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 .
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, 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.
Claims 13, 14, 17, 19 and 21-25 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Van De Rijdt in view of Mertens et al. [US 2006/0102849 A1].
Regarding claim 13, Van De Rijdt discloses a substrate holder (Fig. 7 item WT) for use in a lithographic apparatus (Fig. 1) and configured to support a substrate (W), the substrate holder comprising:
a main body (100) having a first surface (101) and a second surface (104) opposite to the first surface (as shown in Fig. 7);
a plurality of burls (102) projecting from the first surface (101) and each having a distal end surface which substantially conforms to a support plane (paragraph [0069] teaches conformal distal end) and is configured to support the substrate (W),
a plurality of further burls (105) projecting from the second surface (104) and each having a distal end surface which substantially supports the substrate holder on a substrate support (as shown in Fig. 7); and
an edge seal (103) projecting from the first surface (101) and extending around the plurality of burls so as to restrict gas flow when a substrate is held by the substrate holder (paragraph [0069] teaches the peripheral wall to control the flow of gas).
Van De Rijdt does not teach wherein a plurality of further burls projecting from the second surface end each having a distal end surface which substantially conforms to a plane so as to support the substrate holder on a substrate support.
However, Van De Rijdt teaches wherein the distal ends of burls conform very accurately to a flat plane so as to support the substrate (paragraph [0069]). As such, duplication of parts would allow for a very accurate flat plane to support the substrate holder on a substrate support.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill to provide a conformal distal end to the opposite burls to match the conformality of the topside burls because such a modification provides a very accurate flat plane to support the substrate holder on a substrate support (paragraph [0069] of Van De Rijdt).
Van De Rijdt as modified does not teach wherein the plurality of burls comprising a first group of burls and a second group of burls surrounding the first group of burls; wherein the diameter of the burls is in the range of about 210 pm to about 270 pm, and wherein the second group of burls has a cross-sectional area in a plane parallel to the support plane that is larger than the cross-section of the first group of burls.
However, Mertens et al. discloses a support table includes a plurality of support protrusions that contact the substrate during use for supporting the substrate (as shown in Fig. 4) wherein the plurality of burls comprising a first group of burls (9B) and a second group of burls (9A) surrounding the first group of burls (as shown in Fig. 8); wherein the diameter of the burls is in the range of about 210 pm to about 270 pm (paragraphs [0064], [0071] and [0092]-[0095] teaches the dimensions of the burls), and wherein the second group of burls has a cross-sectional area in a plane parallel to the support plane that is larger than the cross-section of the first group of burls (as shown in Fig. 8, burls 9A are larger than 9B).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to provide a first group of burls and a second group of burls; wherein the diameter of the burls is in the range of about 210 pm to about 270 pm, and wherein the second group of burls has a cross-sectional area that is larger than the cross-section of the first group of burls, as taught by Mertens in the system of Van De Rijdt as modified because such a modification provides a suitable alternative configuration of a substrate support which provides a way for positioning a substrate accurately in which the substrate may be conditioned relatively well (paragraph [0010] of Mertens et al.).
Regarding claims 14 and 28, Mertens et al. discloses wherein the second group (9A) of burls has a different size from that of the first group (9B) of burls (as shown in Fig. 7).
Regarding claim 17, Van De Rijdt discloses wherein the edge seal (103) has a height shorter than that of the burls (102, as shown in Fig. 7).
Regarding claims 19 and 31, Van De Rijdt discloses further comprising a heater, and/or a sensor, and/or an electrode to form an electrostatic clamp (paragraph [0069]).
Regarding claims 21 and 24, Mertens et al. discloses wherein the burls have a height of 150 μm, and/or a pitch of the burls is in the range of about 0.5 mm to 3 mm, wherein the spatial density of the second group of burls is greater than the spatial density of the first group of burls (paragraphs [0064], [0071] and [0092]-[0095] teaches the dimensions of the burls).
Regarding claim 22, Van De Rijdt discloses wherein the edge seal (103) is a projecting ridge around the outside of the holder (as shown in Fig. 7).
Regarding claim 23, Mertens et al. discloses wherein at least some burls have their stiffness varied by their cross-sectional area, by their shape or by their composition, from other burls (paragraph [0103]).
Regarding claims 25 and 32, Van De Rijdt discloses a lithographic apparatus for applying a pattern to a substrate, the lithographic apparatus comprising the holder (as shown in Fig. 1).
Claims 18, 27, 28 and 30-32 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Van De Rijdt in view of Bex et al. [US 2012/0274920 A1].
Regarding claims 18 and 27, Van De Rijdt discloses a substrate holder (Fig. 7 item WT) for use in a lithographic apparatus (Fig. 1) and configured to support a substrate (W), the substrate holder comprising:
a main body (100) having a first surface (101) and a second surface (104) opposite to the first surface (as shown in Fig. 7);
a plurality of burls (102) projecting from the first surface (101) and each having a distal end surface which substantially conforms to a support plane (paragraph [0069] teaches conformal distal end) and is configured to support the substrate (W),
a plurality of further burls (105) projecting from the second surface (104) and each having a distal end surface which substantially supports the substrate holder on a substrate support (as shown in Fig. 7); and
a first edge seal (103) projecting from the first surface (101) and extending around the plurality of burls so as to restrict gas flow when a substrate is held by the substrate holder (paragraph [0069] teaches the peripheral wall to control the flow of gas).
Van De Rijdt does not teach wherein a plurality of further burls projecting from the second surface end each having a distal end surface which substantially conforms to a plane so as to support the substrate holder on a substrate support.
However, Van De Rijdt teaches wherein the distal ends of burls conform very accurately to a flat plane so as to support the substrate (paragraph [0069]). As such, duplication of parts would allow for a very accurate flat plane to support the substrate holder on a substrate support.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill to provide a conformal distal end to the opposite burls to match the conformality of the topside burls because such a modification provides a very accurate flat plane to support the substrate holder on a substrate support (paragraph [0069] of Van De Rijdt).
Van De Rijdt as modified does not teach a second edge seal projecting from the second surface and extending around the plurality of further burls.
However, Bex et al. disclose a substrate holder for use in a lithographic apparatus comprising a second edge seal projecting from the second surface and extending around the plurality of further burls (as shown in Figs. 12-14, item 500, see also paragraph [0114] and [0116]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to provide a second edge seal projecting from the second surface, as taught by Bex et al. in the system of Mertens et al. because such a modification provides a suitable alternative configuration of a substrate holder wherein the seal prevents the atmosphere either side of the barrier protrusion from crossing the barrier protrusion (paragraph [0114] of Bex et al.).
Regarding claim 30, Van De Rijdt discloses wherein the plurality of burls and/or the plurality of further burls is integral with the main body and formed by additive or subtractive techniques or deposited on the main body and formed of a different material from the main body (as shown in Fig. 7).
Claims 15, 16, 20, 26 and 29 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Van De Rijdt as modified and further in view of Poiesz et al. [US 2018/0190534 A1].
Regarding claims 15, 16, 20, 26 and 29, Van De Rijdt as modified discloses the substrate holder (as applied above).
Van De Rijdt as modified does not teach wherein the second group of burls is formed of a different material from the first group of burls, wherein the burls are of a different material from the main body, wherein all or parts of the burls have a coating comprising a layer of diamond-like carbon (DLC) or diamond, wherein the second group of burls is formed using a different technique from the first group burls.
However, Poiesz et al. discloses a layer of diamond-like carbon comprises at least one additive selected from the group consisting of Si, N, Mo and Fl (paragraph [0073]), wherein layer of diamond-like carbon can reduce the coefficient of friction between the burls and the substrate by a factor of about 2 compared to burls made of SiSiC (paragraph [0070]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to provide diamond-like carbon (DLC) or diamond material, as taught by Poiesz et al. in the system of Van De Rijdt as modified wherein the second group of burls is formed of a different material from the first group of burls, wherein the burls are of a different material from the main body and the second group of burls is formed using a different technique from the first group burls, because such a modification provides a suitable alternative configuration of a substrate holder wherein the coefficient of friction between the burls and the substrate is reduced by a factor of about 2 (paragraph [0070] Poiesz et al.).
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments, see pages 8-11 of the remarks, filed 07/09/2026, with respect to the rejections of claims 13-32 under 35 USC § 103 have been fully considered and are persuasive. Therefore, the rejections has been withdrawn. However, upon further consideration, a new grounds of rejection is made in view of Van De Rijdt.
Conclusion
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/DEORAM PERSAUD/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2882
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