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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 5/14/25 and 1/22/26 were filed. The submission is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
The following is a quotation of the appropriate paragraphs of pre-AIA 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 3 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Bywalez et al 2023/0058875.
Bywalez et al discloses an electroacoustic device comprising: a substrate 110; an acoustic reflection layer provided on the support substrate, reflector layer 208 (i.e. the acoustic reflection layer) including at least one high acoustic impedance layer and at least one low acoustic impedance layer, the at least one low acoustic impedance layer having a lower acoustic impedance than the at least one high acoustic impedance layer (The reflector layers 208 may be composed of a material having an acoustic impedance that is higher than the acoustic impedance of a material of the reflector layers 210. For example, the reflector layers 210 may include silicon dioxide (SiO.sub.2) or aluminum nitride (AlN), whereas the reflector layers 208 may include tungsten (W), titanium (Ti), or other suitable materials with a higher acoustic impedance than silicon dioxide or aluminum nitride. paragraph [0038]) ; a piezoelectric layer 104 provided on the reflector layer ; a top electrode 102 and a bottom electrode106 facing each other in a direction crossing a thickness direction of the piezoelectric layer; wherein the acoustic wave device utilizes a bulk wave of a thickness slip first-order mode, and includes a first filter 202 and a second filter 204 ; each of the first filter and the second filter includes the first electrode, the second electrode, and a setting portion at which the first electrode and the second electrode are provided in the piezoelectric layer; a thickness of the first filter excludes a thickness of the first electrode and the second electrode included in the first filter in the setting portion of the first filter; a thickness of the second filter excludes the thickness of the first electrode and the second electrode included in the second filter in the setting portion of the second filter; and the thickness of the first filter is different from the thickness of the second filter.
With regards to claim 3, the thickness of the first filter is a thickness of the piezoelectric layer at the setting portion included in the first filter; and the thickness of the second filter is a thickness of the piezoelectric layer at the setting portion included in the second filter.
Double Patenting
Claims 1, 3-6, 9, 10 and 17-20 are rejected on the ground of nonstatutory double patenting as being unpatentable over claims 1-8, and 11-13 of U.S. Patent No. 12, 324, 355. Although the claims at issue are not identical, they are not patentably distinct from each other because:
19/207, 604
12,324,355
1. An acoustic wave device comprising:
a support substrate;
an acoustic reflection layer provided on the support substrate, the acoustic reflection layer including at least one high acoustic impedance layer and at least one low acoustic impedance layer, the at least one low acoustic impedance layer having a lower acoustic impedance than the at least one high acoustic impedance layer; a piezoelectric layer provided on the acoustic reflection layer; a first electrode and a second electrode facing each other in a direction crossing a thickness direction of the piezoelectric layer; wherein the acoustic wave device utilizes a bulk wave of a thickness slip first-order mode, and includes a first resonator and a second resonator; each of the first resonator and the second resonator includes the first electrode, the second electrode, and a setting portion at which the first electrode and the second electrode are provided in the piezoelectric layer; a thickness of the first resonator excludes a thickness of the first electrode and the second electrode included in the first resonator in the setting portion of the first resonator; a thickness of the second resonator excludes the thickness of the first electrode and the second electrode included in the second resonator in the setting portion of the second resonator; and the thickness of the first resonator is different from the thickness of the second resonator.
1. An acoustic wave device comprising: a piezoelectric layer; and a first electrode and a second electrode facing each other in a direction crossing a thickness direction of the piezoelectric layer; wherein the acoustic wave device utilizes a bulk wave of a thickness slip first-order mode, and includes a first resonator and a second resonator; each of the first resonator and the second resonator includes the first electrode, the second electrode, and a setting portion at which the first electrode and the second electrode are provided in the piezoelectric layer; a thickness of the first resonator excludes a thickness of the first electrode and the second electrode included in the first resonator in the setting portion of the first resonator; a thickness of the second resonator excludes the thickness of the first electrode and the second electrode included in the second resonator in the setting portion of the second resonator; the thickness of the first resonator is different from the thickness of the second resonator; a material of the piezoelectric layer is lithium niobate or lithium tantalate; Euler angles (ϕ, θ, ψ) of the lithium niobate or the lithium tantalate fall within a range of expression (1), expression (2), or expression (3): (0°±10°,0° to 20°, any ψ) (1); (0°±10°,20° to 80°,0° to 60°(1−(θ−50).sup.2/900).sup.1/2) or (0°±10°,20° to 80°,[180°−60°(1(θ−50).sup.2/900).sup.1/2] to) 180° (2); or (0°±10°,[180°−30°(1−(ψ−90).sup.2/8100).sup.1/2] to 180°, any ψ) (3).
9. The acoustic wave device according to claim 1, further comprising: an acoustic reflection layer including at least one high acoustic impedance layer and at least one low acoustic impedance layer, the at least one low acoustic impedance layer having a lower acoustic impedance than the at least one high acoustic impedance layer; and a support substrate; wherein the acoustic reflection layer is provided on the support substrate; and the piezoelectric layer is provided on the acoustic reflection layer.
Claim 3
Claim 2
Claim 4
Claim 3
Claim 5
Claim 4
Claim 6
Claim 5
Claim 9
Claim 6
Claim 10
Claim 7
Claim 17
Claim 8
Claim 18
Claim 11
Claim 19
Claim 12
Claim 20
Claim 13
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 2, 7, 8 and 11-16 are allowed.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to KIMBERLY E GLENN whose telephone number is (571)272-1761. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8:00 AM-5:00 PM.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Andrea Lindgren Baltzell can be reached at 571-272-5918. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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August 28, 2026
/K.E.G/Examiner, Art Unit 2843
/ANDREA LINDGREN BALTZELL/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2843
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