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 Objections
Claim 13 is objected to because of the following informalities: The limitation “mare” as recited in line 2 of claim 13 appears to be a typographical error. Appropriate correction is required.
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.
Claim(s) 1-6, 9-15 and 18-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Perahia et al., US 10696546.
Regarding claim 1, Perahia discloses (fig. 1 and related text) an encapsulation structure (enclosed), comprising: a micro-electromechanical system (MEMS) device (110); a substrate (140/120) having, a plurality of different materials (the materials of 140 and 120 are different); and an attachment material (141) located between the MEMS device (110) and the substrate (140), wherein the plurality of different materials comprise include a first-type material (140 can be fused quartz) and a second-type material (120 can be alumina), a coefficient of thermal expansion of the first-type material is less than a coefficient of thermal expansion of a base material (base material of 110 is silicon) of the MEMS device, and/or a coefficient of thermal expansion of the second-type material is greater than the coefficient of thermal expansion of the base material of the MEMS device (col. 6, lines 65-66); and the attachment material (141) is, configured to attach the MEMS device to the substrate (fig. 1).
Regarding claim 2, Perahia discloses the first-type material comprises includes quartz glass; and/or the second-type material comprises includes one or more of the following: aluminum oxide (alumina).
Regarding claim 3, Perahia discloses the substrate (140/120) is a multi-layer structure formed by stacking the plurality of different materials (fig. 1, 140/120).
Regarding claim 4, Perahia discloses materials of adjacent layers (for example 140/120) in the multi-layer structure (at least the two layers) are made of different materials (fig. 1).
Regarding claim 5, Perahia discloses the MEMS device includes an encapsulation stress related to one or more of : a thickness proportion of each layer in the multi-layer structure, a contact area or an attachment area between layers in the multi-layer structure, and an attachment area between the multi-layer structure and the MEMS device (110 is attached to 140 and must have stress at the interface and the stress depends on the area of the attachment layer 141).
Regarding claim 6, Perahia discloses the substrate is prepared by bonding the plurality of different materials in a wafer- level bonding manner, the substrate is formed by attaching the plurality of different materials in an attachment manner (fig. 1).
Regarding claim 9, Perahia discloses a material of the MEMS device includes silicon carbide (col. 6. Lines 35-46).
Regarding claim 10, Perahia discloses (fig. 1 and related text) a substrate (140/120), comprising: a plurality of materials including, at least, a first-type material (140 is fused quartz) and a second-type material (120 is alumina), wherein a coefficient of thermal expansion of the first-type material is less than a coefficient of thermal expansion of a base material of a micro-electromechanical system (MEMS) device, and/or coefficient of thermal expansion of the second-type material is greater than the coefficient of thermal expansion of the base material of the MEMS device (col. 6, lines 65-66); and the substrate (140/120) is connected to the MEMS device by using an attachment material (141).
Regarding claim 11, Perahia discloses the first-type material includes quartz glass (140 is fused quartz), and/or the second-type material includes one or more of the following: aluminum oxide (120 is alumina).
Regarding claim 12, Perahia discloses the substrate is a multi-layer (at least two layers) structure formed by stacking the plurality of different materials (140 and 120, fig.1).
Regarding claim 13, Perahia discloses materials of adjacent layers in the multi-layer structure are made of different materials (140/120 are made of different materials).
Regarding claim 14, Perahia discloses an encapsulation stress related to one an attachment area between the multi-layer structure and the MEMS device (110 is attached to 140 and must have stress at the interface and the stress depends on the area of the attachment layer 141).
Regarding claim 15, Perahia discloses the substrate is prepared by bonding the plurality of materials is formed by attaching the plurality of different materials in an attachment manner.
Regarding claim 18, Perahia discloses (fig. 1 and related text) an encapsulation method, comprising: obtaining a substrate (140/120) by processing a plurality of different materials (putting 120/140), wherein the plurality of different materials include a first-type material (140 is fused quartz) and a second-type material (120 can be alumina), a coefficient of thermal expansion of the first-type material is less than a coefficient of thermal expansion of a base material (silicon) of a micro-electromechanical system (MEMS) device (110, coefficient of thermal expansion of fused quartz is less than the coefficient of thermal expansion silicon) and attaching the MEMS device (110) to the substrate (140/120) by using an attachment material (14, fig. 1).
Regarding claim 19, Perahia discloses the first-type material includes quartz glass (140 is fused quartz), and/or the second-type material comprises includes one or more of the following: aluminum oxide (120 is alumina, i.e. aluminum oxide).
Regarding claim 20, Perahia discloses stacking the plurality of different materials and obtaining, the substrate with a multi- layer structure (stacking 120 on 140, fig. 1).
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.
Claim(s) 7-8, and 16-17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Perahia in view of Konno et al., EP 3413695.
Regarding claim 7, Perahia does not disclose the substrate is formed by mixing the plurality of different materials based on a specified proportion.
Konno discloses (fig. 5 and related text) a substrate (11) is formed by mixing the plurality of different materials based on a specified proportion ([0041]) in order to provide a ceramic substrate having a cavity which can be used for measuring the thickness of the substrate [0009].
Perahia and Konno are analogous art because they both are directed to MEMs devices with and one of ordinary skill in the art would have had a reasonable expectation of success to modify Perahia with the specified features of Konno because they are from the same field of endeavor.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, on the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify Perahia to include the process of forming the substrate by mixing the plurality of different materials as taught by Konno in order to provide a ceramic substrate having a cavity which can be used for measuring the thickness of the substrate [0009].
Regarding claim 8, Perahia as modified by Konno an encapsulation stress of the MEMS device includes an encapsulation stress related to proportions of the plurality of different materials in the substrate (since the combined structure is the same as the claimed invention, the encapsulation stress is related to proportions of the plurality of different materials in the substrate as claimed).
Regarding claim 16, Perahia does not disclose the substrate is formed by mixing the plurality of materials based on a preset specified proportion.
Konno discloses (fig. 5 and related text) a substrate (11) is formed by mixing the plurality of different materials based on a specified proportion ([0041]) in order to provide a ceramic substrate having a cavity which can be used for measuring the thickness of the substrate [0009].
Perahia and Konno are analogous art because they both are directed to MEMs devices with and one of ordinary skill in the art would have had a reasonable expectation of success to modify Perahia with the specified features of Konno because they are from the same field of endeavor.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, on the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify Perahia to include the process of forming the substrate by mixing the plurality of different materials as taught by Konno in order to provide a ceramic substrate having a cavity which can be used for measuring the thickness of the substrate [0009].
Regarding claim 17, Perahia as modified by Konno an encapsulation stress of the MEMS device includes an encapsulation stress related to proportions of the plurality of materials in the substrate (since the combined process is the same as the claimed invention, the encapsulation stress is related to proportions of the plurality of materials in the substrate as claimed).
Conclusion
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/SAMUEL A GEBREMARIAM/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2811