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/Restrictions
Claims 9 - 16 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b), as being drawn to a nonelected invention, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Applicant timely traversed the restriction (election) requirement in the reply filed on July 3, 2026.
Applicant's election with traverse of claims 1 - 8 and 17 - 20 in the reply filed on July 3, 2026 is acknowledged. The traversal is on the ground(s) that the Applicant states that the Examiner has failed to provide evidence that the unifying technical feature is taught by the prior art of Furuichi because Furuichi discloses applying a CVD-SiC layer on a glassy carbon layer by chemical vapor deposition not bonding via molecular adhesion. This is not found persuasive because the mechanism that allows for chemical vapor deposition to adhere the SiC crystals to the glassy carbon layer is molecular adhesion.
The requirement is still deemed proper and is therefore made FINAL.
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 - 8 and 17 - 20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Furuichi et al (WO 2016/006640).
With regards to claim 1, Furuichi discloses a method of manufacturing a composite structure including a thin layer of a first single-crystal material on a support substrate (paragraphs 8 – 12) comprising:
Providing a starting substrate comprising a second polycrystalline material (paragraph 67)
Depositing, by centrifugal coating, at least on a front face of the starting substrate, a polymer resin layer comprising preformed carbon-carbon bonds in three dimensions (paragraphs 63, 64 and 66)
Applying a first annealing at a temperature of between 120°C and 180°C to the starting substrate provided with the polymer resin layer to form a crosslinked polymer resin layer (paragraphs 64 and 66)
Applying a second annealing at a temperature of greater than 600°C, under a neutral atmosphere, to transform the crosslinked polymer resin layer into a glassy carbon film (paragraphs 64 and 66)
Transferring the thin layer formed from the first single-crystal material directly onto the glassy carbon film or via an intermediate layer, the transfer involving forming an interface of bonding by molecular adhesion, between a face of the glassy carbon film and a face of the thin layer, or between a face of the glassy carbon film and a face of the intermediate layer arranged between the glassy carbon film and the thin layer (paragraphs 66 and 67)
With regards to claim 2, the teachings of Furuichi are presented above. Additionally, Furuichi teaches that, after stage d), a stage e) of mechanical and/or chemical mechanical polishing of the glassy carbon film (paragraph 65).
With regards to claim 3, the teachings of Furuichi are presented above. Additionally, Furuichi teaches that the polymer resin layer comprises coal tar, phenol/formaldehyde, polyfurfuryl alcohol, polyvinyl alcohol, polyacrylonitrile, polyvinylidene chloride and/or polystyrene ( paragraphs 63 and 64).
With regards to claims 4 and 17, the teachings of Furuichi are presented above. Additionally, Furuichi teaches that where stage f) further comprises assembling a donor substrate including the first single-crystal material, from which the thin layer will be transferred, and the glassy carbon film, to form a bonded assembly (paragraphs 66 and 67).
With regards to claims 5 and 18, the teachings of Furuichi are presented above. Additionally, Furuichi teaches that the donor substrate comprises a weak embedded plane delimiting, with a front face of the substrate, the thin layer to be transferred (paragraphs 66 and 67); and stage f) further comprises separating the bonded assembly along the weak embedded plane to form a composite structure including the thin layer on the glassy carbon film and a remained of the donor substrate (paragraphs 66 and 67).
With regards to claims 6 and 19, the teachings of Furuichi are presented above. Additionally, Furuichi teaches that the material is silicon carbide (paragraph 66).
With regards to claims 7 and 20, the teachings of Furuichi are presented above. Additionally, Furuichi teaches that the second polycrystalline material is silicon carbide (paragraph 66).
With regards to claim 8, the teachings of Furuichi are presented above. Additionally, Furuichi teaches that het first material and second material are semiconductors (paragraphs 60 and 62).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JOSHEL RIVERA whose telephone number is (571)270-7655. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 12pm - 8pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Michael Orlando can be reached at (571) 270-5038. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/JOSHEL RIVERA/Examiner, Art Unit 1746
/MICHAEL N ORLANDO/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 1746
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