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 .
Detailed Action
This office Action is in response to an application filed on 02/26/2025 claiming priority to PRO 63/726,691 filed on 12/02/2024, in which claims 1-33 are pending and are being examined.
Information Disclosure Statement
This information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 02/26/2025, 04/01/2025, and, 05/05/2026. The submission is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97 and 37 CFR 1.98. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Examiner’s Note
Claims 1-10 refer to "An overlay metrology target”, Claims 11-28 refer to "A metrology system”, and, Claims 29-33 refer to "A metrology method”. Claims 1-10 and 29-33 are similarly rejected in light of rejection of claims 11-28, any obvious combination of the rejection of claims 1-28, or the differences are obvious to the ordinary skill in the art.
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 11-28 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Krishnan et al. (US 20210242060 A1), hereinafter Krishnan, in view of Sakuma et al. ("Characterization of stacked die using die-to-wafer integration for high yield and throughput," 2008 58th Electronic Components and Technology Conference, Lake Buena Vista, FL, USA, 2008, pp. 18-23), hereinafter Sakuma.
Regarding claim 11, Krishnan discloses a metrology system comprising (Abstract): a light source configured to provide illumination (Fig. 8, element 802); a single objective lens configured to direct the illumination to an overlay metrology target on a sample and collect sample light from the overlay metrology target ([0006]-[0008], [0051]-[0061]), wherein the overlay metrology target (Fig. 2) includes first bonded substrate arranged on a first layer (Fig. 3A, element 304), a second bonded substrate arranged on a second layer (Fig. 3A, element 308), wherein each bonded substrate includes one or more features embedded in a respective bonded substrate ([0033], [0054]); a detector configured to image the sample based on the sample light, wherein each feature of the one or more features of the overlay metrology target are within a field of view of the detector ([0039], [0049]); and a controller including one or more processors configured to execute program instructions causing the one or more processors to implement a metrology recipe by (Fig. 1A-B): receiving an image of the overlay metrology target based on the metrology recipe; and generating an overlay measurement based on the image (Fig. 1A, [0030]-[0049]).
Krishnan discloses all the elements of claim 1 but Krishnan does not appear to explicitly disclose in the cited section and a third bonded substrate arranged on a third layer.
However, Sakuma from the same or similar endeavor teaches and a third bonded substrate arranged on a third layer (Introduction).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Krishnan to incorporate the teachings of Sakuma to improve performance and throughput (Sakuma, Summary and conclusion). Similar reasoning/motivation of modification can be applied/extended to the other related/dependent claims.
Regarding claim 12, Krishnan in view of Sakuma discloses the metrology system of Claim 11, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to: generate the image of the overlay metrology target using the detector (Krishnan, [0039]).
Regarding claim 13, Krishnan in view of Sakuma discloses the metrology system of Claim 12, wherein the image is generated as a darkfield image (Krishnan, [0012], [0013], angle of incidence).
Regarding claim 14, Krishnan in view of Sakuma discloses the metrology system of Claim 12, wherein the image is generated as a brightfield image (Krishnan, [0012], [0013], angle of incidence).
Regarding claim 15, Krishnan in view of Sakuma discloses the metrology system of Claim 13, wherein the generating the overlay measurement based on the image comprises: calculating a first center of symmetry for the first bonded substrate; calculating an additional center of symmetry for at least one of the second bonded substrate or the third bonded substrate; and comparing the first center of symmetry calculated and the additional center of symmetry calculated to determine the overlay measurement (Krishnan, [0049]).
Regarding claim 16, Krishnan in view of Sakuma discloses the metrology system of Claim 14, wherein the generating the overlay measurement based on the image comprises: calculating a first center of mass based on the first bonded substrate; calculating an additional center of mass based on the second bonded substrate and the third bonded substrate; and comparing the first center of mass calculated and the additional center of mass calculated to determine the overlay measurement (Krishnan, [0049]).
Regarding claim 17, Krishnan in view of Sakuma discloses the metrology system of Claim 11, wherein the overlay metrology target is symmetrical (Krishnan, [0056], [0070]-[0086]).
Regarding claim 18, Krishnan in view of Sakuma discloses the metrology system of Claim 17, wherein the overlay metrology target is a box-in-box target (It is obvious to the ordinary skill in the art).
Regarding claim 19, Krishnan in view of Sakuma discloses the metrology system of Claim 17, wherein the overlay metrology target is a circle- in-circle target (It is obvious to the ordinary skill in the art).
Regarding claim 20, Krishnan in view of Sakuma discloses the metrology system of Claim 17, wherein the overlay metrology target is an advanced imaging metrology target (Krishnan, [0049]).
Regarding claim 21, Krishnan in view of Sakuma discloses the metrology system of Claim 11, wherein the overlay metrology target further comprises: a side-by-side target (It is obvious to the ordinary skill in the art).
Regarding claim 22, Krishnan in view of Sakuma discloses the metrology system of Claim 21, wherein the one or more features comprise: one or more frame targets, wherein the one or more frame targets are printed on each of the first bonded substrate, the second bonded substrate, and the third bonded substrate (Krishnan, [0056], [0070]-[0086]).
Regarding claim 23, Krishnan in view of Sakuma discloses the metrology system of Claim 11, wherein the overlay metrology target is an image- based metrology target (Krishnan, [0049]).
Regarding claim 24, Krishnan in view of Sakuma discloses the metrology system of Claim 11, wherein the first bonded substrate includes a first bonded wafer, the second bonded substrate includes a second bonded wafer, and the third bonded substrate includes a third bonded wafer, wherein overlay between the first bonded wafer, the second bonded wafer, and the third bonded wafer is measured based on the one or more features on each bonded wafer (Krishnan, [0080]. Sakuma, Introduction).
Regarding claim 25, Krishnan in view of Sakuma discloses the metrology system of Claim 24, wherein the overlay measurement generated is between the first bonded wafer, the second bonded wafer, and the third bonded wafer (Krishnan, [0080]. Sakuma, Introduction).
Regarding claim 26, Krishnan in view of Sakuma discloses the metrology system of Claim 11, wherein the first bonded substrate includes a bonded wafer, the second bonded substrate includes a first die, and the third bonded substrate includes a second die, wherein overlay between the bonded wafer and at least one of the first die or the second die is measured based on the one or more features on each bonded substrate, wherein overlay between the first die and the second die is measured based on the one or more features on each bonded substrate (Krishnan, [0024], [0080], Sakuma, Introduction).
Regarding claim 27, Krishnan in view of Sakuma discloses the metrology system of Claim 26, wherein the overlay measurement generated is between the bonded wafer, the first die, and the second die (Krishnan, [0024], [0080], Sakuma, Introduction).
Regarding claim 28, Krishnan in view of Sakuma discloses the metrology system of Claim 26, wherein the overlay measurement generated is between the first die and the second die (Krishnan, [0024], [0080], Sakuma, Introduction).
Regarding claim 1-10, and 29-33, See Examiner’s Note. Kuo et al. (US 20260026112 A1), Raring et al. (US 20240120435 A1).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MOHAMMAD J RAHMAN whose telephone number is (571)270-7190. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 9AM-5PM.
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/Mohammad J Rahman/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2487
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