DETAILED ACTION
Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
1. The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
SUMMARY
2. Patent application filed on July 20, 2023, has been received and made of record. There are 1-20 claims in the application of which claims 1, 17, and 20 are independent claims. Therefore, claims 1-20 are pending for consideration.
Information Disclosure Statement
3. The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on June 07, 2024, and October 21, 2024, were filed after the effective filing date of the application on July 20, 2023. The submissions are in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statements are being considered by the examiner.
Claim Rejections- 35 USC § 102
4. 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.
5. Claim 20 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by CHEUNG et al.(US 2019/0013640 A1)(herein after CHEUNG).
Regarding claim 20, CHUNG teaches an electronic apparatus (tunable laser 100, fig.1, Para-29) comprising:
a substrate(substrate 110, fig.3A, Para-43);
a waveguide layer(any one layer of 120-130, fig.3A, Para-46, 62) disposed on the substrate(110); and
at least two semiconductor elements(electrodes 13, 13A, 23, 23A, fig.3B, Para-53) provided on the waveguide layer(120-130) and configured to generate heat during operation(Para-47, 50, 79),
wherein the waveguide layer(120-130) is disconnected between the at least two semiconductor elements(electrodes 13, 13A, 23, 23A) to expose the substrate(110) located between the at least two semiconductor elements(figs.3A-3B).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
6. 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.
7. 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.
8. 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.
9. Claims 1-5 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by or, in the alternative, under 35 U.S.C. 103 as obvious over SHIM et al.(US 2018/0366901 A1)(herein after SHIM).
Regarding claim 1, SHIM teaches a tunable laser light source (tunable hybrid laser diode 300, fig.6, Para-54) comprising:
a substrate(silicon substrate 110, figs.1&6, Para-38, 55);
a waveguide layer(first waveguide 321, or second waveguide 322, fig.6, Para-55) disposed on the substrate(110, 112, 114), and comprising a first optical waveguide(first waveguide 321, or second waveguide 322, fig.6, Para-55) and a second optical waveguide(second waveguide 322, or first waveguide 321 fig.6, Para-55) that are spaced apart from each other in a first direction and that extend in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction(figs.6-7);
a first optical amplifier(first hybrid photon device 351, fig.6) provided on the first optical waveguide(321, Para-58);
a second optical amplifier(second hybrid photon device 352, fig.6) provided on the second optical waveguide(322, Para-58) and facing the first optical amplifier(fig.6) at a distance in the first direction; and
a thermal isolation structure(etch stop layer 330, fig.6, Para-56) that is provided between the first optical amplifier(351) and the second optical amplifier(352) in the first direction (fig.6),
wherein, in the thermal isolation structure, the waveguide layer is disconnected in the first direction such that an upper surface of the substrate(110, fig.7) is exposed outside of the waveguide layer(321, 322, fig.7).
Regarding claim 2, SHIM teaches the tunable laser light source of claim 1, wherein a length of the thermal isolation structure(330) in the second direction(horizontal direction) is greater than a length of the first optical amplifier(351) in the second direction and a length of the second optical amplifier(352, fig.6) in the second direction(horizontal direction).
Regarding claim 3, SHIM teaches the tunable laser light source of claim 2, wherein a first end(left end) of the thermal isolation structure(330) protrudes in the second direction beyond a first end of the first optical amplifier(351) and a first end of the second optical amplifier(352), and a second end(right end) of the isolation structure(330), which is opposite to the first end, protrudes in the second direction beyond a second end of the first optical amplifier(351) and a second end of the second optical amplifier(352)(fig.6).
Regarding claim 4, SHIM teaches the tunable laser light source of claim 1, further comprising:
a first ring resonator(first ring resonator 311 or second ring resonator 312, fig.6, Para-57) disposed to face the first end of the thermal isolation structure in the second direction between the first and second optical waveguides(321 and 322, fig.6) in the first direction; and
a second ring resonator(second ring resonator 312, or first ring resonator 311, fig.6, Para-57) disposed to face the second end of the thermal isolation structure(330) opposite to the first end in the second direction between the first and second optical waveguides in the first direction(figs.6&7).
Regarding claim 5, SHIM teaches the tunable laser light source of claim 4, wherein a distance between the first end of the thermal isolation structure(330) and the first ring resonator (311) in the second direction is less than a distance between the first end of the first optical amplifier(351) and the first ring resonator(311) and a distance between the first end of the second optical amplifier(352) and the first ring resonator(311)(fig.6), and
a distance between the second end of the thermal isolation structure(330) and the second ring resonator(312) in the second direction is less than a distance between the second end of the first optical amplifier(351) and the second ring resonator(312) and a distance between the second end of the second optical amplifier(352) and the second ring resonator (312)(fig.6).
10. Claim 9 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over SHIM et al.(US 2018/0366901 A1) in view of Koshoubu et al.(US 2020/0386943 A1)(herein after Koshoubu).
Regarding claim 9, SHIM is not found to teach expressly the tunable laser light source of claim 1, wherein the thermal conductivity of the thermal isolation structure is less than the thermal conductivity of the waveguide layer.
However, Koshoubu teaches a waveguide type optical interferometer circuit, wherein the thermal conductivity of material used in each zone from the surrounding clad is different in waveguide layer(Para-99, 106-107, 301, 302).
The prior art, as embodied in the teachings of SHIM and Koshoubu, included each element claimed, although not necessarily in a single prior art reference, with the only difference between the claimed invention and the prior art being the lack of actual combination of the elements in a single prior art reference. One of ordinary skill in the art could have combined the elements as claimed by known methods and in that combination each element merely performs the same function as it does separately. It also possible to adjust the light intensity coefficient while suppressing a rise in temperature of a portion where the light intensity is high.
11. Claims 10, 13, and 17-19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over SHIM et al.(US 2018/0366901 A1) in view of Lee et al.(US 2020/0103679 A1)(herein after Lee).
Regarding claim 10, SHIM is not found to teach expressly the tunable laser light source of claim 1, further comprising a cladding layer on the waveguide layer.
However, Lee teaches an apparatus, comprising a cladding layer(cladding layer 141, fig.4, Para-69) on the waveguide layer (waveguide 121, fig.4, Para-69).
Therefore, it would be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the application, to have modified SHIM with the teaching of LEE to include the feature in order to reduce light leakage.
The combined teaching of SHIM and Lee teaches the tunable laser light source, wherein the thermal isolation structure (330, fig.6, SHIM) is a region filled with the cladding layer (141, fig.4, Lee) between the first and second optical amplifiers(351, 352, fig.6, SHIM).
Regarding claim 13, SHIM as modified by Lee teaches the tunable laser light source of claim 1, wherein
the first optical amplifier(first optical amplifier 151, fig.4, Para-69, Lee) includes a first lower contact layer(lower cladding layer 141, fig.4, Para-69, Lee) disposed on the first optical waveguide(121, fig.4, Lee), a first gain material layer (first gain medium layer 142, fig.4, Para-69, Lee) disposed on the first lower contact layer(141), and a first upper contact layer(upper cladding layer 143, fig.4, Para-69, Lee) disposed on the first gain material layer(142), and
the second optical amplifier(second optical amplifier 152, fig.5, Para-73, Lee) includes a second lower contact layer(lower cladding layer 141, fig.5, Para-73, Lee) disposed on the second optical waveguide(122), a second gain material layer(second gain medium layer 144, fig.5, Para-73, Lee) disposed on the second lower contact layer(141), and a second upper contact layer(upper cladding layer 143, fig.5, Para-73, Lee) disposed on the second gain material layer(144)(for motivation see the rejection of claim 10).
Claim 17 is rejected for the same reason as mentioned in the rejection of claim 1, since both claims 1 and 17 recite identical claim limitations. The additional phrase in preamble “a light detection and ranging(LIDAR) apparatus” is also disclosed by Lee in Para-106(for motivation see the rejection of claim 10).
Regarding claims 18, SHIM as modified by Lee teaches the LiDAR apparatus of claim 17, wherein the thermal isolation structure(330, fig.6, SHIM) is disposed between two adjacent pairs(fig.6, SHIM) in the first direction among the plurality of pairs(fig.9, Lee).
Regarding claims 19, SHIM as modified by Lee teaches the LiDAR apparatus of claim 17, wherein the thermal isolation structure is arranged to surround a pair of one optical amplifier and one optical modulator adjacent to each other in the second direction among the plurality of pairs of optical amplifiers and an optical modulators(it is obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to have thermal isolation structure around the amplifiers and modulators in order to reduce and/or noise in the optical signal during propagation in the waveguide and it is well-known in the art also).
12. Claim 11 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over SHIM et al.(US 2018/0366901 A1) in view of Lee et al.(US 2020/0103679 A1) and further in view of Ikoma et al.(US 6,625,187 B1) (herein after Ikoma).
Regarding claim 11, SHIM as modified by Lee is not found to teach expressly the tunable laser light source of claim 10, wherein in the thermal isolation structure, the upper surface of the substrate and the cladding layer are in direct contact with each other.
However, Ikoma teaches a semiconductor optical device, wherein in the thermal isolation structure(obvious to have thermal isolation to separate two branches of optical waveguide 72a and 72b, fig.10 in order to block interference or noise), the upper surface of the substrate (substrate 50, fig.10) and the cladding layer(third clad layer 52a, fig.10) are in direct contact with each other(fig.10).
Therefore, it would be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the application, to have modified SHIM further with the teaching of Ikoma to include the feature in order to provide high relative precision in arrangement of semiconductor optical amplifier and optical waveguide.
13. Claim 12 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over SHIM et al.(US 2018/0366901 A1) in view of Lee et al.(US 2020/ 0103679 A1) and further in view of Koshoubu et al.(US 2020/0386943 A1) (herein after Koshoubu).
Regarding claim 12, SHIM as modified by Lee and Koshoubu teaches the tunable laser light source of claim 10, wherein the cladding layer has a refractive index less than a refractive index of the waveguide layer(Para-51, Koshoubu), and the cladding layer has a thermal conductivity less than a thermal conductivity of the waveguide layer(Para-51, 99, 106, 301, 302, Koshoubu) (for motivation see the rejection of claim 9).
14. Claim 14 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over SHIM et al.(US 2018/0366901 A1) in view of Lee et al.(US 2020/ 0103679 A1) and further in view of Ferrara et al.(US 2023/0003848 A1) (herein after Ferrara).
Regarding claim 14, SHIM as modified by Lee is not found to teach expressly the tunable laser light source of claim 13, further comprising a thermal management device disposed in contact with the first upper contact layer and the second upper contact layer.
However, Ferrara teaches a heat dissipation in optical device comprising a thermal management device(heating element 104, fig.4A, Para-56) disposed in contact with the first upper contact layer(cladding 110) and the second upper contact layer (cladding 110, fig.4A).
Therefore, it would be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the application, to have modified SHIM further with the teaching of Ferrara to include the feature in order to modulate a phase of light propagating through waveguide by modulating electrical current driven through heating element.
Allowable Subject Matter
15. Claims 6-8, and 15-16 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
16. The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
Claim 6: None of the cited prior arts, on record, taken alone or in combination, provides a reasonable motivation to fairly teach or suggest the applicant’s claim invention, ”the tunable laser light source of claim 4, wherein the thermal isolation structure is a first thermal isolation structure disposed between a first side surface of the first optical amplifier and a first side surface of the second optical amplifier in the first direction, wherein the tunable laser light source further includes: a second thermal isolation structure disposed to face a second side of the first optical amplifier opposite the first side of the first optical amplifier in the first direction and extending in the second direction; a third thermal isolation structure disposed to face a second side surface of the second optical amplifier opposite the first side surface of the second optical amplifier in the first direction and extending in the second direction; a fourth thermal isolation structure disposed to face a side surface of the first ring resonator in the second direction; and a fifth thermal isolation structure disposed to face a side surface of the second ring resonator in the second direction”.
Claims 7 and 8 are also objected to because of their dependency on the objected base claims respectively.
Claim 15: None of the cited prior arts, on record, taken alone or in combination, provides a reasonable motivation to fairly teach or suggest the applicant’s claim invention, ”the tunable laser light source of claim 13, further comprising: a thermal management device disposed on a lower surface of the substrate; a first thermal conductive plug connected between the first lower contact layer and the thermal management device and extending in the third direction perpendicular to the first and second directions; a second thermal conductive plug connected between the first upper contact layer and the thermal management device and extending in the third direction; a third thermal conductive plug connected between the second lower contact layer and the thermal management device and extending in the third direction; and a fourth thermal conductive plug connected between the second upper contact layer and the thermal management device and extending in a third direction, wherein the thermal management device is configured to individually cool the first to fourth thermal conductive plugs”.
Claim 16: None of the cited prior arts, on record, taken alone or in combination, provides a reasonable motivation to fairly teach or suggest the applicant’s claim invention, ”the tunable laser light source of claim 13, further comprising: a thermal management device disposed on a lower surface of the substrate; a first thermal conductive member extending between the thermal management device and the first optical waveguide through the substrate in the third direction perpendicular to the first and second directions; and a second thermal conductive member extending between the thermal management device and the second optical waveguide through the substrate in the third direction perpendicular to the first and second directions”.
Examiner Note
17. The Examiner cites particular figures, paragraphs, columns and line numbers in the references, as applied to the claims above. Although the particular citations are representative teachings and are applied to specific limitations within the claims, other passages, internally cited references, and figures may also apply. In preparing a response, it is respectfully requested that the Applicant fully consider the references, in their entirety, as potentially disclosing or teaching all or part of the claimed invention, as well as fully consider the context of the passage as taught by the references or as disclosed by the Examiner.
Contact
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/MD SAIFUL A SIDDIQUI/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2626