DETAILED ACTION
Status of Claims
Claims 1 and 4-20 are pending.
Claims 2-3 are cancelled.
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 .
Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after final rejection. Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on 30 January 2026 has been entered.
Status of Objections and Rejections
The previous grounds of rejection under 35 U.S.C 112a are withdrawn in view of Applicant’s amendment.
The previous grounds of rejection under 35 U.S.C. 11b are withdrawn in view of Applicant’s amendment.
All other rejections from the previous Office action are withdrawn in view of Applicant’s amendment.
Specification
The disclosure is objected to because of the following informalities: the specification refers to 1608 and 1622 as the first dielectric layer [0071] however in Figure 15 they are presented as different layers.
Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 10 and 19-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Regarding claims 10 and 19, the phrase “wherein the second set of high-aspect ratio electroplated structures are formed by etching the first conductive substrate” is indefinite because it is unclear how electroplated structures are formed by etching. Forming a structure by electroplating is an addition process whereas the process of etching is removing material. Therefore it is unclear how material is formed through a process of removal in regards to electroplated materials.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1, 4-9 and 11-18 are allowed.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: the prior art alone or in combination does not disclose or render obvious the combination of claim limitations of claims 1 or 12. In particular, the prior art does not disclose disposing a second dielectric layer on the first set of high-aspect ratio electroplated structures to fill each of a set of spaces between the first set of high-aspect ratio electroplated structures…forming a second set of high-aspect ratio electroplated structures…disposing a third dielectric layer on the second set of high-aspect ratio electroplated structures…wherein a thickness of the third layer…is less than a thickness of the first electric layer…or a thickness of the second dielectric layer according to claims 1 and 12.
The closest prior art includes the teachings of Lieb et al. (US 2006/0012005) as described in the Office action dated 10 November 2025. Briefly, Lieb et al. disclose disposing an insulating glass layer on a conductive structure, forming conductive material on conductive structures, forming additional conductive material, forming additional glass insulating layers and disposing additional glass insulating layers between conductive areas (Figures 2 and 6-7). The remarks presented on pages 10-11 in the response dated 30 January 2026 are found persuasive. The prior art does not disclose the claimed layering and the claimed thickness of the third dielectric is less than the first dielectric layer or second dielectric layer.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
US 6,701,613
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/Stefanie S Wittenberg/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1795
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