Prosecution Insights
Last updated: August 18, 2026

Examiner: WHITESELL, STEVEN H

Tech Center 2800 • Art Units: 1759 2851 2882

This examiner grants 82% of resolved cases

Performance Statistics

81.9%
Allow Rate
+13.9% vs TC avg
1,011
Total Applications
+12.9%
Interview Lift
959
Avg Prosecution Days
Based on 966 resolved cases, 2023–2026

Rejection Statute Breakdown

3.2%
§101 Eligibility
27.8%
§102 Novelty
50.0%
§103 Obviousness
13.5%
§112 Clarity

Currently Pending Office Actions

App #TitleStatusAssignee
19030117 METHOD OF CONFIGURING EXTREME ULTRAVIOLET (EUV) SOURCE, AND EUV EXPOSURE METHOD USING THE EUV SOURCE Non-Final OA SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
19064395 HOLDING APPARATUS, SUBSTRATE PROCESSING APPARATUS AND ARTICLE MANUFACTURING METHOD Non-Final OA CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
18488529 GENERATING METHOD, PATTERN FORMING METHOD, ARTICLE MANUFACTURING METHOD, STORAGE MEDIUM, AND INFORMATION PROCESSING APPARATUS Non-Final OA CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
17896105 BUTTRESSED FIELD TARGET DESIGN FOR OPTICAL AND E-BEAM BASED METROLOGY TO ENABLE FIRST LAYER PRINT REGISTRATION MEASUREMENTS FOR FIELD SHAPE MATCHING AND RETICLE STITCHING IN HIGH NA LITHOGRAPHY Non-Final OA Intel Corporation
18528903 EXPOSURE APPARATUS Final Rejection NIKON CORPORATION
18638982 RADIATION SOURCE APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR OPERATING THE SAME Final Rejection TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING COMPANY, LTD.
18946633 STORAGE FOR EXTREME ULTRAVIOLET LIGHT LITHOGRAPHY Non-Final OA Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
18006259 METHODS TO IMPROVE PROCESS WINDOW AND RESOLUTION FOR DIGITAL LITHOGRAPHY WITH AUXILIARY FEATURES Non-Final OA Applied Materials, Inc.
17942339 EXPOSURE APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE Non-Final OA Kioxia Corporation
19082444 METHOD FOR OPERATING A PROJECTION EXPOSURE SYSTEM Non-Final OA Carl Zeiss SMT GmbH
19073220 MICROELECTROMECHANICAL DEVICE Non-Final OA Carl Zeiss SMT GmbH
18901513 DEVICE AND METHOD FOR ALIGNING TWO COMPONENTS Non-Final OA Carl Zeiss SMT GmbH
18899247 CONTROL DEVICE, OPTICAL SYSTEM, LITHOGRAPHY INSTALLATION AND METHOD Non-Final OA Carl Zeiss SMT GmbH
18895292 DRIVE DEVICE, OPTICAL SYSTEM AND LITHOGRAPHY APPARATUS Final Rejection Carl Zeiss SMT GmbH
18638890 MEASURING DEVICE AND METHOD FOR INSPECTING PHOTOMASKS INTENDED FOR EUV MICROLITHOGRAPHY Non-Final OA Carl Zeiss SMT GmbH
18503693 HEATING ARRANGEMENT AND METHOD FOR HEATING AN OPTICAL ELEMENT Final Rejection Carl Zeiss SMT GmbH
18362630 METHOD FOR PRODUCING A MULTI-PART MIRROR OF A PROJECTION ILLUMINATION SYSTEM FOR MICROLITHOGRAPHY Final Rejection Carl Zeiss SMT Gmbh
18552906 DRAWING APPARATUS AND DRAWING METHOD Final Rejection SCREEN Holdings Co., Ltd.
18902197 IMAGING OVERLAY TARGETS USING MOIRÉ ELEMENTS AND ROTATIONAL SYMMETRY ARRANGEMENTS Non-Final OA KLA Corporation
18618280 SINGLE GRAB PUPIL LANDSCAPE VIA OUTSIDE THE OBJECTIVE LENS BROADBAND ILLUMINATION Final Rejection KLA Corporation
19011092 SUBSTRATE HOLDER FOR USE IN A LITHOGRAPHIC APPARATUS Non-Final OA ASML NETHERLANDS B.V
18983297 ACTUATOR ASSEMBLIES COMPRISING PIEZO ACTUATORS OR ELECTROSTRICTIVE ACTUATORS Non-Final OA ASML NETHERLANDS B.V.
18873597 FOCUS MEASURMENT AND CONTROL IN METROLOGY AND ASSOCIATED WEDGE ARRANGEMENT Non-Final OA ASML Netherlands B.V.
18859655 MIRROR ASSEMBLY FOR MICROMIRROR ARRAY Non-Final OA ASML Netherlands B.V.
18842640 APPARATUS AND METHODS FOR FILTERING MEASUREMENT RADIATION Final Rejection ASML Netherlands B.V.
18533662 OBJECT TABLE, A STAGE APPARATUS AND A LITHOGRAPHIC APPARATUS Final Rejection ASML NETHERLANDS B. V.
18515952 Transport System Having a Magnetically Levitated Transportation Stage Final Rejection ASML Netherlands B.V.
18511454 PROCESS WINDOW BASED ON DEFECT PROBABILITY Final Rejection ASML NETHERLANDS B.V.
18265606 METHOD OF METROLOGY AND ASSOCIATED APPARATUSES Non-Final OA ASML Netherlands B.V.
17791641 LITHOGRAPHIC APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR DRIFT COMPENSATION Final Rejection ASML HOLDING N.V.

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