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 .
Rejection under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1)
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 1-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Aksyuk et al. (2014/0338074).
Aksyuk et al. (2014/0338074) discloses, in figs. 1A-41D, an apparatus having a plurality of probes or five probes (see fig. 37), each for fixing a specimen or a sample (see fig. 37, [0136]), which includes:
Regarding claims 1-3, 10, 12, 16, 18,
a body 4; and
the plurality of probes having a plurality of protrusions protruding in a vertical direction on a top surface of the body 4 (see figs. 3B-3E, 5-10, 17A-25, 27A-30I, 37, [0133], [0140]),
wherein at least one of the protrusions comprises a first region in which at least one first layer 60 and at least one second layer 62 are alternately stacked in the vertical direction (see figs. 5-10, 17A-24, 27A-30I, [0109]-[0112]), and the at least one first layer 60 and the at least one second layer 62 each has a first thickness in the vertical direction (see figs. 5-10, 17A-24, 27A-30I),
the at least one first layer comprises silicon germanium (see [0108], [0109], [0111], [0112]) and the at least one second layer comprises silicon (see [0107], [0109], [0110], [0111], [0112], [0117], [0119], [0122]),
the at least one first layer and the at least one second layer are formed of a single crystal (see [0109]).
Regarding claims 4, 13, 20, wherein the first thickness is in a range of about 1 nm to about 100 nm (see [0117], [0128]).
Regarding claims 5, 14, 19, wherein the protrusion having the first region formed therein further comprises a second region below the first region in the vertical direction, and the second region comprises at least one third layer and at least one fourth layer alternately stacked in the vertical direction (see [0029]-[0031], [0035]-[0037], [0079], [0092], [0093], [0094], [0099], [0109], [0110], [0112], [0113], [0114], [0116]).
Regarding claims 6, 15, 19, wherein each of the at least one third layer and the at least one fourth layer has a second thickness in the vertical direction, and the second thickness is different from the first thickness (see [0117], [0118], [0128]).
Regarding claim 7, wherein the at least one first layer and the at least one third layer each comprise silicon germanium, and the at least one second layer and the at least one fourth layer each comprise silicon (see [0109], [0110], [0111], [0112]).
Regarding claim 8, wherein the at least one first layer, the at least one second layer, the at least one third layer, and the at least one fourth layer are formed of a single crystal (see [0109], [0112]).
Regarding claim 9, wherein the apparatus comprises five protrusions (see fig. 37), and at least two of the protrusions have different thicknesses in a horizontal direction (see size and shape in [0127], [0128], [0129], [0130]).
Regarding claims 11, 17, wherein the at least one first layer and the at least one second layer, formed in any one of the protrusions in which the first region is formed, each have the first thickness in the vertical direction, and the at least one first layer and the at least one second layer, formed in another of the protrusions in which the first region is formed, each have a third thickness in the vertical direction different from the first thickness (see figs. 5-10, 17A-24, 27A-30I, size and shape in [0127], [0128], [0129], [0130]).
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
1) Koinuma et al. (6,677,581), Wang (2016/0351374) and Chun (2020/0161080) disclose a sample support having a plurality of protrusions projected from a body.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to KIET TUAN NGUYEN whose telephone number is (571)272-2479. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday-Friday 8-6.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Robert H. Kim can be reached on 571-272-2293. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 703-872-9306.
Information regarding the status of an application may be obtained from the Patent Application Information Retrieval (PAIR) system. Status information for published applications may be obtained from either Private PAIR or Public PAIR. Status information for unpublished applications is available through Private PAIR only. For more information about the PAIR system, see http://pair-direct.uspto.gov. Should you have questions on access to the Private PAIR system, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free).
/KIET T NGUYEN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2881
Prosecution Insights