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 .
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 103 which forms the basis for all obviousness rejections set forth in this Office action:
A patent for a claimed invention may not be obtained, notwithstanding that the claimed invention is not identically disclosed as set forth in section 102, if the differences between the claimed invention and the prior art are such that the claimed invention as a whole would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the claimed invention pertains. Patentability shall not be negated by the manner in which the invention was made.
Claim(s) 1 and 13 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Makita (US 20110042672).
As to claim 1, Makita’s figure 1 shows a waveguide device configured to guide an electromagnetic wave having a frequency of 30 GHz or more and 20 THz or less (the device is capable of operating within the claimed frequency, see ¶0080. Selecting the operating frequency range as claimed is seen as an obvious design preference to ensure optimum performance), the waveguide device comprising: a resin material substrate (30, ¶0081); a conductor layer (42 and 44a-44b) disposed on the resin material substrate; and a support substrate (20) disposed on a side opposite from the conductor layer with respect to the resin material substrate, wherein the resin material substrate and the support substrate are joined to each other, wherein the resin material substrate has a thickness “t” (¶0035 teaches that the thickness of 30 is about 2 mm or less, i.e., 200 nm) which satisfies Formular :
t
<
λ
a
√
ε
for a = 3 to 12
Note: t = 2mm or less; l = 3000 mm for frequency about 100 GHz (¶0080), e of SiO2 is ranged about 3.7 to 4.2 (see ¶0112 of US 20200203293 or 0014 of US 20180013260 for supporting evidence). Therefore, setting the thickness as claimed is seen as an obvious design preference to ensure optimum performance, MPEP 2144.05.
As to claim 13, the figure further shows a joining portion (22) is disposed between the resin material substrate and the support substrate, wherein the joining portion is a SiO2 layer, an amorphous silicon layer, or a tantalum oxide layer (¶0030), the resin material substrate and support substrate are joined to each other via the joining portion.
Claim(s) 1-8 and 10-12 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Han (US 20130088396) and/or Miyazato et al. (20100245155) in view of Schloemann (US 4853660) or Makita (US 20110042672).
As to claim 1, Han’s figure 1C or Miyazato et al.’s figure 10 shows a waveguide device configured to guide an electromagnetic wave having a frequency of 30 GHz or more and 20 THz or less (the device is capable of operating within the claimed frequency, see Han’s ¶0009 or Miyazato et al.’s ¶0113. Selecting the operating frequency range as claimed is seen as an obvious design preference to ensure optimum performance), the waveguide device comprising: a first dielectric Han’s 1a or Miyazato et al.’s 31, wherein the first dielectric 1a is a resin material substrate (Miyazato et al.’s ¶0103 defines Fr4 is a resin material, and Han’s 0017 also teaches that layer 1a may be FR4); a conductor layer (Han’s 5a or Miyazato et al.’s 11) disposed on the resin material substrate; and a support substrate (one of Han’s 1b-1e or Miyazato et al.’s 32-34) disposed on a side opposite from the conductor layer with respect to the resin material substrate, wherein the resin material substrate and the support substrate are directly joined to each other (at area below the labeled 5a in Han’s figure 1C or area under Miyazato et al.’s 221, 231). Han or Miyazato al.’s figure fails to show the thickness of the resin material substrate as claimed. However, Schloemann’s figure 2 shows a similar device that the thickness of its substrate 22 satisfies the expression
t
<
λ
a
√
ε
for a = 3 to 12
Note: Schloemann’s col. 7, lines 15-20 and figure 4B teach that the substrate thickness = 100 mm, dielectric constant e = 10, and l = 0.004 or 4000 mm (furthermore, figure 4B teaches that the frequency is about 35 GHz. Thus, l = 8000 mm).
Makita’s figure 1 also shows a similar device that the thickness of its substrate 30 satisfies the expression
t
<
λ
a
√
ε
for a = 3 to 12, see the rejection of claims 1 and 13 above.
Therefore, setting the thickness of Han or Miyazato et al.’s first dielectric to satisfy the claimed equation is seen as an obvious design preference to ensure optimum performance, MPEP 2144.05.
As to claim 2, Han’s figure 1C or Miyazato et al.’s figure 10 shows a first ground electrode (Han’s 5c, ¶0054 or Miyazato et al.’s 12) disposed between the resin material substrate and the support substrate (at area surrounding the labeled 5c in Han’s figure or areas under Miyazato et al.’s 11, 211, 221 and 231), wherein the resin material substrate and the support substrate are joined to each other via the first ground electrode.
As to claim 3, Han’s figure 1C or Miyazato et al.’s figure 10 shows that the first ground electrode (Han’s 5c or Miyazato et al.’s 12) is in direct contact with the resin material substrate and the support substrate and joins the resin material substrate and the support substrate to each other.
As to claim 4, Han’s figure 1C or Miyazato et al.’s figure 10 shows that the first ground electrode is in direct contact with the resin material substrate (Han’s 1a or Miyazato et al.’s 31), and the waveguide device further comprises a joining portion (Han’s 1b or Miyazato et al.’s 32 when Han’s 1c or Miyazato et al.’s 33 is considered as the claimed support substrate ) that joins the first ground electrode and the support substrate to each other (area under Miyazato’s 12).
As to claim 5, Miyazato et al.’s figure 10 shows that the first ground electrode ( Miyazato et al.’s 222) is in direct contact with the support substrate (Miyazato’s 33 equivalents to Han’s layer 1c), and the waveguide device further comprises a joining portion (Miyazato et al.’s 32 which equivalents to Han’s 1b) that joins the resin material substrate (31) and the first ground electrode (222) to each other. Furthermore, it would have been obvious to use Miyazato et al.’s stairs like shape ground electrode for Han’s via 4 connected between 5c and 3 for the purpose of improving the device operating frequency.
As to claim 6, Han’s figure 1C or Miyazato et al.’s figure 10 shows that the conductor layer includes: a signal electrode which forms a transmission line configured to propagate the electromagnetic wave; and a second ground electrode (Han’s 5b, figure 1B) disposed at a distance from the signal electrode.
As to claim 7, Han’s figure 1C or Miyazato et al.’s figure 10 shows a third ground electrode (Han’s 3) positioned on a side opposite from the first ground electrode with respect to the support substrate; a first via (one or more of vias 4 in figure 1B) which electrically connects the second ground electrode and the third ground electrode, and which is electrically connected to the first ground electrode; and a second via (another one or more of vias 4) which electrically connects the first ground electrode and the second ground electrode, wherein the first via includes a plurality of first vias, and wherein the second via is arranged between two first vias adjacent to each other out of the plurality of first vias (figure 1B).
As to claim 8, Han’s figure 1C or Miyazato et al.’s figure 10 a third ground electrode (Han’s 3) positioned on a side opposite from the first ground electrode with respect to the support substrate; and a plurality of through-substrate vias (4) for electrically connecting the first ground electrode and the third ground electrode, wherein the first ground electrode, the third ground electrode, and the plurality of through-substrate vias form a substrate-integrated waveguide configured to propagate the electromagnetic wave.
As to claim 10, the modified Han or Miyazato et al.’s figure shows that in the above formular, “a” represents a number value of 6 or more.
As to claims 11-12, selecting the thickness for the resin material substrate as claimed is seen as an obvious design preference to ensure optimum performance, MPEP 2144.05 (note that Schloemann teaches that the thickness is about 100 mm or Makita teaches that the thickness is 2mm or less).
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
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/QUAN TRA/
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2843
