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 .
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 27 Julu 2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
Applicant argues Ando fails to disclose “an anode region in a plan view thereof” and “wherein the anode region is in the cathode region” as claimed and shown in fig. 13B of the present application. Applicant contends that Ando disclose the anode regions 9 are on either side of the cathode region as seen in fig. 3 of Ando not the cathode region being on either side of the anode region as stated in the Office action.
The examiner finds applicant’s arguments unpersuasive. Firstly, the claim does not require the cathode region to surround the anode region as seen in fig. 13B of the current application. The claim requires “wherein the anode region is in the cathode region” and thus having an anode region sandwiched between cathode regions would read on said limitation. Although the claims are interpreted in light of the specification, limitations from the specification are not read into the claims. See In re Van Geuns, 988 F.2d 1181, 26 USPQ2d 1057 (Fed. Cir. 1993). As noted in the office action, fig. 2, which while a cross-view, will inherently have a plan view as well, shows an anode region sandwiched between cathode regions. This is further seen in present office action fig. 1 (POA1) seen below. Furthermore, fig. 3 of Ando clearly shows an anode region sandwiched between cathode regions 7. Thus, Ando discloses the claim as currently presented.
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, 10, 13, 18-19, & 21 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by JP2009182273A hereafter referred to as Ando.
In regards to claim 1, Ando discloses
A capacitor element having a cathode region (portion with 5-7 – fig. 2 (10)) and an anode region (left middle portion with 10 to – fig. 2 (10)) in a plan view thereof, the capacitor element comprising:
an anode plate (1 – fig. 2(10); [0014])) in at least the anode region;
a porous portion (portion inside 3 of 1 – fig. 2(10); [0017] – etching creates porous portion) composed of a valve metal in the cathode region and not in the anode region;
a dielectric layer (4 – fig. 1; [0014]) on a surface of the porous portion in the cathode region; and
a cathode layer (5 & 6 – fig. 2; [0018-0019]) on a surface of the dielectric layer in the cathode region, the cathode layer including a solid-electrolyte layer (5),
wherein the anode region is in the cathode region (fig. 2(10) cathode regions are on either side of the anode region and thus the anode region is in the cathode region),
wherein the anode plate includes an integral core portion that is in the anode region and the cathode region (fig. 1-2; [0015]), and
wherein a thickness of the integral core portion in the anode region is a thickness that is the same or greater than a thickness of the integral core portion in the cathode region (seen in fig. 1-2).
In regards to claim 2, Ando discloses
The capacitor element according to Claim 1, further comprising: a first outer electrode (10 – fig. 2(10); [0026]) electrically connected to the integral core portion of the anode plate in the anode region.
In regards to claim 3, Ando discloses
The capacitor element according to Claim 2, further comprising: a second outer electrode (7 – fig. 1(6) & 2(10); [0019]) electrically connected to the cathode layer in the cathode region.
In regards to claim 4, Ando discloses
The capacitor element according to Claim 2, wherein, in the anode region, the porous portion is not provided in a region of the integral core portion to which the outer electrode is electrically connected (seen in fig. 2(10)).
In regards to claim 5, Ando discloses
The capacitor element according to Claim 2, wherein, in the anode region, the integral core portion is electrically connected directly to the outer electrode (fig. 2(10); [0026]).
In regards to claim 6, Ando discloses
The capacitor element according to Claim 1, wherein the anode region extends to a position of a surface of the porous portion in the cathode region (fig. 2(10).
In regards to claim 10, Ando discloses
The capacitor element according to Claim 1, wherein the porous portion is on at least one main surface of the integral core portion (fig. 2(10)).
In regards to claim 13, Ando discloses
The capacitor element according to Claim 1, further comprising an insulating layer (2 – fig. 2(8)-2(10); [0015]) on the at least one main surface of the anode plate in the anode region.
In regards to claim 18, Ando discloses
The capacitor element according to Claim 1, further comprising a conductor layer (6 – fig. 2(10); [0019]) on the solid electrolyte layer in the cathode region.
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Figure 1: fig. 2(10) of Ando with examiner labels
In regards to claim 19, Ando discloses
The capacitor element according to Claim 1, wherein the cathode region is a first cathode region, the porous portion is a first porous portion, the dielectric layer is a first dielectric layer, the cathode layer is a first cathode layer, and the solid electrolyte layer is a first solid electrolyte layer (POA1), the capacitor element further having a second cathode region adjacent to the first cathode region and separated by the anode region (POA1), the capacitor element further including:
a second porous portion (portion inside 3 of 1 – fig. 2(10); [0017] – etching creates porous portion) composed of the valve metal in the second cathode region and not in the anode region;
a second dielectric layer (4 – fig. 1; [0014]) on a surface of the second porous portion in the second cathode region; and
a second cathode layer (5 & 6 – fig. 2; [0018-0019]) on a surface of the second dielectric layer in the second cathode region, the second cathode layer including a second solid-electrolyte layer (5).
In regards to claim 21, Ando discloses
The capacitor element according to Claim 1, further comprising: a first outer electrode (10 – fig. 2(10); [0026]) electrically connected to both of main surfaces of the integral core portion of the anode plate in the anode region (plate is solid metal plate and thus 10 will be electrically connected to both main surfaces).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim(s) 7 & 9 is/are allowed.
Claim(s) 8, 14-15, & 17 is/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 following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
The prior art does not teach or suggest (in combination with the other claim limitations) wherein the anode region is at a position higher than a surface of the porous portion in the cathode region (claim 7), wherein the anode region is at a position higher than a surface of the porous portion in the cathode region by greater than or equal to 10% of a total thickness of the porous portion (claim 8), wherein the anode region is at a position lower than a surface of the porous portion in the cathode region (claim 9) wherein part of the insulating layer is filled into a pore of the porous portion in the cathode region (claim 14), wherein a through hole extends through the anode region in a thickness direction of the capacitor element, and the capacitor element further comprises a through hole conductor extending in the thickness direction in the through hole (claim 15), and wherein a slit extends through the anode plate in a thickness direction in the anode region (claim 17).
Conclusion
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Communication
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to DAVID M SINCLAIR whose telephone number is (571)270-5068. The examiner can normally be reached M-TH from 8AM-4PM.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, TIMOTHY J DOLE can be reached at (571)272-2229. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/David M Sinclair/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2847
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