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.
Claims 1 – 16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Yagi et al. (U.S. Patent Publication No. 2015/0062933).
Regarding claim 1, in Figure 1A, Yagi discloses a ceramic substrate, comprising: a front surface (top surface of substrate 1) and a back surface (bottom surface of substrate 1), a notched portion (10, 20) being provided at one or more locations, the notched portion having an opening portion (Figure 1A), at least one angle (Θ3) (β, Beta) where the ceramic substrate is present when viewed from the front surface among angles of end portions of the opening portion being greater than 90 degrees (paragraph [0029]).
Regarding claim 2, Yagi discloses wherein a shape of an end portion of the notched portion at a non-opening portion side is a substantially-U shape, a substantially-trapezoidal shape, or a substantially-V shape, and when the shape of the end portion at the non-opening portion side is the substantially-V shape, an angle of the end portion at the notched portion side is not less than 70 degrees (Figure 1A).
Regarding claim 3, Yagi discloses wherein a rounded portion or a chamfer portion is provided at a location of the notched portion at a non-opening portion side.
Regarding claim 4, Yagi discloses wherein a shape of an end portion of the notched portion at a non-opening portion side is a substantially-U shape (Figure 1A).
Regarding claim 5, Yagi discloses wherein the at least one angle (Θ3) where the ceramic substrate is present when viewed from the front surface among the angles of the end portions of the opening portion is not less than 100 degrees (Figure 1A).
Regarding claim 6, Yagi discloses wherein a portion between an end portion of the opening portion and an end portion of the notched portion at a non-opening portion side has a curved shape or a linear shape (Figure 1A).
Regarding claim 7, Yagi discloses wherein an angle, at a side where the substrate is present, of a boundary portion between the opening portion and a location including an end portion of the notched portion at a non-opening portion side is not less than 100 degrees (Figure 1A).
Regarding claim 8, Yagi discloses wherein an arithmetic surface roughness Ra of a side surface of the notched portion is not more than 1.2 µm (Figure 1A).
Regarding claim 9, Yagi discloses wherein a maximum surface roughness Rz of a side surface of the notched portion is not more than 2.0 µm (Figure 1A).
Regarding claim 10, Yagi discloses wherein a side surface shape of the notched portion includes a location open on at least one surface side (Figure 1A).
Regarding claim 11, Yagi discloses wherein P4 is a midpoint between two of the end portions of the notched portion, P5 is an intersection at which a perpendicular line drawn from the midpoint P4 crosses an end portion of the ceramic substrate most distant to the midpoint P4, L1 is a distance between the midpoint P4 and the point P5, P6 is an intersection between the perpendicular line and the notched portion having the opening portion, L2 is a length of the notched portion defined by a distance between the intersection P6 and the midpoint P4, and L2/L1 is not less than 0.1 and not more than 0.4 (Figure 1A).
Regarding claim 12, Yagi discloses wherein the ceramic substrate is a nitrogen-including ceramic (Figure 1A).
Regarding claim 13, Yagi discloses a joined body, comprising: the ceramic substrate according to claim 1; and a conductor part bonded to the ceramic substrate (Figure 1A).
Regarding claim 14, Yagi discloses wherein the conductor part is a copper member or an aluminum member (Figure 1A).
Regarding claim 15, Yagi discloses a bonding layer bonding the ceramic substrate and the conductor part, the bonding layer including one or two of copper or silver, and an active metal (Figure 1A).
Regarding claim 16, Yagi discloses a semiconductor device, comprising: the joined body according to claim 13; and a semiconductor element to which the joined body is mounted (Figure 1A).
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.
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 17 – 18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yagi.
Regarding claim 17, in Figure 1A, Yagi discloses a method for manufacturing a ceramic substrate, the method being for forming a notched portion in a ceramic substrate (1; paragraph [0019]) by using a laser, the method comprising: forming the notched portion (10, 20) so that a width of the notched portion (20) at an opening portion side is greater than a width of an end portion of the notched portion at a non-opening portion side (Figure 1A). Yagi does not specifically disclose the notched portion being formed using a laser. However, forming recesses and openings in substrates using a laser is common place and well known in the art, and is merely a design option for a skilled artisan without the exercise of inventive skill.
Regarding claim 18, Yagi discloses a method for manufacturing a ceramic circuit board, the method comprising: bonding a conductor part to the ceramic substrate manufactured by the method for manufacturing the ceramic substrate according to claim 17 (Figure 1A).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 19 is allowed.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to TREMESHA W BURNS whose telephone number is (571)270-3391. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 8am - 4:30 pm EST.
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TREMESHA W. BURNS
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2847
/TREMESHA W BURNS/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2847