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 .
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) 1-9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Kasai (US 20160014528, IDS 10/18/24).
Regarding claim 1, Kasai teaches an acoustic transducer, comprising: a substrate ( a chamber 13 that penetrates vertically is formed in a substrate 12, [0002]) having an opening (a chamber 13 that penetrates vertically is formed in a substrate 12, [0002]); a diaphragm disposed to cover the opening (a diaphragm 14 is provided above the substrate 12 so as to cover the upper portion of the chamber 1, [0002]); and a fixed electrode facing the diaphragm (a fixed electrode plate 16 that opposes the diaphragm 14, [0002]), wherein an opening for frequency characteristics adjustment is formed in a region outward of an outer periphery of the fixed electrode (multiple through-holes having a smaller opening area than the acoustic holes are formed in the large displacement region of the vibrating electrode plate, thus making it possible to roll-off the sensitivity in the low-pitch range, and making it possible to improve environmental resistance such as wind noise resistance, compressed air resistance, and air pressure variation resistance, [0012]).
Regarding claim 2, Kasai teaches the acoustic transducer according to claim 1, wherein the opening for frequency characteristics adjustment is provided in the diaphragm ( a through-hole is formed in the diaphragm of an acoustic sensor in order to increase the roll-off frequency, [0002]).
Regarding claim 3, Kasai teaches the acoustic transducer according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of openings for frequency characteristics adjustment are provided, the plurality of openings each being the opening for frequency characteristics adjustment (the fixed electrode have a plurality of acoustic holes that penetrate vertically, [0011]).
Regarding claim 4, Kasai teaches the acoustic transducer according to claim 2, wherein the diaphragm includes a movable film that is vibratable in a first direction that is a plate thickness direction of the substrate (diaphragm 23 is formed by an electrically conductive polysilicon thin film, [0046]), and a fixed film that is disposed around the movable film and is fixed to the substrate (a fixed electrode plate 16 that opposes the diaphragm 14 is provided on the lower surface of the back plate 15, [0002]), and the opening for frequency characteristics adjustment is provided in the movable film (large displacement region of the vibrating electrode plate referred to here is a region that includes the maximum displacement location of the vibrating electrode plate and the periphery thereof, [0012]).
Regarding claim 5, Kasai teaches the acoustic transducer according to claim 4, wherein the opening for frequency characteristics adjustment is provided at a position facing the opening of the substrate (a fixed electrode plate 16 that opposes the diaphragm 14, [0002]).
Regarding claim 6, Kasai teaches the acoustic transducer according to claim 2, wherein the diaphragm includes a movable film that is vibratable in a first direction that is a plate thickness direction of the substrate (fig 5), and a fixed film that is disposed around the movable film and is fixed to the substrate (fixed electrode plate 16, [0002]), and the opening for frequency characteristics adjustment is provided in the fixed film (a chamber 13 that penetrates vertically is formed in a substrate 12, [0002]).
Regarding claim 7, Kasai teaches the acoustic transducer according to claim 6, wherein the opening for frequency characteristics adjustment is provided at a position facing the opening of the substrate (a fixed electrode plate 16 that opposes the diaphragm 14, [0002]).
Regarding claim 8, Kasai teaches the acoustic transducer according to claim 1, further comprising: a support that is disposed between the substrate and the diaphragm (canopy portion 24, [0045]), is disposed so as to enclose the opening of the substrate, and supports the diaphragm (canopy portion 24 is formed with a dome shape and has a cavity portion underneath the dome, and the diaphragm 23 is covered by the cavity portion, [0047]), wherein the opening for frequency characteristics adjustment penetrates through the support (canopy portion 24 that is arranged above the diaphragm 23 via a very small air gap 30 (air gap) and is fixed to the upper surface of the silicon substrate 22., [0045]).
Regarding claim 9, Kasai teaches the acoustic transducer according to claim 1, further comprising: a back plate fixed to the substrate (lower surface of the back plate 15, [0002]), wherein the fixed electrode is formed at a surface of the back plate facing the diaphragm ( a fixed electrode plate 16 that opposes the diaphragm 14 is provided on the lower surface of the back plate 15, [0002]), the back plate has a plurality of holes that penetrate through the back plate in a plate thickness direction (Multiple acoustic holes 17 for guiding acoustic vibration into the air gap between the fixed electrode plate 16 and the diaphragm 14 are formed in the back plate 15, [0002]), and an area of the opening for frequency characteristics adjustment is smaller than that of the plurality of holes (a through-hole 18 having a larger opening area than the acoustic holes 17 is formed in a large displacement region of the diaphragm 14, that is to say the region of the diaphragm 14 that opposes the upper opening of the chamber 13, [0002]).
Conclusion
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/KILE O BLAIR/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2691
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