Page 1 of 8
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`IN THE UNITED STATES PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE
`
`Attorney Docket No. EGQ-005CP3C1
`
`PATENT
`
`APPLICANT:
`
`Smith
`
`CONFIRMATION NO.:
`
`1022
`
`APPLICATION NO.:
`
`13/964,938
`
`GROUP NO.:
`
`2881
`
`FILING DATE:
`
`August 12, 2013
`
`EXAMINER :
`
`McCormack, Jason L.
`
`TITLE:
`
`High Brightness Laser—Driven Light Source
`
`Commissioner for Patents
`
`PO. Box 1450
`
`Alexandria, VA 22313— 145 0
`
`Madam:
`
`AMENDMENT AND RESPONSE
`
`This paper is submitted in response to the non—final Office Action mailed from the PTO
`
`on February 27, 2015. Applicant submits herewith a fee for the terminal disclaimer. If any
`
`additional fees are due upon submission of this paper, the Commissioner is hereby authorized to
`
`charge them to Attorney’s Deposit Account No. 50—3081.
`
`Applicant respectfully requests entry of this Preliminary Amendment, in which:
`
`Amendments to the Claims begin on page 2, and
`
`Applicant’s Remarks begin on page 7.
`
`ASML 1020
`
`ASML 1020
`
`
`
`IN THE UNITED STATES PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE
`
`Attorney Docket No. EGQ-005CP3C1
`
`PATENT
`
`APPLICANT:
`
`Smith
`
`CONFIRMATION NO.:
`
`1022
`
`APPLICATION NO.:
`
`13/964,938
`
`GROUP NO.:
`
`2881
`
`FILING DATE:
`
`August 12, 2013
`
`EXAMINER :
`
`McCormack, Jason L.
`
`TITLE:
`
`High Brightness Laser—Driven Light Source
`
`Commissioner for Patents
`
`PO. Box 1450
`
`Alexandria, VA 22313— 145 0
`
`Madam:
`
`AMENDMENT AND RESPONSE
`
`This paper is submitted in response to the non—final Office Action mailed from the PTO
`
`on February 27, 2015. Applicant submits herewith a fee for the terminal disclaimer. If any
`
`additional fees are due upon submission of this paper, the Commissioner is hereby authorized to
`
`charge them to Attorney’s Deposit Account No. 50—3081.
`
`Applicant respectfully requests entry of this Preliminary Amendment, in which:
`
`Amendments to the Claims begin on page 2, and
`
`Applicant’s Remarks begin on page 7.
`
`ASML 1020
`
`ASML 1020
`
`
`
`Amendment and Response
`Attorney Docket No. EGQ-005CP3C1
`Application No.: 13/964,938
`Page 2 of 8
`
`Amendments to the Claims
`
`Please amend the claims as follows, in compliance with 37 C.F.R. § 1.121(c). This
`
`listing of claims will replace all prior versions, and listings, of claims in the application:
`
`Listing of the Claims:
`
`1. (Previously presented) A method for illuminating features of a semiconductor wafer,
`
`comprising:
`
`ionizing a gas within a sealed pressurized plasma chamber having an operating
`
`pressure of at least 10 atmospheres;
`
`providing substantially continuous laser energy having a wavelength range of up
`
`to about 2000 nm through a region of material of the sealed pressurized chamber that is
`
`transparent to the substantially continuous laser energy to the ionized gas to sustain a
`
`plasma within the sealed pressurized plasma chamber to produce plasma—generated
`
`light having wavelengths greater than 50 nm; and
`
`illuminating the wafer with plasma— generated light having wavelengths
`
`greater than 50 nm that exits the sealed pressurized chamber.
`
`2. (Original) The method of claim 1, further comprising using the plasma—generated light to
`
`measure the features of the wafer.
`
`3.
`
`(Previously presented) The method of claim 1, wherein a magnitude of the brightness of
`
`the light does not vary by more than 90% during operation.
`
`4. (Previously presented) The method of claim 1, further comprising using an optical element
`
`to deliver the plasma—generated light from the pressurized plasma chamber to a wafer
`
`inspection system.
`
`5. (Canceled)
`
`
`
`Amendment and Response
`Attorney Docket No. EGQ-OOSCP3C1
`Application No.: 13/964,938
`Page 3 of 8
`
`6. (Canceled)
`
`7. (Canceled)
`
`8. (Previously presented) The method of claim 1, wherein the laser source comprises a
`
`continuous wave (CW) laser.
`
`9. (Original) The method of claim 1, wherein the plasma—generated light comprises ultraviolet
`
`light.
`
`10—12. (Canceled)
`
`13. (Currently amended) A laser driven light source comprising:
`
`a sealed pressurized plasma chamber having an ignition source for ionizing a gas
`
`within the chamber and a sapphire window for maintaining a pressure therein;
`
`a laser for providing at least substantially continuous energy through the sapphire
`
`window to the ionized gas within the pressurized plasma chamber to sustain a
`
`plasma and produce plasma—generated light having wavelengths greater than 50
`
`nm, the pressure of the plasma chamber during operation is greater than 10
`
`atmo spheresiwsad
`
`
`
` exit the pressurized chamberxéiti
`..-
`.
`‘
`ER Li‘.’LEX‘.~£‘..€}L§\:‘J\:\
`ylxlbu w, on an 1.(re
`
`14. (Previously presented) The laser—driven light source of claim 13, wherein the pressurized
`
`plasma chamber contains one or more of a noble gas, Xe, Ar, Ne, or Kr.
`
`15. (Previously presented) The laser—driven light source of claim 13, wherein the ignition
`
`source comprises or includes an electrode, an ultraviolet ignition source, a capacitive ignition
`
`source, an inductive ignition source, an RF ignition source, a microwave ignition source, a flash
`
`
`
`Amendment and Response
`Attorney Docket No. EGQ-005CP3C1
`Application No.: 13/964,938
`Page 4 of 8
`
`lamp, a pulsed laser, a pulsed lamp or the laser.
`
`16. (Previously presented) The laser—driven light source of claim 15, wherein the laser source
`
`comprises a continuous wave (CW) laser.
`
`17. (Previously presented) The laser—driven light source of claim 13, wherein the laser
`
`comprises at least one laser selected from the group consisting of an IR laser, a diode laser, a
`
`fiber laser, an ytterbium laser, a C02 laser, a YAG laser, and a gas discharge laser.
`
`18. (Previously presented) The laser—driven light source of claim 13, further comprising at least
`
`one optical element to focus and modify a property of the energy of the laser, the property
`
`selected from the group consisting of diameter, direction, divergence, convergence, orientation,
`
`and wavelength.
`
`19. (Previously presented) The laser—driven light source of claim 13, further comprising at least
`
`one optical element to modify a property of the plasma— generated light emitted by the ionized gas
`
`as the plasma— generated light is delivered to the tool.
`
`20. (Previously presented) The laser—driven light source of claim 13, wherein the tool is
`
`selected from the group consisting of a wafer inspection tool, a microscope, a metrology tool,
`
`and a lithography tool.
`
`21—25. (Canceled)
`
`26. (Previously presented) A method for producing light comprising:
`
`ionizing with an ignition source a gas within a pressurized plasma chamber, the pressure
`
`of the plasma chamber during operation is greater than 10 atmospheres;
`
`providing (i) laser energy having a wavelength range up to about 2000 nm and (ii) energy
`
`from the ignition source to the ionized gas within the pressurized plasma chamber
`
`to generate or sustain a plasma in the chamber to produce a plasma— generated light
`
`having wavelengths greater than 50 nm; and directing the plasma—generated light
`
`
`
`Amendment and Response
`Attorney Docket No. EGQ-OOSCP3C1
`Application No.: 13/964,938
`Page 5 of 8
`
`out of the pressurized plasma chamber through a transparent region of the
`
`pressurized plasma chamber.
`
`27. (Previously presented) The method of claim 26 further comprising providing sufficient
`
`energy from the ignition source to the plasma to maintain a desired temperature of the plasma
`
`chamber or to maintain a desired pressure of gas or vapor within the plasma chamber.
`
`28. (Previously presented) The method of claim 26 further comprising operating the ignition
`
`source during operation of the laser.
`
`29—30. (Canceled )
`
`31. (Previously presented) The method of claim 1 wherein the pressure of the plasma chamber
`
`during operation is greater than 10 atmospheres.
`
`32. (Previously presented) A light source, comprising:
`
`a sealed pressurized chamber comprising a window and a curved reflective surface, the
`
`pressurized chamber having an operating pressure greater than atmospheric pressure;
`
`an ignition source for ionizing a gas within the pressurized chamber;
`
`at least one laser external to the pressurized chamber for providing electromagnetic
`
`energy to produce a plasma that generates plasma—generated light having wavelengths greater
`
`than 50 nm; and
`
`a curved reflective surface receiving at least a portion of the plasma— generated light
`
`emitted by the plasma and reflecting the plasma— generated light toward the window, wherein the
`
`emitted light and laser energy pass through the window.
`
`33. (Previously presented) The light source of claim 32, wherein the pressurized chamber has a
`
`pressure of at least 10 atmospheres during operation.
`
`34. (Previously presented) The light source of claim 32 wherein the ignition source is at least one
`
`of an RF ignition source, or electrodes within the pressurized chamber, the electrodes located on
`
`opposite sides of the plasma [8/8].
`
`
`
`Amendment and Response
`Attorney Docket No. EGQ-OOSCP3C1
`Application No.: 13/964,938
`Page 6 of 8
`
`35. (Previously presented) The method of claim 1, wherein the transparent material is formed of
`
`at least one of sapphire or quartz.
`
`
`36. (Currently amended) The method of claim 1, wherein the plasma—e
`Mgeéégenerated light
`
`exits the sealed pressurized chamber via a second transparent region.
`
`
`37. (Currently amended) The laser driven light source of claim 13, wherein the \a
`
` Q;i:§\i-,\\\~vifis§\s\xcvlaser has a wavelength ranoe of up to about 2000 nm.
`
`38. (Currently amended) The laser driven light source of claim 13,\\\\\\\\
`
`
`
`.152@1311ng.31._lfififlfi.99.131.19.13._gill!$2.12.Rims?:géflflflfigéflighfiEmitting.DX.E]L1.53...111.3.1.$5331.._§fl£i_£§fl§§iiflg.lh§
`
`lasma— enerated lir ht toward the sa .73hire window. wh trein the emitted li' ht and laser ener
`
`pass through the window.
`
`39. (Currently amended) The laser driven light source of claim 13, wherein the \\\
`
`
`
`o .eration is 0reater than 30 atmos heres.
`
`
`
`Amendment and Response
`Attorney Docket No. EGQ-005CP3C1
`Application No.: 13/964,938
`Page 7 of 8
`
`Status of the Claims
`
`REMARKS
`
`Applicant hereby cancels claim 6 and amends claims 13 and 36—39. Dependent claim 36
`
`is amended to correct a typographical error. Support for the amended claims can be found in
`
`paragraphs 0045—0047, 0070, 0143, 00154 of the publication of the application, U.S. Pub. No.
`
`2014/01 1725 8. Applicant submits that no new matter is added to the application by these
`
`amendments. After entry of these amendments, claims 1—4, 8, 9, 13—20, 26—28, and 31—39 will be
`
`pending in the application and are presented for consideration.
`
`Teleghonic Interview
`
`The following is a record of the substance of a telephonic interview held with the
`
`examiner on March 5, 20154, in accordance with the requirements of MPEP 713. The
`
`undersigned thanks the examiner for his thoughtful and helpful comments and suggestions.
`
`Present at the interview were Examiner McCormack, Don Smith, Joseph Capraro and Gerald
`
`Worth. The discussion focused on amendments to the claims that could be made to overcome
`
`the rejection would overcome the rejection under 35 U.S.C. § 112. In this paper, Applicant
`
`hereby amends the claims accordingly.
`
`Double Patenting
`
`Applicant submits herewith an executed terminal disclaimer to overcome the double
`
`patenting rejections.
`
`Re 'ections under 35 U.S. C.
`
`112
`
`The Office Action rejects claims 13—20 and 37—39 under 35 U.S.C. § 112, referencing the
`
`means for allowing limitation of claim 13. Applicant hereby amends claim 13 to remove this
`
`rejection. Applicant also amends dependent claims 37—39. In view of these claim amendments,
`
`Applicant submits that these rejections are overcome.
`
`
`
`Amendment and Response
`Attorney Docket No. EGQ-005CP3C1
`Application No.: 13/964,938
`Page 8 of 8
`
`Obiected-to Claims
`
`Applicant submits that these claims are now allowable, without amendment, in View of
`
`the claim amendments and terminal disclaimer submitted herewith.
`
`CONCLUSION
`
`Applicant requests that the Examiner consider the application and claims in light of the
`
`foregoing amendment, and respectfully submits that the pending claims are in condition for
`
`allowance. The Examiner is invited to call the undersigned attorney at (617) 526—9800 to discuss
`
`the application.
`
`Date: March 5, 2015
`
`Reg. No.: 36,471
`
`Tel. No.: (617) 526—9800
`Fax No.: (617) 526—9899
`
`Respectfully submitted,
`
`/Joseph A. Capraro Jr. 36,471/
`
`Joseph A. Capraro Jr.
`Proskauer Rose LLP
`
`Attorney for the Applicant
`One International Place
`
`Boston, MA 02110
`
`47800892V1
`
`
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