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 .
Response to Amendment
This Office Action is responsive to the amendment filed on 12/26/2025. Claims 1-4, 6-9 are pending. Applicant’s arguments have been considered. Claims 1-4, 6-9 are finally rejected for reasons below.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 1-4, 6-9 rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
In claims 1 and 2, wherein each of the separation layers is a layer consisting essentially of titanium and nitrogen, a layer consisting essentially of titanium and oxygen, or a layer consisting essentially of titanium, oxygen, and nitrogen, except for lithium, is confusing. The terminology “except for” appears to contradict “consisting essentially”. Correction is required.
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 1-4, 6-9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hirose (JP 2011-129532) in view of Park (US 2005/0074673).
Regarding claim 1, Hirose discloses a negative electrode comprising, over a negative electrode current collector layer, n negative electrode active material layers and n-1 separation layers, where n is an integer greater than or equal to 2,
wherein the negative electrode active material layers and the separation layers are alternately stacked [0041],
wherein each of the separation layers is a layer consisting essentially of titanium and oxygen [0101]. Example 8-15 in Table 8 discloses a separation layer of titanium with 3 at% oxygen.
Regarding claim 2, a negative electrode comprising, over a negative electrode current collector layer, n negative electrode active material layers and n-1 separation layers, where n is an integer greater than or equal to 2,
wherein the negative electrode active material layers and the separation layers are alternately stacked [0041],
wherein each of the separation layers is a layer consisting essentially of titanium and oxygen [0101]. Example 8-15 in Table 8 discloses a separation layer of titanium with 3 at% oxygen.
Regarding claim 3, a first negative electrode active material layer is in contact with the negative electrode current collector layer [0019].
Regarding claim 4, wherein an i-th separation layer is in contact with an i-th negative electrode active material layer, where i is an integer greater than or equal to 1 and less than or equal to n-1.
Regarding claim 6, a first layer over an n-th negative electrode active material layer.
Regarding claim 7, wherein the first layer comprises Ti [0023].
Regarding claim 8, each of the negative electrode active material layers comprises Si [0021].
Regarding claim 9, the separation layers each have a layered structure [0041].
Regarding claim 1, Hirose does not disclose wherein a thickness of each of the negative electrode active material layers is greater than or equal to 20 nm and less than 100 nm, and regarding claim 2, wherein a thickness of each of the negative electrode active material layers is greater than or equal to 20 nm and less than 100 nm. Hirose discloses the negative electrode active material layer has a thickness of about 5 um [0058]. Park teaches a thin filmed anode comprising alternating layers of Si-M and Ag. A structure is in which an Ag layer is interposed between Si--M layers, in view of the effect of suppressing an increase in the volume of the anode active material layer. Here, since Ag acts as a medium through which Li ions and electrons can move and does not react with Si, the capacity and reversibility of Li--Si reaction can be secured and the structural stability of an active material can be secured under the conditions of heat treatment that is required for a later packaging process of a thin film battery [0040]. The preferred thickness of an Si--M layer is in the range of 50 to 450 .ANG.. If the thickness of an Si--M layer is less than 50 .ANG., it is necessary to increase the number of stacked layers of Si--M/Ag to meet the requirement as designed. If the number of Ag layers exceeds a predetermined range, the overpotential of a thin film for an anode may undesirably increase. If thickness of an Si--M layer is greater than 450 .ANG., the metal added cannot sufficiently suppress an increase in the volume of Si [0041]. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skilled in the art at the time the invention was made to adjust the thickness of the each anode active material layers, as taught by Park, for the benefit of suppressing an increase in the volume of the anode active material layer.
Regarding claim 2, Hirose does not disclose a thickness of each of the n-1 separation layers is greater than or equal to 5 nm and less than or equal to 40 nm. Hirose discloses the negative electrode active material layer has a thickness of about 5 um [0058]. Park teaches a thin filmed anode comprising alternating layers of Si-M and Ag. A structure is in which an Ag layer is interposed between Si--M layers, in view of the effect of suppressing an increase in the volume of the anode active material layer. Here, since Ag acts as a medium through which Li ions and electrons can move and does not react with Si, the capacity and reversibility of Li--Si reaction can be secured and the structural stability of an active material can be secured under the conditions of heat treatment that is required for a later packaging process of a thin film battery [0040]. Ag is deposited to a minimum thickness, preferably in the range of 10.about.70 .ANG.. If the thickness of an Ag layer is less than 10 .ANG., the effect of suppressing a change in the volume of an Si layer is unappreciable. If the thickness is greater than 70 .ANG., the Li--Ag alloy is slowly decomposed to Li and Ag, which is disadvantageous. [0043]. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skilled in the art at the time the invention was made to adjust the thickness of each separation layer, as taught by Park, for the benefit of suppressing an increase in the volume of the anode active material layer.
Response to Arguments
Arguments dated 12/26/2025 are addressed below:
Applicant argues that Hirose does not disclose a layer “consisting essentially” of titanium and oxygen, but a layer of silicon, titanium, and oxygen. Page 1 of Remarks.
In response, Hirose discloses in Example 1-1 that “a silicon layer, an iron layer, and a silicon layer were deposited in this order…” [0058]. Example 8-15 is prepared in a similar manner as Example 1-1, except for the metal layer was evaporated multiple times and oxygen gas was introduced after evaporation. Hence, it is noted that a layer of titanium in Example 8-15 is a separate layer from a silicon layer.
Hence, the rejection is maintained.
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to CYNTHIA KYUNG SOO WALLS whose telephone number is (571)272-8699. The examiner can normally be reached on M-F until 5pm.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Jonathan Leong can be reached at 571-270-1292. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of an application may be obtained from the Patent Application Information Retrieval (PAIR) system. Status information for published applications may be obtained from either Private PAIR or Public PAIR. Status information for unpublished applications is available through Private PAIR only. For more information about the PAIR system, see http://pair-direct.uspto.gov. Should you have questions on access to the Private PAIR system, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative or access to the automated information system, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/CYNTHIA K WALLS/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1751