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.
Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after final rejection. Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on 13 April 2026 has been entered.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to the claim(s) have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
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.
Claim(s) 2-5, 10, 12, 16, & 21 is/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.
In regards to claim 2,
Claim 2 recites “a core portion” which causes the claim to be indefinite as it is unclear if the recitation of “a core portion” is meant to be an additional core portion to the “an integral core portion” recited in claim 1 or different. For the purpose of examination, the examiner is taking “a core portion” to read “the integral core portion”. Claims 3-5 are rejected in the same manner as claim 2 based on their dependency.
In regards to claim 4 & 5,
The recitation of “the core portion” cause the claim to be indefinite. For the purpose of examination, the examiner is takin “the core portion” to read “the integral core portion”.
In regards to claim 10,
Claim 10 recites “a core portion” which causes the claim to be indefinite as it is unclear if the recitation of “a core portion” is meant to be an additional core portion to the “an integral core portion” recited in claim 1 or different. For the purpose of examination, the examiner is taking “a core portion” to read “the integral core portion” and “the core portion” to read “the integral core portion”.
In regards to claim 12,
Claim 12 recites “wherein the anode plate does not extend into the cathode region “ which contradicts claim 1 from which it depends. Specifically, claim 1 teaches the anode plate includes an integral core portion and the integral core portion is in the cathode region (i.e. the anode plate will be in (extend into) the cathode region). As claim 12 contradicts claim 1 from which it depends, claim 12 will not be treated on the merits.
In regards to claim 16,
Claim 16 recites “a core portion” which causes the claim to be indefinite as it is unclear if the recitation of “a core portion” is meant to be an additional core portion to the “an integral core portion” recited in claim 1 or different. For the purpose of examination, the examiner is taking “a core portion” to read “the integral core portion”.
In regards to claim 21,
Claim 21 recites “a core portion” which causes the claim to be indefinite as it is unclear if the recitation of “a core portion” is meant to be an additional core portion to the “an integral core portion” recited in claim 1 or different. For the purpose of examination, the examiner is taking “a core portion” to read “the integral core portion”.
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 a 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 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 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 anode plate extends into the cathode region and is a core portion thereof, and the porous portion is on at least one main surface of the 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 (present office action fig. 1 (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 a 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, 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).
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.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
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
Prosecution Insights