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
Claims 1-19 and new claim 20 are pending in the Amendment filed 12/03/2025, of which claim 1-9 are withdrawn from consideration as being drawn to a nonelected invention.
Applicant’s amendment to independent claims 10 and 12 (adding a new limitation, “a width of each of the plurality of grooves cyclically varies a long a thickness direction of the cell main body”) has overcome the prior art rejection of record.
However, claims 10-20 are rejected in view of newly cited reference to Hirai et al. (“Microfabrication of Alkali Vapor Cells With Lower The Outgassing And Temperature Utilizing Silicon 3D Structure”, 2019 IEEE 32nd International Conference on Micro Electro Mechanical Systems (MEMS), pp. 350-353, 10.1109/MEMSYS.2019.8870676, Published January 27, 2019).
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claims 10 and 12 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 § 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.
Claims 10-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Hirai et al. (“Microfabrication of Alkali Vapor Cells With Lower The Outgassing And Temperature Utilizing Silicon 3D Structure”, 2019 IEEE 32nd International Conference on Micro Electro Mechanical Systems (MEMS), pp. 350-353, 10.1109/MEMSYS.2019.8870676, Published January 27, 2019).
As to claim 10, Hirai discloses a metal-gas-filled cell [Abstract, Fig. 3] comprising:
a cell main body comprising a first surface [Fig. 3], a second surface [Fig. 3], an injection port [Fig. 3, Sample Cavity], and a gas generating portion [Fig, 3, Cs-Source];
a first glass sheet attached to the first surface of the cell main body [Fig. 3];
a second glass sheet attached to the second surface of the cell main body [Fig. 3];
an optical chamber provided in at least one selected from the cell main body [Fig. 3, CPT cavity], the first glass sheet, and the second glass sheet, the optical chamber communicating with the gas generating portion [Fig. 3, CPT cavity communicates with Cs-Source via Channels]; and
a metal gas filling the optical chamber [Fig. 4, (5); Fig. 7(b)], wherein
the gas generating portion comprises a plurality of grooves that are open to the first surface [Fig. 1, Cs-source],
the injection port comprises a through hole extending from the first surface to the second surface [Fig. 3, Sample Cavity], and communicates with the gas generating portion [Fig. 3.], and
a width of each of the plurality of grooves cyclically varies along a thickness direction of the cell main body [Fig. 1].
As to claim 11, Hirai discloses the metal-gas-filled cell according to claim 10, wherein the optical chamber is provided in the cell main body [Fig. 3], and is open to at least one of the first surface and the second surface [Fig. 3].
As to claim 12, Hirai discloses a metal-gas-filled cell comprising:
a cell main body comprising a first surface [Fig. 3] an injection port [Fig. 3, Sample Cavity], and a gas generating portion [Fig, 3, Cs-Source];
a glass sheet attached to the first surface of the cell main body [Fig. 3];
an optical chamber provided in at least one selected from the cell main body and the glass sheet [Fig. 3, CPT cavity], the optical chamber communicating with the gas generating portion [Fig. 3, CPT cavity communicates with Cs-Source via Channels]; and
a metal gas filling the optical chamber [Fig. 4, (5); Fig. 7(b)],
wherein the gas generating portion comprises a plurality of grooves that are open to the first surface [Fig. 1, Cs-source],
the injection port is open to the first surface [Fig. 3, Sample Cavity], and communicates with the gas generating portion [Fig. 3] and
a width of each of the plurality of grooves cyclically varies along a thickness direction of the cell main body [Fig. 1].
As to claim 13, Hirai discloses the metal-gas-filled cell according to claim 12, wherein the optical chamber is provided in the cell main body, and is open to the first surface [Fig. 3, CPT cavity].
As to claim 14, Hirai discloses the metal-gas-filled cell according to claim 10, further comprising a solid raw material of the metal gas, the solid raw material being adherent to the gas generating portion [Fig. 1; Fig. 5(b), “Results and Discussion”, para. 1, “re-crystalized CsN3 were well assembled on the surface of micro-sized scallop patterns after drying process of CsN3 aqueous solution.”].
As to claim 15, Hirai discloses the metal-gas-filled cell according to claim 14, wherein the gas generating portion comprises a plurality of pillars [Fig. 1; Fig. 5(b)], and the solid raw material comprises a first remaining portion and a second remaining portion, the first remaining portion being present over the adjacent pillars to fill bottom portions of the plurality of grooves, the second remaining portion coating a surface of the pillar [Fig. 1; Fig. 5(b)] .
As to claim 16, Hirai discloses the metal-gas-filled cell according to claim 10 further comprising a microchannel allowing the optical chamber and the gas generating portion to communicate with each other [Fig. 3, CPT cavity communicates with Cs-Source via Channels]
As to claim 17, Hirai discloses the metal-gas-filled cell according to claim 12 further comprising a solid raw material of the metal gas, the solid raw material being adherent to the gas generating portion [Fig. 1; Fig. 5(b), “Results and Discussion”, para. 1, “re-crystalized CsN3 were well assembled on the surface of micro-sized scallop patterns after drying process of CsN3 aqueous solution.”].
As to claim 18, Hirai discloses the metal-gas-filled cell according to claim 17, wherein the gas generating portion comprises a plurality of pillars [Fig. 1], and the solid raw material comprises a first remaining portion and a second remaining portion, the first remaining portion being present over the adjacent pillars to fill bottom portions of the plurality of grooves, the second remaining portion coating a surface of the pillar [Fig. 1; Fig. 5(b), “Results and Discussion”, para. 1, “re-crystalized CsN3 were well assembled on the surface of micro-sized scallop patterns after drying process of CsN3 aqueous solution.”].
As to claim 19, Hirai discloses the metal-gas-filled cell according to claim 12 further comprising: a microchannel allowing the optical chamber [Fig. 2, CPT cavity] and the gas generating portion to communicate with each other [Fig. 3, CPT cavity communicates with Cs-Source via Channels]
As to claim 20, Hirai discloses the metal-gas-filled cell according to claim 10, wherein the plurality of grooves each has a portion larger in width than an opening width of each of the plurality of grooves in the first surface [Fig. 1].
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure: The additionally cited references are cited to show atomic and gas cells comprising a primary chamber, a reservoir, and channels therebetween [Abstracts].
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.
/CHRISTOPHER REMAVEGE/Examiner, Art Unit 1713
/BINH X TRAN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1713
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