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.
Claim(s) 1-5, 8-11, 15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lavin et al (US2020/0160689A1).
As to claim 1, Lavine et al disclose (fig. 5) an arrangement for laser protection, the arrangement comprising: a reflecting and/or absorbing optical element (mirror 504, trace 304a, LED 306a) define optical element configured to be irradiated by a laser beam (502, 104, 204), (paragraph [0055]); and a substrate (302a) and a meandering (semi-circular, conductive trace 304 patterns rotated by some angle, i.e., such as 90º defines meandering first conductor track), (paragraph [0042], [0051]) electrical first conductor track (304a) arranged on a first side of the substrate (302a) (paragraphs [0053]-[0054]). In the embodiment of figure 5, Lavine et al fail to disclose and a sensor comprising wherein the sensor is arranged indirectly or directly on the optical element or is configured to detect a damage to the optical element by the laser beam. In the embodiment of 7A-7C, Lavine et al disclose and a sensor (704) comprising wherein the sensor (704) is arranged indirectly (indirectly) or directly (directly), (paragraph [0069]) on the optical element (300, 600 or 306, 606) or is configured to detect a damage (damaged open circuit 706) to the optical element (300, 600 or 306, 606), (paragraph [0066]-[0069]). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to modify the embodiment of figure 5 to include a sensor comprising wherein the sensor is arranged indirectly or directly on the optical element or is configured to detect a damage to the optical element by the laser beam as taught in the embodiment of figure 7A to Lavine et al in order to detect a fault and shut down the laser very quickly to avoid catastrophic failure; resulting in laser protection.
As to claim 2, Lavine et al disclose (7A) the arrangement wherein the sensor (704) further comprises a meandering (semi-circular, conductive trace 304 patterns rotated by some angle, i.e., such as 90º defines meandering second conductor track), (paragraphs [0042], [0051]) (fig. 3) electrical second conductor track (312), wherein the first conductor track (304) and the second conductor track (312) are perpendicular to one another as illustrated in figure 3, (paragraphs [0045], [0050]-[0051]).
As to claim 3, Lavine et al disclose (fig. 3) the arrangement wherein the second conductor track (312) is arranged on a second side (substrate 302 lower side connecting 308, 312, 310 in series defines second side) of the substrate (302), the second side (substrate 302 lower side connecting 308, 312, 310 in series defines second side) being opposite to the first side (substrate 302 upper side) of the substrate (302), (paragraphs [0045], [0050]-[0051]).
As to claim 4, Lavine et al disclose (fig. 8) the arrangement (occurring in series and parallel), (paragraph [0075]) defines (fig. 5) wherein the first conductor track (304a, 312a) and the second conductor track (304b, 312b) are connected in parallel (parallel) to one another, (paragraph [0056]).
As to claim 5, Lavine et al disclose (fig. 3) the arrangement wherein the first conductor track (304) and the second conductor track (312) are connected in series (series) as illustrated in figure 3, (paragraph [0045]).
As to claim 8, Lavine et al disclose (fig. 1) the arrangement wherein the sensor (laser damage detection mechanism 110 defines sensor or sensor) comprises a housing (106) that encloses at least the first conductor track (conductive trace) and the substrate (substrate), (paragraphs [0030], [0032]).
As to claim 9, Lavine et al disclose (fig. 5) a laser protection system, comprising an arrangement for laser protection and a laser source (104, 204) for emitting the laser beam (502), wherein the optical element (504, 304a, 306a, 306b, 304b, 312a, 312b) is arranged in a beam path (502) of the laser beam (502), (paragraph [0055]).
As to claim 10, Lavine et al disclose (fig. 7C) the laser protection system wherein the sensor (704) is arranged on a rear side of the optical element (300, 600 or 306, 606) in a beam direction of the laser beam (102, 202), wherein the beam direction is directed onto the optical element (300, 600), (paragraph [0068]).
14. As to claim 11, Lavine et al disclose (fig. 7C) the laser protection system wherein the sensor (704) is arranged behind the optical element (300, 600) and spaced apart from the optical element (300, 600) in a beam direction of the laser beam (102, 202), wherein the beam direction is directed onto the optical element (300, 600), (paragraph [0068]).
16. As to claim 15, Lavine et al disclose the laser protection system further comprising a switching element (safety interlock) for switching off (shut down) the laser beam (high energy laser beam) if the current flow (current flow) through one of the conductor tracks (conductive traces) of the sensor (sensing devices) is interrupted (interrupts, interruption), (paragraph [0021]-[0022]).
16. Claim 12 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lavin et al (US2020/0160689A1) in view of Luling et al (US2013/0161503A1).
17. As to claim 12, Lavine et al disclose (fig. 5) the laser protection system comprising: the sensor (704) and the optical element (300, 600) in the beam direction of the laser beam (102, 202), (paragraph [0068]). Lavine et al fail to disclose wherein an absorber is arranged between the sensor and the optical element. Luling et al disclose (fig. 1) wherein an absorber (104) is arranged between the sensor (105) and the optical element (102, 106), (paragraphs [0024]-[0026]). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to modify Lavine et al to include wherein an absorber is arranged between the sensor and the optical element as taught by Luling et al in order to acquire resonance absorption wherein the absorption generate signals that are received by the detector, processed and used to determine fault in the conductive traces and/or conductive tracks in the laser system.
18. Claim 13 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lavin et al (US2020/0160689A1) in view of Yamatani (US2012/0112077A1).
19. As to claim 13, Lavine et al disclose (fig. 5) the laser protection system further comprising the laser beam (502), (paragraph [0055]). Lavine et al fail to disclose an EUV light source in the beam path of the laser beam. Yamatani discloses (fig. 2) an EUV light source (EUV light source device) in the beam path (EUV radiation path) of the laser beam (EUV radiation) as illustrated in figure 2b, (paragraphs [0029]-[0031]). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to modify Lavine et al to include an EUV light source in the beam path of the laser beam as taught by Yamatani in order to generate uniformed irradiance distribution characteristics of the EVU radiation in the laser system.
Allowable Subject Matter
20. Claims 6-7, 14 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.
21. The prior art of record fail to teach either singly or in combination wherein the sensor is arranged directly on the optical element, and further comprising a switching element for switching off the laser beam if the electrical resistance of one of the conductor tracks of the sensor exceeds a predetermined monitoring value.
Conclusion
22. Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to DON J WILLIAMS whose telephone number is (571)272-8538. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8 a.m.-5 p.m..
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/DON J WILLIAMS/Examiner, Art Unit 2878
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