DETAILED ACTION
Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
The present application is being examined under the pre-AIA first to invent provisions.
Drawings
The drawings are objected to as failing to comply with 37 CFR 1.84(p)(5) because they include the following reference character(s) not mentioned in the description:
Reference label 30a as shown in Figure 3 is not sufficiently described.
Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d), or amendment to the specification to add the reference character(s) in the description in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(b) 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. 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.
Specification
The disclosure is objected to because of the following informalities:
Reference label 30a (Figure 3) is not defined or properly mentioned within the specification.
Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 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.
Claims 1, 6-7, and 9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Tsuda (US 9264016), a reference as cited by the applicant.
As per Claims 1 and 6:
Tsuda discloses in Figure 1A: An acoustic wave device (“SAW device”, 100) with an electrode layer (“input/output electrode”, 2b) wherein a material of the upper surface of the electrode layer(2b) contains aluminum (as per claim 6, due to the patterning of the aluminum thin film forming the IDT 2, which includes the input/output electrode 2b, [Col. 4, Line 67 and Col. 5, Lines 1-2], the upper surface of 2b inherently contains aluminum) on an upper surface of a piezoelectric layer (“piezoelectric plate”, 1), a bump (“solder ball”, 23), an under bump metal (“Under Bump Metal (UBM) Film”, 2c) comprising a first region (F1, as shown in annotated Image 1 below, corresponding to the left-hand portion of “Under Bump Metal (UBM) Film” 2c) bonded to the piezoelectric layer (F1 is formed on the piezoelectric plate 1, as is evident by Figure 1A), and a second region (F2, as shown in Image 1 below, corresponding to the right-hand portion of “Under Bump Metal (UBM) Film” 2c) bonded to the electrode layer (F2 is bonded to 2b, as is evident by Figure 1A), wherein at least a part of the first region (F1) and the bump (23) overlap each other when the piezoelectric layer (1) is viewed in plan view (as is evident by the structure of F1 overlapping with the solder ball 23, as shown in Figure 1A).
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Image 1
As per Claim 7: Tsuda discloses in Figure 1A:
The acoustic wave device according to claim 1, wherein the second region (F2, as defined in Image 1 above) does not have a layer bonding the electrode layer (“input/output electrode”, 2b) and the under bump metal (“Under Bump Metal (UBM) Film”, 2c, the F2 portion of the UBM film 2c does not have a layer further bonding 2b to 2c, as is inherent by Figure 1A).
As per Claim 9:
Tsuda discloses in Figure 1A:
A method for manufacturing an acoustic wave device (“SAW device”, 100) comprising providing an electrically conductive layer (“IDT”, 2) on a piezoelectric layer (“piezoelectric plate”, 1, as is evident by Figure 1A) and removing a part of the electrically conductive layer (2) to form an electrode layer (“input/output electrode”, 2b) in which an electrode (“comb-shaped electrode”, 2a) is formed (IDT 2 is formed by patterning of aluminum thin film and includes the comb-shaped electrode 2a and the input/output electrode 2b, [Col. 4, Line 67 and Col. 5, Lines 1-2], through the patterning forming the IDT 2, 2a and 2b are inherently formed), forming a bump (“solder ball”, 23, the formation of the solder ball, 23, and Under Bump Metal (UBM) Film, 2c, are inherent due to the necessity to form the structures) on an under bump metal (“Under Bump Metal (UBM) Film”, 2c) which is in contact with the piezoelectric layer (1, as is evident by Figure 1A) and an opening (“void”, 21) of the electrode layer (2b, the void 21 is inherently an opening between each 2b portion, as is evident by Figure 1A).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 2-5, 8, and 10 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ABIGAIL YALDO whose telephone number is (703)756-1784. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday 7 AM - 4 PM.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Andrea Lindgren Baltzell can be reached at (571) 272-5918. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/ABIGAIL AMIR YALDO/ Examiner, Art Unit 2843
/ANDREA LINDGREN BALTZELL/ Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2843
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