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) 1-5, 13-15, and 17-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by HWANG et al (US 2018/0090273).
Regarding claim 1, HWANG discloses a multilayer ceramic electronic component (Fig. 1-20) comprising: a multilayer body (Fig. 1, 110) including: a plurality of ceramic layers (Fig. 2, 111) which are laminated; the plurality of ceramic layers including Ca and Zr as main components ([0069]); a first main surface and a second main surface (Fig. 1, 1 and 2) opposing each other in a lamination direction (Fig. 1, Z); a first lateral surface (Fig 1, 5) and a second lateral surface (Fig. 1, 6) opposing each other in a width direction (Fig. 1, Y) orthogonal or substantially orthogonal to the lamination direction (Fig. 1); a first end surface and a second end surface (Fig. 1, 3 and 4) opposing each other in a length direction (Fig. 1, X) orthogonal or substantially orthogonal to the lamination direction and the width direction (Fig. 1); a first internal electrode layer (Fig. 2, 121) alternately laminated with the plurality of ceramic layers (Fig. 2), and exposed at the first end surface (Fig. 2); and a second internal electrode layer (Fig. 2, 122) alternately laminated with the plurality of ceramic layers, and exposed at the second end surface (Fig. 2); a first external electrode (Fig. 2, 131) extending from the first end surface to the first main surface and the second main surface (Fig. 2); and a second external electrode (Fig. 2, 132) extending from the second end surface to the first main surface and the second main surface (Fig. 2); wherein the first external electrode and the second external electrode include: a first base electrode layer and a second base electrode layer (Fig. 2, 131a/132a); and a plated layer (Fig. 2, 131c/132c) covering a portion of the first base electrode layer and the second base electrode layer (Fig. 2); the first base electrode layer and the second base electrode layer include Cu as a main component ([0085]); the multilayer body includes, at an edge portion in the lamination direction (Fig. 2B, top edge), a first compound region (Fig. 2B, 125) extending to the first end surface (Fig. 2B), and a second compound region (Fig. 2B, 126) extending to the second end surface (Fig. 2B); the first compound region is joined with the first base electrode layer (Fig. 2B); the second compound region is joined with the second base electrode layer (Fig. 2B); and the first compound region and the second compound region are not joined together (Fig. 2B).
Regarding claim 2, HWANG further discloses that the first compound region and the second compound region are not located closer to a central side in a length direction of the multilayer body than the first base electrode layer and the second base electrode layer on the first main surface and the second main surface, respectively (Fig. 2B).
Regarding claim 3, HWANG further discloses that a thickness of the first compound region and a thickness of the second compound region in a direction orthogonal or substantially orthogonal to the first base electrode layer and the second base electrode layer are at least about 4 μm and no more than about 25 μm ([0151]).
Regarding claim 4, HWANG further discloses that a main component of the first compound region and the second compound region is Cu ([0078]).
Regarding claim 5, HWANG further discloses that the multilayer body includes, at an edge portion in a width direction (Fig. 3, edge on top and bottom), a third compound region (Fig. 3A, 1230) extending to the first end surface (Fig. 3), and a fourth compound region (Fig. 3B, 1240) extending to the second end surface (Fig. 3); the third compound region is joined with the first base electrode layer (Fig. 3); the fourth compound region is joined with the second base electrode layer (Fig. 3); and the third compound region and the fourth compound region are not joined to each other (Fig. 3).
Regarding claim 13, HWANG further discloses that an actual border line of the first inner electrode layer or the second inner electrode layer is at least about 92% and no more than about 103% of an ideal path length of the first internal electrode layer or the second internal electrode layer which is opposing ([0132-133]).
Regarding claim 14, HWANG further discloses that the main component is a component included most abundantly in a unit area ([0069]).
Regarding claim 15, HWANG further discloses that a number of the plurality of ceramic layers is at least 5 and no more than 2000 (Fig. 2).
Regarding claim 17, HWANG further discloses that each of the plurality of ceramic layers includes a plurality of crystal grains including a perovskite component ([0069]).
Regarding claim 18, HWANG further discloses that a thickness of each of the plurality of ceramic layers is at least about 0.3 µm and no more than about 100 µm ([0092]).
Regarding claim 19, HWANG further discloses that a thickness of each of the first and second internal electrode layers is at least about 0.1 µm and no more than about 5.0 µm ([0151]).
Regarding claim 20, HWANG further discloses that a thickness of each of the first and second internal electrode layers is at least about 0.2 µm and no more than about 2.0 µm ([0151]).
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 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over HWANG et al (US 2018/0090273) in view of MURAMATSU et al (US 2021/0327649).
Regarding claim 6, HWANG is silent about the claim limitations.
However, MURAMATSU teaches that a portion at which the first internal electrode layer (Fig. 7, 18a) and the second internal electrode layer (Fig. 7, 18b) oppose each other in the lamination direction is defined as an electrode opposing portion (Fig. 4); between the electrode opposing portion and the first end surface, and between the electrode opposing portion and the second end surface in the length direction of the multilayer body are respectively defined as an L gap (20a/20b); and a length in the length direction of the multilayer body of the L gap is at least about 10% and no more than about 30% of the length in the length direction of the multilayer body (body is 450 µm [0214] and gap is up to 60 µm [0167] which teaches the claim limitation).
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 MURAMATSU to the invention of HWANG, in order to prevent cracking in the capacitor (MURAMATSU [0009]).
Claim(s) 7-9, 12, and 16 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over HWANG et al (US 2018/0090273) in view of TERAOKA (US 2016/0227650).
Regarding claim 7, HWANG is silent about the claim limitations.
However, TERAOKA teaches that the multilayer body includes a first dummy electrode layer (Fig. 3, 5d) on a same plane as the first internal electrode layer (Fig. 3, 4d), and exposed at the second end surface (Fig. 3, right side); and a distance (Fig. 3, Lg) in the length direction of the multilayer body between a leading end of the first internal electrode layer on a side of the second end surface, and a leading end of the first dummy electrode layer on a side of the first end surface is at least about 10% and no more than about 30% of the length in the length direction of the multilayer body (Body is 400 µm [0039] and gap is about 60 µm [0077] and thereof reteaches the claim limitation).
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 TERAOKA to the invention of HWANG, in order to increase conductivity of the capacitor (TERAOKA [0015]).
Regarding claim 8, HWANG, as modified by TERAOKA, further teaches that the first dummy electrode layer is on a same plane as the first internal electrode layer closest to either of the first main surface and the second main surface (Fig. 2).
Regarding claim 9, HWANG is silent about the claim limitations.
However, TERAOKA teaches that the multilayer body includes: a second dummy electrode layer on a same plane as the first internal electrode layer (Fig. 2, 5d with 4d), and exposed at the second end surface (Fig. 2, right side); and a first dummy electrode layer on a same plane as the second internal electrode layer (Fig. 2, 5a with 4a), and exposed at the first end surface (Fig. 2, left surface); and a distance in the length direction of the multilayer body between a leading end of the first internal electrode layer on a side of the second end surface (Fig. 2, Lg), and a leading end of the second dummy electrode layer on a side of the first end surface is at least about 10% and no more than about 30% of the length in the length direction of the multilayer (Body is 400 µm [0039] and gap is about 60 µm [0077] and thereof reteaches the claim limitation).
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 TERAOKA to the invention of HWANG, in order to increase conductivity of the capacitor (TERAOKA [0015]).
Regarding claim 12, HWANG is silent about the claim limitations.
However, TERAOKA teaches that a portion at which the first internal electrode layer and the second internal electrode layer oppose each other in the lamination direction is defined as an electrode opposing portion (Fig. 3, 4d); between the electrode opposing portion and the first lateral surface, and between the electrode opposing portion and the second lateral surface in the width direction of the multilayer body define a W gap (Fig. 3, Wg), respectively; and a length in the width direction of the multilayer body of the W gap is at least about 20% and no more than about 30% of the length in the width direction of the multilayer body (20% [0010]).
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 TERAOKA to the invention of HWANG, in order to increase conductivity of the capacitor (TERAOKA [0015]).
Regarding claim 16, HWANG is silent about the claim limitations.
However, TERAOKA teaches that each of the plurality of ceramic layers includes a Mn compound ([0050]), an Fe compound, a Cr compound, a Co compound, or a Ni compound as a subcomponent.
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 TERAOKA to the invention of HWANG, in order to increase conductivity of the capacitor (TERAOKA [0015]).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 10-11 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.
Regarding claim 10, the prior art fails to teach or make obvious, alone or in combination, the limitation of “wherein a plurality of the first dummy electrode layers are provided; among the plurality of the first dummy electrode layers, a first dummy electrode layer closest to the first main surface or the second main surface has a longer length in the length direction than another first dummy electrode layer adjacent in the lamination direction to the first dummy electrode layer; and the second internal electrode layer on the same plane as the first dummy electrode layer closest to the first main surface or the second main surface has a shorter length in the length direction than another of the second internal electrode layers on the same plane as another first dummy electrode layer adjacent in the lamination direction to the first dummy electrode layer” in combination with the other claim limitations.
Regarding claim 11, the prior art fails to teach or make obvious, alone or in combination, the limitation of “wherein a plurality of the second dummy electrode layers are provided; among the second dummy electrode layers, a second dummy electrode layer closest to the first main surface or the second main surface has a longer length in the length direction than another of the second dummy electrode layers adjacent in the lamination direction to said second dummy electrode layer; and the first internal electrode layer on the same plane as the second dummy electrode layer closest to the first main surface or the second main surface has a shorter length in the length direction than another of the first internal electrode layers disposed on the same plane as another of the second dummy electrode layers adjacent in the lamination direction to the second dummy electrode layer” in combination with the other claim limitations.
Additional Relevant Prior Art:
Jeong et al (US 2021/0090808) teaches relevant art in Fig. 2-6.
Conclusion
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/MICHAEL P MCFADDEN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2848