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 .
Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after final rejection. Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on 3/20/2025 has been entered.
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 17, 23, 25, and 26 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 16 recites that a first substrate is provided with a formed oxide layer and on these layers forming a first plurality of thermoelectrically active elements of a first conductivity type on the first surface of the first insulating layer; and then forming a second plurality of thermoelectrically active elements of a second conductivity type between the first plurality of thermoelectrically active elements. From Applicant’s specification and drawing this appears to be substrate 205 (see Figs. 2A-2L, elected species B). It is unclear how the limitation of claim 17 “the first and second plurality of
electrically conductive interconnections are between the first and second substrates” since the one the electrically conductive interconnections appears to include removing the first substrate. Further clarification and appropriate correction required.
Claim 16 recites that a first substrate is provided with a formed oxide layer and on these layers forming a first plurality of thermoelectrically active elements of a first conductivity type on the first surface of the first insulating layer; and then forming a second plurality of thermoelectrically active elements of a second conductivity type between the first plurality of thermoelectrically active elements. From Applicant’s specification and drawing this appears to be substrate 205 (see Figs. 2A-2L, elected species B). It is unclear how the limitation of claim 26 “wherein coupling the first and second substrates is carried out by applying pressure” since the method appears to include removing the first substrate. Further clarification and appropriate correction required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
The text of those sections of Title 35, U.S. Code not included in this action can be found in a prior Office action.
Claim(s) 16 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Koma (JP 2012019205 A, Machine Translation).
Regarding claim 16, Koma discloses a method, comprising (see Figs. 14-18, [0077]-[0095]):
forming a first insulating layer (112 [0078]) on a first substrate (111), the first insulating layer having a first surface (top surface) opposite the first substrate;
forming a first plurality of thermoelectrically active elements of a first conductivity type on the first surface of the first insulating layer (see Fig. 16 (g), 121 is p-type, see [0085]);
forming a second plurality of thermoelectrically active elements of
a second conductivity type between the first plurality of thermoelectrically active elements (see Fig. 16(i), 125, n-type, [0087]), ones of the first and second plurality of thermoelectrically active elements being arranged in an alternating pattern,
the second plurality of thermoelectrically active elements (125) being on the first
surface of the first insulating layer (112), wherein a top surface of the first and second plurality of thermoelectrically active elements are substantially coplanar (see Fig. 17 (j));
forming a second insulating layer (129 or 128, see Fig. 17 (l), [0090]) on the substantially coplanar top surface of the first and second plurality of thermoelectrically active elements, the second insulating layer having a first surface opposite the top surface of the first and second plurality of thermoelectrically active elements;
forming a first plurality of electrically conductive interconnections on the top surface (127 or 130) of the first and second plurality of thermoelectrically active elements, the first and second plurality of thermoelectrically active elements being connected in series via the first plurality of electrically conductive interconnections;
and forming a second plurality of electrically conductive interconnections (130 or 127) on a bottom surface of the first and second plurality of thermoelectrically active elements that are substantially coplanar, the bottom surface being opposite the top surface.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
The text of those sections of Title 35, U.S. Code not included in this action can be found in a prior Office action.
Claim(s) 17, 23, 25, and 26 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Koma (JP 2012019205 A, Machine Translation) as applied to claims 16 above and in further view of Oh (KR 20140110811 A, Machine Translation).
Regarding claims 17 and 23, Koma discloses all of the claim limitations as set forth above.
Koma discloses a second substrate (128/133) over the second plurality of electrically conductive interconnections (see 130/127).
Koma does not disclose that the second substrate having the second plurality of electrically conductive interconnections, each of the second plurality of electrically conductive interconnections has at least one adhesion region of a plurality of adhesion regions.
Oh discloses a second substrate (see Fig. 6, 14) can include a second plurality of electrically conductive interconnections (13) , each of the second plurality of electrically conductive interconnections has at least one adhesion region (61) of a plurality of adhesion regions ([0034]) which is attached to thermoelectric elements (11,12) by applying bonding pressure (see pg. 10, line 405-417).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention to modify the forming of electrodes and the second substrate of Koma by using the method as disclosed by Oh because Oh discloses it is a method to attach electrodes and a second substrate to serially interconnected thermoelectric elements.
Regarding claim 25, modified Koma discloses all of the claim limitations as set forth above.
In addition, Oh discloses wherein the forming the plurality of adhesion regions includes using maskless mesoscale material deposition ([0034] no mask is used while depositing adhesive region, therefore a mesoscale masking deposition is used).
Regarding claim 26, modified Koma discloses all of the claim limitations as set forth above.
Koma discloses a permanent first substrate (133/128) over the second plurality of electrically conductive interconnections (see 127/130).
Koma does not disclose that the first substrate having the first plurality of electrically conductive interconnections, each of the first plurality of electrically conductive interconnections has at least one adhesion region of a plurality of adhesion regions.
Oh discloses a substrate (see Fig. 6, 14) can include a second plurality of electrically conductive interconnections (13) , each of the second plurality of electrically conductive interconnections has at least one adhesion region (61) of a plurality of adhesion regions ([0034]) which is attached to thermoelectric elements (11,12) by applying bonding pressure (see pg. 10, line 405-417).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention to modify the forming of electrodes and the permanent first substrate of Koma by using the method as disclosed by Oh because Oh discloses it is a method to attach electrodes and a permanent first substrate to serially interconnected thermoelectric elements.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1, 2, 4, 5, 18, 20, and 21 are allowed.
Claim 19 is objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to DEVINA PILLAY whose telephone number is (571)270-1180. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 9:30-6:00.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Jeffrey T Barton can be reached at 517-272-1307. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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DEVINA PILLAY
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 1726
/DEVINA PILLAY/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1726