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.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 12/27/2023, 12/10/2024,07/10/2025 and 12/24/2025 have been considered by the examiner.
Specification
The lengthy 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
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
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 11-22 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by OH KEUN-TAE ET AL: "Facile synthesis of 1.1 AlOxdielectrics via mist-CVD based on aqueous solutions", CERAMICS INTERNATIONAL, ELSEVIER, AMSTERDAM, NL, vol. 43, no. 12, 14 April 2017 (2017-04-14), pages 8932-8937, XP085042106, ISSN: 0272-8842, DOI: 10.1016/J.CERAMINT.2017.04.031) which is submitted by the Applicant on 12/24/2025.
Regarding claim 11, Oh teaches a method of producing a raw material solution for film-forming according to a Mist Chemical Vapor Deposition (Mist CVD) method (see Abstract), wherein a temperature at which a solute containing a metallic element (refer to the aluminum in the aluminum acetylacetonate solution see in section§2.1) is mixed with a solvent (refer to mixture of deionized water and acetone see in section§2.1) and stirred is 30°C or higher (see section §2.1).
Regarding claim 12, Oh teaches all the limitations of the claimed invention for the same reasons as set forth above. Besides, Oh teaches a temperature for the stirring is 35°C or higher (see section §2.1).
Regarding claim 13, Oh teaches all the limitations of the claimed invention for the same reasons as set forth above. Besides, Oh teaches a time for the stirring is 60 hours or less (see section §2.1).
Regarding claim 14, Oh teaches all the limitations of the claimed invention for the same reasons as set forth above. Besides, Oh teaches a time for the stirring is 60 hours or less (see section §2.1).
Regarding claim 15, Oh teaches all the limitations of the claimed invention for the same reasons as set forth above. Besides, Oh teaches the solute contains at least one of the metallic elements of gallium or aluminum, and halogens (refer to the aluminum in the aluminum acetylacetonate solution see in section§2.1).
Regarding claim 16, Oh teaches all the limitations of the claimed invention for the same reasons as set forth above. Besides, Oh teaches the solute contains at least one of the metallic elements of gallium or aluminum, and halogens (refer to the aluminum in the aluminum acetylacetonate solution see in section§2.1).
Regarding claim 17, Oh teaches all the limitations of the claimed invention for the same reasons as set forth above. Besides, Oh teaches the solute contains at least one of the metallic elements of gallium or aluminum, and halogens (refer to the aluminum in the aluminum acetylacetonate solution see in section§2.1)
Regarding claim 18, Oh teaches all the limitations of the claimed invention for the same reasons as set forth above. Besides, Oh teaches the solute contains at least one of the metallic elements of gallium or aluminum, and halogens (refer to the aluminum in the aluminum acetylacetonate solution see in section§2.1).
Regarding claim 19, Oh teaches all the limitations of the claimed invention for the same reasons as set forth above. Besides, Oh teaches the solute contains at least one of the metallic elements of gallium or aluminum, and acetylacetone is added to the solvent mixed with the solute and stirred (refer to the aluminum in the aluminum acetylacetonate solution see in section§2.1).
Regarding claim 20, Oh teaches all the limitations of the claimed invention for the same reasons as set forth above. Besides, Oh teaches a temperature for the stirring is 950C or lower (see section§2.1).
Regarding claim 21, Oh teaches all the limitations of the claimed invention for the same reasons as set forth above. Besides, Oh teaches a time for the stirring is 1 minute or more (see section§2.1).
Regarding claim 22, Oh teaches method of film-forming according to Mist CVD method, comprising the steps of:
generating mist by mist-forming from a raw material solution at a mist- forming unit (refer to mist unit in fig. 1);
supplying a carrier gas (refer to carrier gas in fig. 1) for transporting the mist to the mist-forming unit;
transporting the mist by the carrier gas from the mist-forming unit to a film- forming chamber via a supply pipe connecting the mist-forming unit (refer to mist unit in fig. 1) and the film-forming chamber (refer to chamber in fig. 1); and
forming a film on a substrate with the transported mist by heat treatment (see fig. 1), wherein producing the raw material solution by the method of producing a raw material solution according to claim 11 (see section§2.1-§2.2 and fig. 1).
Claim 11 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Fujdala (US 20150221506A1).
Regarding claim 11, Fujdala teaches a method of producing a raw material solution for film-forming according to a Mist Chemical Vapor Deposition (Mist CVD) (refer to spray pyrolysis which is known in the art that it is the spaying a atomized mist raw material) method (see par. 209), wherein a temperature at which a solute containing a metallic element (refer to the aluminum and gallium in pars. 291-313) is mixed with a solvent (refer to colorless solution in par. 291-313) and stirred is 30°C or higher (see pars. 291-313).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 23-24 are allowed.
The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance:
Regarding claim 23, the prior art of record alone or in combination neither teaches nor makes obvious the invention of a method of film-forming according to Mist CVD method, comprising the steps of: “a production lot containing two or more crystalline oxide films, each containing two or more metallic elements, produced from the same raw solution lot, wherein a dispersion in compositions of the metallic elements having the largest composition of a metallic component in the crystalline oxide film among the crystalline oxide films is 5.0 % or less” in combination of all of the limitations of claim 23. Claim 24 include all of the limitations of claim 23.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Niki Tram Nguyen whose telephone number is (571) 272-5526. The examiner can normally be reached on 6:00am-4:00pm.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner's supervisor, Steven Loke can be reached on (703)872-9306. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/NIKI H NGUYEN/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2818