DETAILED ACTION
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Status of claims
Claim 1-3 and 7-16 are provisionally rejected on the ground of nonstatutory double patenting.
Claims 1-3, 7-9 and 11-16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103.
Claims 4-6, 10 and 17-20 are objected to.
Examiner’s Notes
The limitation “magnetic domain” in claims 15-16 which is interpreted as a physical element in view of paragraph [274] of applicant’s specification below and FIG. 45 of applicant’s drawing.
“[274] Referring to (a) of FIG. 45, as described above with reference to FIG. 42, magnetic domains GR may be formed as crystals within the metal thin film portion 111' grow during the heat process H. That is, the presence of magnetic domains GR is a result of the heat treatment of the metal thin film portion 111' and may distinguish the metal thin film portion from a plated film formed by ordinary electroforming alone. Additionally, the present invention may perform a planarization PS process after heat treatment H.”
Claim Objections
Claims 1, 2, 4, 8, 10, 13, 15, 18 and 20 are objected to because of the following informalities:
In lines 5-7 of claim 1, “a metal thin film portion having the plurality of aperture patterns, and an insulating layer portion having an insulating material coated on a surface of the metal thin film portion” should be changed to “a metal thin film portion having the first surface and the plurality of aperture patterns, and an insulating layer portion having an insulating material coated on the first surface of the metal thin film portion”.
In line 2 of claim 2, “and is connected to an edge of the membrane portion” should be changed to “and the holder portion is connected to an edge of the membrane portion”.
In lines 3-4 of claim 4, “portion and comprising the second surface” should be changed to “portion, and the second metal thin film portion comprising the second surface”.
In line 1 of claim 8, “test deivce” should be changed to “test device”.
In lines 2-3 of claim 10, “semiconductor and on the second surface” should be changed to “semiconductor, and on the second surface”.
In line 3 of claim 13, “differ from a composition of surface C, which” should be changed to “the compositions of surface A and surface B differ from a composition of surface C, surface C which”.
In line 2 of claim 15, “the surface of the metal thin film portion” should be changed to “the first surface of the metal thin film portion”.
In line 2 of claim 18, “portion and is integrally formed” should be changed to “portion, and the reinforcement portion is integrally formed”.
In line 2 of claim 20, “portion and a size” should be changed to “portion, and a size”.
Appropriate correction is required.
Double Patenting
The nonstatutory double patenting rejection is based on a judicially created doctrine grounded in public policy (a policy reflected in the statute) so as to prevent the unjustified or improper timewise extension of the “right to exclude” granted by a patent and to prevent possible harassment by multiple assignees. A nonstatutory double patenting rejection is appropriate where the conflicting claims are not identical, but at least one examined application claim is not patentably distinct from the reference claim(s) because the examined application claim is either anticipated by, or would have been obvious over, the reference claim(s). See, e.g., In re Berg, 140 F.3d 1428, 46 USPQ2d 1226 (Fed. Cir. 1998); In re Goodman, 11 F.3d 1046, 29 USPQ2d 2010 (Fed. Cir. 1993); In re Longi, 759 F.2d 887, 225 USPQ 645 (Fed. Cir. 1985); In re Van Ornum, 686 F.2d 937, 214 USPQ 761 (CCPA 1982); In re Vogel, 422 F.2d 438, 164 USPQ 619 (CCPA 1970); In re Thorington, 418 F.2d 528, 163 USPQ 644 (CCPA 1969).
A timely filed terminal disclaimer in compliance with 37 CFR 1.321(c) or 1.321(d) may be used to overcome an actual or provisional rejection based on nonstatutory double patenting provided the reference application or patent either is shown to be commonly owned with the examined application, or claims an invention made as a result of activities undertaken within the scope of a joint research agreement. See MPEP § 717.02 for applications subject to examination under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA as explained in MPEP § 2159. See MPEP § 2146 et seq. for applications not subject to examination under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA . A terminal disclaimer must be signed in compliance with 37 CFR 1.321(b).
The filing of a terminal disclaimer by itself is not a complete reply to a nonstatutory double patenting (NSDP) rejection. A complete reply requires that the terminal disclaimer be accompanied by a reply requesting reconsideration of the prior Office action. Even where the NSDP rejection is provisional the reply must be complete. See MPEP § 804, subsection I.B.1. For a reply to a non-final Office action, see 37 CFR 1.111(a). For a reply to final Office action, see 37 CFR 1.113(c). A request for reconsideration while not provided for in 37 CFR 1.113(c) may be filed after final for consideration. See MPEP §§ 706.07(e) and 714.13.
The USPTO Internet website contains terminal disclaimer forms which may be used. Please visit www.uspto.gov/patent/patents-forms. The actual filing date of the application in which the form is filed determines what form (e.g., PTO/SB/25, PTO/SB/26, PTO/AIA /25, or PTO/AIA /26) should be used. A web-based eTerminal Disclaimer may be filled out completely online using web-screens. An eTerminal Disclaimer that meets all requirements is auto-processed and approved immediately upon submission. For more information about eTerminal Disclaimers, refer to www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/applying-online/eterminal-disclaimer.
Claim 1, 2, 3, 7, 8, 9, 10, and 11 are provisionally rejected on the ground of nonstatutory double patenting as being unpatentable over claim 1, 2, 1, 10, 12, 1, 9, and 1 of copending Application No. 18981395 in view of Nelson et al. (US 2016/0209444).
This is a provisional nonstatutory double patenting rejection.
Regarding claim 1, claim 1 of copending Application No. 18981395 meets all claim limitation of claim 1, except the claim limitation of “neighboring aperture patterns are insulated from each other”.
Nelson teaches neighboring aperture patterns are insulated from each other (e.g. figs. 1-4, [0039], a plurality of holes for corresponding conductive pin pairs (20, 30) which are insulated by insulating interposer 50).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have claim 1 of copending Application No. 18981395 includes the claim limitation of “neighboring aperture patterns are insulated from each other” by applying the teaching of Nelson, for the purpose of preventing short circuiting from each other and/or protecting neighboring aperture patterns from external damages.
Regarding claim 9, combination of copending Application No. 18981395 and Nelson meets the claim limitation “wherein the contact protrusion portion is formed around each of the aperture patterns on the first surface” (e.g. Hasebe, figs. 3-4, conductive pin 20 on top of the corresponding holes for the corresponding pin pairs (20, 30)).
Regarding claim 11, combination of copending Application No. 18981395 and Nelson meets the claim limitation “wherein the contact protrusion portion has a shape in which at least width narrows toward an outside on the first surface” (e.g. Hasebe, figs 3-4, conductive pin 30 with width narrows toward outside of top of the corresponding holes for the corresponding pin pairs (20, 30)).
A comparison of the claims is presented in the following table with exact correspondence in bold face.
Instant Application
Copending Application No. 18981395
1. A semiconductor test device for testing an electrical connection of a semiconductor, comprising:
a membrane portion comprising a first surface and a plurality of aperture patterns extending in a direction of a second surface opposite to the first surface,
wherein the membrane portion comprises a metal thin film portion having the plurality of aperture patterns, and
an insulating layer portion having an insulating material coated on a surface of the metal thin film portion,
a contact protrusion portion is formed to protrude from the first surface of the metal thin film portion,
neighboring aperture patterns are insulated from each other, and
an electrical connection path is formed from top to bottom of each of the aperture patterns.
3. The semiconductor test device of claim 1, wherein the electrical connection path is provided by forming a conductive thin film layer on at least a side surface of each of the aperture patterns.
1. A semiconductor test device for testing an electrical connection of a semiconductor, comprising:
a first membrane portion comprising a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface and including a plurality of first aperture patterns extending from the first surface toward a direction of the second surface; and
a second membrane portion comprising a third surface, connected to the first surface of the first membrane portion, and a fourth surface opposite to the third surface and including a plurality of second aperture patterns extending from the fourth surface toward a direction of the third surface,
wherein the first membrane portion comprises a first metal thin film portion having the plurality of first aperture patterns; and
a first insulating layer portion having an insulating material coated on a surface of the first metal thin film portion,
the second membrane portion comprises a second metal thin film portion having the plurality of second aperture patterns; and
a second insulating layer portion having an insulating material coated on a surface of the second metal thin film portion,
a contact protrusion portion is formed to protrude outwardly on the fourth surface of the second metal thin film portion, and
a conductive thin film layer is formed on side surfaces of each of the first aperture patterns and the second aperture patterns.
2. The semiconductor test device of claim 1, further comprising a holder portion which includes a hollow region and is connected to an edge of the membrane portion.
2. The semiconductor test device of claim 1, further comprising: a holder portion formed on the second surface of the first membrane portion, which includes a hollow region and is formed on an edge of the first membrane portion.
7. The semiconductor test device of claim 1, wherein the metal thin film portion is made of at least one of Invar, Super Invar, nickel-iron alloy, nickel-cobalt alloy, nickel-iron-cobalt alloy, or nickel.
10. The semiconductor test device of claim 1, wherein the first metal thin film portion and the second metal thin film portion are made of at least one of Invar, Super Invar, nickel-iron alloy, nickel-cobalt alloy, nickel-iron-cobalt alloy, or nickel.
8. The semiconductor test deivce of claim 3, wherein the conductive thin film layer is further formed in a horizontal direction at a top of the side surface of each of the aperture patterns, or in a horizontal direction at a bottom of the side surface of each of the aperture patterns.
12. The semiconductor test device of claim 1, wherein the conductive thin film layer is further formed in a horizontal direction at a top of the side surfaces of each of the first aperture patterns and the second aperture patterns.
10. The semiconductor test device of claim 9, wherein on the first surface, the contact protrusion portion comes into contact with a flat pad of a semiconductor and on the second surface, a conductive thin film layer formed on each of the aperture patterns comes into contact with a micro bump of the semiconductor.
9. The semiconductor test device of claim 1, wherein the conductive thin film layer formed on the first aperture pattern of the first metal thin film portion is capable of making contact with a micro bump of a semiconductor, and the contact protrusion portion of the second metal thin film portion is capable of making contact with a flat pad of the semiconductor.
Claim 12 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Claim 1 of copending Application No. 18981395 in view of Nelson et al. (US 2016/0209444), and further in view of Bonkohara et al. (US 2013/0313687).
Regarding claim 12, combination of copending Application No. 18981395 and Nelson is silent with regard to wherein a width of each of the aperture patterns is in a range of 5 µm to 100 µm.
Bonkohara teaches a width of each of aperture patterns is in a range of several µm to 100 µm (e.g. figs. 1A and 5, each of through holes 51 is the size of 100 µm from serval µm, serval is greater than 2 but not too many (i.e. 3, 4, 5 … 9)).
It is obvious to optimize the range to be between 5 µm to 100 µm for the width of each of aperture patterns because these optimized range might be characterized as routine experimentation; therefore, using these optimized range would achieve optimal results.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to have modified claim 1 of combination of copending Application No. 18981395 and Nelson by applying the discussion above to explicitly have wherein a width of each of the aperture patterns is in a range of 5 µm to 100 µm, for the purpose of optimizing the performance and functionalities the semiconductor test device in order to enhance the system to achieve optimal results.
Claim 13 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Claim 1 of copending Application No. 18981395 in view of Nelson et al. (US 2016/0209444), and further in view of Hasebe et al. (US 2008/0160657) and LV et a. (US 2021/0091281).
Regarding claim 13, combination of copending Application No. 18981395 and Nelson is silent with regard to wherein compositions of surface A, which is a lower surface of the metal thin film portion, differs from a composition of surface C, which is an upper surface of the metal thin film portion.
Hasebe is silent with regard to wherein compositions of surface A, which is a lower surface of the metal thin film portion (e.g. Hasebe, figs. 26-28, [0090] and [0123], metal thin film 37B has a bottom surface), differs from a composition of surface C (e.g. Hasebe, figs. 26-28, [0090] and [0123], metal thin film 37B has the top surface differs from a bottom surface), which is an upper surface of the metal thin film portion (e.g. Hasebe, figs. 26-28, [0090] and [0123], metal thin film 37B has a top surface).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified claim 1 of the combinaton of copending Application No. 18981395 and Nelson by applying the teaching of Hasebe to explicitly have wherein the membrane portion comprises a metal thin film portion having the plurality of aperture patterns, for the purpose of improving lifetime of the test device and/or endurance so that the test device can last longer, and/or provide extract protection of internal structure of the test device.
However, combination of copending Application No. 18981395, Nelson and Hasebe is silent with regard to surface B, which is a side surface of each aperture pattern.
LV teaches compositions of surface A, which is a lower surface of a metal thin film portion (e.g. fig. 3, [0058], metal thin film 21 has a bottom surface), and surface B, which is a side surface of each aperture pattern (e.g. metal thin film 21 has a side surface of holes K), differ from a composition of surface C (e.g. fig. 3, [0058], metal thin film 21 has the top surface differ from a bottom surface and side surface of holes K), which is an upper surface of the metal thin film portion (e.g. fig. 3, [0058], metal thin film 21 has the top surface).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified claim 1 of combination of copending Application No. 18981395 of Nelson and Hasebe by applying the teaching of LV to explicitly have wherein compositions of surface A, which is a lower surface of the metal thin film portion, and surface B, which is a side surface of each aperture pattern, differ from a composition of surface C, which is an upper surface of the metal thin film portion, for the purpose of improving current flow capacity and/or improving signal qualities.
Claims 14-16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Claim 1 of copending Application No. 18981395 in view of Nelson et al. (US 2016/0209444), Hasebe et al. (US 2008/0160657) and LV et a. (US 2021/0091281), and further in view of Murashima et al. (US 2018/0061545).
Regarding claim 14, Claim 1 of combination of copending Application No. 18981395, Nelson, Hasebe and LV teaches wherein the compositions of surface A, surface B, and surface C are Ni (e.g. Nelson, figs. 26-28, [0123], nickel film is used as an example of metal thin film 37B, as a result of combination of Nelson, Hasebe, and LV, the thin film is nickel film; therefore, the compositions of surface A, surface B, and surface C are nickel Ni).
However, the combination of copending Application No. 18981395, Nelson, Hasebe and LV is silent with regard to wherein the compositions of surface A and surface B are Ni-rich compared to the composition of surface C.
Murashima teaches using cobalt (Co) compound to make a thin-film have a predetermined crystal orientation to generate magnetic field (e.g. [0051]) to achieve high heat resistance (e.g. Murashima, [0045 and [0047]).
It is obvious to try to use cobalt (Co) compound to the composition of surface C for the purpose of improving heat resistance.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified claim 1 of copending Application No. 18981395, Nelson, Hasebe and LV by applying the teaching of Murashima to explicitly have wherein the compositions of surface A and surface B are Ni-rich compared to the composition of surface C, for the purpose of generating strong magnetic field in a specific directions to achieve high heat resistance (e.g. Murashima, [0045 and [0047]).
Regarding claims 15 and 16, Claim 1 of combination of copending Application No. 18981395, Nelson, Hasebe and LV is silent with regard to wherein a magnetic domain is formed on the surface of the metal thin film portion; and
wherein the magnetic domain formed on surface C has a three-dimensional shape including one horizontal side.
Murashima teaches a magnetic domain is formed on a surface of a metal thin film portion (e.g. fig. 9, [0100], crystal from on magnetic layers31 and 33 of thin film magnet 100 after heat treatment); and
wherein the magnetic domain formed on surface has a three-dimensional shape including one horizontal side (e.g. fig. 9, [0100], crystal from on magnetic layers31 and 33 of thin film magnet 100 after heat treatment horizontally, and crystal is three-dimensional shape).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified claim 1 of copending Application No. 18981395, Nelson, Hasebe and LV by applying the teaching of Murashima to explicitly have wherein a magnetic domain is formed on the surface of the metal thin film portion; and wherein the magnetic domain formed on surface C has a three-dimensional shape including one horizontal side, for the purpose of generating strong magnetic field in a specific directions to achieve high heat resistance (e.g. Murashima, [0045 and [0047]).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 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 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 of this title, 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.
Claims 1-2, 7, 9 and 11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Nelson et al. (US 2016/0209444), and further in view of Hasebe et al. (US 2008/0160657).
Regarding claim 1, Nelson teaches a semiconductor test device (e.g. figs. 1-4, [0129], tester 5) for testing an electrical connection of a semiconductor (e.g. figs. 1-4, [0118], for testing device under test 1 includes one or more chips), comprising:
a membrane portion (e.g. figs. 1, [0039], membrane 10) comprising a first surface (e.g. figs. 3-4, top surface of top contact plate 40) and a plurality of aperture patterns (e.g. figs. 1-4, a plurality of holes for corresponding pin pairs (20, 30)) extending in a direction of a second surface opposite to the first surface (e.g. figs. 3-4, each of the plurality of holes extends in a direction of bottom surface of bottom contact plate 60 to the top surface of top contact plate 40),
wherein the membrane portion comprises a thin film portion having the plurality of aperture patterns (e.g. figs. 3-4, [0137], insulating contact plates 40, 60 may be made from thin film material having the holes for corresponding pin pairs (20, 30)), and an insulating layer portion having an insulating material coated on a surface of the thin film portion (e.g. figs. 3-4, [0134], thin layers of adhesives 41, 61),
a contact protrusion portion is formed to protrude from the first surface of the thin film portion (e.g. figs. 1-4, [0039], conductive pin 20 protrude from the top surface of top contact plate 40),
neighboring aperture patterns are insulated from each other (e.g. figs. 1-4, [0039], the plurality of holes for corresponding conductive pin pairs (20, 30) which are insulated by insulating interposer 50), and
an electrical connection path is formed from top to bottom of each of the aperture patterns (e.g. figs. 2 and 4, during testing of device under test 1, corresponding conductive pin airs (20, 30) forming corresponding electrical connection paths in the plurality of holes respectively).
However, Nelson is silent with regard to the thin film portion being a metal thin film portion.
Hasebe teaches a thin film portion being a metal thin film portion (e.g. figs. 26-28, [0090] and [0123], metal thin film 37B under insulating film 22).
It would produce a predictive result of adding a metal thin film portion under the to the insulating contact plate 40 of Nelson to form the membrane portion for the purpose of improving lifetime of the test device and/or endurance so that the test device can last longer, and/or provide extract protection of internal structure of the test device.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the invention of Nelson by applying the teaching of Hasebe to explicitly have wherein the membrane portion comprises a metal thin film portion having the plurality of aperture patterns, for the purpose of improving lifetime of the test device and/or endurance so that the test device can last longer, and/or provide extract protection of internal structure of the test device.
Regarding claim 2, combination of Nelson and Hasebe teaches further comprising a holder portion which includes a hollow region and is connected to an edge of the membrane portion (e.g. Nelson, figs. 1-2, [0039], load board 3 having holder member that holds the membrane 10 which creates internal hollow region and is connected to an edge of the membrane 10).
Regarding claim 7, combination of Nelson and Hasebe teaches wherein the metal thin film portion is made of at least one of Invar, Super Invar, nickel-iron alloy, nickel-cobalt alloy, nickel-iron-cobalt alloy, or nickel (e.g. Hasebe, figs. 26-28, [0123], nickel film is used as an example of metal thin film 37B).
Regarding claim 9, combination of Nelson and Hasebe teaches wherein the contact protrusion portion is formed around each of the aperture patterns on the first surface (e.g. Hasebe, figs. 3-4, conductive pin 20 on top of the corresponding holes for the corresponding pin pairs (20, 30)).
Regarding claim 11, combination of Nelson and Hasebe teaches wherein the contact protrusion portion has a shape in which at least width narrows toward an outside on the first surface (e.g. Hasebe, figs 3-4, conductive pin 30 with width narrows toward outside of top of the corresponding holes for the corresponding pin pairs (20, 30)).
Claims 3, 8 and 13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Nelson et al. (US 2016/0209444) in view of Hasebe et al. (US 2008/0160657), and further in view of LV et a. (US 2021/0091281).
Regarding claims 3 and 8, combination of Nelson and Hasebe is silent with regard to wherein the electrical connection path is provided by forming a conductive thin film layer on at least a side surface of each of the aperture patterns; and
wherein the conductive thin film layer is further formed in a horizontal direction at a top of the side surface of each of the aperture patterns, or in a horizontal direction at a bottom of the side surface of each of the aperture patterns.
LV teaches an electrical connection path is provided by forming a conductive thin film layer on at least a side surface of each of aperture patterns (e.g. fig. 3, [0058], metal thin film 21 on a side surface of each holes K); and
wherein the conductive thin film layer is further formed in a horizontal direction at a top of the side surface of each of the aperture patterns (e.g. fig. 3, [0058], metal thin film 21 formed in a horizontal direction at a top), or in a horizontal direction at a bottom of the side surface of each of the aperture patterns (e.g. fig. 3, [0058], metal thin film 21 formed in a horizontal direction at a bottom).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the invention of Nelson and Hasebe by applying the teaching of LV to explicitly have wherein the electrical connection path is provided by forming a conductive thin film layer on at least a side surface of each of the aperture patterns; and wherein the conductive thin film layer is further formed in a horizontal direction at a top of the side surface of each of the aperture patterns, or in a horizontal direction at a bottom of the side surface of each of the aperture patterns, for the purpose of improving current flow capacity and/or improving signal qualities.
Regarding claim 13, combination of Nelson and Hasebe is silent with regard to wherein compositions of surface A, which is a lower surface of the metal thin film portion (e.g. Hasebe, figs. 26-28, [0090] and [0123], metal thin film 37B has a bottom surface), differs from a composition of surface C (e.g. Hasebe, figs. 26-28, [0090] and [0123], metal thin film 37B has the top surface differs from a bottom surface), which is an upper surface of the metal thin film portion (e.g. Hasebe, figs. 26-28, [0090] and [0123], metal thin film 37B has a top surface).
However, combination of Nelson and Hasebe is silent with regard to surface B, which is a side surface of each aperture pattern.
LV teaches compositions of surface A, which is a lower surface of a metal thin film portion (e.g. fig. 3, [0058], metal thin film 21 has a bottom surface), and surface B, which is a side surface of each aperture pattern (e.g. metal thin film 21 has a side surface of holes K), differ from a composition of surface C (e.g. fig. 3, [0058], metal thin film 21 has the top surface differ from a bottom surface and side surface of holes K), which is an upper surface of the metal thin film portion (e.g. fig. 3, [0058], metal thin film 21 has the top surface).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the invention of Nelson and Hasebe by applying the teaching of LV to explicitly have wherein compositions of surface A, which is a lower surface of the metal thin film portion, and surface B, which is a side surface of each aperture pattern, differ from a composition of surface C, which is an upper surface of the metal thin film portion, for the purpose of improving current flow capacity and/or improving signal qualities.
Claim 12 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Nelson et al. (US 2016/0209444) in view of Hasebe et al. (US 2008/0160657), and further in view of Bonkohara et al. (US 2013/0313687).
Regarding claim 12, combination of Nelson and Hasebe is silent with regard to wherein a width of each of the aperture patterns is in a range of 5 µm to 100 µm.
Bonkohara teaches a width of each of aperture patterns is in a range of several µm to 100 µm (e.g. figs. 1A and 5, each of through holes 51 is the size of 100 µm from serval µm, serval is greater than 2 but not too many (i.e. 3, 4, 5 … 9)).
It is obvious to optimize the range to be between 5 µm to 100 µm for the width of each of aperture patterns because these optimized range might be characterized as routine experimentation; therefore, using these optimized range would achieve optimal results.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to have modified the invention of Nelson and Hasebe by applying the discussion above to explicitly have wherein a width of each of the aperture patterns is in a range of 5 µm to 100 µm, for the purpose of optimizing the performance and functionalities the semiconductor test device in order to enhance the system to achieve optimal results.
Claims 14-16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Nelson et al. (US 2016/0209444) in view of Hasebe et al. (US 2008/0160657) and LV et a. (US 2021/0091281), and further in view of Murashima et al. (US 2018/0061545).
Regarding claim 14, combination of Nelson, Hasebe and LV teaches wherein the compositions of surface A, surface B, and surface C are Ni (e.g. Nelson, figs. 26-28, [0123], nickel film is used as an example of metal thin film 37B, as a result of combination of Nelson, Hasebe, and LV, the thin film is nickel film; therefore, the compositions of surface A, surface B, and surface C are nickel Ni).
However, the combination of Nelson, Hasebe and LV is silent with regard to wherein the compositions of surface A and surface B are Ni-rich compared to the composition of surface C.
Murashima teaches using cobalt (Co) compound to make a thin-film have a predetermined crystal orientation to generate magnetic field (e.g. [0051]) to achieve high heat resistance (e.g. Murashima, [0045 and [0047]).
It is obvious to try to use cobalt (Co) compound to the composition of surface C for the purpose of improving heat resistance.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the invention of Nelson, Hasebe and LV by applying the teaching of Murashima to explicitly have wherein the compositions of surface A and surface B are Ni-rich compared to the composition of surface C, for the purpose of generating strong magnetic field in a specific directions to achieve high heat resistance (e.g. Murashima, [0045 and [0047]).
Regarding claims 15 and 16, combination of Nelson, Hasebe and LV is silent with regard to wherein a magnetic domain is formed on the surface of the metal thin film portion; and
wherein the magnetic domain formed on surface C has a three-dimensional shape including one horizontal side.
Murashima teaches a magnetic domain is formed on a surface of a metal thin film portion (e.g. fig. 9, [0100], crystal from on magnetic layers31 and 33 of thin film magnet 100 after heat treatment); and
wherein the magnetic domain formed on surface has a three-dimensional shape including one horizontal side (e.g. fig. 9, [0100], crystal from on magnetic layers31 and 33 of thin film magnet 100 after heat treatment horizontally, and crystal is three-dimensional shape).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the invention of Nelson, Hasebe and LV by applying the teaching of Murashima to explicitly have wherein a magnetic domain is formed on the surface of the metal thin film portion; and wherein the magnetic domain formed on surface C has a three-dimensional shape including one horizontal side, for the purpose of generating strong magnetic field in a specific directions to achieve high heat resistance (e.g. Murashima, [0045 and [0047]).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 4-6, 10 and 17-20 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.
Claim10 is 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, and if the nonstatutory double patenting rejection of claim 10 is properly overcome without broadening the scope of claim 10.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to HAIDONG ZHANG whose telephone number is (571)270-5815. The examiner can normally be reached on M-F 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Huy Phan can be reached on (571) 272-7924. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/HAIDONG ZHANG/Examiner, Art Unit 2858
/HUY Q PHAN/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2858