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
Applicant’s election without traverse of Group II, Claims 1-10, in the reply filed on 07/15/2026 is acknowledged.
IDS
The IDS document(s) filed on 10/04/2024 and 04/21/2026 have been considered. Copies of the PTO-1449 documents are herewith enclosed with this office action.
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.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1-5 and 7-10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Chau et al. (US 2019/0081184 A1), hereafter “Chau”.
As to claim 1, Chau teaches a diode comprising:
a substrate (110+120, Fig. 1A, ⁋ [0030]);
a cathode terminal (140) on a first surface of the substrate;
an anode terminal (130) on a second surface of the substrate; and
an implant portion (126+128) disposed within the substrate.
As to claim 2, Chau teaches the diode of claim 1, wherein the substrate comprises an n-type semiconductor (⁋ [0031], “a first conductivity type (e.g., n-type)”).
As to claim 3, Chau teaches the diode of claim 2, wherein the implant portion comprises a p-type semiconductor (⁋ [0035], “a second conductivity type (e.g., p-type)”).
As to claim 4, Chau teaches the diode of claim 1, wherein the implant portion comprises a circular shape, a rectangular shape, a triangular shape, a pentagonal shape, a hexagonal shape, or an octagonal shape (⁋ [0046], Figs. 2+3).
As to claim 5, Chau teaches a diode comprising:
a substrate (110+120, Fig. 1A, ⁋ [0030]);
a cathode terminal (140) on a first surface of the substrate;
an anode terminal (130) on a second surface of the substrate;
a first implant portion (128, ⁋ [0030]) having a first concentration (⁋ [0040], “a second impurity concentration”) disposed within the substrate; and
a second implant portion (126) having a second concentration (⁋ [0035], “a first impurity concentration”) disposed within the first implant portion wherein the first implant portion encompasses the second implant portion (Figs. 1A+2+3), wherein the second concentration is not equal to the first concentration (⁋ [0040], “a second impurity concentration that is smaller than the first impurity concentration”).
As to claim 7, Chau teaches the diode of claim 5, wherein the substrate comprises an n-type semiconductor (⁋ [0031], “a first conductivity type (e.g., n-type)”).
As to claim 8, Chau teaches the diode of claim 7, wherein the first implant portion and the second implant portion comprises a p-type semiconductor (⁋ [0035], “a second conductivity type (e.g., p-type)”).
As to claim 9, Chau teaches the diode of claim 5, wherein the first implant portion comprises a circular shape, a rectangular shape, a triangular shape, a pentagonal shape, a hexagonal shape, or a octagonal shape (⁋ [0046], Figs. 2+3).
As to claim 10, Chau teaches the diode of claim 9, wherein the second implant portion comprises a shape generally corresponding to the shape of the first implant portion (Figs. 2+3).
Claim Rejections - 35 U.S.C. § 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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
Claim 6 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Chau.
As to claim 6, Chau teaches the diode of claim 5, wherein the second concentration of the second implant portion (126) is 2 to 20 times greater than the first concentration of the first implant portion (128) (⁋ [0040] teaches the concentration range).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to apply the ranges of Chau because in the case where the claimed ranges “overlap or lie inside ranges disclosed by the prior art”, a prima facie case of obviousness exists. In re Wertheim, 541 F.2d 257, 191 USPQ 90 (CCPA 1976); In re Woodruff, 919 F.2d 1575, 16 USPQ 2d 1934 (Fed. Cir. 1990). MPEP 2144.05.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to CARNELL HUNTER whose telephone number is (571)270-1796. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday 7:30 am - 4:30pm.
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/CARNELL HUNTER III/ Examiner, Art Unit 2893
/SUE A PURVIS/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2893
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