DETAILED ACTION
Claims 1 through 7 originally filed 13 June 2022. Claims 1 through 7 are addressed by this action.
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 .
Drawings
The drawings are objected to as failing to comply with 37 CFR 1.84(u)(1).
Figure 2 includes multiple views that are not separately labeled. Each view must be individually labeled.
Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. The figure or figure number of an amended drawing should not be labeled as "amended." If a drawing figure is to be canceled, the appropriate figure must be removed from the replacement sheet, and where necessary, the remaining figures must be renumbered and appropriate changes made to the brief description of the several views of the drawings for consistency. Additional replacement sheets may be necessary to show the renumbering of the remaining figures. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either "Replacement Sheet" or "New Sheet" pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
The following is a quotation of the appropriate paragraphs of 35 U.S.C. 102 that form the basis for the rejections under this section made in this Office action:
A person shall be entitled to a patent unless –
(a)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale, or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1, 4, and 5 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102 as being anticipated by Yamaguchi et al. (Yamaguchi, US Patent 5,541,945).
Regarding claim 1, Yamaguchi discloses, "A compound semiconductor substrate" (col. 9, lines 33-47 and Fig. 9A, pt. 501). "A gain waveguide composed of an optically active semiconductor material integrated on the compound semiconductor substrate" (col. 9, lines 33-47 and Fig. 9A, pts. 501 and 520). "A tunable wavelength filter for selecting light of a specific wavelength using current injection integrated on the compound semiconductor substrate" (col. 10, lines 28-41 and Fig.9A, pts. 501 and 513). "Wherein at least one or more of the tunable wavelength filters are formed to select a specific wavelength of light from the light from the gain waveguide and return the selected specific wavelength of light back to the gain waveguide" (col. 10, lines 28-41 and Fig.9A, pts. 501 and 513). "A semiconductor mixed crystal material constituting the tunable wavelength filter has a strained multiple quantum well structure in which a mixed crystal material ratio changes periodically" (col. 9, lines 51-54 and Fig. 9, pts. 513 and 520).
Regarding claim 4, Yamaguchi discloses, "Wherein the peak wavelength of photoluminescence light emission of the strained multiple quantum well structure constituting the tunable wavelength filter is separated from the shortest wavelength lm among oscillation wavelengths of the tunable laser by 50 nm or more toward a shorter wavelength side" (col. 9, lines 57-60).
Regarding claim 5, Yamaguchi discloses, "One or more phase adjusters for adjusting a resonator length of an optical resonator constituting the tunable laser are provided" (col. 9, lines 33-47 and Fig. 9A, pts. 505 and 512). "Wherein a material constituting the phase adjuster has the same strained multiple quantum well structure as the tunable wavelength filter" (col. 9, lines 51-67 and Fig. 9A, pts. 512, 513, and 520).
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 2, 3, and 7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yamaguchi in view of Forouhar et al. (Forouhar, US Patent 5,257,276).
Regarding claim 2, Yamaguchi does not explicitly disclose, "Wherein a peak wavelength of photoluminescence light emission of the semiconductor material constituting the gain waveguide is longer than 1.65 μm." Forouhar discloses, "Wherein a peak wavelength of photoluminescence light emission of the semiconductor material constituting the gain waveguide is longer than 1.65 μm" (col. 4, lines 10-16). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the teachings of Yamaguchi with the teachings of Forouhar. In view of the teachings of Yamaguchi regarding a tunable DBR laser, the alternate construction of the active region as taught by Forouhar would enhance the teachings of Yamaguchi by allowing the laser to emit light at an alternate wavelength.
Regarding claim 3, Yamaguchi discloses, "Wherein a semiconductor material constituting the gain waveguide has a strained multiple quantum well structure" (col. 9, lines 51-54 and Fig. 9, pts. 511 and 520).
Regarding claim 7, Yamaguchi discloses, "Wherein the compound semiconductor substrate is an InP substrate" (col. 9, lines 33-47 and Fig. 9A, pt. 501). Yamaguchi does not explicitly disclose, "The strained multiple quantum well structure is a strained InGaAs/InGaAs multiple quantum well." Forouhar discloses, "The strained multiple quantum well structure is a strained InGaAs/InGaAs multiple quantum well" (col. 3, lines 10-14 and Fig. 1, pts. 22, 24, 26, 28, 30, 32, and 34). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the teachings of Yamaguchi with the teachings of Forouhar for the reasons provided above regarding claim 2.
Claim 6 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yamaguchi in view of Sato et al. (Sato, US Pub. 2004/0179569).
Sato was initially cited in the IDS received 13 June 2022.
Regarding claim 6, Yamaguchi does not explicitly disclose, "Electro-absorption type light intensity modulators monolithically integrated on the compound semiconductor substrate for modulating an intensity of output laser light." Sato discloses, "Electro-absorption type light intensity modulators monolithically integrated on the compound semiconductor substrate for modulating an intensity of output laser light" (p. [0066] and Fig. 8, pts. 131 and 191). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the teachings of Yamaguchi with the teachings of Sato. In view of the teachings of Yamaguchi regarding a tunable DBR laser, the additional inclusion of an integrated modulator with the laser device as taught by Sato would enhance the teachings of Yamaguchi by allowing a modulator for modulating the laser output to be integrated with the laser device.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Ohtoshi et al. (Ohtoshi, US Patent 5,042,049) is cited for teaching a DBR laser that includes a strained MQW layer throughout both the gain and DBR regions.
Serries et al. (Serries, "Improved performance of 2-μm GaInAs strained quantum-well lasers on InP by increasing carrier confinement", IEEE Photonics Technology Letters, vol. 13, no. 5, pp. 412-414, May 2001, doi: 10.1109/68.920734) is cited for teaching a strained MQW active medium composed of InGaAs/InGaAs that emits light in a 2µm band.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Sean P Hagan whose telephone number is (571)270-1242. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Thursday, 8:30AM-5:00PM.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, MinSun Harvey can be reached at 571-272-1835. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/SEAN P HAGAN/Examiner, Art Unit 2828