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 .
Election/Restrictions
Claims 16 – 20 have been withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected invention, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on 5/26/26.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claim 3 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention. Its unclear to examiner how a bonding layer can be between the PIC and substrate when claim 1 recites that a floor of the v-groove comprises the substrate layer as the bonding layer would need to be the floor.
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, 2, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10 and 12 – 15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Potluri et al. (U.S. PG Pub. # 2019/0179079 A1).
In Re claim 1, ‘079 teaches an apparatus, comprising: a photonic integrated circuit (PIC) (605) characterized by a thickness of less than about 100 microns (par. 0038); one or more v-grooves (615 or 625) extending into the PIC from a first surface of the PIC (pars. 0046, 0048, fig. 6); a substrate layer (305 or 140) on a second surface (side or bottom) of the PIC; and the one or more v-grooves having a depth equal to the thickness (pars. 0048) and a floor (bottom of 615 or 625 as since the bottom of the v shape is 305 since v is equal to the thickness of 605 or interpreted as a side at end of the PIC or top surface of 140) that comprises the substrate layer.
[AltContent: ][AltContent: connector][AltContent: connector] In Re claim 2, ‘079 teaches an optical fiber (155) located in a v-groove (625) of the one or more v-grooves, the optical fiber having a radius sufficient for the optical fiber to touch opposing walls of the v-groove of the one or more v-grooves; and a gap between the floor and
the optical fiber (since the v-groove is the thickness PIC, the fiber will contact both sidewalls and form a gap underneath as depicted).
In Re claim 5, ‘079 teaches wherein the substrate layer comprises silicon and oxygen (par. 0032).
In Re claim 6, ‘079 teaches wherein the first surface of the PIC comprises optical routing (for the optical fibers, fig. 6).
In Re claim 7, ‘079 teaches a substrate (105); and an electronic integrated circuit (EIC) (130) attached on a first side of the EIC to the substrate; and wherein the first surface of the PIC is attached (indirectly) to a second side of the EIC.
In Re claim 9, ‘079 teaches wherein the substrate layer (140) comprises an electronic integrated component (EIC) (140 or 140, par. 0024).
In Re claim 10, ‘079 teaches a substrate (145); and wherein the EIC (140) is located between, and in operable communication with, the substrate and the PIC (605 of 150 figs. 1 and 3).
In Re claim 12, ‘079 teaches a package assembly, comprising: a photonic integrated circuit (PIC) (405) comprising: a thickness of less than about 100 microns (par. 0038); one or more v-grooves (615 or 625) extending into the PIC from a first surface of the PIC and having a depth equal to the thickness; a substrate layer (305 or 140) bonded on a second surface of the PIC; and the one or more v-grooves having a floor (bottom of 615 or bottom of 625 since the bottom of the v shape is 305 since v is equal to the thickness of 605 or interpreted as a side at end of the PIC or top surface of 140) that comprises the substrate layer; a substrate attached to the PIC (310); and an electronic integrated component (140 when interpreting substrate layer as 305 or 145) attached to the substrate.
In Re claim 13, ‘079 teaches wherein the substrate layer comprises glass or an electronic integrated circuit (EIC) (par. 0032).
In Re claim 14, ‘079 teaches a printed circuit board (PCB) (140), the PCB attached to the substrate (fig. 1).
In Re claim 15, ‘079 teaches a device (105) comprising the package assembly of claim 14, and further comprising one or more of a power supply, a communications system (130), and a memory component (135).
Claims 1, 3, 4 and 6 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Yamada (U.S. Patent # 5,528,719).
In Re claim 1, ‘719 teaches an apparatus, comprising: a photonic integrated circuit (PIC) (3 or 14 and 15) characterized by a thickness of less than about 100 microns (col. 7, lines 66, 67, col. 9, lines 1, 2); one or more v-grooves (7) extending into the PIC from a first surface of the PIC; a substrate layer (1 and 2, or 2 or 14 or 14 and 11) on a second surface of the PIC; and the one or more v-grooves having a depth equal to the thickness (figs. 1g or 2g ) and a floor (2 or 11) that comprises the substrate layer.
In Re claim 3, ‘719 teaches a bonding layer (14).
In Re claim 4, ‘719 teaches wherein the bonding layer comprises one or more of a silicon oxide, a silicon nitride, and a silicon carbon nitride (col. 7, lines 27, 28).
In Re claim 5, ‘719 teaches wherein the substrate layer comprises silicon and oxygen (11 and 14).
In Re claim 6, ‘719 teaches wherein the first surface of the PIC comprises optical routing (optical fibers 9 are in the 1st surface).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 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.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claims 8 and 11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Potluri et al. (U.S. PG Pub. # 2019/0179079 A1).
‘079 teaches the system of claims 7 and 10, but is silent to a housing as claimed.
However, it is well known in the art to protect circuitry such as claims 7 and 10 within a housing so as to ensure optimum operation in a multitude of environments.
Thus, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the system of claims 7 and 10 to use a housing to enclose the system so as to ensure optimum operation in a multitude of environments thus creating a more robust system as a person with ordinary skill has good reason to pursue the known options within his or her technical grasp.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to CHAD SMITH whose telephone number is (571)270-1294. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 7:30 - 5.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Uyen-Chau Le can be reached at 1-571-272-2397. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/CHAD H SMITH/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2874
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