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)(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) 1-7 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Zhang et al., US 2021/0055220.
Zhang et al. shows the invention as claimed including a thin film 120 formed on a substrate, and comprising a platinum group metal chalcogenide, wherein the platinum group metal chalcogenide comprises iridium disulfide (IrS2) and the thickness of the layer can be between 1nm and 10 nm which anticipates the claimed range of 0.5-500 nanometers (see paragraph 0057).
With respect to dependent claim 2, note that Zhang et al. discloses that the thickness of the layer can be between 1nm and 10 nm which anticipates the claimed range of 0.5-200 nanometers (see paragraph 0057).
Concerning claim 3 and the thin film formed in an insular shape on the substrate, note that in Zhang et al. the thin film can be grown with a width as small or as large as possible (see paragraph 0057). Particularly a width as small as possible would constitute an island configuration which can be considered an insular shape.
With respect to dependent claims 4 and 6-7, note that Zhang et al. discloses a semiconductor material, comprising a substrate (note from paragraph 0057 that the substrate can be composed of sil;icon, a known semiconductor), and the thin film 120 is formed on the substrate.
Concerning dependent claim 5, note that Zhang et al. discloses a light receiving element (see from the abstract that light is detected).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. US 2025/0254905 discloses the use of a platinum diselenide phase change layer (see paragraph 0018), and US Patent 11,708,633 discloses a metal chalcogenide film including a transition element with a concentration gradient (see abstract).
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/RICHARD A BOOTH/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2812
January 4, 2026