PATENT COOPERATION TREATY
`
`PCT
`
`INTERNATIONAL PRELIMINARY REPORT ON PATENTABILITY
`
`(Chapter I of the Patent Cooperation Treaty)
`
`(PCT Rule 44bis)
`
`Applicant’s or agent’s file reference
`2016P00057WO
`
`FOR FURTHER ACTION
`
`See item 4 below
`
`International filing date (day/month/yeGE)
`International application No.
`01 June 2017 (01.06.2017)
`PCT/EP2017/063356
`International Patent Classification (8th edition unless older edition indicated)
`See relevant information in Form PCT/ISA/237
`
`Priority date (day/month/yeCIE)
`09 June 2016 (09.06.2016)
`
`Applicant
`ASML NETHERLANDS B.V.
`
`This international preliminary report on patentability (Chapter I) is issued by the International Bureau on behalf of the
`International Searching Authority under Rule 44 bis.1(a).
`
`This REPORT consists of a total of 6 sheets, including this cover sheet.
`
`I11 the attached sheets, any reference to the written opinion of the International Searching Authority should be read as a
`reference to the international preliminary report on patentability (Chapter I) instead.
`
`This report contains indications relating to the following items:
`
`Box \o. I
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`Basis of the report
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`Box \o. II
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`Box \o.
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`
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`Priority
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`Non—establishment of opinion with regard to novelty, inventive step and industrial
`applicability
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`Lack of unity of invention
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`Reasoned statement under Article 35(2) with regard to novelty, inventive step or
`industrial applicability; citations and explanations supporting such statement
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`Certain documents cited
`
`Certain defects in the international application
`
`Certain observations on the international application
`
`'lhe International Bureau will communicate this report to designated Offices in accordance with Rules 44bis.3(c) and 93bis.1
`but not, except where the applicant makes an express request under Article 23(2), before the expiration of 30 months from
`the priority date (Rule 44bis .2).
`
`The International Bureau of WIPO
`34, chemin des Colombettes
`1211 Geneva 20, Switzerland
`Facsimile No. +41 22 338 82 70
`Form PCT/IB/373 (January 2004)
`
`Date of issuance of this report
`11 December 2018 (11.12.2018)
`
`AthHZEd officer
`
`-
`Nora Llndner
`e-mail: pct.team5@wipo.int
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`Box \o.
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`Box \o.
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`Box \o.
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`Box \o.
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`PATENT COOPERATION TREATY
`
`From the
`INTERNATIONAL SEARCHING AUTHORITY
`
`see form PCT/ISA/220
`
`
`
`PCT
`
`WRITTEN OPINION OF THE
`INTERNATIONAL SEARCHING AUTHORITY
`
`(PCT Rule 43bis.1)
`
`
`Date of mailing
`(day/month4/ear)
`
`see form PCT/ISA/210 (second sheet)
`
`
`
`Applicant's or agent‘s file reference
`see form PCT/ISA/220
`
`FOR FURTHER ACTION
`See paragraph 2 below
`
`International application No.
`PCT/EP2017/063356
`
`International filing date (day/fnonth/year)
`01.06.2017
`
`Priority date (day/month4/ear)
`09.06.2016
`
`
`
`
`
`International Patent Classification (IPC) or both national classification and IPC
`INV. G03F9/00 G02F1/365 G03F7/20
`
`
`Applicant
`ASML NETHERLANDS B V
`
`1.
`
`This opinion contains indications relating to the following items:
`
`Box No. I
`
`Basis of the opinion
`
`Box No. II
`
`Priority
`
`ROOKIE Box No. V
`EDI] Box No. VIII Certain observations on the international application
`
`Box No. III
`
`Non-establishment of opinion with regard to novelty, inventive step and industrial applicability
`
`Box No. IV
`
`Box No. VI
`
`Lack of unity of invention
`Reasoned statement under Rule 43bis.1(a)(i) with regard to novelty, inventive step and industrial
`applicability; citations and explanations supporting such statement
`Certain documents cited
`
`Box No. VII
`
`Certain defects in the international application
`
`2.
`
`FURTHER ACTION
`
`If a demand for international preliminary examination is made, this opinion will usually be considered to be a
`written opinion of the International Preliminary Examining Authority ("IPEA") except that this does not apply where
`the applicant chooses an Authority other than this one to be the IPEA and the chosen IPEA has notifed the
`International Bureau under Rule 66.1bis(b) that written opinions of this International Searching Authority
`will not be so considered.
`
`If this opinion is, as provided above, considered to be a written opinion of the IPEA, the applicant is invited to
`submit to the IPEA a written reply together, where appropriate, with amendments, before the expiration of 3 months
`from the date of mailing of Form PCT/ISA/220 or before the expiration of 22 months from the priority date,
`whichever expires later.
`
`For further options, see Form PCT/ISA/220.
`
` Name and mailing address of the ISA:
`
`
`
`
`Date of completion of
`this opinion
`see form
`PCT/ISA/210
`
`Authorized Officer
`
`An ioni, Catherine
`g
`Telephone No. +49 89 2399-0
`
`F
`we“ “BMW-ts
`f3 o 6%:
`>
`3
`94’
`3.
`teammmww‘“
`'
`
`
`
`—
`a) European Patent Office
`)
`— D-80298 Munich
`Tel- +49 89 2399 ' 0
`Fax: +49 89 2399 - 4465
`
`Form PCT/ISA/237 (Cover Sheet) (January 2015)
`
`

`

`WRITTEN OPINION OF THE
`INTERNATIONAL SEARCHING AUTHORITY
`
`International application No.
`PCT/EP2017/063356
`
`Box No. I Basis of the opinion
`
`1. With regard to the language, this opinion has been established on the basis of:
`
`IZI
`
`El
`
`the international application in the language in which it was filed.
`
`a translation of the international application into , which is the language of a translation furnished for the
`purposes of international search (Rules 12.3(a) and 23.1 (b)).
`
`This opinion has been established taking into account the rectification of an obvious mistake authorized
`by or notified to this Authority under Rule 91 (Rule 43bis.1(a))
`
`With regard to any nucleotide and/or amino acid sequence disclosed in the international application, this
`opinion has been established on the basis of a sequence listing:
`
`a. El
`
`forming part of the international application as filed:
`
`CI
`
`in the form of an Annex C/ST.25 text file.
`
`[I on paper or in the form of an image file.
`
`b. El furnished together with the international application under PCT Rule 13ter.1(a) for the purposes of
`international search only in the form of an Annex C/ST.25 text file.
`
`c. D furnished subsequent to the international filing date for the purposes of international search only:
`
`CI
`
`in the form of an Annex C/ST.25 text file (Rule 13ter.1(a)).
`
`El on paper or in the form of an image file (Rule 13ter.1(b) and Administrative Instructions, Section
`713).
`
`4.I:I
`
`In addition, in the case that more than one version or copy of a sequence listing has been filed or furnished,
`the required statements that the information in the subsequent or additional copies is identical to that
`forming part of the application as filed or does not go beyond the application as filed, as appropriate, were
`furnished.
`
`5. Additional comments:
`
`Form PCT/ISA/237 (January 2015)
`
`

`

`WRITTEN OPINION OF THE
`INTERNATIONAL SEARCHING AUTHORITY
`
`International application No.
`PCT/EP2017/063356
`
`Box No. V Reasoned statement under Rule 43bis.1(a)(i) with regard to novelty, inventive step or
`industrial applicability; citations and explanations supporting such statement
`
`1. Statement
`
`Novelty (N)
`
`Yes:
`No:
`
`Claims
`Claims
`
`2-6,9,10,12-15
`1 7 8 11
`
`Inventive step (IS)
`
`Industrial applicability (IA)
`
`Yes:
`No:
`
`Claims
`Claims
`
`Yes:
`No:
`
`Claims
`Claims
`
`2. Citations and explanations
`
`see separate sheet
`
`Form PCT/ISA/237 (January 2015)
`
`

`

`WRITTEN OPINION OF THE
`
`INTERNATIONAL SEARCHING
`
`International application No.
`
`AUTHORITY (SEPARATE SHEET)
`
`PCT/EP2017/O63356
`
`Re Item V
`
`Reasoned statement with regard to novelty, inventive step or industrial
`
`applicability; citations and explanations supporting such statement
`
`1. Reference is made to the following documents:
`
`D1 :
`
`EP 2 770 370 A2
`
`D2: XPO554‘I 6305
`
`2. The present application does not meet the criteria of Article 33(2) PCT, because
`
`the subject-matter of claim 1
`
`is not new.
`
`Document D1 discloses a supercontinuum radiation source (claim 1) comprising:
`
`illumination optics (optical splitters 14) arranged to receive a pulsed pump radiation
`
`beam ([0050]) and to form a plurality of pulsed sub—beams, each pulsed sub—beam
`
`comprising a portion of the pulsed pump radiation beam;
`
`a plurality of waveguides (supercontinuum generators 3) each arranged to receive at
`
`least one of the plurality of pulsed sub-beams beam and to broaden a spectrum of
`
`that pulsed sub-beam so as to generate a supercontinuum sub-beam; and
`
`collection optics (supercontinuum combining member 5) arranged to receive the
`
`supercontinuum sub-beam from the plurality of waveguides and to combine them so
`
`as to form a supercontinuum radiation beam.
`
`3. The subject-matter of dependent claims 7, 8 and 11 is also known from D1 :
`
`power spreading occurs via optical splitting (of, e.g., fig. 4); the wavelength range is
`
`the visible range (cf., e.g., claim 14).; finally, fibres are tapered or free-space methods
`
`using lenses are used for efficient coupling (cf., 9.9., [0059] or [0075]).
`
`4. Dependent claims 2—6, 9, 10 and 12 do not appear to contain any additional
`
`features which, in combination with the features of any claim to which they refer, meet
`
`the requirements of the PCT in respect of inventive step (Article 33(3) PCT), the
`
`reasons being as follows:
`
`Form PCT/ISA/237 (Separate Sheet) (Sheet 1) (EPO-April 2005)
`
`

`

`WRITTEN OPINION OF THE
`
`INTERNATIONAL SEARCHING
`
`International application No.
`
`AUTHORITY (SEPARATE SHEET)
`
`PCT/EP2017/O63356
`
`Supercontinuum generation in a CMOS-compatible platform of silicon nitride
`
`waveguides embedded in a SiO2 cladding material is disclosed in D2 (cf. 2.2.). The
`
`supplementary features of claims 2, 3, 4 and 6 are hence disclosed in D2.
`
`Moreover, the waveguides in D2 are 7.5 mm long, 900 nm wide and 690 nm high.
`
`The supplementary feature of claim 5, namely a waveguide height up to 500 nm, is
`
`considered a mere routine adaption to the NIR range.
`
`Finally, the supplementary features of claims 9, 10 and 12, namely a number of
`
`waveguides of 100 or more, the recited waveguide branching and focused coupling,
`
`appear to be within routine skills in order to enhance the possible output power of the
`source disclosed in D1.
`
`5. The subject-matter of claims 13, 14 and 15 relate to an optical measurement
`
`system, in particular an alignment mark measurement system for a lithographic
`
`apparatus comprising the source according to claim 1. It is immediate that the source
`
`disclosed in D1 is applicable to lithography metrology and alignment measurements.
`
`The subject-matter of claims 13-15 are hence not considered to involve an inventive
`
`step over the disclosure of D1.
`
`Form PCT/ISA/237 (Separate Sheet) (Sheet 2) (EPO-April 2005)
`
`