DETAILED ACTION
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of Invention I, claims 1-10, 20-25 in the reply filed on 02/16/2026 is acknowledged.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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.
Claim(s) 1, 3, 5-10, 20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by U.S. PGPub 2019/0253776 by Mazed et al.
Regarding claim 1, Chen teaches an optical switching apparatus (Figs. 1B, 1C) comprising: a core (SiO2 layer, herein interpreted as a central part of the apparatus instead of a waveguide core, since an optical waveguide is subsequently claimed), wherein the core comprises glass (SiO2); an optical waveguide (200) over the core; and an optical phase change material (120, vanadium dioxide, GST, GSST, etc., see at least ¶[0092])over the optical waveguide.
Regarding claim 3, Mazed further teaches the optical phase change material is over a single surface of the optical waveguide (the top surface as illustrated in Fig. 1B, 1C).
Regarding claim 5, Mazed further teaches the optical phase change material is configured to be switched between an on state and an off state (i.e., activated or not activated) with an optical pulse ((see at least Abstract, Fig. 4 and its descriptions).).
Regarding claim 6, Mazed further teaches the optical phase change material is configured to be switched between an on state and an off state (i.e., activated or not activated) by applying thermal energy (heat) to the optical phase change material (see at least ¶[0092], [0093]).
Regarding claim 7, Mazed further teaches a resistive heater (electrode 160) is provided over the optical phase change material (see at least ¶[0092], [0093]).
Regarding claim 8, Mazed further teaches the optical phase change material is configured to be switched between an on state and an off state (i.e., activated or not activated) by applying an electrical field to the optical phase change material (see at least ¶[0092]-[0094]).
Regarding claim 9, Mazed further teaches a first electrode (160A1 or 160B1) on a first end of the optical phase change material (120), and a second electrode (160A2 or 160B2) on a second end of the optical phase change material.
Regarding claim 10, Mazed further teaches that the optical phase change material comprises germanium, antimony, and tellurium, or germanium, antimony, selenium, and tellurium, or antimony and sulfur, or antimony and selenium (GST/GSST, see at least ¶[0092]).
Regarding claim 20, Mazed teaches an electronic package (optical switch processor in Fig. 3 with an electronic subsystem 300A to drive the switch), comprising: a core (photonic crystal, Fig. 1E), wherein the core comprises glass (SiO2 filling holes of the photonic crystal, ¶[0129])); an optical waveguide (200) provided on the core, wherein the optical waveguide has a first branch (through branch, Fig. 1E) and a second branch (cross branch, Fig. 1E); a first optical switch (corresponds to a left VO2 thin film, Fig. 1E) on the first branch and a second optical switch (corresponds to a right VO2 thin film, Fig. 1E) on the second branch, wherein the optical switches each comprise: an optical phase change material (VO2 or GST/GSST replacement materials) that is in direct contact with the optical waveguide; a first component (providing the input pulse) at a first end of the optical waveguide; a second component (receiving the through signal) at a second end of the optical waveguide along the first branch; and a third component (receiving the cross signal) at the second end of the optical waveguide along the second branch.
Claim(s) 21-25 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by U.S. PGPub 2021/0005667 by Mazed et al. (Mazed ‘667). It is noted that Mazed ‘667 teaches an optical switch (OS, 640, Fig. 17), whose detail is described/disclosed in related U.S. Application 16/501,189, which was published as 2019/0253776 (Mazed ‘776) referenced in the rejection to claim 20 above, and incorporated in its entirety in the Mazed ‘667 publication. (See ¶[0068] in Mazed ‘667) Therefore Mazed ‘667 also teaches claim 20 in its entirety as details above, in addition, Mazed ‘667 further teaches the optical switch (OS, 640, Fig. 17) that is optical coupled (via an optical waveguide 500) on a first end with a photonic circuit (an OEC 460 coupled to a microprocessor 120A and an electronic memory 140).
Regarding claim 22, Mazed ‘667 teaches claim 20 in its entirety as details above, and further teaches that the electronic package is coupled to the electronic memory 140, which is a system on a chip (SOC) comprising a board (interposer, Fig. 1B) and a die (logic die, Fig. 1B).
Regarding claim 23, Mazed ‘776 teaches a computing system, comprising: a core (photonic crystal), wherein the core comprises glass (SiO2); an optical waveguide network (optical waveguides 200) on the core; and an optical switch (at the VO2 ultra-thin-film) on the optical waveguide network, wherein the optical switch comprises an optical phase change material (VO2 or GST/GSST). It is noted that Mazed ‘667 teaches an optical switch (OS, 640, Fig. 17), whose detail is described/disclosed in related U.S. Application 16/501,189, which was published as 2019/0253776 (Mazed ‘776) referenced in the rejection to claim 20 above, and incorporated in its entirety in the Mazed ‘667 publication. (See ¶[0068] in Mazed ‘667) Therefore Mazed ‘667 also teaches claim 20 in its entirety as details above, in addition, Mazed ‘667 further teaches the optical switch (OS, 640, Fig. 17) that is coupled to a package substrate, and optical coupled (via an optical waveguide 500) to a microprocessor 120A coupled with an OEC 460 and an electronic memory 140, wherein the electronic memory 140, which is a system on a chip (SOC) comprising a board (interposer, Fig. 1B) and a die (logic die, Fig. 1B).
Regarding claim 24, Mazed ‘667 further teaches herein the die comprises a photonics integrated circuit (OEC 460 attached to the microprocessor 120 and electronic memory 140).
Regarding claim 25, Mazed ‘667 further teaches (via incorporated Mazed ‘776) that the optical phase change material comprises germanium, antimony, and tellurium, or germanium, antimony, selenium, and tellurium, or antimony and sulfur, or antimony and selenium (GST/GSST, see at least ¶[0092]).
Claim(s) 1, 2, 4 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by WO 2011/043774 A1 publication by Binkert et al.
Regarding claim 1, Binkert teaches an optical apparatus (Fig. 2) comprising: a core (substrate 306, equivalent to substrate 106 in Fig 1), wherein the core comprises glass (the substrate 106 can be composed of SiO2); an optical waveguide (Si ring waveguide 302) over the core; and an optical phase change material (phase-change layer/PCL 304) over the optical waveguide.
Regarding claim 2, Binkert further teaches the optical phase change material is over three surfaces of the optical waveguide (top and lateral sides of 302 as illustrated in Fig. 6).
Regarding claim 4, Binkert further teaches the optical phase change material is over sidewalls of the optical waveguide (lateral sides of 302 as illustrated in Fig. 6).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. discloses an Optoelectronic Device Based On Phase-change Material.
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/CHARLIE Y PENG/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2874