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 .
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Specification
The specification has not been checked to the extent necessary to determine the presence of all possible minor errors. Applicant's cooperation is requested in correcting any errors of which applicant may become aware in the specification.
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 1-3 and 5 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Shibata et al. (US20110175488, hereinafter Shibata).
Regarding claims 1 and 3, Shibata discloses a piezoelectric stack comprising (Figs. 1, 2): a substrate (1) having a main surface with a diameter of 3 inches or more (paragraph [0074] discloses using a substrate of 4-6inches); and a piezoelectric film (3) on the substrate, comprising a perovskite-type alkali niobium oxide (KNN) containing potassium, sodium, niobium, and oxygen, wherein a half-value width of an X-ray rocking curve of (001) is within a range of 0.50° or more and 2.50° or less over an entire area of an inside of a main surface of the piezoelectric film excluding its periphery when performing X-ray diffraction measurement on the piezoelectric film (paragraphs [0016] and [0073]).
Regarding claim 2, the piezoelectric film contains additives such as lithium, tantalum, etc… (See paragraph [0053])
Regarding claim 3, Shibata discloses a method of manufacturing a piezoelectric stack, comprising: preparing a sputtering target material comprising a sintered ceramics of a perovskite-type alkali niobium oxide containing potassium, sodium, niobium, and oxygen; preparing a substrate having a main surface with a diameter of 3 inches or more; and depositing a piezoelectric film on the substrate using the sputtering target material, the piezoelectric film comprising the alkali niobium oxide, and having a half-value width of an X-ray rocking curve of (001) within a range of 0.5° or more and 2.50° or less over an entire area of an inside of a main surface of the piezoelectric film excluding its periphery when performing X-ray diffraction measurement on the piezoelectric film. (paragraphs [0065] and [0074])
Regarding claim 5, Shibata discloses a sputtering target material comprising a sintered ceramics of a perovskite-type alkali niobium oxide containing potassium, sodium, niobium, and oxygen, wherein a piezoelectric film is obtained, having a half-value width of an X-ray rocking curve of (001) within a range of 0.50° or more and 2.50° or less over an entire area of an inside of a main surface of the piezoelectric film excluding its periphery when performing X-ray diffraction measurement on the piezoelectric film, by being deposited a piezoelectric film on a substrate with a diameter of 3 inches or more, using the sputtering target material as a target material that is used when performing a deposition treatment by a sputtering method. Please refer to paragraphs [0065] and [0074].
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 4 and 6-8 are allowed.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: The references of the Prior Art fail to teach or disclose, alone or in obvious combination, the claimed invention as described in independent claims 4 and 6.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. See PTO-892.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Jaydi San Martin whose telephone number is (571)272-2018. The examiner can normally be reached on M-Th 7:45-6:00pm.
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/J. San Martin/
Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2837
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