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 .
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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.
Claim(s) 1-13 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Henry et al (US 8148264) in view of QIU, Qing-hua et al (CN 101369618 A)
Regarding Claim 1,
Henry et al discloses (Fig. 1) an optical device fabrication method comprising: coating a first material (120) over a surface of a substrate (110)(column 2, line 37, “…coating the substrate by a resist..”); etching a portion of the first material (120) to obtain a target position for a nano-pillar (160)(column 2, line 35-45 “…defining the high aspect ratio pillars by patterning and exposing the resist…”); coating a second material (140) over a portion of the surface of the substrate (110) exposed through etching the portion of the first material (120), a height of the second material (140) being equal to a height of the first material (120); coating a nano-material (chemical bath, (column 4, lines 32-42)) over a surface of the second material (140) and the first material (120); etching (chemical bath dissolved 120 and 140) the nano-material to remove a first portion of the nano-material and retain a second portion (160) of the nano-material at the target position to form a part of the nano-pillar (160), a ratio of a height of the nano-pillar to a width of the nano-pillar being greater than or equal to 10 (column 3, lines 40-45).
Henry et al does not disclose; and filling a protective material in a space previously occupied by the first portion of the nano-material to support the nano-pillar.
QIU, Qing-hua et al discloses (Fig. 12) filling a protective material (82) in a space previously occupied by the first portion of the nano-material to support the nano-pillar (711).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to modify Henry et al to include Hu et al’s filling a protective material in a space previously occupied by the first portion of the nano-material to support the nano-pillar motivated by the desire to achieve high aspect ratio nanopillars with permanent support material motivated by the desire to provide more support to the pillars.
Regarding Claim 2,
In addition to Henry et al and QIU, Qing-hua et al, Henry et al discloses (Fig. 1) one of the first material (120) and the second material (140) is a first nano-material (Poly methyl methacrylate (PMMA)), and another one of the first material and the second material is a first protective material (the other 120 (shown are 4 120s on the substrate 110 and the other 140 covering all the 120s); etching (column 2, line 35-45 “…defining the high aspect ratio pillars by patterning and exposing the resist…”); the portion of the first material and coating the second material form a first part of the nano-pillar (160); the nano-material coated over the surface of the first protective material and the first nano-material is a second nano-material, and the protective material (taught by QIU, Qing-hua et al ) filled in the space previously occupied by the first portion of the second nano-material is a second protective material; and the second portion of the second nano-material is a second part of the nano-pillar (160).
Regarding Claim 3,
In addition to Henry et al and QIU, Qing-hua et al, Henry et al discloses (Fig. 1) the first material (120) is the first nano-material (Poly methyl methacrylate (PMMA)), and the second material is the first protective material.
Regarding Claim 4,
In addition to Henry et al and QIU, Qing-hua et al, Henry et al discloses (Fig. 1) etching the portion of the first nano-material to obtain the target position includes: etching (column 2, line 35-45 “…defining the high aspect ratio pillars by patterning and exposing the resist…”) the portion of the first nano-material (120) to expose the portion of the surface of the substrate (110), a position where a retained portion of the first nano-material (120) is located being the target position, and the retained portion of the first nano-material (120) being the first part of the nano-pillar (160); and coating the first protective material over the portion of the surface of the substrate includes: coating the first protective material (taught by QIU, Qing-hua et al ) over the portion of the surface of the substrate (110) and a surface of the first nano-material; and performing chemical mechanical polishing and etching to make a height of the first protective material equal to a height of the first nano-material (120).
Regarding Claim 5,
In addition to Henry et al and QIU, Qing-hua et al, Henry et al discloses (Fig. 1) the first material (120) is the first protective material (Poly methyl methacrylate (PMMA)), and the second material (140) is the first nano- material (To produce the etch mask (140), the applicants used a TES 1800 DC magnetron sputter system, using a 99.995% aluminum target and a 5:1 mixture of argon to oxygen as the process gas (column 4, lines 14-25).
Regarding Claim 6,
In addition to Henry et al and QIU, Qing-hua et al, Henry et al discloses (Fig. 1) etching the portion of the first protective material (120) to obtain the target position includes: etching the portion of the first protective material (120) to expose the portion of the surface of the substrate to obtain a columnar space (130), a position where the columnar space is located being the target position; and coating the first nano-material over the portion of the surface of the substrate includes: QIU, Qing-hua et al discloses filling the first nano-material into the columnar space and over the first protective material, a portion of the first nano-material filled in the columnar space being the first part of the nano-pillar; and performing chemical mechanical polishing and etching to make a height of the first nano-material (120) equal to a height of the first protective material (140).
Regarding Claim 7,
In addition to Henry et al and QIU, Qing-hua et al, Henry et al discloses (Fig. 1) etching the second nano-material (140) to remove the first portion of the second nano-material (140) and retain the second portion of the second nano-material includes etching the second nano- material (140) outside the target position to expose a portion of the surface of the first nano-material (120) and the first protective material (taught by QIU, Qing-hua et al) a remaining portion of the second nano-material being the second portion of the second nano-material at the target position.
Regarding Claim 8,
In addition to Henry et al and QIU, Qing-hua et al, Henry et al discloses (Fig. 1) wherein: projections of the first part of the nano-pillar (160) and the second part of the nano-pillar (150) in a direction perpendicular to the surface of the substrate (110) coincide with each other.
Regarding Claim 9,
In addition to Henry et al and QIU, Qing-hua et al, Henry et al discloses (Fig. 1) the first nano-material (120)(PMMA) and the second nano-material (140)(Alumina) are different nano-materials.
Regarding Claim 10,
In addition to Henry et al and QIU, Qing-hua et al, Henry et al (Fig. 1) discloses the first protective material (the other 120 (shown are 4 120s on the substrate 110 and the other 140 covering all the 120s. 120 are made of PMMA, 140 are made of alumni) and the second protective material (the protective layer taught by QIU, Qing-hua et al,encapsulation protective layer is made of insulating material, the insulating material is selected from silicon dioxide or silicon nitride compound.) are different protective materials.
Regarding Claim 11,
In addition to Henry et al and QIU, Qing-hua et al, Henry et al (Fig. 1) discloses wherein: the height of the nano-pillar (160)is a sum of a height of the first part of the nano-pillar (160) and a height of the second part (150) of the nano-pillar; and the width of the nano-pillar is a width of the first part of the nano-pillar.
Regarding Claim 12,
In addition to Henry et al and QIU, Qing-hua et al, Henry et al (Fig. 1) discloses the nano-pillar (160) is one of a plurality of nano-pillars of an optical device; and a material of a first one of the plurality of nano-pillars (160, made of PMMA) is different from a material of a second one (150, made of what masks are made of alumni) of the plurality of nano-pillars.
Regarding Claim 13,
In addition to Henry et al and QIU, Qing-hua et al, QIU, Qing-hua et al discloses the nano-pillar is one of a plurality of nano-pillars of an optical device; the protective material (140) surrounding a first one of the plurality of nano-pillars (160 of Henry et al) is different from the protective material surrounding a second one of the plurality of nano-pillars (the protective layer taught by QIU, Qing-hua et al, encapsulation protective layer is made of insulating material, the insulating material is selected from silicon dioxide or silicon nitride compound.).
Claim(s) 14,15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Henry et al (US 8148264) and of QIU, Qing-hua et al (CN 101369618 A) in view of (CN 108025909 A)
Regarding Claim 14,
Henry et al and Qui, Qing-hua et al discloses everything as disclosed above.
Henry et al and Qui, Qing-hua et al do not disclose the nano-pillar is one of a plurality of nano-pillars of an optical device; and the height of a first one of the plurality of nano-pillars is different from the height of a second one of the plurality of nano-pillars.
(CN 108025909 A) (Fig. 5) discloses the nano-pillar is one of a plurality of nano-pillars of an optical device; and the height of a first one of the plurality of nano-pillars is different from the height of a second one of the plurality of nano-pillars.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to modify Henry et al and Qui, Qing-hua et al to include (CN 108025909 A)’s nano pillars with different heights and width’s motivated by the desire to provide a nano-structured substrate, in particular moth-eye substrate, such a substrate presents the nanostructure, a plurality of gradient characteristic geometric parameters of particular reflective nano structures, the purpose of this invention is to provide a method for preparing the substrate, this method overcomes the disadvantages in existing technology.
Regarding Claim 15,
Henry et al and Qui, Qing-hua et al discloses everything as disclosed above.
Henry et al and Qui, Qing-hua et al do not disclose the nano-pillar is one of a plurality of nano-pillars of an optical device; and the width of a first one of the plurality of nano-pillars is different from the width of a second one of the plurality of nano-pillars.
(CN 108025909 A) (Fig. 5) discloses the nano-pillar is one of a plurality of nano-pillars of an optical device; and the width of a first one of the plurality of nano-pillars is different from the width of a second one of the plurality of nano-pillars.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to modify Henry et al and Qui, Qing-hua et al to include (CN 108025909 A)’s nano pillars with different heights and width’s motivated by the desire to provide a nano-structured substrate, in particular moth-eye substrate, such a substrate presents the nanostructure, a plurality of gradient characteristic geometric parameters of particular reflective nano structures, the purpose of this invention is to provide a method for preparing the substrate, this method overcomes the disadvantages in existing technology.
Conclusion
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/LUCY P CHIEN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2871