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 .
Summary of the Claims
The present application (18/691,712) was filed on March 13, 2024 as a 371 of PCT/SG2023/050084 filed on February 14, 2023. Claims 1-8 are pending. Claim 1 is the only independent claim.
References and Documents Cited in this Action
Guo (Guo, Yuyao, et al. “Hybrid Integrated External Cavity Laser with a 172-Nm Tuning Range.” APL Photonics, vol. 7, no. 6, June 2022, pp. 066101-066101–09, https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0088119 )
Zhang (US 2019/0181612 A1)
Van Rees (WO 2020/148656 A1)
Summary of Rejections and Objections in this Action
Claim 5 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) as being indefinite.
Claims 1-8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Guo.
Claims 1-8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zhang in view of Van Rees.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claim 5 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Claim 5 recites “each III-V-based gain section (11, 21, 31) is configured to operate in a different waveband,” but parent claim 1 only recites “at least one laser cavity…wherein each laser cavity …is formed with at least one III-V-based gain section.” In other words, parent claim 1 only requires one gain section. Claim 5 is indefinite because it is unclear how many gain sections are included to be configured to operate in “different” wavebands.
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.
Claims 1-8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Guo.
Regarding independent claim 1, Guo discloses a silicon photonic device (Figure 1 and corresponding description) for generating laser light, comprising:
i. a substrate (i.e., a base shown in Figure 1 on which RSOA and Si3N4 circuit are mounted);
ii. at least one laser cavity (i.e., reflective semiconductor optical amplifier RSOA) fabricated on the substrate, wherein each laser cavity RSOA is formed with at least one III-V-based gain section (i.e., Guo discloses “a commercial III–V RSOA”; see “V. Conclusion” and “I. Introduction”), at least two microring resonators (MRR) (i.e., MRR1 and MRR2 in Figure 1) and at least one partial reflector (i.e., tunable Sagnac loop TSL in Figure 1);
iii. an interposer (i.e., spot-size converter SSC) for optically coupling each gain section RSOA with a corresponding MRR (i.e., MRR1); and
iv. at least one thermo-optic heater on each MRR for controlling wavelength selectivity of the corresponding MRR (i.e., Guo discloses thermal tuning of the MRRs using “micro-heaters”; see “III.C. Laser Spectrum”), characterized in that said MRRs of each laser cavity include a first MRR (i.e., MRR1) optically coupled to a corresponding second MRR (i.e., MRR2) in a serial configuration, such that a light wave exiting an interposer (i.e., spot-size converter SSC) is filtered for wavelength by a corresponding first MRR and then filtered for wavelength by a corresponding second MRR (Figure 1; see “II. Device Design” and “III.C. Laser Spectrum”).
Regarding claim 2, Guo discloses that each partial reflector (i.e., tunable Sagnac loop TSL in Figure 1) is in serial arrangement with the corresponding MRRs, such that a light wave exiting each second MRR (i.e., MRR2) enters the corresponding partial reflector (Figure 1; see “II. Device Design”).
Regarding claim 3, Guo discloses that each partial reflector (i.e., tunable Sagnac loop TSL in Figure 1) is configured to transmit a fraction of the light wave as a corresponding laser output emission, while a rest of the light wave is reflected back to form a resonating cavity (Figure 1; see “II. Device Design”).
Regarding claim 4, Guo discloses that one of said III-V-based gain sections is configured to operate in at least one of O, C and L waveband (i.e., Guo discloses lasing wavelength “from 1487 to 1659 nm,” which corresponds to C and L wavebands; see “III.C. Laser Spectrum”.
Regarding claim 5, as well as claim 5 may be understood with respect to 35 U.S.C. 112(b), Guo discloses each III-V-based gain section is configured to operate in a different waveband at least in the sense that Guo discloses a III-V-based gain section configured to operate in a waveband.
Regarding claim 6, Guo discloses that said substrate is a silicon-on-insulator (SOI) platform (see “I. Introduction”).
Regarding claim 7, Guo discloses that said SOI platform is a hybrid III-V/silicon platform (“see “I. Introduction”).
Regarding claim 8, Guo dsiclsoes that each MRR functions as a single laser longitudinal mode filter (“see “I. Introduction”).
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.
Claims 1-8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zhang in view of Van Rees.
Regarding independent claim 1, Zhang discloses a silicon photonic device (device shown in Figure 23, which is based on the related device shown in Figures 2 and 22) for generating laser light, comprises:
i. a substrate (i.e., substrate 345; paragraph [0170]);
ii. at least one laser cavity fabricated on the substrate, wherein each laser cavity is formed with at least one III-V-based gain section (i.e., gain element 320), at least two microring resonators (MRR) (i.e., ring resonators 430a and 430b) and at least one partial reflector (i.e., Sagnac loop reflector 340; Figure 23; paragraphs [0170]-[0173] and [0177]; see also Figure 2 and paragraphs [0104]-[0111]);
iii. an interposer (i.e., phase tuner 370) for optically coupling each gain section with a corresponding MRR (paragraph [0172]; see also paragraphs [0109] and [0158]); and
iv. at least one element on each MRR for controlling wavelength selectivity of the corresponding MRR 430a and 430b (paragraph [0151]), characterized in that said MRRs of each laser cavity include a first MRR 430a optically coupled to a corresponding second MRR 430b in a serial configuration, such that a light wave exiting an interposer (i.e., phase tuner) is filtered for wavelength by a corresponding first MRR 430a and then filtered for wavelength by a corresponding second MRR 430b (Figure 23; paragraph [0177]; see also Figure 22 and paragraph [0172]).
Zhang discloses at least one element on each MRR for controlling wavelength selectivity of the corresponding MRR 430a and 430b because Zhang discloses that the MRRs are “thermally tunable” (paragraph [0151]), but Zhang does not specifically disclose heaters. However, Van Rees teaches a silicon photonic device that is related to the one disclosed by Zhang including a laser cavity (Figure 2) comprising a gain section 202 and microring resonators RR1 and RR2 (paragraph [0044]-[0051]). Van Rees further teaches thermo-optic heaters 220-1 and 220-2 for tuning the microring resonators (paragraph [0053]-[0054]). Regarding claim 1, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art to include thermo-optic heaters as taught by Van Rees in the system disclosed by Zhang in order to effectively provide the thermal tuning already disclosed by Zhang and advantageously control the wavelength as desired.
Regarding claim 2, in the device taught by Zhang in view of Van Rees, Zhang discloses that each partial reflector 340 is in serial arrangement with the corresponding MRRs, such that a light wave exiting each second MRR 430b enters the corresponding partial reflector 340 (Figure 23; see also Figure 22; paragraphs [0169]-[0173] and [0177]).
Regarding claim 3, in the device taught by Zhang in view of Van Rees, Zhang discloses that each partial reflector 340 is configured to transmit a fraction of the light wave as a corresponding laser output emission, while a rest of the light wave is reflected back to form a resonating cavity (paragraphs [0169]-[0173] and [0177]; see also Figure 2 and paragraphs [0104]-[0106]).
Regarding claim 4, in the device taught by Zhang in view of Van Rees, Zhang discloses that one of said III-V-based gain sections (11, 21, 31) is configured to operate in at least one of O, C and L waveband (paragraph [0155]).
Regarding claim 5, as well as claim 5 may be understood with respect to 35 U.S.C. 112(b), in the device taught by Zhang in view of Van Rees, Zhang discloses that each III-V-based gain section is configured to operate in a different waveband at least in the sense that Zhang discloses a III-V-based gain section configured to operate in a waveband.
Regarding claim 6, in the device taught by Zhang in view of Van Rees, Zhang discloses that said substrate is a silicon-on-insulator (SOI) platform (paragraphs [0108], [0155], and [0171]).
Regarding claim 7, in the device taught by Zhang in view of Van Rees, Zhang discloses that said SOI platform is a hybrid III-V/silicon platform (paragraph [0108]).
Regarding claim 8, in the device taught by Zhang in view of Van Rees, Zhang discloses that each MRR functions as a single laser longitudinal mode filter (paragraphs [0127]-[0129]).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Christina Leung at telephone number (571) 272-3023. If attempts to reach the examiner are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Patricia Engle can be reached at (571) 272-6660.
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/CHRISTINA Y. LEUNG/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3991
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