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 .
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 4 and 20 are 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.
Claims 4 and 20, each recites “the same group”, which lacks antecedent basis. For prior art rejection, the limitation is read as --a same group--. Note that if Applicant intended for a specific numbered group on the periodic table, the limitation may be changed to --a same periodic table numbered group--.
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.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 1-6, 11, 12 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Saji US 2019/0089330.
1. Saji discloses an acoustic wave device (Figs. 1, 2, 19, etc.) comprising:
a piezoelectric layer (2); and
an interdigital transducer electrode (3) formed with the piezoelectric layer, the interdigital transducer electrode including a first layer ([0090], second part of item 3a made of Mo), a second layer ([0090], item 3b made of Al) over the first layer, and a seed layer ([0090], first part of item 3a made of W) between the first layer and the piezoelectric layer ([0090]; Fig. 19 title), a combination of the first layer and the seed layer having a resistivity lower than a resistivity of the first layer alone (Saji used the same materials as used by the Applicant, thus the property inherent from the materials).
2. The acoustic wave device of claim 1 wherein the first layer ([0090], Mo) has a stiffness that is greater than a stiffness of the second layer ([0090], Al; same material as used by the Applicant thus the property is inherent).
3. The acoustic wave device of claim 1 wherein the seed layer ([0090], W) has a stiffness that is greater than a stiffness of the second layer ([0090], Al; same material as used by the Applicant thus the property is inherent).
4. The acoustic wave device of claim 1 wherein the first layer ([0090], Mo) and the seed layer ([0090], W) include materials from a same group (periodic table group #6; or same materials as used by the Applicant; or broadly transition metal group).
5. The acoustic wave device of claim 4 wherein the first layer includes molybdenum, tungsten, or chromium ([0090], Mo), and the seed layer ([0090], W) includes one of molybdenum, tungsten, or chromium not used for the first layer.
6. The acoustic wave device of claim 4 wherein the first layer includes molybdenum ([0090], Mo), the second layer includes aluminum ([0090], Al), and the seed layer includes tungsten ([0090], W).
11. Saji discloses an acoustic wave device (Figs. 1, 2, 19, etc.) comprising:
a piezoelectric layer (2); and
an interdigital transducer electrode (3) formed with the piezoelectric layer, the interdigital transducer electrode including a first layer ([0090], second part of item 3a made of Mo), a second layer ([0090], item 3b made of Al) over the first layer, and a tungsten seed layer ([0090], first part of item 3a made of W) between the first layer and the piezoelectric layer ([0090], Fig. 19 title).
12. The acoustic wave device of claim 11 wherein the first layer includes molybdenum ([0090], Mo).
Claim(s) 1-6, 11, 12 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Yang CN 115603701 A.
1. Yang discloses an acoustic wave device (Fig. 5, etc.) comprising:
a piezoelectric layer (100); and
an interdigital transducer electrode (in region II; left side of the figure) formed with the piezoelectric layer, the interdigital transducer electrode including a first layer (107; [0051], Molybdenum), a second layer (108; [0055], Aluminum) over the first layer, and a seed layer (105; [0059], Tungsten) between the first layer and the piezoelectric layer (Fig. 5), a combination of the first layer and the seed layer having a resistivity lower than a resistivity of the first layer alone (Yang used the same materials as used by the Applicant, thus the property inherent from the materials).
2. The acoustic wave device of claim 1 wherein the first layer (107; [0051], Molybdenum) has a stiffness that is greater than a stiffness of the second layer (108; [0055], Aluminum; same material as used by the Applicant thus the property is inherent).
3. The acoustic wave device of claim 1 wherein the seed layer (105; [0059], Tungsten) has a stiffness that is greater than a stiffness of the second layer (108; [0055], Aluminum; same material as used by the Applicant thus the property is inherent).
4. The acoustic wave device of claim 1 wherein the first layer (107, Molybdenum) and the seed layer (105, Tungsten) include materials from a same periodic table group (group #6; same materials as used by the Applicant).
5. The acoustic wave device of claim 4 wherein the first layer includes molybdenum, tungsten, or chromium (107; [0051], Molybdenum), and the seed layer (105; [0059], Tungsten) includes one of molybdenum, tungsten, or chromium not used for the first layer.
6. The acoustic wave device of claim 4 wherein the first layer includes molybdenum (107; [0051], Molybdenum), the second layer includes aluminum (108; [0055], Aluminum), and the seed layer includes tungsten (105; [0059], Tungsten).
11. Yang discloses an acoustic wave device (Fig. 5, etc.) comprising:
a piezoelectric layer (100); and
an interdigital transducer electrode (in region II; left side of the figure) formed with the piezoelectric layer, the interdigital transducer electrode including a first layer (107; [0051], Molybdenum), a second layer (108; [0055], Aluminum) over the first layer, and a tungsten seed layer (105; [0059], Tungsten) between the first layer and the piezoelectric layer (Fig. 5).
12. The acoustic wave device of claim 11 wherein the first layer includes molybdenum (107; [0051], Molybdenum).
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, 13, 14 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yang CN 115603701 A in view of Honal US 11,855,607.
7, 8, 13, 14. Yang discloses the invention as discussed above, but does not explicitly disclose for claims 7, 13: the seed layer has a thickness in a range of 5 nm to 50 nm; for claim 8, 14: the seed layer has a thickness in a range of 5 nm to 20 nm.
Honal exemplarily discloses an acoustic wave device (Figs. 1, 4, 5, etc.) comprising: interdigital transducer electrode (110, 120) including a seed layer (430) having a thickness in range of 3 nm to 50 nm (Col. 5 lines 24-26) with sample in range of 10 nm to 20 nm, preferably 15 nm (Col. 10 lines 5-11), which overlap the claimed range.
At the time of the filing, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to have made the in the claimed range. The modification would have been obvious because in the absence of specific range used by Yang, any art recognized ranges for the thickness of the seed layer such as Honal would have been useable thereof and that overlapped range is obvious (MPEP 2144.05).
Claim(s) 9, 10, 15-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yang CN 115603701 A in view of Takahashi US 11,595,024 and Honal US 11,855,607.
9. Yang discloses the invention as discussed above, but does not explicitly disclose for claims 9, 15: the seed layer has a thickness less than 10% of a thickness of the first layer; for claim 10, 16: the seed layer has a thickness less than 5% of a total thickness of the interdigital transducer electrode.
Takahashi exemplarily discloses an acoustic wave device (Figs. 1A,B, 2, etc.) comprising: interdigital transducer electrode (3) including a first layer (3a) and a second layer (3b) of Al (Col. 3 line 36); the first layer may made of Mo (Col. 6 lines 11-12) has a thickness of equal to or greater than 0.144λ (Table 1), and λ can be 4.0 μm (Col. 8 lines 31-32), thereby the thickness of the first layer maybe equal to 576 nm (0.144*4 μm) or more.
Honal exemplarily discloses an acoustic wave device (Figs. 1, 4, 5, etc.) comprising: interdigital transducer electrode (110, 120) including a seed layer (430) having a thickness in range of 3 nm to 50 nm (Col. 5 lines 24-26) with sample in range of 10 nm to 20 nm, preferably 15 nm (Col. 10 lines 5-11), which overlap the claimed range.
At the time of the filing, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to have used the thicknesses as provided for Takahashi and Honal. The modification would have been obvious because in the absence of specific thicknesses used by Yang, any art recognized ranges for the thicknesses for the layers such as the ones in Takahashi and Honal would have been useable thereof; and that overlapped range is obvious (MPEP 2144.05). As a result of the combination, the thickness of the first layer may be 576 nm or more and the thickness of the seed layer may be 50 nm or less, thereby satisfy the claim limitation of the thickness of the seed layer (e.g., sample 25 nm) less than 10% of the thickness of the first layer (e.g., minimum 576 nm) and the thickness of the seed layer (e.g., sample 25 nm) less than 5% of a total thickness of the interdigital transducer electrode (e.g., at least 576 nm).
17. Yang discloses an acoustic wave device (Fig. 5, etc.) configured to generate a surface acoustic wave having a wavelength L (definition only), the acoustic wave device comprising:
a piezoelectric layer (100); and
an interdigital transducer electrode (left side, region II) formed with the piezoelectric layer, the interdigital transducer electrode including a first layer (107), a second layer (108) over the first layer, and a seed layer (105) between the first layer and the piezoelectric layer; including the first layer may be tungsten, platinum ([0051]), the second layer may be aluminum ([0055]), and the seed layer may be tungsten, molybdenum ([0059]); but does not disclose the first layer having a first thickness in a range of 0.01 L to 0.075 L, the second layer having a second thickness in a range of 0.05 L to 0.2 L, and the seed layer having a third thickness in a range of 5 nm to 50 nm.
Takahashi exemplarily discloses an acoustic wave device (Figs. 1A,B, 2, etc.) comprising: interdigital transducer electrode (3) including a first layer (3a) and a second layer (3b) of Al (Col. 3 line 36); the first layer may made of platinum or tungsten (Col. 6 lines 11-12; Pt, W) with a thickness of equal to or greater than 0.047λ or 0.062λ (Table 1), and the second layer with a thickness of 0.2λ or less (Col. 2 lines 44-48; Col. 9 lines 12-13: 0.10λ), which overlap the claimed ranges (note that λ = L).
Honal exemplarily discloses an acoustic wave device (Figs. 1, 4, 5, etc.) comprising: interdigital transducer electrode (110, 120) including a seed layer (430) having a thickness in range of 3 nm to 50 nm (Col. 5 lines 24-26) with sample in range of 10 nm to 20 nm, preferably 15 nm (Col. 10 lines 5-11), which overlap the claimed range.
At the time of the filing, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to have used the thicknesses as provided for Takahashi and Honal. The modification would have been obvious because in the absence of specific thicknesses used by Yang, any art recognized ranges for the thicknesses for the layers such as the ones in Takahashi and Honal would have been useable thereof; and that overlapped range is obvious (MPEP 2144.05). As a result of the combination, the thickness of the first layer may in a range of 0.01L to 0.075L (e.g., Takahashi: Table 1, W at 0.062λ), the thickness of the second layer may be in a range of 0.05L to 0.2L (e.g., Takahashi: Col. 2 lines 44-48; Col. 9 lines 12-13: 0.10λ), and the thickness of the seed layer in a range of 5 nm to 50 nm (Honal: Col. 5 lines 24-26, with sample in range of 10 nm to 20 nm, preferably 15 nm, Col. 10 lines 5-11).
18. The acoustic wave device of claim 17 wherein the first layer (Yang: 107; [0051]; W) has a stiffness that is greater than a stiffness of the second layer (Yang: 108; [0055]; Al; properties of the materials).
19. The acoustic wave device of claim 17 wherein the seed layer (Yang: 105; [0059], Tungsten) has a stiffness that is greater than a stiffness of the second layer (Yang: 108; [0055]; Al; properties of the materials).
20. The acoustic wave device of claim 17 wherein the first layer (Yang: 107; [0051]; Pt, W) and the seed layer (Yang: 105; [0059], W) include materials from a same group (periodic table group #6 or broadly transition metal group).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ALAN WONG whose telephone number is (571)272-3238. The examiner can normally be reached M-F: 10am - 7:00pm.
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/A.W/Examiner, Art Unit 2843
/ANDREA LINDGREN BALTZELL/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2843