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 .
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 1-5, 11-12, 14, and 16-18 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
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.
Claim(s) 1-4, 11, 14, 16-17 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Kadota et al. (US 2022/0200566).
In regard to Claim 1:
Kadota discloses, in Figure 2f, an apparatus comprising: an acoustic filter (10) comprising:
a piezoelectric layer (11) having two opposite surfaces that respectively form a first plane (11 top plane) and a second plane (11 bottom plane);
an electrode structure (12) that is at least partially embedded (Paragraph 0056) within the piezoelectric layer (11), the electrode structure comprising multiple fingers positioned across a first axis (multiple fingers 12 embedded in 11),
a value of a metallization ratio associated with the multiple fingers being greater than approximately 0.2 (Paragraph 0061: lines 1-4), wherein the metallization ratio represents an average width of adjacent fingers of the multiple fingers divided by an average distance between the adjacent fingers of the multiple fingers (Paragraph 0060);
a cross section of each finger of the multiple fingers (12) having a planar surface that is perpendicular (sides of 12 that are perpendicular to the top surface of 11) to the first plane (11 top surface), the cross section having:
a first segment that abuts the first plane (12 top surface that abuts 11 top surface); and
a second segment that is between the first plane and the second plane (segment of 12 sides that is between the top and bottom surfaces of 11); and
a tangent line positioned at a point along an edge of the cross section forming an exterior angle relative to the first axis (Figure 3 shows the side of the electrode forming an exterior angle with the top surface), a value of the exterior angle having a range approximately from 50° to 120° the edge of the cross section joining the first segment to the second segment (Paragraph 0060).
In regard to Claim 2:
Kadota discloses, in Figure 2f, the apparatus of claim 1, wherein the electrode structure is at least partially embedded within the piezoelectric layer such that at least a portion of the electrode structure extends from the first plane towards the second plane (Paragraph 0056).
In regard to Claim 3:
Kadota discloses, in Figure 2f, the apparatus of claim 1, wherein the value of the exterior angle further has a range approximately from 60° to 90° (Paragraph 0060).
In regard to Claim 4:
Kadota discloses, in Figure 2f, the apparatus of claim 1, wherein the cross section is in a shape of a trapezoid (Figure 3 shows the electrode having a trapezoidal shape).
In regard to Claim 11:
Kadota discloses, in Figure 2f, the apparatus of claim 1, wherein: the acoustic filter comprises a surface-acoustic-wave filter (Paragraph 0051); the value of the exterior angle further has a range approximately from 60° to 90° (Paragraph 0060); and the value of the metallization ratio further has a range approximately from 0.3 to 0.6 (Paragraph 0061).
In regard to Claim 14:
Kadota discloses, in Figure 2f, a method of manufacturing an acoustic filter (10), the method comprising:
providing a piezoelectric layer (11) having two opposite surfaces that respectively form a first plane (11 top plane) and a second plane (11 bottom plane); and
providing an electrode structure (12) that is at least partially embedded (Paragraph 0056) within the piezoelectric layer (11), the electrode structure comprising multiple fingers positioned across a first axis (multiple fingers 12 embedded in 11), wherein:
a value of a metallization ratio associated with the multiple fingers being greater than approximately 0.2 (Paragraph 0061: lines 1-4), wherein the metallization ratio represents an average width of adjacent fingers of the multiple fingers divided by an average distance between the adjacent fingers of the multiple fingers (Paragraph 0060);
a cross section of each finger of the multiple fingers (12) having a planar surface that is perpendicular (sides of 12 that are perpendicular to the top surface of 11) to the first plane (11 top surface), the cross section having:
a first segment that abuts the first plane (12 top surface that abuts 11 top surface); and
a second segment that is between the first plane and the second plane (segment of 12 sides that is between the top and bottom surfaces of 11); and
a tangent line positioned at a point along an edge of the cross section forming an exterior angle relative to the first axis (Figure 3 shows the side of the electrode forming an exterior angle with the top surface), a value of the exterior angle having a range approximately from 50° to 120° the edge of the cross section joining the first segment to the second segment (Paragraph 0060).
In regard to Claim 16:
Kadota discloses, in Figure 2f, an acoustic filter comprising:
a piezoelectric layer (11) having two opposite surfaces that respectively form a first plane (11 top plane) and a second plane (11 bottom plane); and
an electrode structure (12) that is at least partially embedded (Paragraph 0056) within the piezoelectric layer (11), the electrode structure comprising multiple fingers positioned across a first axis (multiple fingers 12 embedded in 11),
a value of a metallization ratio associated with the multiple fingers being greater than approximately 0.3 (Paragraph 0061: lines 1-4), wherein the metallization ratio represents an average width of adjacent fingers of the multiple fingers divided by an average distance between the adjacent fingers of the multiple fingers (Paragraph 0060); and
a cross section of each finger of the multiple fingers having a quadrilateral shape (Figure 3 shows the electrode with a trapezoidal shape, which is a quadrilateral shape) with a segment that faces the second plane and a sidewall that forms an exterior angle with a line that extends from the segment (Figure 3 shows the side of the electrode forming an exterior angle with the top surface), a value of the exterior angle having a range approximately from 50° to 120° (Paragraph 0060).
In regard to Claim 17:
Kadota discloses, in Figure 2f, the acoustic filter of claim 16, wherein: the value of the exterior angle further has a range approximately from 60° to 90° (Paragraph 0060); and the value of the metallization ratio further has a range approximately from 0.3 to 0.6 (Paragraph 0061).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 5-10, 12-13, 15, and 18-20 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.
Conclusion
Applicant's submission of an information disclosure statement under 37 CFR 1.97(c) with the timing fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(p) on November 18, 2025 prompted the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 609.04(b). 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.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to John W Poos whose telephone number is (571)270-5077. The examiner can normally be reached M-Th 8-5.
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/JOHN W POOS/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2896