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 .
Election/Restrictions
Applicant's election with traverse of Group I (CSL: SiN; LMPM: Sn; FAME: Ti; SAME: Ti; CML: Cu) in the reply filed on 21 October 2025 is acknowledged. The traversal is on the ground(s) that elected and non-elected claim groups relate to same inventive concept and so relevant search, etc. would substantially overlap; that proposed alternative is speculative; and that species operate under same principles and should not be regarded as “chemically mutually exclusive” and/or “non-obvious variants”. This is not found persuasive because inventive concept being similar or not is not standard for independent and distinct inventions, because overlapping search does not mean that searches would be different for reasons presented in Restriction Requirement, because applicant has provided no evidence that “speculative” alternative would be unachievable, and because species are chemically mutually exclusive and they are not obvious variants in view of record, including no admission by applicant that they are obvious variants.
The requirement is still deemed proper and is therefore made FINAL.
Claims 8-10 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b), as being drawn to a nonelected invention, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Applicant timely traversed the restriction (election) requirement in the reply filed on 21 October 2025.
Claim Objections
Claim 7 is objected to because of the following informalities: Regarding Claim 7, the final “wherein” clause should be preceded by a conjunction such as “and”. Appropriate correction is required.
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.
Claims 1-7 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.
Regarding Claim 1, it is unclear what are the thickness requirements. The thickness sum of first and second brazing layers must be not less than 12 microns with the thickness of first brazing layer being not less than 5 microns and thickness of second brazing layer being not less than 10 microns. However, if the thickness of first layer must be not less than 5 microns and the thickness of the second layer must be not less than 10 microns, it is unclear how the sum of thickness can be anywhere in the range from not less than 12 microns to 15 microns. It is unclear how this apparent contradiction is to be reconciled.
Regarding Claim 1, in view of the claimed possibility of there being more than one “low melting point metal element” in dependent claims, it is unclear whether the specified weight requirement of between 10 and 40 parts by weight applies to all such low melting point metal element or to any single or combination of such low melting point metal element.
Regarding Claim 1, it is unclear what is the full scope of “active metal” in “first active metal element” and “second active metal element”. To the extent that these could be other than what is specified in Claim 7, it is unclear what they would be. How would it be determined that a metal element ingredient should be encompassed by this terminology or not.
Regarding Claim 2, it is unclear what metals have a liquid density of ca. 12 grams per cubic meter at melting point. Should this be 12 grams per cubic centimeter?
Regarding Claim 2, it is unclear whether the claimed electrical resistivity is to be obtained somewhere in the specified temperature range or over the entire specified temperature range?
Regarding Claim 4, to the extent that there is more than one “low melting point metal element”, it is unclear whether the specified weight requirement of between 5 and 35 % by weight applies to all such low melting point metal element or to any single or combination of such low melting point metal element.
Regarding Claim 4, to the extent that there is more than one “first active metal element” and/or “second active metal element”, it is unclear whether the specified weight requirement of between 1 and 5 % by weight applies to all such first and/or second active metal element or to any single or combination of such first and/or second active metal element.
Regarding Claim 5, to the extent that there is more than one “low melting point metal element”, it is unclear whether the specified weight requirement of there being greater Cu content than “low melting point metal element” in the second brazing layer relates to all such low melting point metal element or to any single or combination of such low melting point metal element.
Regarding Claim 5, it is unclear how content is assessed. Is this a content by weight, or some other basis?
Regarding Claim 7, it is unclear what is meant by an “active metal element” being a hydride, which is a compound, as some of the specified possibilities include. Conventionally, a “metal hydride” is not a metal element. Are other metal compounds encompassed? Furthermore, should weight assessments necessarily include hydride component if hydride component if present (or other non metal compound component)?
Allowable Subject Matter
Regarding Claims 1-7, as relates to elected species, the reviewed prior art does not teach or suggest the subject matter of these claims. Particularly, the reviewed prior art does not teach or suggest claimed ceramic substrate layer having active metal layer of claimed double layer structure having claimed ingredient requirements in terms of metal elements, relative amounts, and thicknesses, disposed as claimed, and conductive layer, disposed as claimed, in the claimed context. For example, Mao USPA 2025/0010408 fails to teach or suggest the claimed “low melting point metal element” ingredient. See Mao (Claims; and entire document). For example, Yano USPA 2014/0291699 teaches ceramic/copper composite joined by brazing layer having claimed metal element ingredients, but fails to teach or suggest brazing layer having double layer structure and allocation of ingredients in respective layers with respective compositional requirements and thickness requirements, in the claimed context. See Yano (Claim 1; and entire document).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MICHAEL E. LA VILLA whose telephone number is (571)272-1539. The examiner can normally be reached Mon. through Fri. from 9:00 a.m. ET to 5:30 p.m. ET.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Humera N. Sheikh, can be reached at (571) 272-0604. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/MICHAEL E. LA VILLA/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1784
7 February 2026