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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The references cited in the PCT international search report by the JPO mailed 15 February 2022 have been considered, but will not be listed on any patent resulting from this application because they were not provided on a separate list in compliance with 37 CFR 1.98(a)(1). In order to have the references printed on such resulting patent, a separate listing, preferably on a PTO/SB/08 form, must be filed within the set period for reply to this Office action.
Specification
The disclosure is objected to because of the following informalities:
Paragraph [0051] includes the phrase “the precursor and a compound that contains europium and is dispersed so as not to be in direct contact with the precursor”. This phrase, as written, is confusing since it implies the mixture of the precursor and the compound is dispersed so as not to be in direct contact with the precursor. The rest of the paragraph teaches that it is the compound containing europium that is dispersed so as not to be in direct contact with the precursor. It is suggested to rewrite the phrase as “the precursor and a compound that contains europium, and the compound that contains europium is dispersed so as not to be in direct contact with the precursor” to overcome the objection. Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Objections
Claim 12 is objected to because of the following informalities: This claim includes the phrase “the precursor and a compound that contains europium and is dispersed so as not to be in direct contact with the precursor”. This phrase, as written, is confusing since it implies the mixture of the precursor and the compound is dispersed so as not to be in direct contact with the precursor. The specification teaches that it is the compound containing europium that is dispersed so as not to be in direct contact with the precursor. It is suggested to rewrite the phrase as “the precursor and a compound that contains europium, and the compound that contains europium is dispersed so as not to be in direct contact with the precursor” to overcome the objection. Appropriate correction is required.
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.
Claims 13 and 20 are 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.
Claim 13 teaches the charging amount of europium per 1 g of the precursor is in a range from 1.2-12 mg/cm3. Paragraph [0061] teaches the charging amount of europium per 1 g of aluminum nitride of the precursor is in a range from 1.2-12 mg/cm3 in terms of the compound containing europium. Paragraph [0023] teaches the content of aluminum nitride in the precursor is 90-99.9 wt%. Claim 10 teaches the precursor contains aluminum nitride. In view of the teachings of these paragraphs and in claim 10, it is unclear if “1 g of the precursor” of claim 13 refers to the amount of aluminum nitride in the precursor, which is 90-99.8 wt% of the precursor or the amount of precursor is based on the mixture of 90-99.8 wt% aluminum nitride and 0.2-10 wt% of the other components in the precursor, such as a sintering aid, binders, etc.
Claim 20, which depends form claim 10, teaches the precursor is produced by firing. Out of the two precursors taught in claim 10, only one “the sintered body” is produced by firing. Thus claim 20 is indefinite since it teaches both the sintered body precursor and the molded body precursor taught in claim 10 are produced by firing.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 10, 11, 14-19, 21 and 22 are allowed.
Claim 12 would be allowable if rewritten to overcome the objection, set forth in this Office action.
Claims 13 and 20 would be allowable if rewritten to overcome the rejections under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, set forth in this Office action.
The claimed process of claim 10 and the first step of the process of claim 22 for producing an europium containing aluminum nitride phosphor ceramic by contacting an aluminum nitride containing sintered body or molded body with a gas containing europium, wherein the amount of europium is the ceramic is 0.03-1.5 mass%.
WO 2010/065099 is the cited closest art of record since it teaches producing a doped wide bandgap semiconductor, such as aluminum nitride, single crystal or an epitaxial film by containing the semiconductor with a gas containing a multi-hole donor or acceptor dopant (i.e. n-type or p-type), such as europium. These types of dopants aid in charge carrier transport and thus the taught dopants would not act as nor be present in the amount necessary for the taught dopant to act as a light emission center. Thus, while the reference suggests producing a n-type or p-doped semiconductor single crystal or epitaxial film by containing the semiconductor single crystal or epitaxial film with a gas containing the dopant; the reference does not teach producing a phosphor ceramic by the disclosed method.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to C. MELISSA KOSLOW whose telephone number is (571)272-1371. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Tues:7:45-3:45 EST;Thurs-Fri:6:30-2:00EST; and Wed:7:45-2:00EST.
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/C Melissa Koslow/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1734
cmk
2/18/26