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
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 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.
Claim(s) 1-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ikenoue et al. [US 20160035603 A1, hereafter Ikenoue] in view of Michaloski et al. [US 20130148185 A1, hereafter Michaloski].
As per Claims 1 and 20, Ikenoue teaches a laser device (a laser light source section 10, See fig. 1) comprising:
a pair of electrodes (a pair of electrodes 121) configured to cause discharge to occur (See fig. 2, Para 57); and
an optical pulse stretcher (an optical pulse stretcher (OPS) 130) configured to extend a pulse width of pulse laser light generated by the discharge having occurred between the electrodes (Para 54),
the optical pulse stretcher including:
a beam splitter (a reflectance distribution beam splitter 131) arranged such that an optical surface thereof on which the pulse laser light is incident is inclined with respect to an optical path axis of the pulse laser light, and configured to separate the pulse laser light incident on the optical surface into reflection laser light and transmission laser light (Para 59 and 94);
a plurality of mirrors (135, 136, 137 and 138) configured to guide the reflection laser light to the beam splitter (See fig. 2, Para 59); and
a slide mechanism configured to move the beam splitter in a direction parallel to the optical surface (See fig. 2, Para 60).
Ikenoue does not explicitly teach a slide mechanism configured to move the beam splitter in a direction perpendicular to a direction of the discharge.
Michaloski teaches the reconfiguration device 106'' includes a slide 304 on which the first beam splitter 102 is positioned and an actuator 305 that moves the slide 304 and the attached first beam splitter 102 from one position to another position to change the specific temporal profile of the output beam 116. If desired, the feedback unit 107 can be used to determine the specific reflectivity on the first beam splitter 102 which needs to be used to obtain the desirable output beam 116 (Para 22-23, wherein the directions are expressed substantially as noted in page 11 paragraph 2 of the instant specification).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at time the invention was made to incorporate a slide mechanism as claimed in order to produce a desired reflectivity.
As per Claim 2, Ikenoue in view of Michaloski teaches the laser device according to claim 1.
Ikenoue further disclosed a maintenance surface 132 on which a maintenance panel capable of being opened and closed is formed, wherein a direction in which the beam splitter is slid by the slide mechanism intersects the maintenance surface (See fig. 4, Para 91).
As per Claim 3, Ikenoue in view of Michaloski teaches the laser device according to claim 1.
Ikenoue further disclosed wherein the slide mechanism is capable of moving the beam splitter so that the pulse laser light is incident on a position different from a region in the optical surface of the beam splitter to which the pulse laser light has been radiated (Para 98).
As per Claims 4 and 5, Ikenoue in view of Michaloski teaches the laser device according to claim 1.
Ikenoue in view of Michaloski does not explicitly teach wherein, when a V direction represents a direction of the discharge, a Z direction represents a direction of the optical path axis of the pulse laser light incident on the optical surface of the beam splitter, and an H direction represents a direction perpendicular to the V direction and the Z direction, a slide direction of the beam splitter by the slide mechanism is parallel to the H direction.
However, Michaloski teaches the reconfiguration device 106'' includes a slide 304 on which the first beam splitter 102 is positioned and an actuator 305 that moves the slide 304 and the attached first beam splitter 102 from one position to another position to change the specific temporal profile of the output beam 116. If desired, the feedback unit 107 can be used to determine the specific reflectivity on the first beam splitter 102 which needs to be used to obtain the desirable output beam 116 (Para 22-23).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at time the invention was made to incorporate a slide mechanism as claimed in order to produce a desired reflectivity.
As per Claim 6, Ikenoue in view of Michaloski teaches the laser device according to claim 5.
Michaloski teaches wherein the slide mechanism includes a first plunger urging the movable plate against the first reference surface and a second plunger urging the movable plate against the second reference surface (See fig. 3).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at time the invention was made to incorporate a slide mechanism as claimed in order to produce a desired reflectivity.
As per Claim 7, Ikenoue in view of Michaloski teaches the laser device according to claim 5.
Michaloski further disclosed wherein the optical pulse stretcher includes a case, the beam splitter and the plurality of mirrors are arranged in the case, and each of the first reference surface and the second reference surface serves as a reference surface for the case or a reference surface of a positioned member with respect to the reference surface of the case (See fig. 4).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at time the invention was made to incorporate a slide mechanism as claimed in order to produce a desired reflectivity.
As per Claim 8, Ikenoue in view of Michaloski teaches the laser device according to claim 7.
Ikenoue further disclosed wherein the rod extends to outside the case (See fig. 3).
As per Claim 9, Ikenoue in view of Michaloski teaches the laser device according to claim 8.
Ikenoue in view of Michaloski further disclosed wherein the case includes a through hole through which the rod penetrates, and a seal member providing sealing inside the case is arranged at the through hole (Ikenoue fig. 3 in view of Michaloski fig. 3).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at time the invention was made to incorporate a slide mechanism as claimed in order to produce a desired reflectivity.
As per Claim 10, Ikenoue teaches the laser device according to claim 5.
Ikenoue further disclosed a handle for operating the rod, wherein a recessed portion causing the beam splitter to be positioned at a specific position in the slide direction is formed at the handle (See fig. 3).
As per Claim 11, Ikenoue teaches the laser device according to claim 10.
Ikenoue further disclosed a positioning plunger to engage with the recessed portion (Para 85).
As per Claims 12 and 13, Ikenoue teaches the laser device according to claim 5.
Ikenoue further disclosed wherein the slide mechanism includes a first plate fixed to the first holder and a second plate fixed to the first plate, and the second plate is fixed to the movable plate (See fig. 4).
As per Claim 14, Ikenoue in view of Michaloski teaches the laser device according to claim 1.
Ikenoue further disclosed a positioning mechanism restricting an arrangement position of the beam splitter in a slide direction in which the beam splitter is moved by the slide mechanism (Para 59 and 94).
As per Claim 15, Ikenoue teaches the laser device according to claim 14.
Michaloski further disclosed wherein the positioning mechanism includes an engaged member including a plurality of recessed portions including a first recessed portion causing the beam splitter to be located at a first position in the slide direction and a second recessed portion causing the beam splitter to be located at a second position in the slide direction, and a positioning plunger to engage with any one of the recessed portions (See fig. 3).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at time the invention was made to incorporate a slide mechanism as claimed in order to produce a desired reflectivity.
As per Claim 16, Ikenoue teaches the laser device according to claim 1.
Ikenoue further disclosed wherein the optical pulse stretcher includes a plurality of the beam splitters, and the slide mechanism moves the plurality of beam splitters simultaneously (See fig. 11).
As per Claims 17-19, Ikenoue teaches the laser device according to claim 1.
Ikenoue further disclosed wherein the optical pulse stretcher includes a halving window arranged on an optical path through which the reflection laser light guided by the plurality of mirrors is returned to the beam splitter, and the slide mechanism moves the beam splitter and the halving window simultaneously (Para 150).
Additional Prior Art
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. The reference [US 20180019141 A1] to Ohkubo et al. listed in the IDS filed on May 02, 2025, teach other prior art apparatus/method of the beam splitter 16n, the holder 16o, the arm 16p, the moving table 16q, and the uniaxial stage 16r as viewed in a direction perpendicular to the reflection surface of the beam splitter 16n that may anticipate or obviate the claims of the applicant's invention.
Conclusion
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/MESFIN T ASFAW/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2882
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