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 .
Objected drawings
The drawings are objected to under 37 CFR 1.83(a). The drawings must show every feature of the invention specified in the claims. Therefore, the dielectric plug proximate an end of the aluminum wire as recited in claims 2, 8 and 17; and the probe tip resistor between the dielectric plug and the probe tip as recited in claims 4, 10 and 19 must be shown or the feature(s) canceled from the claim(s). No new matter should be entered.
Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. The figure or figure number of an amended drawing should not be labeled as “amended.” If a drawing figure is to be canceled, the appropriate figure must be removed from the replacement sheet, and where necessary, the remaining figures must be renumbered and appropriate changes made to the brief description of the several views of the drawings for consistency. Additional replacement sheets may be necessary to show the renumbering of the remaining figures. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
Rejection under First Paragraph
The following is a quotation of the first paragraph of 35 U.S.C. 112(a):
(a) IN GENERAL.—The specification shall contain a written description of the invention, and of the manner and process of making and using it, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and use the same, and shall set forth the best mode contemplated by the inventor or joint inventor of carrying out the invention.
The following is a quotation of the first paragraph of pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112:
The specification shall contain a written description of the invention, and of the manner and process of making and using it, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and use the same, and shall set forth the best mode contemplated by the inventor of carrying out his invention.
Claims 2-5, 8-11 and 17-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(a) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), first paragraph, as failing to comply with the written description requirement. The claim(s) contains subject matter which was not described in the specification in such a way as to reasonably convey to one skilled in the relevant art that the inventor or a joint inventor, or for pre-AIA the inventor(s), at the time the application was filed, had possession of the claimed invention.
The specification is completely silent for reciting the limitations "a dielectric plug proximate an end of the aluminum wire" as recited in claims 2, 8 and 17; and "a probe tip resistor between the dielectric plug and the probe tip" as recited in claims 4, 10 and 19.
Additional explanations are needed if applicant insists on including these features in claims 2, 4, 8, 10, 17 and 19 without the insertion of new matter.
Clarification without the introduction of new matter is required.
Claims 1, 6 and 12-15 are allowable.
Claims 2-5, 8-11 and 17-20 would be allowable if rewritten or amended to overcome objection(s) and the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(a) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 1st paragraph, set forth in this Office action.
Applicant's arguments filed on 09/23/2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
Applicant argued that Applicant amends claims 2, 8 and 17; and shows regarding claims 4, 10 and 19, as a non-limiting example, Paragraph 0045 of Applicant's Specification recites, inter alia, "An ion probe as described herein can include one or more design features, such as a standard tip with a relatively large surface area, an internal conductive tube to form capacitive coupling with bulk plasma, an optional Z-neck to probe different plasma regions, and/or an optional tip resistor." (Emphasis added.)
This argument is not persuasive because Applicant does not show elements that are objected by drawings; and Paragraph [0045] of Applicant's Specification does not recite the limitations "a dielectric plug proximate an end of the aluminum wire" as recited in claims 2, 8 and 17; and "a probe tip resistor between the dielectric plug and the probe tip" as recited in claims 4, 10 and 19.
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. 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.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to KIET TUAN NGUYEN whose telephone number is (571)272-2479. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday-Friday 8-6.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Robert H. Kim can be reached on 571-272-2293. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 703-872-9306.
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/KIET T NGUYEN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2881
