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.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 2/20/2024 was filed. The submission is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
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.
(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.
Claims 1-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a1) as being anticipated by Kim et. al. (US 2020/0408976 A1).
Regarding claim 1 Kim teaches (figs. 1-2, 5A-5C, 6, and 9-13) an optical filter comprising:
a substrate (100; para. 0063);
and an interference filter (200) that includes a first material layer (L) and a second material layer (H) stacked on a first side of the substrate (para. 0133),
where the first material layer comprises silicon oxide and has a first refractive index (fig. 12 odd layers; para. 0133),
and the second material layer comprises a hydrogenated silicon carbide (SiC:H) material with a second refractive index (fig. 12 even layers; para. 0133).
Regarding claim 2 Kim teaches (figs. 1-2, 5A-5C, 6, and 9-13) an optical filter, where the first refractive index of the first material layer is less than the second refractive index of the second material layer (para. 0133).
Regarding claim 3 Kim teaches (figs. 1-2, 5A-5C, 6, and 9-13) an optical filter, where the second refractive index of the SiC:H material is in the range of approximately 1.65 to 4.80, over a wide spectral range of approximately 800 nm to 1800 nm (see fig. 5C).
Regarding claim 4 Kim teaches (figs. 1-2, 5A-5C, 6, and 9-13) an optical filter, where the first material layer includes one or more of TiO2, Nb2O5, Ta2O5, SiO2, SixNy or SiOxHy (para. 0133).
Regarding claim 5 Kim teaches (figs. 1-2, 5A-5C, 6, and 9-13) an optical filter, further comprising one or more anti-reflective layers (para. 0077).
Regarding claim 6 Kim teaches (figs. 1-2, 5A-5C, 6, and 9-13) an optical filter, where the interference filter includes a plurality of alternating pairs of the first material layer and the second material layer arranged as a stack on the substrate (para. 0133).
Regarding claim 7 Kim teaches (figs. 1-2, 5A-5C, 6, and 9-13) an optical filter, where the substrate comprises a transparent glass material (100; para. 0063).
Regarding claim 8 Kim teaches (figs. 1-2, 5A-5C, 6, and 9-13) an optical filter, where the interference filter is configured to yield a passband within a range between 800 nm to 1800 nm (see fig. 13; para. 0134).
Regarding claim 9 Kim teaches (figs. 1-2, 5A-5C, 6, and 9-13) an optical filter, where the optical filter is configured to yield a blocking level that is greater than an optical density of 2 over a given spectral range (seer fig. 13; para. 0134).
Regarding claim 10 Kim teaches (figs. 1-2, 5A-5C, 6, and 9-13) an optical filter, where the given spectral range is between 300 nm to 600 nm (see fig. 13; para. 0134).
Regarding claim 11 Kim teaches (figs. 1-2, 5A-5C, 6, and 9-13) a method of making an optical filter comprising:
arranging a substrate within a chamber of a sputtering system (para. 0085);
introducing one or more gases into the chamber (para.0091, and 0094-0095);
orienting one or more silicon sputtering targets toward the substrate (para. 0085, and 0088);
and activating the sputtering system to deposit one or more layers of hydrogenated silicon carbide (SiC:H) material onto the substrate (para. 0085, and 0096).
Regarding claim 12 Kim teaches (figs. 1-2, 5A-5C, 6, and 9-13) a method of making an optical filter, further comprising adjusting a flow rate of the one or more gases to tailor the optical properties of the SiC:H material layer or layers (para. 0096).
Regarding claim 13 Kim teaches (figs. 1-2, 5A-5C, 6, and 9-13) a method of making an optical filter, where the one or more gases includes methane (CH4) (para. 0094).
Regarding claim 14 Kim teaches (figs. 1-2, 5A-5C, 6, and 9-13) a method of making an optical filter, where the optical properties of the SiC:H material layers includes a refractive index in the range of approximately 1.65 to 4.80 (see fig. 5C).
Regarding claim 15 Kim teaches (figs. 1-2, 5A-5C, 6, and 9-13) a method of making an optical filter, where the sputtering system is a magnetron sputtering deposition system (para. 0085).
Regarding claim 16 Kim teaches (figs. 1-2, 5A-5C, 6, and 9-13) a method of making an optical filter, where the sputtering system is a sputtering deposition system (para. 0085).
Regarding claim 17 Kim teaches (figs. 1-2, 5A-5C, 6, and 9-13) an optical filter comprising:
a first layer of a first material (para. 0133) deposited on a substrate (100; para. 0063);
and a second layer of a second material (para. 0133) stacked on the first layer opposite the substrate,
where the second material is a hydrogenated silicon carbide (SiC:H) material (para. 0133).
Regarding claim 18 Kim teaches (figs. 1-2, 5A-5C, 6, and 9-13) an optical filter, where the first material layer has a first refractive index, and the second material lyer with a second refractive index greater than the first refractive index (para. 0133).
Regarding claim 19 Kim teaches (figs. 1-2, 5A-5C, 6, and 9-13) an optical filter, where the second refractive index of the SiC:H material is in the range of approximately 1.65 to 4.80, over a wide spectral range of approximately 800 nm to 1800 nm (see fig. 5C).
Regarding claim 20 Kim teaches (figs. 1-2, 5A-5C, 6, and 9-13) an optical filter, where the first material layer includes one or more of TiO₂, Nb₂O₅, Ta₂O₅, SiO₂, SixNy or SiOxHy (para. 0133).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Further multilayer interference systems are disclosed in Ishikawa (US 2002/0070931 A1), Kennedy (US 2010/0313875 A1), Nayak et. al. (US 2016/0289821 A1), and Chen et. al. (US 2020/0319386 A1).
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ROBERT E TALLMAN whose telephone number is (571)270-3958. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 10 a.m. -6 p.m..
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Ricky Mack can be reached at 571-272-2333. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/Robert E. Tallman/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2872