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 .
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of Group I (Claims 1 – 13 and 16 - 28) in the reply filed on 12/16/2025 is acknowledged.
Claims 14 – 15 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected invention, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on 12/16/2025.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
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 - 3, 6 - 8, 10 - 13, 16 - 18, 21 - 23 and 25 - 28 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by HU et al. (CN116338537).
As to claims 1 and 16, HU et al. (hereinafter HU) discloses a magnetoresistive sensor comprising a TMR element [n0035], [0052], [0067] comprising: a free layer (10) having a vortex layer to provide a magnetic vortex [0073]; a spacer layer (50); a reference layer (40); and a bias layer (20) to offset the vortex by magnetic bias [0067], [0073] (Fig. 10).
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As to claims 2 and 17, HU discloses that the bias layer (20) comprises an antiferromagnet layer (201), Fig. 10, [n0070], [n0073].
As to claims 3 and 18, HU discloses that the bias layer (20) comprises a CoFe layer [n0015].
As to claims 6 and 21, HU discloses that the vortex layer (506) comprises NiFe [n0086].
As to claims 7 and 22, HU discloses that the vortex layer is configured for RKKY coupling with the bias layer (201) (Fig. 10, [0069]).
As to claims 8 and 23, HU discloses that the vortex layer [0073] is configured for stray field coupling with the bias layer (20) (Fig. 10).
As to claims 10 and 25, HU discloses that the reference layer (40) comprises an antiferromagnetic layer (Fig. 10).
As to claims 11 - 12 and 26 - 27, HU discloses that the bias layer (20) is configured to shift a transfer curve of the TMR element (Fig. 5 and 10).
As to claims 13 and 28, HU discloses that the bias layer (20) is configured to shift a sensitivity error versus applied field transfer curve of the TMR element (Fig. 5 and 10).
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) 4, 5, 9, 19, 20 and 24 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over HU et al. (CN116338537) in view of Dounia (EP4231031).
As to claims 4 and 19, HU fails to explicitly disclose that the bias layer comprises a magnetic spacer. Dounia discloses a magnetoresistive element wherein the bias layer comprises a magnetic spacer (layer 27 between layer 25 and layer 26), (Fig. 3), [0038]- [0039].
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Therefore, at the time of the invention, it would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to modify the device of HU in view of the teachings of Dounia wherein the bias layer comprises a magnetic spacer would adjust the strength of interfacial magnetic coupling between the layers of the TMR element such that the device can operate over a wide temperature range and maintain high thermal stability.
As to claims 5 and 20, HU fails to explicitly disclose that the bias layer comprises a Ru layer. Dounia discloses a magnetoresistive element wherein the bias layer comprises a Ru layer (26), (Fig. 3), [0035]- [0039]. Therefore, at the time of the invention, it would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to modify the device of HU in view of the teachings of Dounia wherein the bias layer comprises a Ru layer would increase the coupling strength and improve the thermal stability.
As to claims 9 and 24, HU fails to explicitly disclose that the vortex layer is configured for exchange bias. Dounia discloses a magnetoresistive element wherein the vortex layer (21) is configured for exchange bias, (Fig. 3), [0015], [0017], [0039]. Therefore, at the time of the invention, it would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to modify the device of HU in view of the teachings of Dounia wherein the vortex layer is configured for exchange bias resulting in thermally robust performance after high-field exposure.
Prior Art of Record
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant s disclosure.
Gill (7,245,463) is cited for its disclosure of an apparatus for extended self-pinned layer for a current perpendicular to plane head.
Carey et al. (6,542,341) is cited for its disclosure of magnetic sensor having an antiferromagnetic layer exchange-coupled to a free layer.
Campiglio et al. (2018/0335,484) is cited for its disclosure of magnetoresistance element with increased operational range.
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/REENA AURORA/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2858
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