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 § 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) 1-2, 4-5, 7-8, and 11-14 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Kojima et al (US 2006/0214263).
Regarding claim 1, Kojima discloses a multilayer ceramic electronic component (Fig. 1-8) comprising: a multilayer body (Fig. 1, 1) including: a plurality of ceramic layers (Fig. 1, layers of 1) laminated in lamination directions (Fig. 1, T); a first main surface (Fig. 1, bottom of 1) and a second main surface (Fig. 1, top of 1) facing each other in the lamination directions (Fig. 1); a first side surface and a second side surface (Fig. 2, 103/104) facing each other in width directions (Fig. 2, W) orthogonal or substantially orthogonal to the lamination directions (Fig. 2); a first end surface and a second end surface (Fig. 1, 101/102) facing each other in length directions (Fig. 1, L) orthogonal or substantially orthogonal to the lamination directions and the width directions (Fig. 1-2); first internal electrode layers (Fig. 1, 21) alternately laminated with the plurality of ceramic layers (Fig. 1), the first internal electrode layers being exposed at the first end surface (Fig. 1); second internal electrode layers (Fig. 1, 22) alternately laminated with the plurality of ceramic layers (Fig. 1), the second internal electrode layers being exposed at the second end surface (Fig. 1); first step layers (Fig. 1, 32) each located in a first step region (Fig. 1, at 32) in which a corresponding one of the second internal electrode layers is not located (Fig. 1), between a pair of the ceramic layers facing each other via the corresponding one of the second internal electrode layers (Fig. 1), the first step layers being exposed at the first end surface (Fig. 1); and second step layers (Fig. 1, 31) each located in a second step region (Fig. 1, at 31) in which a corresponding one of the first internal electrode layers is not located (Fig. 1), between a pair of the ceramic layers facing each other via the corresponding one of the first internal electrode layers (Fig. 1), the second step layers being exposed at the second end surface (Fig. 1); a first external electrode (Fig. 1, 41) on the first end surface (Fig. 1), the first external electrode partially covering the first main surface (Fig. 1), the second main surface, the first side surface, and the second side surface from the first end surface (Fig. 1), the first external electrode being coupled to the first internal electrode layers (Fig. 1); and a second external electrode (Fig. 1, 42) on the second end surface (Fig. 1), the second external electrode partially covering the first main surface, the second main surface, the first side surface, and the second side surface from the second end surface (Fig. 1), the second external electrode being coupled to the second internal electrode layers (Fig. 1); wherein the first end surface includes first protruded portions (Fig. 1 and 3, L2 of 32) each partially protruding in one of the length directions (Fig. 3), from a corresponding one of the first step layers (Fig. 3), in a region including a corresponding one of the ceramic layers (Fig. 3, L2 goes into ceramic layer adjacent 21 and 31), the corresponding one of the ceramic layers being adjacent to at least one side, in the lamination directions, of the corresponding one of the first step layers (Fig. 3, ceramic layer is next to and above 31); and the second end surface includes second protruded portions (Fig. 3, L2) each partially protruding in another one of the length directions (Fig. 3), from a corresponding one of the second step layers (Fig. 3, from 31), in a region including another corresponding one of the ceramic layers, the other corresponding one of the ceramic layers being adjacent to at least one side, in the lamination directions, of the corresponding one of the second step layers (Fig. 3, L2 extends into ceramic layer that is adjacent and above 31).
Regarding claim 2, Kojima further discloses that the first protruded portions and the second protruded portions each have a dimension equal to or greater than about 3% of a length, in the lamination directions, of an end surface of a corresponding one of the ceramic layers (Fig. 3, extension at L2 is in some parts as thick as internal electrode layer and therefore would be as thick as ceramic layer [0036]).
Regarding claim 4, Kojima further discloses that the first step layers each cover an end, on a side of the first end surface, of the corresponding one of the second internal electrode layers in the lamination directions (Fig. 1); and the second step layers each cover an end, on at least a side of the second end surface, of the corresponding one of the first internal electrode layers in the lamination directions (Fig. 1).
Regarding claim 5, Kojima further discloses that the multilayer body includes third step regions (Fig. 2, 31/32) in which either the first internal electrode layers or the second internal electrode layers are not located (Fig. 2), between the ceramic layers and at ends on the side of the first side surface and ends on the side of the second side surface (Fig. 2), the third step regions being disposed with third step layers (Fig. 2); and the first side surface and the second side surface include third protruded portions (Fig. 2, protrusions of 31/32) each partially protruding in either of the width directions, from a corresponding one of the third step layers, in a region including a corresponding one of the ceramic layers, the corresponding one of the ceramic layers being adjacent to at least one side, in the lamination directions, of the corresponding one of the third step layers (Fig. 2, protrusions of 31/32 go into ceramic layers that are adjacent and above step layers).
Regarding claim 7, Kojima further discloses that each of the plurality of ceramic layers includes BaTiO3 ([0033]), CaTiO3, SrTiO3, or CaZrO3 as a main component.
Regarding claim 11, Kojima further discloses that a thickness of each of the plurality of ceramic layers is equal to or less than about 10 μm ([0036]).
Regarding claim 12, Kojima further discloses that a number of the plurality of ceramic layers is equal to or greater than 10 and equal to or smaller than 2000 ([0052]).
Regarding claim 13, Kojima further discloses that each of the first and second internal electrode layers includes Ni ([0036]), Cu, Ag, Pd, or Au or an alloy including at least one of Ni, Cu, Ag, Pd, or Au.
Regarding claim 14, Kojima further discloses that a thickness of each of the first and second internal electrode layers is equal to or greater than about 0.2 μm and equal to or thinner than about 2.0 μm ([0036]).
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.
Claim(s) 6 and 8 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kojima et al (US 2006/0214263) in view of SUZUKI (US 2008/0304204).
Regarding claim 6, Kojima fails to teach the claim limitations.
SUZUKI teaches that a dimension of the multilayer body in the length directions is equal to or greater than about 0.2 mm and equal to or less than about 6 mm ([0117]); a dimension of the multilayer body in the lamination directions is equal to or greater than about 0.05 mm and equal to or less than about 5 mm ([0117]); and a dimension of the multilayer body in the width directions is equal to or greater than about 0.1 mm and equal to or less than about 5 mm ([0117]).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the effective filing date of the invention to combine the teachings of SUZUKI to the invention of Kojima, in order to construct the devices using known specifications and designs in the art to meet user needs based on known design possibilities.
Regarding claim 8, Kojima fails to teach the claim limitations.
SUZUKI teaches that each of the plurality of ceramic layers includes a Mn chemical compound, a Fe chemical compound, a Cr chemical compound, a Co chemical compound, or a Ni chemical compound as a subcomponent ([0074]).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the effective filing date of the invention to combine the teachings of SUZUKI to the invention of Kojima, in order to construct the devices using known specifications and designs in the art to meet user needs based on known design possibilities.
Claim(s) 9-10 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kojima et al (US 2006/0214263) in view of Harada et al (US 2002/0090335).
Regarding claim 9, Kojima fails to teach the claim limitations.
Harada teaches that each of the plurality of ceramic layers includes a plurality of crystal particles including a perovskite chemical compound including BaTiO3 ([0035]).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to combine the teachings of Harada to the invention of Kojima, in order to improve the characteristics of the dielectric (Harada [0002]).
Regarding claim 10, Kojima, as modified by Harada, further teach that a diameter of each of the plurality crystal particles is equal to or smaller than about 1 μm (Harada [0035]).
Claim(s) 15-18 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kojima et al (US 2006/0214263) in view of Kisumi et al (US 2014/0347783).
Regarding claim 15, Kojima fails to teach the claim limitations.
Kisumi teaches that each of the first and second external electrodes includes a base electrode layer and a plated layer on the base electrode layer (Fig. 1, 5a-b and 6-8a-b).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to combine the teachings of Kisumi to the invention of Kojima, in order to suppress structural defects in the external electrodes (Kisumi [00030]).
Regarding claim 16, Kojima, as modified by Kisumi, further teach that the base electrode layer is a fired layer including a glass component and a metal component (Kisumi [0004-0005]).
Regarding claim 17, Kojima, as modified by Kisumi, further teach that the glass component includes at least one of B, Si (Kisumi [0047]), Ba, Mg, Al, or Li.
Regarding claim 18, Kojima, as modified by Kisumi, further teach that the metal component includes at least one of Cu (Kisumi [0062]), Ni, Ag, Pd, Ag-Pd alloy, or Au.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 3 is 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.
Regarding claim 3, the prior art fails to teach or make obvious, alone or in combination, the limitation of “wherein an amount of protrusion of each of the first protruded portions each protruding in the one of the length directions from an end surface of the corresponding one of the ceramic layers, the end surface forming the first end surface, is equal to or less than about 98% of a dimension, in the lamination directions, of a corresponding one of the second internal electrode layers; and an amount of protrusion of each of the second protruded portions each protruding in the other one of the length directions from an end surface of the corresponding one of the ceramic layers, the end surface forming the second end surface, is equal to or less than about 98% of a dimension, in the lamination directions, of a corresponding one of the first internal electrode layers” in combination with the other claim limitations.
Additional Relevant Prior Art:
KUNISHI et al (US 2008/0145551) teaches relevant art in Fig. 7.
LEE et al (US 2016/0087189) teaches relevant art in Fig. 3.
HAMANAKA et al (US 2016/0141103) teaches relevant art in Fig. 3.
NISHISAKA et al (US 2016/0268046) teaches relevant art in Fig. 3.
Okai et al (US 9997297) teaches relevant art in Fig. 3.
PARK et al (US 2018/0301281) teaches relevant art in Fig. 3.
KIM et al (US 2019/0006107) teaches relevant art in Fig. 3.
MIZUNO (US 2019/0131074) teaches relevant art in Fig. 4.
Conclusion
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/MICHAEL P MCFADDEN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2848