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 .
Response to Amendment
The Examiner acknowledges and accepts the amendment filed on 02/11/26.
Claims 6 and 9 are amended;
Claims 1-5, 10-13 and 15-17 remain withdrawn; and
Claims 1-17 are currently pending.
Claim Objections
The previous rejection to claim 9 has been withdrawn in view of the amendment filed on 02/11/26.
Claim 6 is objected to because of the following informalities: “the second electrode” in third the last line should be changed to “the second common electrode” in order to improve clarity. Appropriate correction is required.
Claim 7 is objected to because of the following informalities: “the first electrode” in line 2 should be changed to “the first common electrode” in order to improve clarity. Appropriate correction is required.
Claim 8 is objected to because of the following informalities: “the second electrode” in line 2 should be changed to “the second common electrode” in order to improve clarity. Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The previous rejections to claims 6-9 and 14 under 35 USC 112, second paragraph, have been withdrawn in view of the amendment filed on 02/11/26.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claims 6-9 and 14 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
Claims 6-9 and 14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kang et al. (WO2021/068132A1) (US PG Pub 2023/0128994 A1 is used for citation purposes) in view of MATSUBARA et al. (US PG Pub 2016/0141839 A1).
Regarding claim 1, Kang discloses a VCSEL array (300, FIG. 3, [0031]) having m rows and n columns (1x3 array, FIG. 3), wherein each of m and n is non-zero integers greater than or equal to 1 and VCSELs are connected in series or parallel in each column (VCSELs in each of Sub-arrays 1-3 are parallel-connected, FIG. 3, [0032]) and each of n columns includes a first common electrode (308, FIG. 3) and a second common electrode (301, FIG. 3, where 301 is a common anode between VCSELs in Sub-array 1 in column 1, FIG. 3, [0033]), and
wherein each of VCSELs comprises:
an undoped substrate (307, FIG. 3, [0037]);
a first substrate (see annotated FIG. 3 below) positioned on the undoped substrate and doped with a first polar dopant (first substrates in FIG. 3 are referred to 203/206/209 in FIG. 2 where they are n-type conductive layers, [0025]);
a first reflective layer (see annotated FIG. 3 below) comprising a plurality of distributed Bragg reflector (DBR) pairs;
a second reflective layer (see annotated FIG. 3 below) comprising a plurality of DBR pairs;
a cavity layer (see annotated FIG. 3 below) positioned between the first reflective layer and the second reflective layer, wherein a hole generated in one of the first reflective layer and the second reflective layer and an electron generated in the other are recombined (it's implicitly taught by the VCSEL structure formed by the first and second DBRs as evident by [0041] of a supporting reference ARAKIDA et al. US PG Pub 2021/0391689 A1);
an oxide layer (see annotated FIG. 3 below) positioned between the cavity layer and the first or second reflective layer to determine characteristics of a to-be-output laser and a diameter of an opening (see annotated FIG. 3 below);
the second common electrode electrically connected to the second reflective layer, supplying power to the second reflective layer (301 is electrically connected to the second reflective layer, see annotated FIG. 3 below);
the first common electrode positioned on the remaining area on the first substrate (FIG. 3), where the first reflective layer is not positioned, supplying power to the first reflective layer (304 is electrically connected to the first reflective layer via the first substrate, see annotated FIG. 3 below); and
wherein the first substrates of adjacent VCSELs are physically separated from each other (the first substrates are physically separated by 309, FIG. 3, [0034]).
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Kang does not disclose an insulating layer coated on the second reflective layer and the first common electrode and the second electrode to protect the first reflective layer, the second reflective layer, the cavity layer, the oxide layer, and the second first common electrode from the outside.
MATSUBARA discloses an insulating layer (31, FIG. 4, where 31 is coated on 17/52 and protects 13/15/19/17/52, [0088]) coated on the second reflective layer and the first common electrode and the second electrode to protect the first reflective layer, the second reflective layer, the cavity layer, the oxide layer, and the second first common electrode from the outside.
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the VCSEL array of Kang with the insulating layer as taught by MATSUBARA in order to increase reliability of the VCSEL array by protecting the VCSEL array against moisture ([0088] of MATSUBARA).
Regarding claim 7, Kang, as modified, discloses the insulating layer comprises a first hole (31 has a first opening on the mesa so that 42 is electrically connected to 17, FIG. 4 of MATSUBARA) so that the second reflective layer and the first electrode is electrically connected.
Regarding claim 8, Kang, as modified, discloses the insulating layer comprises a second hole (31 has a second opening around 52 so that 52 is exposed to outside before 53 is formed, FIG. 4 of MATSUBARA) so that the second electrode is exposed to the outside.
Regarding claim 9, Kang discloses a predetermined VCSEL of a column is isolated from the VCSEL of another adjacent column (via 309, FIG. 3, [0034]).
Regarding claim 14, Kang discloses the first reflective layer is positioned on the first substrate (see annotated FIG. 3 above); and the second reflective layer is positioned above the first reflective layer (see annotated FIG. 3 above).
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 YUANDA ZHANG whose telephone number is (571)270-1439. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 10:30 AM - 6:30 PM.
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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.
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/YUANDA ZHANG/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2828