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 .
Specification
The title of the invention is not descriptive. A new title is required that is clearly indicative of the invention to which the claims are directed.
The lengthy specification has not been checked to the extent necessary to determine the presence of all possible minor errors. Applicant’s cooperation is requested in correcting any errors of which applicant may become aware in the specification.
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.
Claim(s) 1, and 6-10 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Imai (JP 2021034550A).
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Regarding claim 1, Imai discloses a multilayer electronic component (title), comprising:
first (12a) and second (12b) surfaces opposing each other in the first direction (x), third (12e) and fourth surfaces (12f) connected to the first and second surfaces and connected to each other in a second direction (z), and fifth (12c) and sixth (12d) surfaces connected to the first to fourth surfaces and opposing each other in a third direction (y);
a body (12) including a dielectric layer (14) and internal electrodes (16a, 16b) alternately disposed with the dielectric layer (14) in the first direction (x), and auxiliary electrodes (19a, 19b) spaced apart from the internal electrodes (16a, 16b) and disposed on both sides in the third direction (y) of the internal electrodes (16a, 16b); and
external electrodes (24a, 24b) disposed on the body (12),
wherein one of the auxiliary electrodes (19a, 19b) includes oxide regions including oxide on an end [0037] in the third direction (y).
Regarding claim 6, Imai discloses the one of the auxiliary electrodes (19a, 19b) includes Ni [0033], and the oxide is Ni oxide [0033], [0037].
Regarding claim 7, Imai disclose the internal electrodes (16a, 16b) include a first internal electrode (16a) spaced apart from the fourth surface (12f) and connected to the third surface (12e) and a second internal electrode (16b) spaced apart from the third surface (12e) and connected to the fourth surface (12f), and
wherein the auxiliary electrodes (19a, 19b) include a first auxiliary electrode (19a, 19b) disposed on each of both sides in the third direction (y) of the first internal electrode (16a) and a second auxiliary electrode (19a, 19b) disposed on each of both sides in the third direction (y) of the second internal electrode (16b).
Regarding claim 8, Imai discloses the first auxiliary electrode (19a, 19b) is spaced apart from the fourth surface (12f) and connected to the third surface (12e, indirectly – via 14), and
wherein the second auxiliary electrode (19a, 19b) is spaced apart from the third surface (12e) and connected to the fourth surface (12f, indirectly - via 14).
Regarding claim 9, Imai discloses an average width in the third direction of regions in which the fifth surface (12c) and the internal electrodes (16a, 16b) are spaced apart from each other is defined as Wm, and an average width in the third direction of the auxiliary electrodes (19a) is defined as Wd, 0.05 ≤ Wd/Wm < 1 is satisfied (see fig. 3-4).
Regarding claim 10, Imai discloses an average width in the third direction (y) of regions in which the fifth surface (12c) and the internal electrodes (16a, 16b) are spaced apart from each other is defined as Wm, and an average width in the third direction (y) of regions in which the internal electrodes (16a, 16b) and the auxiliary electrodes (19a, 19b) are spaced apart from each other in the third direction (y) is 25 defined as Wg, 0.03 ≤ Wg/Wm is satisfied (fig. 3-4).
Claim(s) 14-16 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Oh et al. (US 2017/0062130 A1).
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Regarding claim 14, Oh et al. disclose a multilayer electronic component (Fig. 1-2), comprising:
first (top) and second (bottom) surfaces opposing each other in the first direction (z), third (left) and fourth (right) surfaces connected to the first and second surfaces and connected to each other in a second direction (x), and fifth (front) and sixth (back) surfaces connected to the first to fourth surfaces and opposing each other in a third direction (y);
a body (10) including a dielectric layer (10) and internal electrodes (20, 30) alternately disposed with the dielectric layer (10) in the first direction (z), and auxiliary electrodes (60, 70) spaced apart from the internal electrodes (20,30) and disposed on both sides in the third direction (y) of the internal electrodes (20, 30); and
external electrodes (40, 50) disposed on the body (10),
wherein the internal electrodes (20, 30) include a first internal electrode (20) spaced apart from the fourth surface (right) and connected to the third surface (left) and a second internal electrode (30) spaced apart from the third surface (left) and connected to the fourth surface (right),
wherein the auxiliary electrodes (60, 70) include a first auxiliary electrode disposed (60) on each of both sides in the third direction (y) of the first internal electrode (20) and a second auxiliary electrode (70) disposed on each of both sides in the third direction (y) of the second internal electrode (30),
wherein the first auxiliary electrode (60) is spaced apart from the fourth surface (right) and connected to the third surface (right),
wherein the second auxiliary electrode (70) is spaced apart from the third surface (left) and connected to the fourth surface (right), and
wherein the first auxiliary electrode (60) and the second auxiliary electrode (70) partially overlap each other in the first direction (z).
Regarding claim 15, Oh et al. disclose when an average width in the third direction (y) of regions in which the fifth surface (front) and the internal electrodes (20, 30) are spaced apart from each other is defined as Wm, and an average width in the third direction (y) of the auxiliary electrodes (60, 70) is defined as Wd, 0.05 ≤ Wd/Wm < 1 is satisfied (see Fig. 2).
Regarding claim 16, Oh et al. disclose when an average width in the third direction (y) of regions in which the fifth surface (front) and the internal electrodes (20, 30) are spaced apart from each other is defined as Wm, and an average width in the third direction (y) of regions in which the internal electrodes (20, 30) and the auxiliary electrodes (60, 70) are spaced apart from each other in the third direction is defined as Wg, 0.03 ≤ Wg/Wm is satisfied (see Fig. 2).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 2-5, 11-13, 17 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.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: In combination with the other claim limitations, the prior art does not teach or suggest a multilayer electronic component:
when an average width in the third direction of the auxiliary electrodes is defined as Wd and an average width in the third direction of the oxide regions is defined as Wo, 0.09 ≤ Wo/Wd ≤ 0.5 is satisfied (claim 2);
wherein the oxide regions are disposed on both one end and the other end in the third direction of the one of the auxiliary electrode (claim 4);
wherein an area fraction of oxide in the one of the auxiliary electrodes is 10% or more and 40% or less (claim 5);
wherein, when an average width in the third direction of the internal electrodes is defined as Wi and an average width in the third direction of the auxiliary electrodes is defined as Wd, 0.03 ≤ Wd/Wi ≤ 0.20 is satisfied (claim 11);
wherein an area fraction occupied by oxide in a central portion of the one of the auxiliary electrodes is less than 10% (claim 12);
wherein an area fraction occupied by oxide on both ends in the third direction of one of the internal electrodes is less than 10% (claim 13); and
wherein, when an average width in the third direction of the internal electrodes is defined as Wi and an average width in the third direction of the auxiliary electrodes is defined as Wd, 0.03 ≤ Wd/Wi ≤ 0.20 is satisfied (claim 17).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
JP 2018-046086 A – a multilayer ceramic capacitor having auxiliary electrodes
JP 2000-1335454 A – a multilayer ceramic capacitor having auxiliary electrodes
US 2007/0195484 A1 – a multilayer ceramic capacitor having shield electrodes
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/ERIC W THOMAS/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2847
ERIC THOMAS
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2847
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