic field generator (Fig. 3; magnetic field pole 83; ¶36) configured to generate a gradient magnetic field having a different magnetic field depending on a position (A movable magnetic field pole 83 is configured to generate a static magnetic field (Fig. 3; ¶17 and 36));
a second magnetic field generator (Fig. 3; waveguide transmission line (WGTL) 45; ¶36) configured to generate a high-frequency magnetic field that is time-varying (A movable WGTL 45 is configured to transmit a series of microwave frequencies to a wafer under test 43 (Fig. 3; ¶17 and 36));
a first actuator configured to move the second magnetic field generator (A controller 40 is configured to manage the movement of the WGTL 45 (Fig. 3; ¶36));
a mount (Fig. 3; wafer chuck 42; ¶36) configured to support a test object (Fig. 3; wafter under test 43; ¶36) mounted thereon;
a second actuator configured to move the mount (The wafer chuck 42 may move in a programmed manner (Fig. 3; ¶36)); and
a measuring unit (Fig. 3; computer 40; ¶58) configured to measure magnetic characteristics of the test object moving in the gradient magnetic field (The controller 40 is capable of determining magnetic properties in a magnetic film 43f on the wafer under test 43 (Fig. 3; ¶58)).
Per claim 9, Guisan teaches the device of claim 1, wherein the gradient magnetic field is a static magnetic field (¶17).
Per claim 10, Guisan teaches the device of claim 1, wherein measurement of the magnetic characteristics is performed under atmospheric conditions (The measurement is performed without temperature control).
Per claim 12, Guisan teaches the device of claim 1, further comprising: a third actuator configured to move the first magnetic field generator (The magnetic field pole 83 may be moved by the controller 40 (¶36)).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
7. 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.
8. Claim 11 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being obvious over Guisan in view of Tyszka et al. (US 2008/0284430 – hereinafter “Tyszka”).
Per claim 11, Guisan does not explicitly teach the device of claim 1, further comprising: a temperature controller configured to control a temperature of the test object.
In contrast, Tyszka teaches a magnetic resonance stage microscope comprising an air manifold 180 configured to provide temperature control for a sample 125 by actively dissipating heat generated by a magnetic field gradient module 100 (Figs. 2 and 4; ¶34).
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 device of Guisan such that a temperature controller is provided and configured to control a temperature of the wafer under test 43. One of ordinary skill would make such a modification for the purpose of dissipating heat generated from a magnetic field gradient module (Tyszka; ¶34).
Allowable Subject Matter
9. Claims 13-20 are deemed allowable.
Per independent claim 13, the prior art of record is silent on, in particular the following feature: a measuring unit configured to sequentially execute: a preliminary measurement measuring a relationship between a frequency and a magnetic field, in a state in which a sample is disposed at a standard position defined on a stage surface, which is an upper surface of the stage, and a main measurement measuring the magnetic characteristics of the test object at a frequency in a predetermined range selected in the preliminary measurement. Claims 14-16 are consequently allowable due to their dependence on claim 13.
Per independent claim 17, the prior art of record is silent on, in particular, the following feature: an optical system installed on the frame and configured to radiate incident light to the test object through the slit and collect reflected light reflected from the test object through the slit. Claims 18-20 are consequently allowable due to their dependence on claim 17.
Claim Objections
10. Claims 2-8 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.
Per claim 2, the prior art of record is silent on the device of claim 1, further comprising: a light source configured to generate light; a polarizer configured to convert the generated light into linearly polarized light; an objective lens configured to focus the light on the test object; a non-polarizing beam splitter configured to separate the light; an analyzer configured to detect a rotational component in the linearly polarized light of the light; and a line sensor configured to acquire a scanned image in which the light is scanned on the test object, wherein the device is configured to measure the magnetic characteristics according to a polarization state of the light. Claims 3-4 are objected to due to their dependence on claim 2.
Per claim 5, the prior art of record is silent on the device of claim 1, wherein the device executes: preliminary measurement measuring, in advance, a relationship between a frequency and characteristics of the magnetic field for a sample for preliminary measurement; and main measurement selecting a predetermined range of the frequency based on the relationship obtained from the preliminary measurement, and measuring the magnetic characteristics of the test object in the predetermined range of the frequency.
Per claim 6, the prior art of record is silent on device of claim 1, further comprising: a controller configured to control the first magnetic field generator, the second magnetic field generator, the first actuator, and the second actuator, wherein the controller is configured to execute: a first measurement mode in which the magnetic characteristics of the test object are measured by the measuring unit while moving the second magnetic field generator with the first actuator, and moving the mount with the second actuator; and a second measurement mode in which the magnetic characteristics of the test object are measured by the measuring unit while fixing a position of the second magnetic field generator, and moving the mount with the second actuator. Claims 7-8 are objected to due to their dependence on claim 6.
Conclusion
11. Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JAS A. SANGHERA whose telephone number is (571)272-4787. The examiner can normally be reached M-Th, alt. Fri, 8-5 EST.
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, WALTER LINDSAY can be reached at (571) 272-1674. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/JAS A SANGHERA/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2852
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