DETAILED 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 .
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 21-24 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Okumura et al (US Publication No. 2021/0111251) in view of Utsumi et al (US Publication No. 2021/0217852) and Braganca et al (US Publication No. 2021/0296268).
Regarding claim 21, Okumura discloses a process for manufacturing a vertical conduction silicon carbide electronic device Fig 4A-4D, comprising: depositing a metal layer Fig 4B, 110 on a wafer Fig 4B, 1 comprising silicon carbide ¶0047, wherein the metal layer forms a contact face Fig 4B ¶0038, 0049; and laser annealing the contact face with a laser beam to cause the metal layer to react with the wafer and form a silicide layer Fig 4C ¶0051, wherein the laser beam has a footprint on the contact face having a size; wherein laser annealing the contact face comprises irradiating a first portion of the contact face Fig 4A-4B, moving the footprint of the laser beam by a step smaller than the size of the footprint and irradiating a second portion of the contact face Fig 5A-5B, wherein the first portion and the second portion of the contact face at least partially overlap Fig 5A-5B. Okumura discloses all the limitations but silent on having the polygonal shape. Whereas Utsumi discloses wherein the footprint on the contact face having a specific shape Fig 5A. While Braganca discloses a polygonal shape Fig 5A-5C. Okumura, Utsumi and Braganca are analogous art because they are directed to laser annealing and one of ordinary skill in the art would have had a reasonable expectation of success to modify Okumura because they are from the same field of endeavor. Therefore it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill of the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the footprint of Okumura and incorporate the teachings of Utsumi or Braganca since such a modification would have involved a mere change in the shape of a component. A change in shape is generally recognized as being within the level of ordinary skill in the art. In reDailey, 357 F.2d 669, 149 USPQ 47 (CCPA 1966).
Regarding claim 22, Utsumi discloses wherein laser annealing comprises scanning the entire contact face with the laser beam using a step-and-repeat type of scanning, and wherein the step is comprised between one tenth and one half of the size of the polygonal shape of the beam footprint Fig 5A-9C. It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill of the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the teachings of Okumura, since it has been held that discovering an optimum value of a result effective variable involves only routine skill in the art. In re Boesch, 617 F. 2d 272, 205 USPQ (CCPA 1980).
Regarding claim 23, Utsumi discloses wherein laser annealing the contact face forms a roughness pattern on the contact face comprising a grid formed by horizontal and vertical stripes having a first roughness and regions delimited by the horizontal and vertical stripes of the grid having a second roughness, where the first roughness is greater than the second roughness Fig 5A-9C. It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill of the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the teachings of Okumura, since it has been held that discovering an optimum value of a result effective variable involves only routine skill in the art. In re Boesch, 617 F. 2d 272, 205 USPQ (CCPA 1980).
Regarding claim 24, Braganca discloses the footprint has a polygonal shape Fig 5A-5C, Braganca discloses all the limitations but silent on the dimensions. It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the specific dimensions, since it has been held that where the general conditions of a claim are disclosed in the prior art, discovering optimum or workable ranges involves only routine skill in the art. In re Aller, 105 USPQ 233 (1955).
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments, see Page 3, filed 2/3/2026, with respect to the rejection(s) of claim 21 under USC 103 have been fully considered and are persuasive. Therefore, the rejection has been withdrawn. However, upon further consideration, a new ground(s) of rejection is made in view of Okumura et al (US Publication No. 2021/0111251), Utsumi et al (US Publication No. 2021/0217852) and Braganca et al (US Publication No. 2021/0296268).
Conclusion
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/CHRISTINE A ENAD/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2811
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