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 with traverse of Group I, Claims 1-8, 11-14, and 21-23 in the reply filed on 03/13/2026 is acknowledged. The traversal is on the ground(s) that searching groups I-II could be made without a serious burden on the Examiner. This is not found persuasive because searching method claims in Group II require additional search and/or consideration in other areas, class/subclass. Claims 1-8, 11-14 and 21-23 will be examined herewith.
The requirement is still deemed proper and is therefore made FINAL.
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)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 1 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Noguchi et al. [US 5,959,846]
Regarding claim 1, Noguchi et al. discloses an inductor [figures 1-2], comprising:
- a first dielectric substrate [2a, 2b] comprising a first surface and a second surface opposite to each other along a thickness direction of the first dielectric substrate, wherein the first dielectric substrate is provided with first connection vias penetrating through the first dielectric substrate along the thickness direction of the first dielectric substrate [figures 3-5], and a first groove [9] penetrating through a part of the first dielectric substrate in the thickness direction of the first dielectric substrate, wherein the first dielectric substrate comprises a first dielectric sub-substrate [2a] and a second dielectric sub-substrate [2b] which are stacked together
- first sub-structures [5b] on the first surface;
- second sub-structures [5b] on the second surface;
- first connection electrodes [3a or 5a] in the first connection vias, wherein the first sub-structures and the second sub-structures are sequentially connected together through the first connection electrodes to form a coil structure of the inductor [figures 1-5]; and
- a magnetic core [10] arranged in the first groove and insulated from the first sub-structures and the second sub-structures to be in the coil structure, wherein a surface of the first dielectric sub-substrate away from the second dielectric sub- substrate is the first surface, and a surface of the second dielectric sub-substrate away from the first dielectric sub-substrate is the second surface [figures 2-5]; and the first connection vias comprise first connection sub-vias in the first dielectric sub- substrate and second connection sub-vias in the second dielectric sub-substrate [figures 2-5]; the first groove comprises a first sub-groove [9] in the first dielectric sub-substrate and a second sub-groove [9] in the second dielectric sub-substrate [figures 2-9]; the first sub-groove and the second sub-groove are both blind grooves [figures 2 and 5-9], and an opening of the first sub-groove is opposite to and communicated with an opening of the second sub-groove [figures 2, and 5-8].
Claim(s) 1-3 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Wang et al. [CN 111584457 A].
Regarding claim 1, Wang et al. discloses an inductor [figures 1-2], comprising:
- a first dielectric substrate [ 1] comprising a first surface and a second surface opposite to each other along a thickness direction of the first dielectric substrate, wherein the first dielectric substrate is provided with first connection vias penetrating through the first dielectric substrate along the thickness direction of the first dielectric substrate [figures 3-5], and a first groove [9] penetrating through a part of the first dielectric substrate in the thickness direction of the first dielectric substrate;
- first sub-structures [12] on the first surface;
- second sub-structures [12] on the second surface;
- first connection electrodes [9] in the first connection vias, wherein the first sub-structures and the second sub-structures are sequentially connected together through the first connection electrodes to form a coil structure of the inductor [figures 1-2]; and
- a magnetic core [2] arranged in the first groove and insulated from the first sub-structures and the second sub-structures to be in the coil structure.
Regarding claim 2, Wang et al. discloses the first groove is a blind groove, the magnetic core fills the first groove, a first interlayer insulating layer [3 or figure 2] is provided on the first surface, the first interlayer insulating layer is provided with second connection vias [figure 2], corresponding to the first connection vias, therein, and the first sub-structures are electrically connected to the first connection electrodes through the second connection vias, respectively.
Regarding claim 3, Wang et al. discloses the first groove is a blind groove, a surface of the magnetic core away from the second sub-structures is spaced apart from the first surface, and a first interlayer insulating layer [figure 2] is provided in the first groove and covers the surface of the magnetic core away from the second sub-structures [figure 2].
Regarding claim 11, Wang et al. discloses the first groove is a blind groove and an opening of the first groove is away from the first sub-structures; the inductor further comprises a second dielectric substrate [figure 2]; the second sub-structures are on the second dielectric substrate, a fourth interlayer insulating layer [figure 2] is provided on a side of the second sub- structures away from the second dielectric substrate, fourth connection vias [9] are provided in the fourth interlayer insulating layer and correspond to the first connection vias, respectively, and the second sub-structures are electrically connected to the first connection electrodes through the fourth connection vias [9], respectively.
Regarding claim 14, Wang et al. further discloses adapter electrodes [6] are provided within the fourth connection vias, respectively, and the second sub-structures are electrically connected to the first connection electrodes through the adapter electrodes [figure 2], respectively.
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) 2-3, and 21-23 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Noguchi et al. in view of Wang et al.
Regarding claims 2-3, Noguchi et al. further discloses the first groove is a blind groove [figures 2 and 9], the magnetic core fills the first groove.
Noguchi et al. disclose the instant claimed invention except for an interlayer insulating layer.
Wang et al. discloses the substrate includes a plurality of substrate [figure 2] stacked together and a plurality of insulating layers [3, figure 2] with through holes for the connection electrodes [vias, see above].
It would have been an obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to include an insulating layer in Noguchi et al., as suggested by Wang et al., for the purpose of improving insulation.
Regarding claims 21-23, Noguchi et al. disclose the instant claimed invention except for the use of the inductor in a filter.
Noguchi et al., discloses the use of inductor L1 in an electronic device such as DC-DC converter [figure 18], wherein the inductor connected to a capacitor [C1].
It would have been an obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to use the magnetic device of Noguchi et al. for the purpose of intended use.
The specific arrangement of the capacitor relative to the inductor would have been an obvious design consideration for the purpose of facilitating manufacturing and/or assembling.
Claim(s) 4-8 and 12-13 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Noguchi et al. in view of Wang et al. as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Hong et al. [US 2016/0035816 A1].
Regarding claims 6-8, Noguchi et al. in view of Wang et al. disclose the instant claimed invention except for the specific of the core.
Hong et al. discloses a magnetic device [figures 2-11] comprising:
- a substrate structure including first and second substrates [200, 240], wherein a groove formed in the substrate structure [see figures 4-11];
- top and bottom conductors [210] formed on the substrate structure;
- a plurality of conductive vias [241, 242] connected with end of conductors and formed a coil structure;
- a magnetic core structure [220, 220a] arranged in the groove of the substrate, wherein the magnetic core structure formed of a plurality of magnetic portions [222, 222a] and a plurality of insulating portions [221, 221a]; and
- an insulating layer [230, 230a] arranged on the magnetic core structure.
It would have been an obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to use the magnetic core structure of Hong et al. in Noguchi et al., as modified, for the purpose of facilitating/reducing core loss and/or saturation.
Regarding claim 12, Wang et al. and Hong et al. discloses a plurality of insulating layers [figure 2 of Wang and 230, 230a, 221, 221a of Hong] and a plurality of conductive vias [figure 2 of Wang and 241, 242 of Hong].
The specific use of insulating layers relative to conductive vias would have been an obvious design consideration for the purpose of improving internal connections and insulation.
Regarding claim 4, the specific flush surface design would have been an obvious design consideration for the purpose of facilitating manufacturing and/or assembling/insulation.
Regarding claims 5 and 13, Hong et al. discloses the groove is a through groove [figures 7-8 and 10].
Conclusion
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/TUYEN T NGUYEN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2837
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