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 .
Applicant’s election without traverse of claims 1-16 filed on 10/27/25 have been acknowledged and entered. By this election, claims 17-25 are withdrawn and claims 1-16 will be examined in the application.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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) 1-2, 4-7, 9-10 and 13-15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Sankman et al. (2016/0329153).
Regarding claims 1, 6, 9 and 14, Sankman (Figs. 2J-2O) discloses a first plurality of stacked layers 114, each of the first plurality of stacked layers comprises a core material 202 (Fig. 2J, [0022]); a first plurality of traces 110 on the core material 202 (Fig. 2J, [0019]); a first plurality of pads 118/102 on the core material 202; and a layer 106 on the core material 202, the layer 106 including silicon and nitrogen (Fig. 2J, [0014] and [0053]), the layer 106 defining respective openings 208 to expose portions at least a portion of each of the first plurality of pads 102 (see Figs. 2K, [0035]).
Regarding claim 2, Sankman (Figs. 2J-2O) discloses wherein the layer 114 encapsulates the core material 202.
Regarding claim 4, Sankman (Figs. 2L) discloses wherein the core material 202 has a first surface and a second surface, both the first plurality of traces 110 and the first plurality of pads 102 attached to the first surface or the second surface.
Regarding claims 5 and 13, Sankman (Figs. 2J-2O) discloses wherein the layer 106 has a thickness of approximately 50 microns or less ([0014]).
Regarding claims 7 and 15, Sankman (Figs. 2J-2O) discloses wherein the first plurality of pads 118 have a surface roughness on an order of nanometers ([0027]).
Regarding claim 10, Sankman (Figs. 2L) discloses wherein the core material 202 of each of the first plurality of stacked layers 114 is encapsulated by the layer 106.
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) 3, 8, 11-12 and 16 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Sankman et al. (2016/0329153) further in view of Yap (2015/0061139).
Regarding claims 3 and 11-12, Sankman (Figs. 2J-2O) discloses wherein the core material 202 has a first surface and a second surface.
Sankman does not disclose the first plurality of traces and the first plurality of pads attached to opposite surfaces.
Yap (Figs. 12-13) discloses wherein the core material 22 has a first surface 24 and a second surface 26 ([0014]), the first plurality of traces 80 and the first plurality of pads 38 attached to opposite surfaces ([0017] and [0026]) in order to provide the devices designed for an intended purpose. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify the device of Sankkman by forming the first plurality of traces and the first plurality of pads attached to opposite surfaces, as taught by Yap in order to provide devices designed for an intended purpose (Figs. 13, ([0017] and [0026]).
Regarding claim 8, as discussed, the combination above, Yap (Fig. 13) discloses wherein the microelectronics package does not contain a solder resist material proximate the layer ([0023]).
Regarding claim 16, as discussed, the combination above, Yap (Fig. 13) discloses wherein the microelectronics package does not contain a solder resist in between the first plurality of stacked layers 45, 92, 78.
Conclusion
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/THERESA T DOAN/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2814