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 .
Specification
The abstract of the disclosure is objected to because the abstract begins with “Provided herein is”. A corrected abstract of the disclosure is required and must be presented on a separate sheet, apart from any other text. See MPEP § 608.01(b).
The disclosure is objected to because:
In page 1, line 24, delete the second parenthesis.
In page 18, line 15, insert a space between “120” and “from the 1st cycle”.
In page 20, line 16-17, “a second conductive resin layer 320” should be replaced with --a second metal layer 320--.
Appropriate correction is required.
The use of the terms “Keithley”, “Keithley Instruments”, “Omega Engineering” found in page 26, which are trade names or marks used in commerce, have been noted in this application. The terms should be capitalized wherever it appears or, where appropriate, include a proper symbol indicating use in commerce such as ™, SM , or ® following the terms.
Although the use of trade names and marks used in commerce (i.e., trademarks, service marks, certification marks, and collective marks) are permissible in patent applications, the proprietary nature of the marks should be respected and every effort made to prevent their use in any manner which might adversely affect their validity as commercial marks.
Claim Objections
Claim 5 is objected to because of the following informalities: instead of “the other surface”, --another surface-- is more appropriate.
Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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.
Claims 1 and 8-10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hirose, US Pub. 2014/0085044 in view of Parkin et al., US Pub. 2014/0266391.
Regarding claim 1, Hirose teaches an energy-sensitive electronic component (temperature dependent resistor (see at least paragraph 0013) comprising:
an Al2O3 single crystal base substrate (sapphire substrate 2; paragraph 0030);
a VO2 functional thin film (4, 5) disposed on the base substrate (2) and doped with Ti (VO2 as main component and doped with at least Ti; paragraph 0031); and
first and second outer electrodes (6a and 7; see fig. 2) disposed to be spaced apart from each other on the base substrate (2) and/or the functional thin film and connected to the functional thin film, wherein, when R1 is a resistance at a temperature of 25 °C and R2 is a resistance at a temperature of 80 °C, the functional thin film has an R1/R2 of 10⁴ or more, and when a heating process from 25 °C to 80 °C and a cooling process from 80 °C to 25 °C are referred to as one cycle (R1 is between 273 °K to 323 °K and R2 is between 323 °K and 373 °K, wherein the R1/R2 is 10,000 or more; see fig. 4A).
Hirose, further teaches that the phase transition temperature “at which resistance greatly changes can be controlled by changing the specie of an impurity doped in VO2 and/or an amount of the doped impurity.” See at least paragraphs 0020-0021.
Hirose teaches the claimed invention except for a condition, where the functional thin film satisfies at least one among a) a variation (VΔT) in hysteresis temperature difference (ΔT) during 10 cycles is 1 °C or lower, b) a variation (VTMI) in phase transition temperature (TMI) during 10 cycles is 1.5 °C or lower, and c) a variation rate (VR1/R2) of R1/R2 during 10 cycles is 5% or less.
Parkin teaches a voltage dependent device having a VO2 thin film doped with TiO2 (VO2/TiO2; see figs. 2A-2B and paragraphs 0024-0026), wherein the onset temperature of the MIT is decreased and the magnitude of the resistance change is dropped by controlling the oxygen content and the pressure applied (two pressures shown at 5 and 7 has no change in hysteresis temperature and variation rate; see fig. 2B).
It would have been obvious to one skilled in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the teachings of Parkin with Hirose, since controlling the doping content and the pressure applied as taught by Parkin allows for lowering the hysteresis temperature and the variation rate to the component device of Hirose.
Regarding claim 8, Hirose teaches a thin film substrate comprising:
an Al2O3 single crystal base substrate (sapphire substrate 2; paragraph 0030);
a VO2 functional thin film (4, 5) disposed on the base substrate (2) and doped with Ti (VO2 as main component and doped with at least Ti; paragraph 0031); and
first and second outer electrodes (6a and 7; see fig. 2) disposed to be spaced apart from each other on the base substrate (2) and/or the functional thin film and connected to the functional thin film, wherein, when R1 is a resistance at a temperature of 25 °C and R2 is a resistance at a temperature of 80 °C, the functional thin film has an R1/R2 of 10⁴ or more, and when a heating process from 25 °C to 80 °C and a cooling process from 80 °C to 25 °C are referred to as one cycle (R1 is between 273 °K to 323 °K and R2 is between 323 °K and 373 °K, wherein the R1/R2 is 10,000 or more; see fig. 4A).
Hirose, further teaches that the phase transition temperature “at which resistance greatly changes can be controlled by changing the specie of an impurity doped in VO2 and/or an amount of the doped impurity.” See at least paragraphs 0020-0021.
Hirose teaches the claimed invention except for a condition, where the functional thin film satisfies at least one among a) a variation (VΔT) in hysteresis temperature difference (ΔT) during 10 cycles is 1 °C or lower, b) a variation (VTMI) in phase transition temperature (TMI) during 10 cycles is 1.5 °C or lower, and c) a variation rate (VR1/R2) of R1/R2 during 10 cycles is 5% or less.
Parkin teaches a voltage dependent device having a VO2 thin film doped with TiO2 (VO2/TiO2; see figs. 2A-2B and paragraphs 0024-0026), wherein the onset temperature of the MIT is decreased and the magnitude of the resistance change is dropped by controlling the oxygen content and the pressure applied (two pressures shown at 5 and 7 has no change in hysteresis temperature and variation rate; see fig. 2B).
It would have been obvious to one skilled in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the teachings of Parkin with Hirose, since controlling the doping content and the pressure applied as taught by Parkin allows for lowering the hysteresis temperature and the variation rate to the component device of Hirose.
Regarding claims 9 and 10, Hirose teaches the first and second lead thin film (6a and 7a) comprising platinum (Pt; see paragraph 0039).
Claim(s) 2 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hirose in view of Parkin as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Shinoura et al. (US Pub. 2016/0247610).
Regarding claim 2, Hirose and Parkin teach the claimed invention except for the electrodes being a conductive resin comprising of a base resin and conductive particles.
Shinoura teaches the use of conductive resin electrode (electrode 42; see at least fig. 3 and paragraph 0126) for the purpose protecting the resistive layer in harsh environment (resistant to sulfurization; paragraph 0124).
It would have been obvious to one skilled in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the teachings of Shinoura with Hirose and Parkin, since the conductive resin electrode taught by Shinoura will better protect the component of Hirose and Parkin from its environment, thus preventing detachment.
Regarding claims 3-7, Hirose and Parkin teach the claimed invention except for a lead thin film dispose between the first electrode and the functional thin film.
Shinoura teaches a silver lead thin film (Ag electrode 31; see paragraph 0113) between the outer electrode (42) and the functional thin film (resistive thin film 2) for the purpose of interconnecting the functional thin film with the outer electrode (42 and/or 33; see fig. 3 and paragraph 0118).
It would have been obvious to one skilled in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the teachings of Shinoura with Hirose and Parkin, since the lead thin film taught by Shinoura allows for interconnecting the functional thin film with the outer electrodes for the component of Hirose and Parkin.
Regarding claim 5, Hirose and Parkin teach the claimed invention except for the first and second lead thin film spaced apart from each other and on “the other surface” of the functional thin film.
Shinoura teaches the functional thin film having another surface (the functional thin film 2 is L-shaped with other surfaces; see fig. 3), wherein the first and second lead thin film contact the functional thin film at two other surfaces.
It would have been obvious to one skilled in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the teachings of Shinoura with Hirose and Parkin, since the other surface of the functional thin film (the L-shape) increase the electrical contact area to provide a better connection for the functional thin film and the lead thin film for the component of Hirose and Parkin.
Regarding claims 6 and 7, Hirose teaches the outer electrodes (6a and 7a) spaced apart and are on the other surface of the functional thin film, and the outer electrodes both extend to both end surfaces (extend on the side surface of the substrate; see fig. 2).
Conclusion
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/KYUNG S LEE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2833