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 .
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 7-20 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.
Claim 7 recites the limitation “wherein the first area has a surface roughness greater than the second area.”, which renders the claim unclear, and therefore indefinite, because it is unclear if: a) the first area has a greater roughness before absorbing the ions and subsequent plasma etching; or b) the first area, after absorbing the plurality ions and subsequent to plasma etching, has greater surface roughness.
Claims 8-12 are rejected as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, and failing to cure the deficiency thereof.
Claim 8 recites the limitation “selected area” in line 1. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim. It appears the claim should recite “the first area”.
Claim 10 recites the limitation “locations” in line 1. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim. Its appears the claim should recite “selected locations”.
Claim 13 recites the limitation “removing select particles”, but further recites “wherein removing selected particles”, which creates ambiguity in the claim, i.e., if “selected particles” is a further delineation of “select particles” or is referring back to “select particles”, and therefore renders the claim indefinite. It appears the claim should recite “wherein removing the select particles”, as recited in claims 19 and 20.
Claims 14-20 are rejected as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, and failing to cure the deficiency thereof.
Claim 15 recites the limitation “organic particles” in line 1. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 16 recites the limitation “subjecting the layer” in line 1. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
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.
(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.
Claims 1-6 and 13-16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Asai et al. (EP 1194025 A1).
As to claim 1, Asai discloses an electrical device including at least one layer [Abstract; pg. 10, para (10)-(13)], comprising:
the at least one layer including a number of organic particles [pg. 10, para (10)-(11), “epoxy resin particles”]; and
an exposed surface on the at least one layer [pg. 10, para. (11)-(12)];
wherein the number of organic particles includes a first plurality organic particles proximate to the exposed surface [pg. 10, para. (12)];
wherein the exposed surface has at least one surface feature characterized by a geometry of removed organic particles [pg. 10, para (13), “remove the epoxy resin particles existing on the surface of the adhesive layer, whereby the surface of the adhesive layer 19 is roughened”; Fig. 3(a)].
As to claim 2, Asai discloses the electrical device of claim 1, wherein the geometry of removed particles forms plurality of recesses in the exposed surface [pg. 10, para (13), “remove the epoxy resin particles existing on the surface of the adhesive layer, whereby the surface of the adhesive layer 19 is roughened”].
As to claim 3, Asai discloses the electrical device of claim 1 wherein the at least one layer is formed from a polymer [pg. 10, para. (10), “cresol novolac type epoxy resin”].
As to claim 4, Asai discloses the electrical device of claim 1, wherein the organic particles includes nano-size organic particles [pg. 10, para. (10), “A.”, “epoxy resin particles having an average particle size of 0.5 micrometers”; “B”, “epoxy resin particles…having an average particle size of 0.5 micrometers”].
As to claim 5, Asai discloses the electrical device of claim 1, wherein the geometry of removed particles forms at least one anchoring location on the exposed surface [pg. 10, para (13), “remove the epoxy resin particles existing on the surface of the adhesive layer, whereby the surface of the adhesive layer 19 is roughened”].
As to claim 6, Asai discloses the electrical device of claim 5, wherein the exposed surface is configured to support a downstream material [Fig. 3(a)-Fig. 4(b)];
wherein the downstream material is coupled with the exposed surface at the at least one anchoring location [Fig. 3(a)-Fig. 4(b)]; and
wherein the layer with the downstream material is coupled to at least one of a die package or a substrate [Fig. 3(a)-Fig. 4(b); pg. 11, para. (22), “soda lime glass substrate”].
As to claim 13, Asai discloses a method for forming an irregular surface on a layer for an electrical system [Abstract], the method comprising:
incorporating a plurality of particles into the layer [pg. 10, para (10)-(11), “epoxy resin particles”]
wherein the plurality of particles is received within the layer [Id.];
applying at least one of mechanical force or chemical reaction to an exposed surface of the layer [pg. 10, para (13), “immersed in chromic acid for 20 minutes to remove the epoxy resin particles existing on the surface of the adhesive layer, whereby the surface of the adhesive layer 19 is roughened”]; and
removing select particles from the exposed surface with the mechanical force or the chemical reaction [pg. 10, para (13), “remove the epoxy resin particles existing on the surface of the adhesive layer, whereby the surface of the adhesive layer 19 is roughened”];
wherein removing selected particles forms recesses within the exposed surface [Id.; Fig. 3(a)].
As to claim 14, Asai discloses the method of claim 13, further comprising: coupling the layer to at least one of a die package or a substrate [pg. 10, para (10)-(11); Fig. 3(a)-Fig. 4(b); pg. 11, para. (22), “soda lime glass substrate”].
As to claim 15, Asai discloses the method of claim 13 wherein a geometry of removed organic particles is configured to be anchor points in the layer [Fig. 3(a)-Fig. 4(b); pg. 11, para. (22), “soda lime glass substrate”].
As to claim 16, Asai discloses the method of claim 13 wherein subjecting the layer to the plurality of particles includes incorporating organic fillers into the layer [pg. 10, para (10)-(11), “epoxy resin particles”].
Claims 13-16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1)/(a)(2) as being anticipated by Kwon et al. (US 20120298409 A1).
As to claim 13, Kwon discloses a method for forming an irregular surface on a layer 231 for an electrical system [Abstract], the method comprising:
incorporating a plurality of particles 233 into the layer 231 [Fig. 2D; para. 0038];
wherein the plurality of particles is received within the layer [Fig. 2D; para. 0038];
applying at least one of mechanical force or chemical reaction to an exposed surface of the layer [para. 0039]; and
removing select particles from the exposed surface with the mechanical force or the chemical reaction [para. 0039];
wherein removing selected particles forms recesses within the exposed surface [Fig. 4; para. 0039].
As to claim 14, Kwon discloses the method of claim 13, further comprising: coupling the layer 231 to at least one of a die package or a substrate [Abstract; para. 0029, Fig. 2A, substrate 211].
As to claim 15, Kwon discloses the method of claim 13 wherein a geometry of removed organic particles is configured to be anchor points in the layer [para. 0039, para. 0041].
As to claim 16, Kwon discloses the method of claim 13 wherein subjecting the layer to the plurality of particles includes incorporating organic fillers into the layer [para. 0039].
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure; The additionally cited references are cited to show methods and products of forming layers comprising inorganic or organic particles that are subsequently removed and/or polymer layers subject to development solutions having sodium or magnesium ions [Abstracts].
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/CHRISTOPHER REMAVEGE/Examiner, Art Unit 1713