X-RAY IMAGING SYSTEM

Application No. 19/015,842

• Filed: Jan 10, 2025
• Examiner: HO, ALLEN C
• Art Unit: 2884
• Tech Center: 2800 — Semiconductors & Electrical Systems
• Assignee: Carl Zeiss SMT GmbH
• OA Round: 1 (Non-Final)

Office Action

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 title of the invention is not descriptive. A new title is required that is clearly indicative of the invention to which the claims are directed.
The following title is suggested: X-RAY IMAGING SYSTEM COMPRISING A SHIELD STOP WITH AN APERTURE FOR THREE-DIMENSIONAL IMAGING.
The disclosure is objected to because of the following informalities:
The specification fails to identify Application Numbers, U. S. Pub. Numbers, and U. S. Patent Numbers.
Appropriate correction is required.

Claim Objections
Claim 4 is objected to because of the following informalities:
4. (Proposed Amendments) The x-ray imaging system of claim 1, wherein .
Appropriate correction is required.
Claims 5-7 are objected to because of the following informalities:
5. (Proposed Amendments) The x-ray imaging system of claim 1, further comprising:
an x-ray detector assembly [[which]] comprises a two-dimensional detector array configured to detect the x-ray beam transmitted through the region of interest of the sample travelling along the x-ray propagation axis,
wherein:
the x-ray propagation axis is inclined relative to a main plane of extension of the shield stop; and
an actual cross-section shape of the aperture of the shield stop parallel to [[its]] the main plane of extension has, as seen in perspective from the two-dimensional detector array, an apparent shape matching a geometric shape of the two-dimensional detector array.
Appropriate correction is required.
Claim 6 is objected to because of the following informalities:
6. (Proposed Amendments The x-ray imaging system of claim 5, wherein:
the geometric shape of the two-dimensional detector array is [[a]] quadratic and/or rectangular; and
the actual cross-section shape of the aperture of the shield stop parallel to [[its]] the main plane of extension is trapezoidal.
Appropriate correction is required.
Claim 7 is objected to because of the following informalities:
7. (Proposed Amendments) The x-ray imaging system of claim 5, wherein:
the geometric shape of the two-dimensional detector array is circular; and
the actual cross-section shape of the aperture of the shield stop parallel to [[its]] the main plane of extension is ellipsoidal.
Appropriate correction is required.
Claims 8-12 are objected to because of the following informalities:
8. (Proposed Amendments) The x-ray imaging system of claim 1, wherein:
the x-ray source comprises a vacuum chamber, which comprises an x-ray transmissive vacuum window;
the x-ray source further comprises an x-ray target in the vacuum chamber configured to generate x-rays and to transmit the generated x-rays through the x-ray transmissive vacuum window; and
the shield stop is integrated in the x-ray transmissive vacuum window.
Appropriate correction is required.
Claim 9 is objected to because of the following informalities:
9. (Proposed Amendments) The x-ray imaging system of claim 8, wherein the shield stop is embedded in the x-ray transmissive vacuum window so that the shield stop is disposed in a recess of the x-ray transmissive vacuum window.
Appropriate correction is required.
Claim 10 is objected to because of the following informalities:
10. (Proposed Amendments) The x-ray imaging system of claim 8, wherein the aperture of the shield stop is filled with an x-ray transmissive material of the x-ray transmissive vacuum window.
Appropriate correction is required.
Claim 11 is objected to because of the following informalities:
11. (Proposed Amendments) The x-ray imaging system of claim 8, wherein the shield stop is at an outside surface of the x-ray transmissive vacuum window.
Appropriate correction is required.
Claim 12 is objected to because of the following informalities:
12. (Proposed Amendments) The x-ray imaging system of claim 8, wherein:
the x-ray source comprises a plurality of x-ray targets;
the x-ray imaging system comprises a plurality of shield stops; and
each shield stop is disposed according to a corresponding one of the plurality of x-ray targets.
Appropriate correction is required.
Claim 13 is objected to because of the following informalities:
13. (Proposed Amendments) The x-ray imaging system of claim 1, wherein the shield stop has a thickness of at most 1000 micrometers.
Appropriate correction is required.
Claims 18-20 are objected to because of the following informalities:
18. (Proposed Amendments) The x-ray imaging system of claim 17, wherein .
Appropriate correction is required.
Claims 19-20 are objected to because of the following informalities:
19. (Proposed Amendments) The x-ray imaging system of claim 18, further comprising:
an x-ray detector assembly [[which]] comprises a two-dimensional detector array configured to detect the x- ray beam transmitted through the region of interest of the sample travelling along the x- ray propagation axis,
wherein:
the x-ray propagation axis is inclined relative to a main plane of extension of the shield stop; and
an actual cross-section shape of the aperture of the shield stop parallel to [[its]] the main plane of extension has, as seen in perspective from the two-dimensional detector array, an apparent shape matching a geometric shape of the two-dimensional detector array.
Appropriate correction is required.
Claim 20 is objected to because of the following informalities:
20. (Proposed Amendments) The x-ray imaging system of claim 19, wherein:
the x-ray source comprises a vacuum chamber, which comprises an x-ray transmissive vacuum window;
the x-ray source further comprises an x-ray target in the vacuum chamber configured to generate x-rays and to transmit the generated x-rays through the x-ray transmissive vacuum window; and
the shield stop is integrated in the x-ray transmissive vacuum window.
Appropriate correction is required.

Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 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.

(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.

Claims 1 and 14-16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Ruoff et al. (U. S. Patent No. 11,817,231 B2).
With respect to claim 1, Ruoff et al. disclosed an x-ray imaging system, comprising:
an x-ray source (6) configured to generate x-rays; and
a shield stop (8b) with an aperture (8f),
wherein:
the shield stop is configured to transmit an x-ray beam of the generated x-rays through the aperture and along an x-ray propagation axis (18) of the x-ray imaging system toward a region of interest of a sample and to block remaining x-rays; and
a geometric shape of the aperture is adapted to a diverging nature of the transmitted x-ray beam.
With respect to claim 14, Ruoff et al. disclosed the x-ray imaging system of claim 1, wherein the shield stop comprises a material having an atomic number greater than 70 (column 6, lines 15-18).
With respect to claim 15, Ruoff et al. disclosed the x-ray imaging system of claim 1, wherein the shield stop comprises a material selected from the group consisting tungsten, bismuth, lead, platinum, depleted uranium, and gold (column 6, lines 15-18).
With respect to claim 16, Ruoff et al. disclosed the x-ray imaging system of claim 1, wherein the shield stop is configured to adapt to a size of the aperture (the shield stop comprises an aperture).

Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 2-13 and 17-20 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
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Ruoff et al. (U. S. Patent No. 12,625,090 B2) disclosed an imaging optical arrangement to image an object illuminated by X-rays.
Ruoff et al. (U. S. Patent No. 12,040,103 B2) disclosed an imaging optical arrangement to image an object illuminated by X-rays.
Flachenecker et al. (U. S. Patent No. 12,035,451 B2) disclosed a system and a method for an isolated liquid-cooled X-ray transmission target.
Ruoff et al. (U. S. Patent No. 11,817,231 B2) disclosed a detection system for an X-ray inspection of an object.
Flachenecker et al. (U. S. Patent No. 11,769,647 B2) disclosed a fluid-cooled X-ray reflective source.
Kang et al. (U. S. Patent No. 8,340,246 B2) disclosed an X-ray imaging apparatus and a method for reducing X-ray scattering.
Crowley (U. S. Patent No. 7,986,764 B2) disclosed an X-ray laminography device, an object imaging system, and a method for operating a security system.
Pang et al. (U. S. Patent No. 7,245,698 B2) disclosed 4-dimensional digital tomosynthesis and applications in a radiation therapy.
Annis (U. S. Patent No. 7,023,950 B1) disclosed an apparatus and a method for determining a position of an X-ray cone-beam produced by a scanning electron beam.
Chopra (U. S. Patent No. 7,010,086 B2) disclosed a three-dimensional X-ray imaging system.
Tretiakov et al. (U. S. Patent No. 6,940,948 B1) disclosed a digital X-ray scanning apparatus.
Halsmer et al. (U. S. Patent No. 6,898,269 B2) disclosed an apparatus and methods for X-ray images.
Thayer (U. S. Patent No. 6,748,046 B2) disclosed an off-center tomosynthesis.
Mohr et al. (U. S. Patent No. 6,618,465 B2) disclosed a digital shielded radiographic inspection system comprising an X-ray shielding system, and a method.
Tominaga (U. S. Patent No. 6,459,759 B1) disclosed an X-ray tomography apparatus and a method of taking a tomographic image of an object.
Heumann (U. S. Patent No. 6,201,850 B1) disclosed an enhanced thickness calibration and a shading correction for an automatic X-ray inspection.
Kang et al. (U. S. Patent No. 5,978,440 A) disclosed a tomographic apparatus and a method of obtaining an arbitrary cross-sectional image.
Koshishiba et al. (U. S. Patent No. 5,351,278 A) disclosed an X-ray tomography apparatus and a method.
Baker et al. (U. S. Patent No. 5,259,012 A) disclosed a laminography system and a method with an electromagnetically-directed multi-path radiation source.
Adams et al. (U. S. Patent No. 5,199,054 A) disclosed an apparatus and a method for a high-resolution inspection of electronic items.

Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Allen C. Ho, whose telephone number is [phone]. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday 10AM - 6PM.
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, David J. Makiya, can be reached at [phone]. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is [phone].
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 [phone] (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call [phone] (IN USA OR CANADA) or [phone].

Allen C. Ho, Ph.D.
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2884

/Allen C. Ho/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2884 [e-mail]

Prosecution Timeline

• Jan 10, 2025: Application Filed
• Aug 25, 2026: Non-Final Rejection mailed — §102 (current)