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 . 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.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 4 & 7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Claim 4 recites the limitation "the gas flow" in lines 1-2. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 7 recites the limitation "the surface modification process" in line 1. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1-3, 5-6, 8-16 are allowed over the prior art of record.
The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance:
The prior art of record does not reasonably show or suggest the claimed method for forming a composite substrate.
The closest prior art of record is Akiyama (U.S Patent 10727396B2). Similar to the claimed invention, Akiyama discloses a method for forming a composite substrate which includes a wafer and a piezoelectric wafer material, and discloses all the limitations of the instant claim, with the exception of the limitations of plasma treatment, and further after the plasma treatment, a UV irradiation step. Akiyama does disclose various surface treatment methods, including UV ozone treatment i.e. UV irradiation in air, and plasma treatment, wherein oxygen gas can be used if oxidation of the surface is required, and nitrogen gas if oxidation is not required. However, Akiyama has not discloses both a plasma treatment and a UV treatment being conducted on the wafer surfaces.
Another reference in the prior art, Akiyama (U.S PG Pub 20110227068A1 – referred to hereinafter as Akiyama 2), drawn also to the art of manufacturing a composite substrate, also discloses various methods of surface treatment. Akiyama 2 discloses UV ozone, water ozone, ion beam, and plasma, amongst the treatment options, and also discloses that ozone treatment and plasma treatment both be utilized [0069 of Akiyama 2], however, Akiyama 2 does not explicitly disclose UV ozone and plasma treatment both being conducted. Akiyama 2 generally discloses in [0069] that during the ozone treatment, a plasma gas such as nitrogen can be introduced and then a high frequency plasma can be generated to convert oxygen in the air to ozone, but does not disclose the plasma treatment in conjuncture with UV treatment. While it is known in the art to conduct both treatments in an ambient atmosphere, as explained above by the teachings of Akiyama and Akiyama 2, the prior art does not reasonably show or suggest conducting both a plasma treatment and a UV treatment.
Thus, the prior art as a whole does not reasonably show or suggest the limitations of conducting both a plasma treatment, and a subsequent UV treatment.
Specifically, the prior art as a whole does not reasonably show or suggest the limitations of performing a plasma treatment and then performing a subsequent UV treatment. In the absence of further prior art guidance, it would not have been obvious to an ordinarily skilled artisan to have arrived at the instant invention without hindsight. For the foregoing reasons, the invention is deemed non-obvious.
Any comments considered necessary by applicant must be submitted no later than the payment of the issue fee and, to avoid processing delays, should preferably accompany the issue fee. Such submissions should be clearly labeled “Comments on Statement of Reasons for Allowance.”
Claims 4 & 7 would be allowable if rewritten to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, set forth in this Office action and to include all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. US-20200313640-A1, US-20190115247-A1, US-20120058622-A1, US-20190051525-A1, US-20180175283-A1, US-20180166622-A1, US-20180151797-A1, US-20170200648-A1, US-20180138395-A1, US-7960248-B2, US-20230207515-A1, US-8936999-B2.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ABHISHEK A PATWARDHAN whose telephone number is (571)272-8431. The examiner can normally be reached Monday to Friday 7:30am-5pm.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
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.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/ABHISHEK A PATWARDHAN/Examiner, Art Unit 1746
/MICHAEL N ORLANDO/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 1746