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 .
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 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.
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 of this title, 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 1-6 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Takeda (US 2019/0094436) in view of Sugawara (US 2020/0081287).
Regarding claim 1, Takeda teaches a polarizing plate (Fig. 2, [0002, 0039, 0087-0089, 0040-0085, 0107-0121]) having a wire grid structure (Fig. 2), the polarizing plate comprising:
a transparent substrate (10 in Fig. 2, [0039, 0040, 0048]);
a plurality of projections (the projections above 12 in Fig. 2, [0087]) disposed on the transparent substrate (10 in Fig. 2, [0039, 0040, 0048]) and spaced apart from each other (Fig. 2) and periodically arranged in a first direction (the direction X in Fig. 2, [0039]) at a pitch shorter than a bandwidth to be used ([0039, 0076]); and
a protective layer ([0022, 0074, 0081]) that covers a surface on a side of the projections ([0022, 0074, 0081]), wherein
each of the projections (the projections above 12 in Fig. 2, [0087]) has a first absorption layer (13 in fig. 2, [0111]), a reflective layer (15A in fig. 2, [0113]), and a second absorption layer (17A in fig. 2, [0115]) in order from a side close to the transparent substrate (Fig. 2), and
a width of a first surface of the reflective layer (the width in the direction X of the bottom surface of 15A contacting 14 in fig. 2) on a side close to the transparent substrate (Fig. 2) in the first direction (the direction X in Fig. 2, [0039]) is wider (Fig. 2) than a width of a second surface of the reflective layer (the width in the direction X of the top surface of 15A contacting 16A in fig. 2) opposite to the first surface (the bottom surface of 15A contacting 14 in fig. 2) in the first direction (the direction X in Fig. 2, [0039]).
Takeda does not explicitly point out that the protective layer covers both the projections and the transparent substrate.
Sugawara teaches that (Fig. 1, [0081-0082]) a protective layer (20 in Fig. 1, [0081]) covers both the projections and the transparent substrate (Fig. 1, [0081]).
Before the effective filling date of the claimed invention, it would have been obvious to the artisan of ordinary skill to employ the above elements as taught by Sugawara for the system of Takeda such that in the system of Takeda, the protective layer that covers both the projections and the transparent substrate. The motivation is to suppress advancement of an oxidation reaction beyond the extent required (Sugawara, [0081]).
Regarding claims 2-6 Takeda also teaches the following elements:
(Claim 2) a first dielectric layer (14 in Fig. 2) between the first absorption layer (13 in fig. 2, [0111]) and the reflective layer (15A in fig. 2, [0113]).
(Claim 3) a second dielectric layer (16A in Fig. 2) between the second absorption layer (17A in fig. 2, [0115]) and the reflection layer (15A in fig. 2, [0113]).
(Claim 4) a base layer (the layer of 18 and 12 in Fig. 2) between the transparent substrate (10 in Fig. 2, [0039, 0040, 0048]) and the projections (the projections above 12 in Fig. 2, [0087]), and the base layer (the layer of 18 and 12 in Fig. 2) has a plurality of pedestals (12 in Fig. 2) that protrude toward (Fig. 2) the plurality of projections (the projections above 12 in Fig. 2, [0087]) and serve as pedestals (12 in Fig. 2) for the projections (the projections above 12 in Fig. 2, [0087]).
(Claim 5) the transparent substrate (10 in Fig. 2, [0039, 0040, 0048]) is sapphire ([0048, 0018]).
(Claim 6) An optical device comprising the polarizing plate ([0002, 0028]).
Claim 7 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Takeda (US 2019/0094436).
Regarding claim 7, Takeda teaches a method for manufacturing a polarizing plate (Fig. 1, [0076-0081, 0040]), the method comprising the steps of:
laminating ([0078]) at least a first absorption layer, a reflective layer and a second absorption layer on a transparent substrate in order ([0078]),
forming ([0079-0080]) a plurality of projections (the projections corresponding to 11 in Fig. 1, [0040], each grid-shaped convex portion 11 includes a base 12 formed as necessary, a first absorption layer 13, a first dielectric layer 14, a reflection layer 15, a second dielectric layer 16, and a second absorption layer 17 in order from the side of the transparent substrate 10) spaced apart from each other (Fig. 1) and periodically arranged in a first direction (the direction X in Fig. 1) at a pitch shorter than a bandwidth ([0079, 0076, 0039]) to be used by forming a mask on an upper surface of the laminated body laminated and by etching through the mask ([0079-0080]), and
forming ([0081, 0074]) a protective layer ([0081, 0074]) on the projections (the projections corresponding to 11 in Fig. 1, [0040]) formed by etching ([0079-0080]), wherein
the etching ([0079-0080]) is performed under an optimized condition ([0080]) so that side surfaces (the side surfaces of 12 in Fig. 1) of each projections (the projections corresponding to 11 in Fig. 1, [0040], each grid-shaped convex portion 11 includes a base 12 formed as necessary, a first absorption layer 13, a first dielectric layer 14, a reflection layer 15, a second dielectric layer 16, and a second absorption layer 17 in order from the side of the transparent substrate 10) are inclined (Fig. 1), or the etching conditions are changed during the etching to form the projections (Fig. 1, [0079-0080]).
Before the effective filling date of the claimed invention, it would have been obvious to the artisan of ordinary skill to recognize that the optimized condition is a condition optimized in a preliminary test for the system of Takeda since the forming of each projection including multiple layers is an etching of all of the multiple layers through one mask ([0078-0079]) and the lowest layer of each projection is formed by optimizing an etching condition ([0080]), which has to be an etching condition optimized in a preliminary test to be able to provide the optimized and finalized parameters/condition for the forming of each projection by etching of all of the multiple layers through one mask. Therefore, in the system of Takeda, the etching is performed under a condition optimized in a preliminary test so that side surfaces of each projections are inclined, or the etching conditions are changed during the etching to form the projections. The motivation is to provide a polarizing element capable of suppressing an absorption axis reflectance to be low for both of light incident from a grid surface side provided with a grid-shaped convex portion and light incident from a substrate surface side (Takeda, [0029]).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Takahashi (US 2016/0054497), at least fig. 3D, teaches that a width of a first surface of the reflective layer (the bottom surface of the metal layer 2 in Fig. 3D) on a side close to the transparent substrate (the substrate 1 in Fig. 3D) in the first direction (the horizontal direction in Fig. 3D) is wider than (Fig. 3D) a width of a second surface of the reflective layer (the top surface of the metal layer 2 in Fig. 3D) opposite to the first surface in the first direction (Fig. 3D).
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Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to SHAN LIU whose telephone number is (571)270-0383. The examiner can normally be reached on 9am-5pm EST M-F.
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/Shan Liu/
Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2871