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 .
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Specification
The specification has not been checked to the extent necessary to determine the presence of all possible minor errors. Applicant's cooperation is requested in correcting any errors of which applicant may become aware in the specification.
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.
Claims 1, 9 and 19 rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Son et al. (US8648671, hereinafter Son).
Regarding claim 1, Son discloses a resonator (Fig. 1), comprising: a substrate (111), comprising a first surface and a second surface opposite to each other; a first electrode (lower electrode 123), located on the first surface, wherein the first electrode comprises a first protruding portion (inclined portion) protruding away from the first surface and a first flat portion (flat portion parallel to the substrate) attached on the first surface, and a cavity (121/131) is formed between the first protruding portion and the first surface; a piezoelectric layer (125), located at a side of the first electrode away from the substrate, wherein the piezoelectric layer extends in parallel with the first surface (at least a portion of the piezoelectric layer is parallel to the first surface of the substrate); and a second electrode (127), located at a side of the piezoelectric layer away from the first electrode.
Regarding claim 9, Son discloses multiple resonating structures connected to each other (Figs. 1, 4).
Regarding claim 19, Son inherently discloses the method of manufacturing a resonator as explained above.
Claims 1-4, 19 and 21 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Shealy (US9537465, hereinafter Shealy).
Regarding claim 1, Shealy discloses a resonator (Figs. 22, 28), comprising: a substrate (2211, 2911), comprising a first surface and a second surface opposite to each other; a first electrode (lower electrode 2243, 2943), located on the first surface, wherein the first electrode comprises a first protruding portion (inclined portion) protruding away from the first surface and a first flat portion attached on the first surface, and a cavity is formed between the first protruding portion and the first surface; a piezoelectric layer (2222, 2921), located at a side of the first electrode away from the substrate, wherein the piezoelectric layer extends in parallel with the first surface; and a second electrode (2241, 2941), located at a side of the piezoelectric layer away from the first electrode.
Regarding claim 2, Shealy discloses a first gap formed between the first flat portion and the piezoelectric layer. See Fig. 32.
Regarding claims 3, Shealy shows a filled gap in Fig. 32.
Regarding claim 4, a side of the first flat portion away from the first protruding portion is physically connected to a supporting structure, and an upper surface of the supporting structure (2812) and an upper surface of the first protruding portion are in a same plane.
Regarding claims 19 and 21, Shealy implicitly discloses the method of manufacturing as disclosed above.
Claims 1 and 19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Jung (US20070008050, hereinafter Jung).
Regarding claim 1, Jung discloses a resonator (Fig. 4), comprising: a substrate (100), comprising a first surface and a second surface opposite to each other; a first electrode (lower electrode 210), located on the first surface, wherein the first electrode comprises a first protruding portion (vertical portion) protruding away from the first surface and a first flat portion attached on the first surface, and a cavity (240) is formed between the first protruding portion and the first surface; a piezoelectric layer (220), located at a side of the first electrode away from the substrate, wherein the piezoelectric layer extends in parallel with the first surface; and a second electrode (230), located at a side of the piezoelectric layer away from the first electrode.
Regarding claim 19, the method as claimed is anticipated by Jung.
Claims 1 and 19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by EP4050796 (hereinafter It is the examiner’s position that’796).
Regarding claim 1, It is the examiner’s position that’796 discloses a resonator (Fig. 2A), comprising: a substrate (10), comprising a first surface and a second surface opposite to each other; a first electrode (31), located on the first surface, wherein the first electrode comprises a first protruding portion (inclined portion) protruding away from the first surface and a first flat portion attached on the first surface, and a cavity (20) is formed between the first protruding portion and the first surface; a piezoelectric layer (40), located at a side of the first electrode away from the substrate, wherein the piezoelectric layer extends in parallel with the first surface; and a second electrode (50), located at a side of the piezoelectric layer away from the first electrode.
Regarding claim 19, the method of manufacturing as recited is anticipated by EP’796.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 5, 7, 8, 10-12, 14-16 and 23-25 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.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. See PTO-892.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Jaydi San Martin whose telephone number is (571)272-2018. The examiner can normally be reached on M-Th 7:45-6:00pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Dedei Hammond can be reached on 571-270-7938. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/J. San Martin/
Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2837
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