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 .
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 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.
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of Group I (Claims 1-5, 7, and 14-17) in the
reply filed on December 12, 2025 is acknowledged.
Claims 8-13 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CPR
1.142(b) as being drawn to nonelected inventions, there being no allowable generic or linking claim.
DETAILED ACTION
Foreign Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers submitted under 35 U.S.C.
119 (a)-(d), which papers have been placed of record in the file.
Specification
The title is objected to for failure to be sufficiently descriptive.
The specification has not been checked to the extent necessary to determine the
presence of all possible minor errors. The applicant's cooperation is requested in correcting any errors of which the applicant may become aware in the specification.
Claim Objections
Claim 4 is objected to because of the following informalities:
“the metal film” should be --a metal film--
Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
The following is a quotation of the appropriate paragraphs of AIA 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 1-5, 7, 14, and 16-17 are rejected under AIA 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as
being anticipated by Schoop et al. (U.S. Publication No. 20120192941; hereinafter “Schoop”).
Regarding claim 1, Schoop discloses a piezoelectric film laminated body comprising: an amorphous film (Fig. 3, 106; [0036]-[0037]; [0031] – “Some specific examples of suitable materials for an amorphous barrier layer include molybdenum,…”); and a scandium aluminum nitride film (Fig. 3, 108; [0036]-[0037]; [0040] – “…a diffusion barrier…can be formed of a…Sc nitride,…N deficient Al nitride, doped Al nitride,…or combination thereof),…”) being in contact (Fig. 3; [0036]-[0037]) with a surface (Fig. 3, surface of 106) of the amorphous film (Fig. 3, 106; [0036]-[0037]; [0031]).
Regarding claim 2, Schoop discloses the piezoelectric film laminated body according to claim 1, wherein the amorphous film (Fig. 3, 106; [0036]-[0037]; [0031]) has a film thickness (Fig. 3, 106 film thickness; [0036]-[0037]; [0031]; [Table 1]) of 1.0 nm or more ([Table 1] – “300 nm”)).
Regarding claim 3, Schoop teaches the piezoelectric film laminated body according to claim 1, wherein the amorphous film (Fig. 3, 106; [0036]-[0037]; [0031]) is made of a material containing molybdenum oxide (Fig. 3, 106; [0036]-[0037]; [0031] – “The amorphous layer can be constructed from various materials,…conductive oxides,…and mixtures thereof. Some specific examples of suitable materials for an amorphous barrier layer include molybdenum,…”).
Regarding claim 4, Schoop discloses the piezoelectric film laminated body according to claim 3, wherein the metal film (Fig. 3, 104; [0036]-[0037]; [0023]) is made of a material (Fig. 3, material comprising 104; [0036]-[0037]; [0023]) containing molybdenum (Fig. 3, 104-106 cross-contamination/doping/alloying effects upon contact; [0036]-[0037]; [0023]).
Regarding claim 5, Schoop discloses the piezoelectric film laminated body according to claim 4, further comprising a base member (Fig. 3, 102; [0036]-[0037]; [0023] – “Suitable materials for substrate layer 52 include, for example, a high temperature polymer such as polyimide, or a thin metal such as stainless steel or titanium, among others.”) made of a material other (Fig. 3; [0023]) than aluminum nitride (Fig. 3, 102; [0036]-[0037]; [0023]), wherein the metal film (Fig. 3, 104; [0036]-[0037]; [0023]) is disposed (Fig. 3) in contact (Fig. 3) with a surface (Fig. 3, surface of 102; [0036]-[0037]; [0023]) of the base member (Fig. 3, 102; [0036]-[0037]; [0023] – “Suitable materials for substrate layer 52 include, for example, a high temperature polymer such as polyimide, or a thin metal such as stainless steel or titanium, among others.”).
Regarding claim 7, Schoop discloses the piezoelectric film laminated body according to claim 1, further comprising: a base member (Fig. 3, 102; [0036]-[0037]; [0023]) made of a material other (Fig. 3; [0023]) than aluminum nitride (Fig. 3, 102; [0036]-[0037]; [0023]); and a metal film (Fig. 3, 104; [0036]-[0037]; [0023]) made of a material (Fig. 3, material comprising 104; [0036]-[0037]; [0023]) containing molybdenum (Fig. 3, 104-106 cross-contamination/doping/alloying effects upon contact; [0036]-[0037]; [0023]) and disposed on (Fig. 3) a surface (Fig. 3, surface of 102; [0036]-[0037]; [0023]) of the base member (Fig. 3, 102; [0036]-[0037]; [0023]), wherein the amorphous film (Fig. 3, 106; [0036]-[0037]; [0031]) is disposed on (Fig. 3; [0036]-[0037]; [0023]) the metal film (Fig. 3, 104; [0036]-[0037]; [0023]).
Regarding claim 14, Schoop discloses the piezoelectric film laminated body according to claim 1, further comprising a metal film (Fig. 3, 104; [0036]-[0037]; [0023]), wherein the amorphous film (Fig. 3, 106; [0036]-[0037]; [0031]) is disposed between (Fig. 3) the metal film (Fig. 3, 104; [0036]-[0037]; [0023]) and the scandium aluminum nitride film (Fig. 3, 108; [0036]-[0037]; [0040]).
Regarding claim 16, Schoop discloses the piezoelectric film laminated body according to claim 1, wherein the amorphous film (Fig. 3, 106; [0036]-[0037]; [0031]) has an insulation property (Fig. 3, 106; [0036]-[0037]; [0031]; Examiner’s Note: Applicant discloses that amorphous molybdenum has an insulation property. The prior art discloses amorphous molybdenum thereby disclosing the exact same material with the exact same properties.).
Regarding claim 17, Schoop discloses the piezoelectric film laminated body according to claim 1, wherein the amorphous film (Fig. 3, 106; [0036]-[0037]; [0031]) has conductivity (Fig. 3, 106; [0036]-[0037]; [0031]).
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 of this title, 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.
Claim 15 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over
Schoop in view of Kawai et al. (U.S. Publication No. 20170201226; hereinafter “Kawai”).
Regarding claim 15, Schoop teaches the piezoelectric film laminated body according to claim 1, wherein a Sc concentration (Fig. 3, 108 – Sc concentration; [0036]-[0037]; [0040]) of the scandium aluminum nitride film (Fig. 3, 108; [0036]-[0037]; [0040]). Schoop does not teach a Sc concentration of 24 atomic% or more and 38 atomic% or less.
Kawai, however, does teach a Sc concentration of 24 atomic% or more and 38 atomic% or less ([0027] – “…the Sc percentage is preferably set to be not less than about 0.5 at % and not greater than about 50 at %.”)
It would have been obvious to one with ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the device of Schoop to include the Sc concentration of Kawai because it would convert an applied voltage to vibration thereby improving conversion and vibrational functionalities (Kawai, [0027]).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication should be directed to MONICA MATA
whose telephone number is (571) 272-8782. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday thru Friday from 7:30 AM to 5:00 PM.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s
supervisor, Dedei Hammond, can be reached on (571) 270-7938. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is (571) 273-8300.
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/MONICA MATA/
Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2837
30 January 2026
/EMILY P PHAM/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2837