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
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)(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.
Claim(s) 1-7, 12-16, 18, and 20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by MELLI et al. (2021/0268756).
Regarding claims 1-5, 12-16, and 18, MELLI et al. discloses a method comprising:
forming a working stamp (1200, 1202) having at least one waveguide feature
pattern (1240) and at least one process control feature pattern (1230, 1240), the at least one process control feature pattern (1230, 1240) being configured to control detachment of the working stamp from a waveguide workpiece (1010) (Figs. 12A-12C);
pressing the working stamp (1200, 1202) into a waveguide workpiece (1010) (Fig. 12B) thereby forming waveguide features (1040, 1050) in one or more functional waveguide zones of the waveguide workpiece and one or more sets of process control features (1020, 1030) in one or more regions outside of the one or more functional waveguide zones (Figs. 12B-12C); and
detaching the working stamp (1200) from the waveguide workpiece (1010) (Fig. 12C [0137]-[0142].
Regarding claims 6 and 20, MELLI et al. discloses forming the waveguide features comprises forming surface gratings [0127].
Regarding claim 7, MELLI et al. discloses forming the working stamp comprises configuring the at least one process control feature pattern to have multiple different shapes [0130].
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 17 and 19 objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to STELLA KIM YI whose telephone number is (571)270-5123. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 8:00-5:00 EST.
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STELLA YI
Examiner
Art Unit 1742
/STELLA K YI/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1742
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