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 .
DETAILED ACTION
Information Disclosure Statement
1. The references disclosed within the information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on February 1, 2024, and December 25, 2024, have been considered and initialed by the Examiner.
Claim Rejections – 35 USC § 102(a)(1)
2. 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.
3. Claims 1-3, 7, 10-11 and 13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Sasaki (CN 106232877 A).
Sasaki discloses a SiC substrate which can be a SiC single crystal grown on a first main surface (crystal growth surface) of a metal carbide film, where a silicon carbide substrate of one aspect of the present disclosure includes a first main surface and a second main surface opposite to the first main surface, the first main surface is the crystal growth surface, the second main surface is surface with a metal carbide film, a metal carbide film comprises titanium carbide, vanadium carbide and zirconium carbide is at least one. Sasaki discloses a SiC substrate on the second main surface (back surface) of metal carbide film comprises at least one of TiC, VC, and ZrC (paragraphs 65-112). Sasaki discloses and adhesive layer is used on the support member of the seed crystal (paragraphs 50-65).Sasaki discloses the adhesive layer can be made of titanium carbide (paragraphs 50-65) where the instant specification discloses the adhesive layer can be made of titanium (paragraph 28).
Because Sasaki discloses a silicon carbide seed crystal with the same materials (titanium adhesive layer) as claimed and preferentially disclosed, the article of Sasaki will inherently possess the property of easily forming silicide with silicon.
Products of identical chemical composition can not have mutually exclusive properties. Therefore, because Sasaki has the same chemical adhesive structure, the properties, including the property of easily forming silicide with silicon are necessarily present. MPEP 2112.01 II, as in claims 1-3.
Concerning claim 7, Sasaki does not appear to disclose a bow and warp in the silicon carbide seed crystal, which would render the seed crystal having less than 20 µm of a bow and warp.
Concerning claims 10-11, Sasaki discloses an aluminum metal layer (paragraphs 90-120). Because Sasaki discloses a silicon carbide seed crystal with the same materials (aluminum metal layer) as claimed and preferentially disclosed, the metal layer of Sasaki will inherently possess the property of easily diffusing and reacting with silicon carbide. Products of identical chemical composition can not have mutually exclusive properties. Therefore, because Sasaki has the same chemical adhesive structure, the properties, including the property of easily diffusing and reacting with silicon carbide are necessarily present. MPEP 2112.01 II
Concerning claim 13, Sasaki discloses a SiC substrate which can be a SiC single crystal grown on a first main surface (crystal growth surface) of a metal carbide film, where a silicon carbide substrate of one aspect of the present disclosure includes a first main surface and a second main surface opposite to the first main surface, the first main surface is the crystal growth surface, the second main surface is surface with a metal carbide film, a metal carbide film comprises titanium carbide, vanadium carbide and zirconium carbide is at least one. Sasaki discloses a SiC substrate on the second main surface (back surface) of metal carbide film comprises at least one of TiC, VC, and ZrC (paragraphs 65-112).
Claim Rejections – 35 USC § 103
4. 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 may not be obtained though the invention is not identically disclosed or described as set forth in section 102 of this title, if the differences between the subject matter sought to be patented and the prior art are such that the subject matter as a whole would have been obvious at the time the invention was made to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which said subject matter pertains. Patentability shall not be negatived by the manner in which the invention was made.
5. Claims 8-9 and 14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Sasaki (CN 106232877 A).
Sasaki discloses a SiC substrate which can be a SiC single crystal grown on a first main surface (crystal growth surface) of a metal carbide film, where a silicon carbide substrate of one aspect of the present disclosure includes a first main surface and a second main surface opposite to the first main surface, the first main surface is the crystal growth surface, the second main surface is surface with a metal carbide film, a metal carbide film comprises titanium carbide, vanadium carbide and zirconium carbide is at least one. Sasaki discloses a SiC substrate on the second main surface (back surface) of metal carbide film comprises at least one of TiC, VC, and ZrC (paragraphs 65-112). Sasaki does not explicitly disclose the thickness of the silicon carbide seed crystal; however, thickness modifications involve a mere change in the size of a component. A change in size is generally recognized as being within the level of ordinary skill in the art and therefore obvious. Gardner v. TEC Systems, Inc., 725 F.2d 1338, 220 USPQ 777 (Fed. Cir. 1984), cert, denied, 469 U.S. 830, 225 USPQ 232 (1984) See MPEP 2144.04, as in claim 8.
Concerning claim 9, Sasaki discloses the metal film is not less than 0.1µm and not more than 1.0mm (paragraphs 65-112). In the case where the claimed ranges “overlap or lie inside ranges disclosed by the prior art” a prima facie case of obviousness exists. In re Wertheim, 541 F.2d 257, 191 USPQ 90 (CCPA 1976); In re Woodruff, 919 F.2d 1575, 16 USPQ2d 1934 (Fed. Cir. 1990).
Concerning claim 14, Sasaki discloses a SiC substrate which can be a SiC single crystal grown on a first main surface (crystal growth surface) of a metal carbide film, where a silicon carbide substrate of one aspect of the present disclosure includes a first main surface and a second main surface opposite to the first main surface, the first main surface is the crystal growth surface, the second main surface is surface with a metal carbide film, a metal carbide film comprises titanium carbide, vanadium carbide and zirconium carbide is at least one. Sasaki discloses a SiC substrate on the second main surface (back surface) of metal carbide film comprises at least one of TiC, VC, and ZrC (paragraphs 65-112). Sasaki does not explicitly disclose the thickness of the adhesion layer; however, thickness modifications involve a mere change in the size of a component. A change in size is generally recognized as being within the level of ordinary skill in the art and therefore obvious. Gardner v. TEC Systems, Inc., 725 F.2d 1338, 220 USPQ 777 (Fed. Cir. 1984), cert, denied, 469 U.S. 830, 225 USPQ 232 (1984) See MPEP 2144.04
Claim Objections
6. Claims 4-6 and 12 are 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. The closest prior art does not teach or suggest the recited silicon carbide seed crystal further including a second adhesion layer disposed between the silicon surface of the second silicon carbide substrate and the metal layer, wherein a material of the second adhesion layer has a property of easily forming silicide with silicon. The closest prior art does not teach or suggest the recited silicon carbide seed crystal further including impurities of the second silicon carbide substrate are less than impurities of the first silicon carbide substrate.
The closest prior art does not teach or suggest the recited silicon carbide seed crystal further including impurities of the second silicon carbide substrate are less than 1 ppm, a micropipe density (MPD) is less than 1 cm⁻², a basal plane dislocation (BPD) is less than 500 cm⁻², and a threading screw dislocation (TSD) is less than 100 cm⁻².
The closest prior art does not teach or suggest the recited silicon carbide seed crystal further including an alloy layer formed between the metal layer and the second silicon carbide substrate after undergoing a high temperature process, where the alloy layer comprises carbon, silicon, and metal.
The prior art does not teach motivation or suggestion for modification to make the invention as instantly claimed.
Conclusion
7. Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Lawrence Ferguson whose telephone number is 571-272-1522. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday through Friday 9:00 AM – 5:30PM.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner's supervisor, Frank Vineis, can be reached on 571-270-1547. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/LAWRENCE D FERGUSON/Examiner, Art Unit 1781
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