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 § 103
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 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.
Claim(s) 1 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Mizuno (US Publication 2022/0277897).
In re claim 1, Mizuno discloses a multilayer capacitor comprising:
an element body (10 – Figure 1, ¶19) in which a plurality of dielectric layers (11 – Figure 2, ¶20) and a plurality of internal electrode layers (12 – Figure 2, ¶20) extending in a first direction and a second direction orthogonal to each other (Figure 2, Figure 3) are alternately laminated in a third direction intersecting the first direction and second direction (Figure 2, Figure 3), and which includes at least one end surface (left and right surfaces of 10 – Figure 2) in which at least one internal electrode layer (12 – Figure 2) among the plurality of internal electrode layers is exposed from the plurality of dielectric layers (Figure 2; Note that each of the internal electrodes has an exposed portion that contacts the external electrodes, 20a and 20b shown in Figure 2 [¶19]); and
an external electrode terminal (20a, 20b – Figure 2, ¶19) disposed on the at least one end surface and connected to the at least one internal electrode layer (12 – Figure 2).
Mizuno does not explicitly disclose in the element body, a weight ratio of a metal containing Ni is from 20% to 25%, and a weight ratio of sulfur is from 3 ppm to 20 ppm. However, Mizuno discloses adjusting the sulfur content and nickel content in the internal electrodes, and thus the weight ratio of nickel and sulfur in the element body, is a balance between sufficient suppression of oxidization of the binder and excessive desorption amount of sulfur leading to cracks (¶56-57, ¶27). It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to adjust the amount of nickel and sulfur in the internal electrodes, and thus weight ratio of the elements in the component body, to achieve a device having desired sufficient oxidation suppression and formation of cracks, since it has been held that discovering an optimum value of a result effective variable involves only routine skill in the art. In re Boesch, 617 F.2d 272, 205 USPQ 215 (CCPA 1980).
Claim(s) 2-3 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Mizuno (US Publication 2022/0277897) in view of Takashima et al. (US Publication 2008/0204968).
In re claim 2, Mizuno discloses the multilayer capacitor according to claim 1, as explained above. Mizuno does not disclose wherein when the end surface is viewed in plan view along a direction orthogonal to the end surface, a ratio of an area occupied by the plurality of internal electrode layers to an area of the end surface is from 5% to 12%.
Takashima discloses that adjusting the thickness of the internal electrodes and the width of the lead-out portions is proportional to the ESR characteristics of the device (¶55). Further, it is well-known in the art that adjusting the number of internal electrode layers is proportional to the capacitance of the device. It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to adjust the size of the internal electrode layers, size of the lead-out portions, and the number of internal electrodes, and thus, end surface area proportion of the internal electrodes, to achieve a device having desired ESR characteristics and capacitance, since it has been held that discovering an optimum value of a result effective variable involves only routine skill in the art. In re Boesch, 617 F.2d 272, 205 USPQ 215 (CCPA 1980).
In re claim 3, Mizuno discloses the multilayer capacitor according to claim 1, as explained above. Mizuno does not disclose wherein in each of the plurality of internal electrode layers, when the end surface is viewed in plan view along a direction orthogonal to the end surface, a value obtained by dividing an area of the internal electrode layer exposed from the plurality of dielectric layers by a volume of the internal electrode layer is from 0.15 to 0.40.
Takashima discloses that adjusting the thickness of the internal electrodes and the width of the lead-out portions is proportional to the ESR characteristics of the device (¶55). Further, it is well-known in the art that adjusting the length of the internal electrodes, and thus overlap area, is correlated with the capacitance of the device. It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to adjust the thickness of the internal electrode layers, size of the lead-out portions, and length of the internal electrodes to achieve a device having desired ESR characteristics and capacitance, since it has been held that discovering an optimum value of a result effective variable involves only routine skill in the art. In re Boesch, 617 F.2d 272, 205 USPQ 215 (CCPA 1980).
Claim(s) 4 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Mizuno (US Publication 2022/0277897) in view of Lee et al. (US Publication 2021/0233712).
In re claim 4, Mizuno discloses the multilayer capacitor according to claim 1, as explained above. Mizuno further discloses wherein the at least one end surface includes a pair of end surfaces (left and right surfaces of 10 – Figure 2) at which internal electrode layers different from each other among the plurality of internal electrodes are exposed (Figure 2),
the plurality of internal electrode layers include a pair of internal electrode layers adjacent to each other and exposed at end surfaces different from each other among the pair of end surfaces (Figure 2),
each of the pair of internal electrode layers includes an overlapping portion that overlaps with the overlapping portion of the other internal electrode layer among the pair (overlapping portion in 14 – Figure 2, ¶23), and an extended portion (extended portion in 15 – Figure 2, ¶24) connected to the overlapping portion of the same internal electrode layer, extending from the overlapping portion of the same internal electrode layer in the first direction, and exposed at the end surface (Figure 2).
Mizuno does not disclose when a width of the extended portion in the second direction is "W1" and a width of the overlapping portion in the second direction is "W2", 1 - (W1/W2) is from 0.35 to 0.55.
Lee discloses a width of the extended portion in the second direction is "W1" (H2 – Figure 5C, ¶12) and a width of the overlapping portion in the second direction is "W2" (H1 – Figure 5C, ¶12), 1 - (W1/W2) is from 0.35 to 0.55 (Table 1: Sample 3).
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to incorporate the internal electrode dimensions as described by Lee to reduce the occurrences of cracks and improve moisture reliability (¶73: Lee).
Claim(s) 5 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Mizuno (US Publication 2022/0277897) in view of Kang et al. (US Publication 2022/0139622).
In re claim 5, Mizuno discloses the multilayer capacitor according to claim 1, as explained above. Mizuno further discloses wherein the plurality of dielectric layers form a pair of outer layer portions (13 – Figure 2, ¶20) located outside the plurality of internal electrode layers (12 – Figure 2) in the third direction and located to sandwich the plurality of internal electrode layers (Figure 2).
Mizuno does not disclose a thickness of one of the pair of outer layer portions is a length of 5% to 10% of the entire thickness of the element body in the third direction.
Kang discloses a thickness of one of the pair of outer layer portions (C – Figure 6, ¶61) is a length of 5% to 10% of the entire thickness of the element body in the third direction (T – Figure 6, ¶61) (Table 1: Sample 5).
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to incorporate the cover layer thickness as described by Kang to improve moisture resistance reliability and accelerated lifespan of the device (¶150-152: Kang).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Jeong et al. (US Publication 2022/0157532) [¶137]
Jiayin et al. (US Publication 2020/0335279) [¶53]
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ARUN RAMASWAMY whose telephone number is (571)270-1962. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday, 9:00 am - 5:00 pm.
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/ARUN RAMASWAMY/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2848
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