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`Application No.
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`Applicantls)
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`118535.523
`SMITH, DONALD K.
`Notice OfAHOWflbIth
`Examiner
`Art Unit
`MEENAKSHI S. SAHU 2881
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`-- The MAILING DATE of this communication appears on the cover sheet with the correspondence address--
`All claims being allowable. PROSECUTION ON THE MERITS IS (OR REMAINS) CLOSED in this application.
`If not included
`herewith (or previously mailed), a Notice of Allowance (PTOL-85) or other appropriate communication will be mailed in due course. THIS
`NOTICE OF ALLOWABILITY IS NOT A GRANT OF PATENT RIGHTS. This application is subject to withdrawal from issue at the initiative
`of the Office or upon petition by the applicant. See 37 CFR 1313 and MPEP 1308.
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`1. X This communication is responsive to 11/06/2006.
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`2. IXI The allowed claim(s) isiare 1-81.
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`3. El Acknowledgment is made of a claim for foreign priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119(a)-(d) or (f).
`a) I] All
`b} [I Some“
`0} El None
`of the:
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`1. El Certified copies of the priority documents have been received.
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`2. El Certified copies of the priority documents have been received in Application No.
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`3. El Copies of the certified copies of the priority documents have been received in this national stage application from the
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`International Bureau (PCT Rule 17.2(a}).
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`" Certified copies not received:
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`Applicant has THREE MONTHS FROM THE “MAILING DATE” of this communication to file a reply complying with the requirements
`noted below. Failure to timely comply will result in ABANDONMENT of this application.
`THIS THREE-MONTH PERIOD IS NOT EXTENDABLE.
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`4. El A SUBSTITUTE OATH OR DECLARATION must be submitted. Note the attached EXAMINER‘S AMENDMENT or NOTICE OF
`INFORMAL PATENT APPLICATION (PTO-152) which gives reason(s) why the oath or declaration is deficient.
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`5. El CORRECTED DRAWINGS ( as “replacement sheets”) must be submitted.
`(a) El including changes required by the Notice of Draftsperson’s Patent Drawing Review ( PTO—948} attached
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`1) El hereto or 2) I] to Paper NoJMail Date
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`(b) [I including changes required by the attached Examiner’s Amendment I Comment or in the Office action of
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`Paper NoJMail Date
`Identifying indicia such as the application number {see 37 CFR 1.34(o)} should be written on the drawings in the tront (not the back) of
`each sheet. Replacement sheet{s) should be labeled as such in the header according to 3? CFR 1.121(d).
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`6. El DEPOSIT OF andi’or INFORMATION about the deposit of BIOLOGICAL MATERIAL must be submitted. Note the
`attached Examiner’s comment regarding REQUIREMENT FOR THE DEPOSIT OF BIOLOGICAL MATERIAL.
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`Attachment(s)
`1. E Notice of References Cited (PTO—892}
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`2. El Notice of Draftperson's Patent Drawing Review (PTO—948}
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`3. E Information Disclosure Statements (PTOISBIOB),
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`Paper NoJMaiI Date 631206 YIQIOY YIQIOY 10I23I07
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`4. El Examiner's Comment Regarding Requirement for Deposit
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`of Biological Material
`9. D Other
`IJack |. Bermani
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`Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2881
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`U.S. Patent and Trademark Ofiice
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`PTOL-ST (Rev. 08-06)
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`Notice of Allowability
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`Part of Paper NoJMail Date 20080814A
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`5. El Notice of Informal Patent Application
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`6. El Interview Summary (PTO—413},
`Paper NoJ’Mail Date
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`7. El Examiner's AmendmentIComment
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`8. E Examiner's Statement of Reasons for Allowance
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`ASML 1207
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`ASML 1207
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`Continuation Sheet [PTOL-37)
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`Application No.
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`ApplicationlControl Number: 11l395,523
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`Page 2
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`Art Unit: 2881
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`DETAILED ACTION
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`1. Preliminary amendment filed on November 6, 2006 and addition of new claims
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`75 to 81 is noted.
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`Allowable Subject Matter
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`2. Claims 1, 30, 37, 67, 74, 75 and 78 are allowed.
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`3. The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance:
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`Prior art fails to disclose a light source or light bulb or a method of producing
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`light, comprising: a chamber; an ignition source for ionizing a gas within the
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`chamber; and at least one laser for providing energy to the ionized gas within the
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`chamber to produce a high brightness light.
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`High brightness light sources have several applications particularly in the fields of
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`lithography and wafer inspection. In the instant application, the ignition source is
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`a cathode and anode which generate an electrical discharge and provide ionized
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`gas or plasma. During operation, the cathode and anode can get very hot and
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`can wear out and emit particles that contaminate the light source and reduce the
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`efficiency of the light source. To overcome this, a laser which provides energy to
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`sustain the plasma or ionized gas is included. The temperature in the plasma
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`rises due to heating by the laser beam and these high temperatures lead to
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`

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`ApplicationlControl Number: 11,695,523
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`Page 3
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`Art Unit: 2881
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`increased radiation at the shorter wavelengths such as in the ultraviolet.
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`Prior art by Hoshino et al. (US 2005(0167618 A1) disclose a light source which
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`has a laser that generates a plasma by focusing the laser beam onto a target
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`material that injected downward through a nozzle. In the instant application the
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`plasma is produced by an electrical discharge but maintained by a laser and
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`does not have the debris problem of laser produced plasma (LPP) sources.
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`Prior art by Sato (JP 61193358 A) discloses a light source where a laser beam
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`excites gas (for emitting UV and FUV light) that is sealed in a bulb tube but fails
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`to disclose an ignition source that generates the plasma and a laser beam to
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`maintain the plasma as in the instant application, which results in a more
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`powerful light source.
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`Application 111695848 (US 2007/0228300 A1) has been checked for double
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`patenting issues.
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`4. Claims 2 to 29, 31 to 36, 38 to 66, 68 to 73, 76 to 77 and 79 to 81 are allowed
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`by virtue of their dependencies on claims 1,30, 37, 67, 75 and 78.
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`

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`Application!Control Number: 11,695,523
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`Page 4
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`Art Unit: 2881
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`Conclusion
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`Any comments considered necessary by applicant must be submitted no
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`later than the payment of the issue fee and, to avoid processing delays, should
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`preferably accompany the issue fee. Such submissions should be clearly labeled
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`“Comments on Statement of Reasons for Allowance.”
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`Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from
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`the examiner should be directed to MEENAKSHI S. SAHU whose telephone
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`number is (571)270-3101. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday -
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`Friday 8AM - 5PM est.
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`If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the
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`examiner’s supervisor, Robert H. Kim can be reached on 571-272-2293. The fax
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`phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is
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`assigned is 571-273-8300.
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`ApplicationIControl Number: 11,695,523
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`Page 5
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`Art Unit: 2881
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`Information regarding the status of an application may be obtained from
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`the Patent Application Information Retrieval (PAIR) system. Status information
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`for published applications may be obtained from either Private PAIR or Public
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`PAIR. Status information for unpublished applications is available through
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`Private PAIR only. For more information about the PAIR system, see htthI’pair-
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`9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
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`IJack I. Bermanf
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`Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2881
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`{Meenakshi S Sahuf
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`Examiner, Art Unit 2881
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