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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 06/07/2024. The submission is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Drawings
The drawings are objected to under 37 CFR 1.83(a). The drawings must show every features of the invention specified in the claims.
The limitations "…a fluence Fin satisfying an expression of Ffth<Fin<Fmth, where Fin represents a fluence of the laser light at an upper end of the recessed portion, Ffth represents a fluence being an upper limit with which a film is formed by a chemical reaction between the workpiece and the atmosphere due to irradiation with the laser light, and Fmth represents a fluence being a lower limit with which the laser light is capable of processing the workpiece…" in claims 1 and 18, must be shown or the feature(s) canceled from the claim(s). No new matter should be entered.
Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. The figure or figure number of an amended drawing should not be labeled as “amended.” If a drawing figure is to be canceled, the appropriate figure must be removed from the replacement sheet, and where necessary, the remaining figures must be renumbered and appropriate changes made to the brief description of the several views of the drawings for consistency. Additional replacement sheets may be necessary to show the renumbering of the remaining figures. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(B) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
Claims 1-18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b), as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which applicant regards as the invention.
In claims 1 and 18:
The limitation “…Fin represents a fluence of the laser light at an upper end of the recessed portion, Ffth represents a fluence being an upper limit with which a film is formed by a chemical reaction between the workpiece and the atmosphere due to irradiation with the laser light, and Fmth represents a fluence being a lower limit with which the laser light is capable of processing the workpiece…”, is indefinite because it is unclear what it is and where it is? Correction is required.
For purpose of examination, it is assumed “Fin” is a laser light at the topmost edge of a recessed, “Ffth” is the laser light reaches the workpiece before the workpiece being processed; and “Fmth” is the laser light reaches to the bottom surface of recessed and be able to process the workpiece.
In claims 3 and 11: the limitation “the variable beam expander” is indefinite because lack of antecedence basic. Correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
The following is a quotation of AIA 35 U.S.C. 103 which forms the basis for all obviousness rejections set forth in this Office action:
A patent may not be obtained though the invention is not identically disclosed or described as set forth in section 102 of this title, if the differences between the subject matter sought to be patented and the prior art are such that the subject matter as a whole would have been obvious at the time the invention was made to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which said subject matter pertains. Patentability shall not be negatived by the manner in which the invention was made.
The factual inquiries set forth in Graham v. John Deere Co., 383 U.S. 1, 148 USPQ 459 (1966), that are applied for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
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.
Claims 1-18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Suwa (US 20200290156 A1).
Note: Drawing Objection and Rejection 112b above have caused the issues of understanding, analysis, and search during examination. Therefore, the following rejection below has been made based on the best understood:
Regarding claim 1, Suwa discloses
A laser processing method (laser processing method, title and figs.5C-D) comprising:
a first process (process in fig.5C) to concentrate laser light (pulse laser beam PL, fig.5C) on a front surface of a workpiece (workpiece 41, fig.5C) to form a recessed portion (hole H, fig.5C); and
a second process (process in fig.5D) to concentrate the laser light (pulse laser beam PL, fig.5D) on a bottom surface of the recessed portion (hole H),
a fluence of the laser light (pulse laser beam PL) at an upper end of the recessed portion (hole H).
However, Suwa does not explicitly disclose in the second process, a fluence Fin satisfying an expression of Ffth<Fin<Fmth, where Fin represents a fluence of the laser light at an upper end of the recessed portion, Ffth represents a fluence being an upper limit with which a film is formed by a chemical reaction between the workpiece and the atmosphere due to irradiation with the laser light, and Fmth represents a fluence being a lower limit with which the laser light is capable of processing the workpiece.
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It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to modify the second process of Suwa, with a fluence Fin satisfying an expression of Ffth<Fin<Fmth, where Fin represents a fluence of the laser light at an upper end of the recessed portion, Ffth represents a fluence being an upper limit with which a film is formed by a chemical reaction between the workpiece and the atmosphere due to irradiation with the laser light, and Fmth represents a fluence being a lower limit with which the laser light is capable of processing the workpiece, in order to provide a self-focusing state of the pulse laser beam (Par.0038, Suwa).
Regarding claim 2, Suwa discloses
a transmittance adjustment process to adjust a transmittance of an attenuator (attenuator 52, fig.1) through which the laser light is transmitted so that the fluence Fin satisfies the expression [Par.0147 cited: “…laser processing control unit 32 controls the fluence of the pulse laser beam through control of the transmittance T of the attenuator 52…”].
Regarding claim 3, Suwa discloses
a distance adjustment process to adjust a distance among a plurality of lenses (optical system 36, fig.1), of the variable beam expander (pulse laser beam goes through optical system 36, fig.1), through which the laser light is transmitted so that the fluence Fin satisfies the expression [Par.0167 cited: “…optical system 36 has no light loss, a fluence F at the transfer position FP is obtained from Expression (1) below. F=(Et/Tsl).Math.T/{π(Di/2)z}…”].
Regarding claim 4, Suwa discloses
the variable beam expander (pulse laser beam goes through optical system 36, fig.1) adjusts a cross-sectional area Sin and a cross-sectional area Smin so that the cross-sectional area Sin and the cross-sectional area Smin satisfy an expression of 2×Smin<Sin through the adjustment of the distance where Sin represents a cross-sectional area of the laser light (pulse laser beam PL, figs.5C-D) at the upper end of the recessed portion (hole H, fig.5C), and Smin represents a cross-sectional area of the laser light (pulse laser beam PL) at a beam waist of the laser light [Par.0167 cited: “…optical system 36 has no light loss, a fluence F at the transfer position FP is obtained from Expression (1) below. F=(Et/Tsl).Math.T/{π(Di/2)z}…”].
Regarding claim 5, Suwa discloses
a through hole is formed in the second process [pulse laser beam PL, fig.5D, can be adjusted to cut a through hole in workpiece 41].
Regarding claim 6, Suwa discloses
in the first process (fig.5C) and the second process (fig.5D), an in-plane direction of the front surface is inclined with respect to an optical axis of the laser light [XYZ stage 34, fig.1, can be adjusted to an in-plane direction of the front surface is inclined with respect to an optical axis of the laser light].
Regarding claim 7, Suwa discloses
a third process (moving XYZ stage 34, fig.1), between the first process (fig.5C) and the second process (fig.5D), to move a table (adjust XYZ stage 34) on which the workpiece (workpiece 41, fig.1) is arranged in a direction opposite to a travel direction of the laser light traveling toward the workpiece (workpiece 41).
Regarding claim 8, Suwa discloses
in the first process (process in fig.5C) and the second process (process in fig.5D), after any irradiation line among a plurality of concentric irradiation lines is irradiated with the laser light (pulse laser beam PL, figs.5C-D) at least one turn, another irradiation line among the plurality of irradiation lines is irradiated with the laser light (pulse laser beam PL) at least one turn.
Regarding claim 9, Suwa discloses
the second process (process in fig.5D) is performed at a position where a processing depth of the workpiece (workpiece 41, fig.1) in the optical axis direction is deepest (fig.5D).
Regarding claim 10, Suwa discloses
the second process (process in fig.5D), a cross-sectional area of the laser light at a beam waist of the laser light (pulse laser beam PL, fig.5D) becomes larger as a processing depth of the workpiece (workpiece 41, fig.1) in an optical axis direction becomes deeper (fig.5D) [pulse laser beam PL, fig.5D, can be adjusted to perform the function].
Regarding claim 11, Suwa discloses
the cross-sectional area of the laser light (pulse laser beam PL, fig.5D) at the beam waist is adjusted by adjusting a distance among a plurality of lenses (optical system 36, fig.1), of the variable beam expander (pulse laser beam goes through optical system 36, fig.1), through which the laser light (pulse laser beam PL) is transmitted.
Regarding claim 12, Suwa discloses
the fluence Ffth and the fluence Fmth are calculated in advance by sampling processing of the workpiece (workpiece 41, fig.1).
Regarding claim 13, Suwa discloses
wherein a processing depth of the workpiece (workpiece 41, fig.1) in an optical axis direction is larger than a Rayleigh length of the laser light (pulse laser beam PL, figs.5C-D).
Regarding claim 14, Suwa discloses
the laser light is output from an excimer laser device (master oscillator 10, fig.1).
Regarding claim 15, Suwa discloses
the fluence Ffth is /cm.sup.2 [Par.0189 cited: “…target fluence Ft (J/cm.sup.2) is an average fluence in the beam section SP at the transfer position FP …”] but does not disclose 1 J/cm.sup.2 or more and 2 J/cm.sup.2 or less.
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to modify the fluence of Suwa, 1 J/cm.sup.2 or more and 2 J/cm.sup.2 or less, in order to provide a target fluence Ft corresponds to a value calculated based on an average light intensity Iavs in the entire range of the beam section SP at the transfer position FP (Par.0189, Suwa).
Regarding claim 16, Suwa discloses
a wavelength of the laser light (pulse laser beam PL, figs.5C-D) is a wavelength line-narrowed so as not to include an absorption line of oxygen [Par.0289 cited: “…light flux of the pulse laser beam PL of the second embodiment is narrowed most at the beam waist position BW and diffuses thereafter…”].
Regarding claim 17, Suwa discloses
the workpiece (workpiece 41, fig.1) is made of a ceramic matrix composite (intended use).
Note: Drawing Objection and Rejection 112b above have caused the issues of understanding, analysis, and search during examination. Therefore, the following rejection below has been made based on the best understood:
Regarding claim 18, Suwa discloses
A laser processing system (laser processing system 2, fig.1, title and figs.5C-D) comprising:
an optical system (optical system 36, fig.1) which radiates laser light (pulse laser beam PL, figs.5C-D), and an fθ lens which concentrates the laser light (pulse laser beam PL) traveling from the optical system (optical system 36) on a front surface of a workpiece (workpiece 41, fig.5C),
a fluence of the laser light (pulse laser beam PL) at an upper end of a recessed portion (hole H) to be formed by concentration of the laser light (pulse laser beam PL) on the front surface.
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However, Suwa does not explicitly disclose the optical system performing irradiation with the laser light having a fluence Fin which satisfies an expression of Ffth<Fin<Fmth where Fin represents a fluence of the laser light at an upper end of a recessed portion to be formed by concentration of the laser light on the front surface, Ffth represents a fluence being an upper limit with which a film is formed by a chemical reaction between the workpiece and the atmosphere due to irradiation with the laser light, and Fmth represents a fluence being a lower limit with which the laser light is capable of processing the workpiece.
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to modify the optical system of Suwa, performing irradiation with the laser light having a fluence Fin which satisfies an expression of Ffth<Fin<Fmth where Fin represents a fluence of the laser light at an upper end of a recessed portion to be formed by concentration of the laser light on the front surface, Ffth represents a fluence being an upper limit with which a film is formed by a chemical reaction between the workpiece and the atmosphere due to irradiation with the laser light, and Fmth represents a fluence being a lower limit with which the laser light is capable of processing the workpiece, in order to provide a self-focusing state of the pulse laser beam (Par.0038, Suwa).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. IE (US 20120195550 A1) is considered as a relevant prior art in field of a laser processing method and system as shown in fig.6, with a pulse laser beam, a first process and a second process, but does not disclose a condition of Ffth<Fin<Fmth.
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Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to PHUONG T NGUYEN whose telephone number is (571)270-1834. The examiner can normally be reached 9.00am-5.00pm.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Steven Crabb can be reached on 571-270-5095. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/PHUONG T NGUYEN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3761
08/06/2026
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