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 § 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.
(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 12-15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Anderson et al. (US 10,020,223 B1; hereinafter “Anderson”).
Regarding claim 12, Anderson teaches a connecting structure comprising: a layer (36) (Fig. 13 and col. 10); a first connecting via (a left-side one of 12) in the layer extending in a first direction (a first horizontal direction between the left-side and the right-side of Fig. 13) (Fig. 13 and cols. 5-6); a second connecting via (a right-side one of 12) in the layer extending in the first direction (Fig. 13 and cols. 5-6); an isolation (a middle portion of 36) between the first connecting via and the second connecting via and separating the first connecting via and the second connecting via from each other, and extending in a second direction (a second horizontal direction between the front-side and the back-side of Fig. 13 and perpendicular to the first horizontal direction) different from the first direction (Fig. 13 and col. 10), and a U-shaped liner (a center portion of 34 having an u-shape, which is identical to Fig. 3 in the instant application how the liner 122 having the u-shape is considered between the isolation 120 and the first connecting via 110a and between the isolation 120 and the second connecting via 110b) between the isolation and the first connecting via, and between the isolation and the second connecting via (See an annotated Fig. 13 below and col. 9); a first L-shaped liner (a left-side one of 34 between 36 and the left-side one of 12) disposed between the layer and the first connecting via (See the annotated Fig. 13 below and col. 9); and a second L-shaped liner (a right-side one of 34 between 36 and the right-side one of 12) disposed between the layer and the second connecting via (See the annotated Fig. 13 below and col. 9), wherein a width of the isolation is less than a width of the first connecting via measured in the first direction, and less than a width of the second connecting via measured in the first direction (Fig. 1, a width of the middle portion of 36 is less than a width of the left-side one of 12 and a width of the right-side one of 12), wherein the U-shape liner is in contact with the layer from a plane view (Fig. 13, the middle portion of 34 is in contact with 36), and each of the first L-shape liner and the second L-shaped liner is coupled to the U-shaped liner (Fig. 13, each of the left-side one of 34 and the right-side one of 34 is indirectly coupled/connected to the center portion of 34 with 12 therebetween as shown in Fig. 13).
PNG
media_image1.png
901
1326
media_image1.png
Greyscale
Regarding claim 13, Anderson teaches wherein the layer comprises a dielectric material or a semiconductive material (col. 10).
Regarding claim 14, Anderson teaches wherein a length of the isolation is greater than a length of the first connecting via measured in the second direction, and a length of the second connecting via measured in the second direction (Fig. 1, a length of the middle portion is greater than a length of the left-side one of 12 and a length of the right-side one of 12 in the second horizontal direction).
Regarding claim 15, Anderson teaches wherein the first connecting via, the isolation and the second connecting via are line symmetrical about a central axis (Fig. 13).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1-2, 4-11, and 16-21 are allowable.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: See the Office Action dated 10/07/2025.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to amended claim 12 have been considered but are moot in view of new ground of rejection as set forth above in this Office Action.
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to DANIEL B WHALEN whose telephone number is (571)270-3418. The examiner can normally be reached on M-F: 8AM-5PM.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Sue Purvis can be reached on (571)272-1236. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of an application may be obtained from the Patent Application Information Retrieval (PAIR) system. Status information for published applications may be obtained from either Private PAIR or Public PAIR. Status information for unpublished applications is available through Private PAIR only. For more information about the PAIR system, see http://pair-direct.uspto.gov. Should you have questions on access to the Private PAIR system, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative or access to the automated information system, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/DANIEL WHALEN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2893
Prosecution Insights