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 .
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 103 which forms the basis for all obviousness rejections set forth in this Office action:
A patent for a claimed invention may not be obtained, notwithstanding that the claimed invention is not identically disclosed as set forth in section 102, if the differences between the claimed invention and the prior art are such that the claimed invention as a whole would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the claimed invention pertains. Patentability shall not be negated by the manner in which the invention was made.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claim(s) 1 to 3 and 13 to 16 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Nakahigashi (Jp 2019202923) in view of Yu et al (CN113930838).
The Nakahigashi reference teaches an apparatus and method of crystal growth from a crucible, note entire translation. The apparatus consists of a furnace wall, note, fig 1. No. 60. There is a crucible inside the furnace wall on a base plate, note fig1, nos 10 and 20. The crucible is heated by means of an induction coil, fig 1, no80. There is a refractory material between the furnace wall and crucible, note fig 1, no 51, translation page 2. A crystal is pulled from the melt in the crucible, note translation page 3. The differences between the instant claim and the prior art is the porosity of the base material and the placement of the heater. However, the Yu e t al reference teaches placing the induction coil heaters inside the furnace wall, note fig 1. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the filing date of the instant invention to modify the Nakahigashi reference by the teachings of the Yu et al reference to place the heater nearer the crucible, inside the wall, in order to increase control over the heating by reducing conduction materials.
Further, in the absence of unexpected results, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the filing date of the instant invention to determine through routine experimentation the overall porosity of the base material in the combined references in order to enhance heat flow to the crucible.
With regards to claims 2 and 16, the Nakahigashi reference teaches the base plate to be one material, note translation page 2.
With regards to claim 3, the Nakahigashi reference teaches the base plate to contact the crucible, note fig 1.
With regards to claim 13, the Nakahigashi reference teaches the base to be same radius as crucible note fig 1.
With regards to claim 14, the Nakahigashi reference teaches the base to be same shape as crucible note fig 1.
Claim(s) 9 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Nakahigashi (Jp 2019202923) in view of Yu et al (CN113930838).
The Nakahigashi and Yu et al references are relied on for the same reasons as stated, supra, and differs from the instant claim in the material of the block. However, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the filing date of the instant invention to have a specific base material in the combined references in order to prevent impurities from entering the melt ruining the crystal.
Claim(s) 10 and 11 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Nakahigashi (Jp 2019202923) in view of Yu et al (CN113930838).
The Nakahigashi and Yu et al references are relied on for the same reasons as stated, supra, and differs from the instant claims in the amount of porosity. However, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the filing date of the instant invention to have a specific porosity volume in the base material in the combined references in order to ensure a uniform heat transfer from the base.
Claims 4 to 8, 12 and 17 to 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.
The prior art does not teach nor render obvious the instantly claimed invention. The prior art does not teach the ridges and channels that are now claimed in the base material and flow of the inert gases. Further, the art does not teach the material grown or the addition tube inside the furnace with the heater.
Examiner’s Remarks
The remaining references are merely cited of interest as showing the state of the art in crystal growth from a crucible.
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RMK
/ROBERT M KUNEMUND/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1714