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 .
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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.
Claims 1-4, 6, 7, 10, 11, 14, and 16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kobayashi et al. (2022/0392958, hereafter Kobayashi).
Regarding claim 1, Kobayashi discloses a switch comprising: - first (48), second (42), third (72), and fourth (62) conductive regions (par. 0027, 0029, 0032); - a first region made of a phase-change material (46) coupling the first and second conductive regions (par. 0027); - a second region (70) made of a phase-change material coupling the second and third conductive regions (par. 0032); and - a third region made of a phase-change material (60) coupling the second and fourth conductive regions (par. 0029), the fourth conductive region being intended to be taken to a reference potential, preferably the ground (GND2, par. 0035), wherein the first and second regions of phase-change material are intended to transmit a radio frequency signal (par. 0038, 0040) (Fig. 3).
Kobayashi fails to explicitly disclose conductive regions electrically insulated from one another in the embodiment of figure 3.
However, in another embodiment (figure 2), Kobayashi teaches conductive regions (32/26 and 34/28) electrically insulated (20/24) from one another (Fig. 2, par. 0024, 0026).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to modify Kobayashi by electrically isolating conductive regions from each other in order to allow current to pass directly through phase change material, thus enabling phase transitions to control connections.
Regarding claim 2, Kobayashi discloses a switch wherein: - the first and third conductive regions form conduction electrodes of the switch (par. 0027, 0032); and - the fourth conductive region forms a reference electrode of the switch (par. 0035).
Regarding claim 3, Kobayashi discloses a switch further comprising first (52, par. 0027), second (76, par. 0033), and third (66, par. 0030) heater elements respectively located in front of first, second, and third regions of phase-change material (Fig. 3), each heater element being electrically insulated (30) from said region located in front of it (Figs. 1-2, par. 0024).
Regarding claim 4, Kobayashi discloses a switch wherein the first (52) and second (76) heater elements form a single heater element (Fig. 3).
Regarding claim 6, Kobayashi discloses a switch wherein the first (52) and second (76) heater elements are intended to be controlled simultaneously (Fig. 3; par. 0028, 0034).
Regarding claim 7, Kobayashi discloses a switch wherein the first and second heater elements are series-connected between first and second control electrodes (54/77, Fig. 3, par. 0034).
Regarding claim 10, Kobayashi discloses a switch wherein the first, second, and third regions of phase-change material are made of a chalcogenide material (par. 0019).
Regarding claim 11, Kobayashi discloses a switch wherein each of the first, second, and third regions of phase-change material is made of germanium telluride or of germanium-antimony-telluride (par. 0019).
Regarding claim 14, Kobayashi discloses a switch wherein the first (44) and second (68) regions of phase-change material have, along the switch conduction direction, a same lateral dimension (Fig. 3).
Regarding claim 16, Kobayashi discloses a device comprising a switch (36) and a ground plane (38) having the fourth conductive region (80) of the switch connected thereto (Fig. 3).
Claim 5, 8, and 9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kobayashi in view of Goktepeli et al. (2016/0056373, hereafter Goktepeli).
Regarding claim 5, Kobayashi fails to disclose a switch wherein the third heater element is intended to be controlled independently from the first and second heater elements.
However, Goktepeli teaches a switch wherein the third heater element is intended to be controlled independently from the first and second heater elements (par. 0034 – 0042).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to modify Kobayashi with Goktepeli by implementing a third heater element that is controlled independently from the first and second in order to provide versatility of heat profiles for reset and set phase changes of a PCM.
Regarding claim 8, Kobayashi fails to disclose a switch wherein: - the first heater element is connected between the first control electrode and a third control electrode; and - the second heater element is connected between the second control electrode and the third control electrode.
However, Goktepeli teaches a switch wherein: - the first heater element (303 top) is connected between the first control electrode (401 top) and a third control electrode (401 middle); and - the second heater element (303 bottom) is connected between the second control electrode (401 bottom) and the third control electrode (Fig. 4, par. 0043).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to modify Kobayashi with Goktepeli by implementing a third control electrode between the two heater elements in order to provide high precision control over the thermal profile and improve electrical efficiency of the switch.
Regarding claim 9, Kobayashi fails to disclose a switch wherein the third heater is intended to be controlled in such a way as to have the third region of phase-change material change from a first state to a second state when the first and second heater elements are controlled in such a way as to have the first and second regions of phase-change material change from the second to the first state.
However, Goktepeli teaches a switch wherein the third heater is intended to be controlled in such a way as to have the third region of phase-change material change from a first state to a second state when the first and second heater elements are controlled in such a way as to have the first and second regions of phase-change material change from the second to the first state (par. 0034 – 0042).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to modify Kobayashi with Goktepeli by providing for the third heater element to have an alternative phase change state than the first and second in order to provide versatility of heat profiles for reset and set phase changes of a PCM.
Claims 12, 13, and 15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kobayashi in view of Rose et al. (2020/0058854, hereafter Rose).
Regarding claim 12, Kobayashi fails to disclose a switch wherein the third region of phase-change material has a volume smaller than that of the first and second regions of phase-change material.
However, Rose teaches a switch wherein the third region (1467) of phase-change material has a volume smaller than that of the first and second regions (1475 left/right) of phase-change material (Figs. 14A-14B, par. 0101).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to modify Kobayashi with Rose by implementing PCM regions of different sizes in order to provide greater switching control by providing a multi-bit component, and ensuring thermal stability while minimizing power consumption.
Regarding claim 13, Kobayashi fails to disclose a switch wherein the first and second regions of phase-change material have, in top view, different areas.
However, Rose teaches a switch wherein the first (1475) and second regions (1467) of phase-change material have, in top view, different areas (Fig. 14A, par. 0101).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to modify Kobayashi with Rose by implementing PCM regions of different sizes in order to provide greater switching control by providing a multi-bit component, and ensuring thermal stability while minimizing power consumption.
Regarding claim 15, Kobayashi fails to disclose a switch wherein the first and second regions of phase-change material have, along a direction orthogonal to the switch conduction direction, different lateral dimensions.
However, Rose teaches a switch wherein the first (1475) and second (1467) regions of phase-change material have, along a direction orthogonal to the switch conduction direction, different lateral dimensions (Fig. 14A, par. 0101).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to modify Kobayashi with Rose by providing PCM regions with different dimensions in order to prevent thermal crosstalk, reduce parasitic capacitance, and distribute mechanical stress more evenly.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed August 12, 2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
Regarding regions 42, 48, 62, and 72 not being conductive, the transistor fingers within the region are conductive elements and the regions themselves are noted to electrically couple other regions (par. 0027, 0029, 0032), thus they may be considered conductive regions.
Regarding there is no single conductive region connecting three other regions, this is not required by claim 1. However, Kobayashi does disclose a conductive region (62) containing phase change material (60) coupled to the other three regions (Fig. 3).
Regarding that the ground connection is unrelated to region 72, as required by claim 1, region 72 is connected to GND2 by bus 74 (par. 0032, 0035). However, this limitation is moot given the amendments to claim 1.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Heiss et al. (20220407004), pertaining to conductive regions electrically insulated from one another.
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
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/C.M.B./Examiner, Art Unit 2817
/MARLON T FLETCHER/Supervisory Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2817
