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 § 102
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 (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) 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.
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 1-38 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2016/0087186 A1 to Burak.
Burak clearly teaches a Capacitive Coupled Resonator and Filter Device with Comb Electrodes and Support Frame Separation from Piezoelectric Layer, comprising:
a microacoustic filter (see Figures 3, 4A-4D, 5, 6A-6D, 10, 11A-11D, 14, 15A-15D, 17, and 18A-18D) comprising:
a piezoelectric layer (630, 1130, 1530, 1830) having a crystalline structure operative to laterally excite a plate mode;
a substrate (205);
an electrode structure (331, 335, 341, 345) positioned between the piezoelectric layer and the substrate (see Figures 3, 4A-4D, 5, 6A-6D, 10, 11A-11D, 14, 15A-15D, 17, and 18A-18D), the electrode structure having a first surface that faces the piezoelectric layer; and
at least one spacer (333, 460, 610, 660, 960) extending from the substrate past a plane defined by the first surface of the electrode structure and towards the piezoelectric layer to form a cavity (461-464, 661-664) between the electrode structure and the piezoelectric layer.
With regards to claim 2, Burak discloses:
a distance between the first surface of the electrode structure and the piezoelectric layer is between approximately 2 and 200 nanometers (see paragraphs [0043], [0094], and [0098]).
With regards to claim 3, Burak discloses:
the distance between the first surface of the electrode structure and the piezoelectric layer is between approximately 50 and 75 nanometers (see paragraphs [0043], [0094], and [0098]).
With regards to claim 4, Burak discloses:
the cavity being formed within at least an acoustically-active resonator area of the microacoustic filter (see Figures 3, 4A-4D, 5, 6A-6D, 10, 11A-11D, 14, 15A-15D, 17, and 18A-18D).
With regards to claim 5, Burak discloses:
the at least one spacer is positioned within the acoustically-active resonator area of the microacoustic filter (see Figures 3, 4A-4D, 5, 6A-6D, 10, 11A-11D, 14, 15A-15D, 17, and 18A-18D).
With regards to claim 6, Burak discloses:
the electrode structure comprises multiple fingers; and
the at least one spacer comprises multiple spacers positioned between different sets of fingers of the multiple fingers (see Figures 3, 4A-4D, 5, 6A-6D, 10, 11A-11D, 14, 15A-15D, 17, and 18A-18D).
With regards to claim 7, Burak discloses:
the electrode structure comprises two busbars; and each spacer of the multiple spacers is positioned between two fingers of the multiple fingers that are connected to a same busbar of the two busbars (see Figures 3, 4A-4D, 5, 6A-6D, 10, 11A-11D, 14, 15A-15D, 17, and 18A-18D).
With regards to claim 8, Burak discloses:
the electrode structure comprises two busbars; and
each spacer of the multiple spacers is positioned between two fingers of the multiple fingers that are connected to different busbars of the two busbars (see Figures 3, 4A-4D, 5, 6A-6D, 10, 11A-11D, 14, 15A-15D, 17, and 18A-18D).
With regards to claim 9, Burak discloses:
the at least one spacer comprises at least one wall spacer having a longitudinal axis that extends across at least a portion of the acoustically-active resonator area of the microacoustic filter (see Figures 3, 4A-4D, 5, 6A-6D, 10, 11A-11D, 14, 15A-15D, 17, and 18A-18D).
With regards to claim 10, Burak discloses:
the at least one spacer comprises at least one column spacer (see Figures 3, 4A-4D, 5, 6A-6D, 10, 11A-11D, 14, 15A-15D, 17, and 18A-18D).
With regards to claim 11, Burak discloses:
the at least one spacer is positioned outside of the acoustically-active resonator area of the microacoustic filter (220, 610, 1510).
With regards to claim 12, Burak discloses:
the at least one spacer comprises at least one wall spacer that at least partially surrounds the electrode structure (see Figures 3, 4A-4D, 5, 6A-6D, 10, 11A-11D, 14, 15A-15D, 17, and 18A-18D).
With regards to claim 13, Burak discloses:
the substrate comprises a substrate stack (208, 274) comprising an intermediate layer having a surface that faces a second surface of the electrode structure (see Figures 3, 4A-4D, 5, 6A-6D, 10, 11A-11D, 14, 15A-15D, 17, and 18A-18D); and
the intermediate layer and the at least one spacer comprise a dielectric material (see paragraphs [0042], [0043], [0046], [0061], [0081], [0097], [0098], [0107], and [0124]) or amorphous silicon (see paragraphs [0049] and [0050]).
With regards to claim 14, Burak discloses:
the substrate stack comprises a substrate layer; and the intermediate layer is disposed between the electrode structure and the substrate layer (see Figures 3, 4A-4D, 5, 6A-6D, 10, 11A-11D, 14, 15A-15D, 17, and 18A-18D).
With regards to claim 15, Burak discloses:
the substrate layer comprises at least one of the following materials:
silicon (see paragraphs [0049] and [0050]);
silicon dioxide;
silicon carbide (see paragraph [0042]);
sapphire (see paragraph [0050]); or
glass (see paragraphs [0042], [0050], and [0093]).
With regards to claim 16, Burak discloses:
the microacoustic filter comprises an embedding layer disposed on the substrate between adjacent fingers of multiple fingers of the electrode structure such that the electrode structure is at least partially embedded within the embedding layer (see Figures 3, 4A-4D, 5, 6A-6D, 10, 11A-11D, 14, 15A-15D, 17, and 18A-18D).
With regards to claim 17, Burak discloses:
a thickness of the embedding layer is less than or equal to a thickness of the electrode structure (see Figures 3, 4A-4D, 5, 6A-6D, 10, 11A-11D, 14, 15A-15D, 17, and 18A-18D).
With regards to claim 18, Burak discloses:
the embedding layer comprises a dielectric material (see paragraph [0061]).
With regards to claim 19, Burak discloses:
multiple fingers of the electrode structure are positioned across a first axis;
longitudinal axes of the multiple fingers are substantially parallel to a second axis that is perpendicular to the first axis;
a third axis is perpendicular to the first axis and the second axis; an orientation of the first axis, the second axis, and the third axis is relative to a crystalline structure of the piezoelectric layer as defined by Euler angles lambda, mu, and theta; and
the piezoelectric layer comprises lithium niobate with a value of the Euler angle lambda being approximately 0°, a value of the Euler angle mu being approximately 32°, and a value of the Euler angle theta being approximately 0°, or at least one symmetrical equivalent thereof.
With regards to claim 20, Burak discloses:
multiple fingers of the electrode structure are positioned across a first axis;
longitudinal axes of the multiple fingers are substantially parallel to a second axis that is perpendicular to the first axis;
a third axis is perpendicular to the first axis and the second axis;
an orientation of the first axis, the second axis, and the third axis is relative to a crystalline structure of the piezoelectric layer as defined by Euler angles lambda, mu, and theta; and
the piezoelectric layer comprises lithium niobate with the value of the Euler angle lambda being approximately 0°, the value of the Euler angle mu being approximately 0°, and the value of the Euler angle theta being approximately 90°, or at least one symmetrical equivalent thereof.
With regards to claim 21, Burak discloses:
multiple fingers of the electrode structure are positioned across a first axis;
longitudinal axes of the multiple fingers are substantially parallel to a second axis that is perpendicular to the first axis;
a third axis is perpendicular to the first axis and the second axis;
an orientation of the first axis, the second axis, and the third axis is relative to a crystalline structure of the piezoelectric layer as defined by Euler angles lambda, mu, and theta; and
the piezoelectric layer comprises lithium tantalate with a value of the Euler angle lambda being approximately 0°, a value of the Euler angle mu being approximately 42°, and a value of the Euler angle theta being approximately 0°, or at least one symmetrical equivalent thereof.
With regards to claim 22, Burak discloses:
the cavity being at least partially filled with a gas (se paragraph [0062]); and
the gas comprises air (se paragraph [0062]).
With regards to claim 23, Burak discloses:
a resonance frequency (see paragraphs [0002[, [0003], [0075], [0091], [0118], and [0128]) associated with the plate mode is between approximately 2 and 20 gigahertz.
With regards to claim 24, Burak discloses:
the resonance frequency (see paragraphs [0002[, [0003], [0075], [0091], [0118], and [0128]) associated with the plate mode is between approximately 7.5 and 17 gigahertz.
With regards to claim 25, Burak discloses:
the microacoustic filter comprises multiple cascaded resonators (see paragraph [0002]); and
a resonator of the multiple cascaded resonators comprises the piezoelectric layer, the electrode structure, and the substrate (see paragraph [0002]).
With regards to claim 26, Burak discloses:
a wireless transceiver coupled to at least one antenna, the wireless transceiver comprising the microacoustic filter and configured to filter, using the microacoustic filter, a wireless signal communicated via the at least one antenna (see paragraph [0002]).
With regards to claim 27, Burak discloses:
a microacoustic filter (see Figures 3, 4A-4D, 5, 6A-6D, 10, 11A-11D, 14, 15A-15D, 17, and 18A-18D) configured to generate a filtered signal from a radio-frequency signal, the microacoustic filter comprising:
a substrate (205);
means (630, 1130, 1530, 1830) for producing a formed acoustic wave associated with a laterally- excited plate mode;
means (331, 335, 341, 345) for converting the radio-frequency signal to an acoustic wave and converting the formed acoustic wave into the filtered signal; and
means (333, 460, 610, 660, 960) for separating the means for producing from the means for converting by forming a cavity between the means for producing and the means for converting.
With regards to claim 28, Burak discloses:
the microacoustic filter comprises means for bonding (see paragraph [0029]) the means for converting to the substrate.
With regards to claim 29, Burak discloses:
the microacoustic filter comprises means (see paragraph [0061]) for compensating for a decrease in a static capacitance associated with a separation distance between the means for producing and the means for converting, the means for compensating at least partially embedding the means for converting.
With regards to claim 30, Burak discloses a method of manufacturing a microacoustic filter, the method comprising the steps of:
providing a piezoelectric layer having a crystalline structure operative to laterally excite a plate mode;
providing a substrate;
providing an electrode structure between the piezoelectric layer and the substrate, the electrode structure having a surface that faces the piezoelectric layer; and
providing at least one spacer extending from the substrate past a plane defined by the surface of the electrode structure and towards the piezoelectric layer to form a cavity between the electrode structure and the piezoelectric layer.
With regards to claim 31, Burak discloses the step of:
providing a dielectric material (see paragraphs [0042], [0043], [0046], [0061], [0081], [0097], [0098], [0107], and [0124]) between the substrate and the piezoelectric layer, the dielectric material at least partially embedding the electrode structure (see Figures 3, 4A-4D, 5, 6A-6D, 10, 11A-11D, 14, 15A-15D, 17, and 18A-18D).
With regards to claim 32, Burak discloses:
a piezoelectric layer (360, 1130, 1530, 1830) having a crystalline structure operative to laterally excite a plate mode;
a substrate (205); and
an electrode structure (331, 335, 341, 345) that is positioned between the piezoelectric layer and the substrate, the electrode structure having a surface that faces the piezoelectric layer and is separated by a gap from the piezoelectric layer.
With regards to claim 33, Burak discloses:
a distance between the surface of the electrode structure and the piezoelectric layer is between approximately 2 and 200 nanometers (see paragraphs [0043], [0094], and [0098]).
With regards to claim 34, Burak discloses:
an intermediate layer (220, 610, 1510) disposed between the electrode structure and the substrate, the intermediate layer comprising amorphous silicon (see paragraphs [0049] and [0050]) or a dielectric (see paragraphs [0042], [0043], [0046], [0061], [0081], [0097], [0098], [0107], and [0124]).
With regards to claim 35, Burak discloses:
the microacoustic filter comprises at least one spacer disposed on the intermediate layer, the at least one spacer extending past a plane defined by the surface of the electrode structure; and
the at least one spacer comprises the amorphous silicon (see paragraphs [0049] and [0050]) or the dielectric (see paragraphs [0042], [0043], [0046], [0061], [0081], [0097], [0098], [0107], and [0124]).
With regards to claim 36, Burak discloses:
the electrode structure comprises two busbars and multiple fingers (see Figures 3, 4A-4D, 5, 6A-6D, 10, 11A-11D, 14, 15A-15D, 17, and 18A-18D); and
the at least one spacer is positioned between two fingers of the multiple fingers, the two fingers connected to a same busbar of the two busbars (see Figures 3, 4A-4D, 5, 6A-6D, 10, 11A-11D, 14, 15A-15D, 17, and 18A-18D).
With regards to claim 37, Burak discloses:
a dielectric material (see paragraphs [0042], [0043], [0046], [0061], [0081], [0097], [0098], [0107], and [0124]) positioned between the substrate and the piezoelectric layer and at least partially embedding the electrode structure.
With regards to claim 38, Burak discloses:
the electrode structure comprises multiple fingers positioned across a first axis;
longitudinal axes of the multiple fingers are substantially parallel to a second axis that is perpendicular to the first axis;
a third axis is perpendicular to the first axis and the second axis;
an orientation of the first axis, the second axis, and the third axis is relative to the crystalline structure of the piezoelectric layer as defined by Euler angles lambda, mu, and theta; and
the piezoelectric layer comprises one of the following:
lithium niobate with a value of the Euler angle lambda being approximately 0°, a value of the Euler angle mu being approximately 32°, and a value of the Euler angle theta being approximately 0°, or at least one symmetrical equivalent thereof;
the lithium niobate with the value of the Euler angle lambda being approximately 0°, the value of the Euler angle mu being approximately 0°, and the value of the Euler angle theta being approximately 90°, or at least one symmetrical equivalent thereof; or
lithium tantalate with a value of the Euler angle lambda being approximately 0°, a value of the Euler angle mu being approximately 42°, and a value of the Euler angle theta being approximately 0°, or at least one symmetrical equivalent thereof.
Conclusion
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/PEDRO J CUEVAS/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2834 July 24, 2026
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