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 .
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of Group I (claims 1-11) in the reply filed on 12/3/2025 is acknowledged.
Claims 12-19 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected subject matter.
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 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Fuerniss et al. (US Patent 6521844).
Regarding claim 1 – Fuerniss teaches a component carrier (figs. 1-12), comprising: a layer stack with at least one electrically insulating layer structure (fig. 11, 610 [column 11 lines 54-55] Fuerniss states, “dielectric layer 610”) and/or at least one electrically conductive layer structure (620 [column 11 line 55] Fuerniss states, “power plane 620”); at least one opening (940 [column 11 line 67] Fuerniss states, “through hole 940”) in the layer stack; a first curable dielectric element (60/62 [column 5 lines 60-63] Fuerniss states, “the PID material 20 is divided into distinct volumes a cylindrical volume 70, an annular volume 60 circumscribing the cylindrical volume 70, and a remaining volume 50”) arranged at least partially on the opening (940); and a second curable dielectric element (50) arranged adjacent to the first curable dielectric element (claimed structure shown in figures 3 and 11), so that there is an interface region (see region between 60 and 50 shown in figure 3) in between; wherein a part of the first curable dielectric element (60/62) extends partially into the opening (940, claimed structure shown in figure 11).
Regarding claim 2 – Fuerniss teaches the component carrier according to the component carrier according to wherein a cure state of the first curable dielectric element (fig. 3, 60/62 [Abstract] Fuerniss states, “a fully cured annular volume of a photoimageable dielectric (PID) material”) is more cured than a respective cure state of the second curable dielectric element (50 [column 7 lines 22-25] Fuerniss states, “The energy absorbed by the remaining volume 50 from the radiation 130 and/or the radiation 150 should be bounded ;so to partially cure, but not fully cure, the remaining volume 50”) during component carrier manufacturing, and wherein this difference in the respective cure states is determinable at the interface region as an interface pattern (claimed structure shown in figures 3 & 11).
Regarding claim 4 – Fuerniss teaches the component carrier according to claim 1, wherein the part of the first curable dielectric element (fig. 11, 62) extends into the opening to a specific filling height, wherein the filling height corresponds to 5% or more of the opening volume (figure 11 shows the first curable dielectric element 62 having a height greater than 5% of the opening volume of opening 940), and/or wherein the filling height corresponds to 50% or less of the opening volume.
Regarding claim 5 – Fuerniss teaches the component carrier according to claim 1, wherein the part of the first curable dielectric element (fig. 11, 62) that extends into the opening comprises a shaped main surface (element 62 has a main surface within the opening and on its upper surface).
Regarding claim 6 – Fuerniss teaches the component carrier according to claim 1, wherein the part of the first curable dielectric element (fig. 11, element 62 made of material of 20 [column 4 lines 20-22] Fuerniss states, “Any PID material known to one skilled in the art may be used in the resent invention, such as improved photoimagable cationically polymerizable epoxy based coating materials”) that extends into the opening (940) essentially comprises no glass-fibers (no glass-fibers are present).
Regarding claim 7 – Fuerniss teaches the component carrier according to claim 1, wherein the opening (fig. 11, 940) comprises at least one of the group which consists of a blind hole, a through hole (opening 940 is a through hole), a cavity, a trench, a recess between traces.
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 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Fuerniss et al. in view of Yonezawa (US PG. Pub. 2023/0108276).
Regarding claim 3 – Fuerniss teaches the component carrier according to claim 2, but fails to teach wherein the interface pattern comprises at least one of the group which consists of at least one cut glass fiber, an alignment shift, a smearing, a color shift, a tapering.
Yonezawa teaches wherein the interface pattern (fig. 8, see interface between cured layer 16A and non-cured part 16) comprises at least one of the group which consists of at least one cut glass fiber, an alignment shift, a smearing, a color shift, a tapering ([paragraph 0102] Yonezawa states, “since a taper angle of the contact hole 22 in the cured layer 16A with respect to a surface direction of the base material 12 in a cross section parallel to a normal direction of the base material 12 is gentle”).
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to modify the component carrier having an interface pattern between the first and second curable dielectric element as taught by Fuerniss with the interface pattern having a tapering aspect as taught by Yonezawa because Yonezawa states, “since a taper angle of the contact hole 22 in the cured layer 16A with respect to a surface direction of the base material 12 in a cross section parallel to a normal direction of the base material 12 is gentle, and an angle of a wall surface of the contact hole 22 in a case of being viewed from a side surface is not steep, occurrence of disconnection is suppressed” [paragraph 0102].
Claim(s) 8 and 10 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Fuerniss et al. in view of Matsumura (US PG. Pub. 2007/0270001).
Regarding claim 8 – Fuerniss teaches the component carrier according to claim 1, but fails to teach wherein sidewalls of the opening are at least partially covered by an electrically conductive material.
Matsumura teaches a component carrier (fig. 2, 1) with an opening (24 [paragraph 0039] Matsumura states, “through hole 24”) wherein sidewalls of the opening are at least partially covered by an electrically conductive material (23 [paragraph 0037] Matsumura states, “a metal plated part 23 formed on an inside of the through hole 24”).
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to modify the component carrier having an opening as taught by Fuerniss with the sidewalls of the opening being covered by an electrically conductive material as taught by Matsumura because this conductive material will electrically connect between layers as well as a pin component inserted within the opening.
Regarding claim 10 – Fuerniss teaches the component carrier according to claim 1, but fails to teach wherein the opening is a fluid-filled cavity embedded in the layer stack.
Matsumura teaches wherein the opening (fig. 1, 24 [paragraph 0037] Matsumura states, “through hole 24”) is a fluid-filled cavity ([paragraph 0050] Matsumura states, “dipped into a bath 8 storing the liquid synthetic resin 7 melted in solvent in a direction from the printed circuit board 2 to the press-fit connector 3 as the through hole part 22”) embedded in the layer stack (see figs. 1 & 6).
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to modify the component carrier having an opening as taught by Fuerniss with the opening is a fluid-filled cavity as taught by Matsumura because Matsumura states, “the synthetic resin 7 is filled into all of the through hole parts 22 equally and simultaneously with an action of the liquid pressure. The synthetic resin 7 fixes the swarf K to prevent the swarf K from adhering to the other conductive parts and to prevent leak” [paragraph 0052].
Claim(s) 9 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Fuerniss et al. in view of Goergen et al. (US PG. Pub. 2009/0045889).
Regarding claim 9 – Fuerniss teaches the component carrier according to claim 1, but fails to teach wherein a diameter of the opening exposed at a layer stack main surface, is larger than a diameter of the opening which is not exposed at the layer stack main surface, wherein the diameter at the opening main surface is a backdrill-opening.
Goergen teaches wherein a diameter (fig. 5E, see diameter at L26) of the opening (180) exposed at a layer stack main surface (bottom surface), is larger than a diameter (see diameter at L01) of the opening (180) which is not exposed at the layer stack main surface (top surface), wherein the diameter at the opening main surface is a backdrill-opening ([paragraph 0044] Goergen states, “The present embodiment reduces the potential for RF reflection disturbances using a second back-drill cycle, as shown in FIG. 5E”).
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to modify the component carrier having an opening as taught by Fuerniss with the opening diameter at a main surface is larger due to back drilling than that of the lower surface as taught by Goergen because Goergen states, “It has now been found that significant improvements in signal reflection attenuation, cross-talk attenuation, and EMI (electromagnetic interference) attenuation are possible using, e.g., a stepped backdrill profile” [paragraph 0018].
Claim(s) 11 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Matsumura in view of Fuerniss et al.
Regarding claim 11 – Matsumura teaches a component carrier arrangement (figs. 1-3), comprising: a component carrier (2 [paragraph 0052] Matsumura states, “printed circuit board 2”) having a layer stack with at least one electrically insulating layer structure (21 [paragraph 0055] Matsumura states, “insulating board 21”) and/or at least one electrically conductive layer structure ([paragraph 0036] Matsumura states, “conductive patterns (not shown) wired according to a predetermined pattern on the insulating board 21”); at least one opening (24 [paragraph 0037] Matsumura states, “through hole 24”) in the layer stack; a first curable dielectric element (7 [paragraph 0048 & 0024] Matsumura states, “synthetic resin 7 is mainly made of polyolefin, or acrylic resin…curing the synthetic resin adhering to the printed circuit board and the press-fit connector”) arranged at least partially on the opening (24); and a second dielectric element (6 [paragraph 0038] Matsumura states, “resist 6 is made of insulating synthetic resin”) arranged adjacent to the first curable dielectric element (7), so that there is an interface region in between (see interface in figure 3 between elements 6 and 7); wherein a part of the first curable dielectric element (7) extends partially into the opening (24); and a further component carrier (3 [paragraph 0036] Matsumura states, “press-fit connector 3”) or a further component comprising a protruding element (4 [paragraph 0037] Matsumura states, “press-fit terminal 4”); wherein the further component carrier (3) or the further component is stacked on the component carrier (2; see fig. 1); and wherein the protruding element (4) is at least partially inserted into the opening (24) in order to connect the component carrier (2) with the further component carrier (3) or the further component (claimed structure shown in figures 1-3).
Matsumura does not explicitly teach wherein the second dielectric element is a second curable dielectric element.
Fuerniss teaches a component carrier (fig. 11) wherein the second dielectric element (52) is a second curable dielectric element ([column 7 line 37] Fuerniss states, “partially cured volume 52”).
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to modify the component carrier arrangement having a second dielectric element as taught by Matsumura with the second dielectric element being a curable dielectric element as taught by Fuerniss because Fuerniss states, “The partially cured volume 52 of the layer 10 will become fully cured upon subsequent pressurization and/or elevated temperature, which will cause both the 2S/1P layer 500 and the 2S/1P layer 600 to become adhesively bonded to the layer 10” [column 12 lines 2-6]. Using a curable material will improve adhesion between layers.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Okusawa (US PG. Pub. 2008/0180880) discloses a thin film capacitor.
Demura (US Patent 5616256) discloses a printed wiring board.
Barrow (US Patent 5796589) discloses a ball grid array integrated circuit package.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to STEVEN T SAWYER whose telephone number is (571)270-5469. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8:30 am - 5pm.
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/STEVEN T SAWYER/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2847