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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statements (IDS) submitted on August 01, 2024; July 16, 2025; and January 09, 2026 are in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statements are being considered by the examiner.
Claim Objections
Claim 1 is objected to because of the following informalities: The claim recites the limitation “an insulating film” in line 11. This limitation appears to be referring back to the original recitation of the limitation found in lines 8-9. Thus, the limitation of line 11 should be amended to “the insulating film”. Appropriate correction is required.
Claims 1-5 are objected to because of the following informalities: Claim 1 recites the limitation “the functional film” in lines 4 and 5 and “the protective film” in lines 5, 6, 8, 10, 12 and 13. These limitations appear to be referring to the original recitation of the limitation found in lines 2 and 4. The naming of the limitations have to be consistent throughout the claims, thus the limitations of lines 4 and 5 should be amended to “the conductive functional film” and lines 5, 6, 8, 10, 12 and 13 should be amended to “the conductive protective film”. Appropriate correction is required.
Claims 2-5 have similar issues as discussed above (in section number 4) and should be amended in a similar manner.
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.
Claim(s) 1 and 3-4 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Han et al. US2004/0047082 (called Han hereinafter and applicant disclosed art).
Regarding independent claim 1, Han teaches a sensor element (Fig. 6) comprising:
a conductive functional film (Fig. 2a; para [0019]; bottom spin valve sensor element 10) whose electrical characteristics vary based on a predetermined physical amount to be detected (para [0019]);
a conductive protective film (Fig. 5; alumina layer 22) covering a surface of the functional film (Figs. 2a-5; alumina layer 22 covers a surface of bottom spin valve sensor element 10); and
a lead layer (Fig. 6; lead layer 46) applying a voltage to the functional film through the protective film (para [0004 and 0024]; conducting lead layer 46 applies a voltage/current to the bottom spin valve sensor 10 through the alumina layer 22),
wherein the protective film has a connected area covered with the lead layer and a non-connected area not covered with the lead layer (Figs. 5 and 6; a portion of lead layer 46 covers the alumina layer 22),
wherein a surface of the non-connected area of the protective film is covered with an insulating film (Fig. 6; dielectric layer 60 covers the surface of the exposed alumina layer 22),
wherein a surface of the connected area of the protective film contacts the lead layer without being covered with an insulating film (Fig. 6; the portion of lead layer 46 that contacts the alumina layer 22 does not have the dielectric layer 60 between the lead layer and the alumina layer), and
wherein a thickness of the protective film in the connected area is larger than a thickness of the protective film in the non-connected area (Fig. 6; the left and right edge portions of alumina layer 22 that connected to the lead layer 46 is thicker than the non-connected area of alumina layer 22).
Regarding claim 3, Han teaches the sensor element as claimed in claim 1, and further teaches wherein the protective film is a single film (Figs. 5 and 6; alumina layer 22 is a single layer).
Regarding claim 4, Han teaches the sensor element as claimed in claim 1, and further teaches wherein the functional film constitutes a part of a magnetoresistive effect element whose resistance value varies based on a magnetic field (para [0004 and 0019]), wherein the functional film has first and second element pieces (Figs. 2a and 6; left and right ends of the bottom spin valve sensor element 10), wherein a hard magnetic body (Fig. 6; para [0024]; hard magnetic material biasing layer 44) is provided between the first element piece and the second element piece (Figs. 2a, 5 and 6; the tip portions of biasing layer 44 that are towards the middle are positioned between the left and right ends of element 10), the hard magnetic body applying a magnetic bias to the functional film (para [0004-0005]), and wherein the lead layer electrically connects the first element piece and the second element piece by covering a surface of the hard magnetic body (Figs. 2a and 6; lead layer 46 connects to the element 10 and covers biasing layer 44), the connected area of the first element piece (Fig. 6), and the connected area of the second element piece (Fig. 6).
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, 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) 2 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Han in view of Apostolos et al. US9413063 (called Apostolos hereinafter).
Regarding claim 2, Han teaches the sensor element as claimed in claim 1, but fails to teach wherein the insulating film is a native oxide film formed by oxidation of a surface of the protective film.
Apostolos teaches wherein the insulating film is a native oxide film formed by oxidation of a surface of the protective film (Column 1 lines 15-20; Column 2 lines 51-67).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one skilled in the art before the effective date of the claimed invention to modify the dielectric layer as described by Han with the native oxide insulator as described by Apostolos for the purpose of obtaining a highly asymmetric device with efficient current generation needed for high conversion efficiency (Abstract).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 5-6 are indicated as allowable subject matter.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
Regarding independent claim 5, the prior arts of record taken alone or in combination fail to teach or suggest:
“a fourth step of physically reducing a native oxide film formed on a part of the surface of the protective film that is not covered with the mask by performing reverse sputtering through the mask; and a fifth step of forming, after the fourth step, a lead layer on a connected area of the protective film that is not covered with the mask,” when used in combination with all other limitations of claim 5.
Claim 6 is indicated as allowable subject matter for depending on claim 5.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Ju et al. discloses “Magnetoresistive (MR) sensor element with sunken lead structure” (see US2003/0150835)
Gill et al. discloses “Heat sink and high thermal stability structure for CPP sensor” (see US2005/0286178)
Kakihara discloses “Magnetoresistive element and its manufacturing method” (see US6201669)
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/DAVID B FREDERIKSEN/Examiner, Art Unit 2858
/HUY Q PHAN/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2858