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 § 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 1-12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Mizuno (US Pat. App. Pub. No. 2023/0094498).
With respect to claim 1, Mizuno discloses a multilayer ceramic capacitor (see abstract) comprising: an element body including dielectric layers comprising a perovskite compound represented by a general formula ABO3 (see paragraph [0023]), wherein A and B represent an A-site element and a B-site element, respectively, of the perovskite structure (see paragraph [0023]), and internal electrode layers, which are laminated alternately (see paragraph [0021]), wherein the element body includes intermediate regions (see FIG. 6, element 19 and paragraph [0031]), which are not part of the dielectric layers or the internal electrode layers, between the dielectric layers and the internal electrode layers, respectively (see FIG. 6), wherein the internal electrode layers and the intermediate regions each contain copper (see paragraphs [0031] and [0033]), and wherein the following relation is satisfied: 1/(0.55t + 1.54)≤a≤3, where t (µm) is a thickness of each internal electrode layer, and a (atomic %) is a concentration of copper in the internal electrode layers (see paragraph [0036], noting a thickness of 0.4 or less, which means 1/(0.55(.4)+1.54)= 1/1.76=.56; thus, .54≤a≤3; and paragraphs [0033]-[0034], noting an additive, including Cu, having between 0.01 and 5% concentration).
With respect to claim 2, Mizuno discloses that 0.1 ≤t ≤1.5. See paragraph [0036].
With respect to claim 3, Mizuno discloses that a ≥ 0.5. See paragraph [0044]; see also, paragraph [0057].
With respect to claim 4, Mizuno discloses that a ≥ 0.5. See paragraph [0044]; see also, paragraph [0057].
With respect to claim 5, Mizuno discloses that 1≤b≤ 4.5, where b (atomic %) is a concentration of copper in the intermediate regions. See paragraph [0031], noting that the peak concentration of additive element occurs in intermediate layer 19; see also, paragraphs [0033]-[0034], noting a concentration of between 0.01 and 5%.
With respect to claim 6, Mizuno discloses that 1≤b≤ 4.5, where b (atomic %) is a concentration of copper in the intermediate regions. See paragraph [0031], noting that the peak concentration of additive element occurs in intermediate layer 19; see also, paragraphs [0033]-[0034], noting a concentration of between 0.01 and 5%.
With respect to claim 7, Mizuno discloses that 0.48 ≤ b/(0.55t + 1.54) ≤ 2.5, where b (atomic %) is a concentration of copper in the intermediate regions. See paragraph [0057], noting a copper concentration of 1.0% and an internal electrode thickness of 0.4 µm, which results in 0.48 ≤ (1.0/(0.55(0.4) + 1.54) ≤ 2.5 = 0.48 ≤ (1.0/(1.76)) ≤ 2.5 = 0.48 ≤0.57 ≤ 2.5.
With respect to claim 8, Mizuno discloses that 0.48 ≤ b/(0.55t + 1.54) ≤ 2.5, where b (atomic %) is a concentration of copper in the intermediate regions. See paragraph [0057], noting a copper concentration of 1.0% and an internal electrode thickness of 0.4 µm, which results in 0.48 ≤ (1.0/(0.55(0.4) + 1.54) ≤ 2.5 = 0.48 ≤ (1.0/(1.76)) ≤ 2.5 = 0.48 ≤0.57 ≤ 2.5.
With respect to claim 9, Mizuno discloses that the internal electrode layers contain nickel. See paragraph [0033].
With respect to claim 10, Mizuno discloses that the internal electrode layers contain nickel. See paragraph [0033].
With respect to claim 11, Mizuno discloses that the perovskite compound represented by the general formula ABO3 comprises barium titanate. See paragraph [0023].
With respect to claim 12, Mizuno discloses that the perovskite compound represented by the general formula ABO3 comprises barium titanate. See paragraph [0023].
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Doi (US 2023/0207196), Kim et al. (US 2017/0011850), and Matsumoto et al. (US 2023/0154681) each disclose internal electrodes having intermediate regions adjacent the dielectric layers, but fail to teach the relationships recited in claim 1.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to DION R FERGUSON whose telephone number is (571)270-7566. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday, 5:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m..
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Timothy Dole, can be reached at 571-272-2229. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/DION R. FERGUSON/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2847
