+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
Claim 7 is 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.
With respect to claim 7, “a portion of the second electrode” as recited in line 2 renders the claim as indefinite. It is unclear as to whether “a portion” is the same “a portion found in claim 1, line 9 or a different “a portion.” Clarification is required.
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)(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) 1-2, 4-8, 12-19 and 21 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Uchida (U.S. Publication No. 2023/0246112 A1)
The applied reference has a common assignee with the instant application. Based upon the earlier effectively filed date of the reference, it constitutes prior art under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2). This rejection under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) might be overcome by: (1) a showing under 37 CFR 1.130(a) that the subject matter disclosed in the reference was obtained directly or indirectly from the inventor or a joint inventor of this application and is thus not prior art in accordance with 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(A); (2) a showing under 37 CFR 1.130(b) of a prior public disclosure under 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(B) if the same invention is not being claimed; or (3) a statement pursuant to 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) establishing that, not later than the effective filing date of the claimed invention, the subject matter disclosed in the reference and the claimed invention were either owned by the same person or subject to an obligation of assignment to the same person or subject to a joint research agreement.
With respect to claim 1, Uchida discloses a semiconductor element operable to generate or detect a terahertz wave, the semiconductor element comprising: a substrate [100]; a first electrode [116]; a semiconductor layer [700] constituting, together with the first electrode, a mesa structure [606] between a surface of the substrate and the first electrode and including a gain medium for a wavelength of a terahertz wave (See ¶[0049]); a dielectric layer [702/704] disposed so as to cover the substrate; and a second electrode [608/118] disposed so as to cover the dielectric layer and connected to an upper surface of the first electrode via an opening provided in the dielectric layer, wherein a portion [118] of the second electrode, the portion being disposed in the opening (See Figure 8), includes a first inclined portion, a second inclined portion disposed between the first inclined portion and the first electrode and is smaller in inclination with respect to the surface of the substrate than the first inclined portion, and an intermediate portion connecting the first inclined portion and the second inclined portion, wherein the intermediate portion includes a planar terrace portion, and wherein the terrace portion is smaller in inclination with respect to the surface of the substrate than the first inclined portion and the second inclined portion (See Figure 8).
With respect to claim 2, Uchida discloses wherein a face of the terrace portion, the face contacting the dielectric layer, is parallel to the surface of the substrate (See Figure 8).
With respect to claim 4, Uchida discloses wherein an inclination of a surface of the terrace portion is in a range of ±5° with respect to a virtual plane parallel to the surface of the substrate (See Figure 8).
With respect to claim 5, Uchida discloses wherein a width of the terrace portion, the width being between the first inclined portion and the second inclined portion, is greater than a thickness of the semiconductor layer (see Figure 8).
With respect to claim 6, Uchida discloses wherein a surface of the first inclined portion and a surface of the second inclined portion are flat surfaces or faces that continuously change in inclination (See Figure 8).
With respect to claim 7, Uchida discloses wherein a portion of the second electrode, the portion being disposed in the opening, includes a connection portion [118] connected to the first electrode, and wherein the opening includes a via portion in which the connection portion is embedded (See Figure 8).
With respect to claim 8, Uchida discloses a width of the via portion, the width being in a direction parallel to the surface of the substrate, is greater than a height of the via portion, the height being in a direction intersecting with the surface of the substrate (See Figure 8).
With respect to claim 12, Uchida discloses wherein the dielectric layer constitutes of a plurality of layers [702/704] (See Figure 8).
With respect to claim 13, Uchida discloses wherein the plurality of layers include layers, each constituting of a different material (see ¶[0053-0054).
With respect to claim 14, Uchida discloses wherein the plurality of layers includes an organic material layer contacting the first inclined portion and an inorganic material layer contacting the second inclined portion (see ¶[0053-0054).
With respect to claim 15, Uchida discloses wherein an inclination of the second inclined portion with respect to the surface of the substrate is less than or equal to 45° (See Figure 8).
With respect to claim 16, Uchida discloses wherein an inclination of the second inclined portion with respect to the surface of the substrate is greater than or equal to 20° (See Figure 8).
With respect to claim 17, Uchida discloses wherein an inclination of the first inclined portion with respect to the surface of the substrate is greater than 45° (See Figure 8).
With respect to claim 18, Uchida discloses wherein the second inclined portion is disposed farther on a substrate side than half of a height of the opening (see Figure 8).
With respect to claim 19, Uchida discloses wherein the first inclined portion includes a portion disposed farther on a substrate side than half of a height of the opening and a portion disposed on a side farther away from the substrate than half of the height of the opening (Se Figure 8).
With respect to claim 21, Uchida discloses a terahertz wave system comprising: a transmission unit including the semiconductor element according to claim 1; and a detection unit configured to detect the terahertz wave emitted from the transmission unit (See ¶[0065-0066]).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 3, 9-11 and 20 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.
With respect to claim 3, none of the prior art teaches or suggests, alone or in combination, wherein a film thickness of the second inclined portion in a direction of a normal of a surface of the second inclined portion is thicker than a film thickness of the first inclined portion in a direction of a normal of a surface of the first inclined portion.
With respect to claims 9-11, none of the prior art teaches or suggests, alone or in combination, a second intermediate portion connecting the second inclined portion and the connection portion, wherein the second intermediate portion includes a planar second terrace portion, and wherein the second terrace portion is smaller in inclination with respect to the surface of the substrate than the first inclined portion and the second inclined portion
With respect to claim 20, none of the prior art teaches or suggests, alone or in combination, a third inclined portion disposed farther on an upper end side of the opening than the first inclined portion and is larger in inclination with respect to the surface of the substrate than the first inclined portion, and a third intermediate portion connecting the first inclined portion and the third inclined portion, wherein the third intermediate portion includes a planar third terrace portion, and wherein the third terrace portion is smaller in inclination with respect to the surface of the substrate than the first inclined portion and the second inclined portion.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Saito (U.S. Publication No. 2020/0395274 A1) discloses a terahertz device but fails to disclose a second intermediate portion connecting the second inclined portion and the connection portion, wherein the second intermediate portion includes a planar second terrace portion, and wherein the second terrace portion is smaller in inclination with respect to the surface of the substrate than the first inclined portion and the second inclined portion
Kim et al. (U.S. Publication No. 2023/0387563 A1) discloses a terahertz device but fails to disclose a second intermediate portion connecting the second inclined portion and the connection portion, wherein the second intermediate portion includes a planar second terrace portion, and wherein the second terrace portion is smaller in inclination with respect to the surface of the substrate than the first inclined portion and the second inclined portion.
Saito et al. (U.S. Publication No. 2020/0176421 A1) discloses a terahertz sensor but fails to disclose a third inclined portion disposed farther on an upper end side of the opening than the first inclined portion and is larger in inclination with respect to the surface of the substrate than the first inclined portion, and a third intermediate portion connecting the first inclined portion and the third inclined portion, wherein the third intermediate portion includes a planar third terrace portion, and wherein the third terrace portion is smaller in inclination with respect to the surface of the substrate than the first inclined portion and the second inclined portion.
Koyama et al. (U.S. Publication No. 2020/0111929 A1) discloses a terahertz sensor but fails to disclose a third inclined portion disposed farther on an upper end side of the opening than the first inclined portion and is larger in inclination with respect to the surface of the substrate than the first inclined portion, and a third intermediate portion connecting the first inclined portion and the third inclined portion, wherein the third intermediate portion includes a planar third terrace portion, and wherein the third terrace portion is smaller in inclination with respect to the surface of the substrate than the first inclined portion and the second inclined portion.
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/JONATHAN HAN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2818