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 Species in the reply filed on 9/17/25 is acknowledged. The traversal is on the ground(s) that the species are not independent and it would not constitute a burdensome search to address all claims. This is not found persuasive because an exhaustive search has already been conducted and the application of multiple pieces of prior art were required to show anticipation of the elected claims. Claim 15 is rejoined and rejected. However the remaining species and their respective claims would require further search and consideration to determine the best art applicable. Applicant is reminded that should future prosecution determine allowable subject matter, and the allowable subject matter is properly incorporated into the claims; rejoinder may be possible.
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)(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) s 1-4 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102a1 as being anticipated by Kawano et al (US 2009/0244866).
1. An integrated device comprising:
a die substrate (Fig.6 (100 and [0065]);
a die interconnection (Fig.6 (142/144) and [0045]) portion coupled to the die substrate(Fig.6 (100 and [0065]); and
a stacked inductor (Fig.6; 7A-7B; 8A-8B (200/300/220/320 and [0066-0070]) that includes a first figure 8-shaped inductor (Fig. 7A-8A (202/220) and [0070]) and a second figure 8-shaped inductor (Fig.8A-8B (second 200/220 and 300/320) and [0075-0077]).
2. The integrated device of claim 1, wherein the stacked inductor comprises:
a first spiral (Fig.6/7A (200) and [0067/0070]) comprising a first origin (Fig.6/7A (202) and [0068/0070]) and a first tail (Fig.7A (204) and [0071]);
a second spiral (Fig.6/7A (220) and [0066/0070]) comprising a second origin (Fig.6/7A (222) and [0066/0070]) and a second tail (Fig.7A (224) and [0071]);
a third spiral (Fig.8A (200-second and [0076]) or Fig.6/8B (300) and [0077]) comprising a third origin (Fig.6/8B (302) and [0081]) and a third tail (Fig.8B (304) and [0081]); and
a fourth spiral (Fig.8A (220-second) and [0076]) or (Fig.6/8B (320) and [0077]) comprising a fourth origin (Fig.6/8B (322) and [0082]) and a fourth tail (Fig.8B (324) and [0081]), wherein the first spiral (Fig.6/7A (200) and [0067/0070]), the second spiral (Fig.6/7A (220) and [0066/0070]), the third spiral (Fig.8A (200-second and [0076]) or Fig.6/8B (300) and [0077]) and the fourth spiral (Fig.8A (220-second) and [0076]) or (Fig.6/8B (320) and [0077]) form the first figure 8-shaped inductor (Fig.7A/8A-8B) and the second figure 8-shaped inductor (Fig.7A/8A-8B).
3. The integrated device of claim 2, wherein the first spiral (Fig.6/7A (200) and [0067/0070]) and the second spiral (Fig.6/7A (220) and [0066/0070]) form the first figure 8-shaped inductor (Fig.7A) on a first metal layer (Fig.6 (unlabeled conductive pattern of insulating layer 114 is the metal layer) and [0044]), and wherein the third spiral (Fig.6/8B (300) and [0077]) and the fourth spiral (Fig.6/8B (320) and [0077]) form the second figure 8-shaped inductor (Fig.8B) on a second metal layer (Fig.6 (unlabeled conductive patter of insulating layer 130 is the metal layer) and [0044]).
4. The integrated device of claim 3, wherein the first tail (Fig.7A (204) and [0071]) of the first spiral (Fig.6/7A (200) and [0067/0070]) is coupled to the second tail (Fig.7A (224) and [0071]) of the second spiral (Fig.6/7A (220) and [0066/0070]), and wherein the third tail (Fig.10A (304) and [0081]) of the third spiral (Fig.10A (300) and [0081]) is coupled to the fourth tail (Fig.10A (324) and [0081]) of the fourth spiral Fig.10A (324) and [0081]).
Claim(s) s 1-2, 5-9, 12-15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102a1 as being anticipated by Godoy et al (US 2014/0077919).
1. An integrated device comprising:
a die substrate (Fig.16 (556) and [0072]);
a die interconnection portion (Fig.16 (534-conductive vias are coupled to substrate through 534) and [0075]) coupled to the die substrate (Fig.16 (556) and [0072]); and
a stacked inductor (Fig. 16 (534/536) and [0074-0075]) that includes a first figure 8-shaped inductor (Fig.15-16 (538/540/542/544 and [0075-0076]) and a second figure 8-shaped inductor (Fig.15-16 (538/540/542/544 and [0075-0076]).
2. The integrated device of claim 1, wherein the stacked inductor comprises: a first spiral comprising a first origin and a first tail; a second spiral comprising a second origin and a second tail; a third spiral comprising a third origin and a third tail; and a fourth spiral comprising a fourth origin and a fourth tail, wherein the first spiral, the second spiral, the third spiral and the fourth spiral form the first figure 8-shaped inductor and the second figure 8-shaped inductor (Fig.7, 9, 11, 13 (show 4 or more inductor figure 8 windings- the figure 8 spirals form continuous loops where the origin and tails may be interpreted at various points (Fig. 7 (290/294/296/298/300/292/264).
5. The integrated device of claim 2, further comprising an inductor (Fig.7 (252) and [0056]) that laterally surrounds the first spiral (Fig.7 (254) and [0056]) and the second spiral (Fig.7 (258) and [0056]) , wherein the inductor and the stacked inductor are configured to operate as a transformer [0056].
6. The integrated device of claim 2, further comprising an inductor (Fig.16 (538) and [0074-0076) located on a second metal layer (Fig.16 (536) and [0074-0076]), wherein the first figure 8-shaped inductor (Fig.16 (542) and [0074-0076]) is located on a first metal layer (Fig.15-16 (534) and 0074-0076]), wherein the second figure 8-shaped inductor (Fig.15-16 (540) and [0074-0076]) on a third metal layer (Fig.15-16 (538) and [0074-0076]), wherein the inductor (Fig.15-16 (544) and [0074-0076]) is located between the first figure 8-shaped inductor (Fig.16 (542) and [0074-0076]) and the second 8-shaped inductor (Fig.15-16 (540) and [0074-0076]), and wherein the inductor and the stacked inductor (Fig. 16 (534/536) and [0074-0075]) are configured to operate as a transformer [0074/0056].
7. The integrated device of claim 2, wherein the stacked inductor further comprises: a fifth spiral comprising a fifth origin and a fifth tail (Fig.7 (254) and [0056]); and a sixth spiral comprising a sixth origin and a sixth tail (Fig.7 (258) and [0056]), wherein the fifth spiral is coupled to the first figure 8-shaped inductor and the second figure 8-shaped inductor, and wherein the sixth spiral (Fig.7 (258) and [0056]) is coupled to the first figure 8-shaped inductor and the second figure 8-shaped inductor [0056] (Fig.7, 9, 11, 13 (show 4 or more inductor figure 8 windings- the figure 8 spirals form continuous loops (Fig. 7 (290/294/296/298/300/292/264).
.
8. The integrated device of claim 2, wherein the first spiral and the fourth spiral form the first figure 8-shaped inductor on a first metal layer and a third metal layer, wherein the second spiral and the third spiral form the second figure 8-shaped inductor on the first metal layer and the third metal layer, and wherein the first figure 8-shaped inductor is interleaved with the second figure 8- shaped inductor (Fig.15-16 (538/534/536/540/542/544) and [0074-0076]).
9. The integrated device of claim 8, wherein the stacked inductor further comprises: a fifth spiral comprising a fifth origin and a fifth tail (Fig.7 (254) and [0056]); and a sixth spiral comprising a sixth origin and a sixth tail (Fig.7 (258) and [0056]), wherein the fifth spiral (Fig.7 (254) and [0056]) and the sixth spiral (Fig.7 (258) and [0056]) are located on a second metal layer, wherein the fifth spiral (Fig.7 (254) and [0056]) is coupled to the first figure 8-shaped inductor and the second figure 8-shaped inductor (Fig.7) , and wherein the sixth spiral (Fig.7 (258) and [0056]) is coupled to the first figure 8-shaped inductor and the second figure 8-shaped inductor (Fig.7).
12. The integrated device of claim 2, wherein the first spiral and the fourth spiral are located on a first metal layer, and wherein the second spiral and the third spiral are located on a second metal layer (Fig.15-16 (538/534/536/540/542/544) and [0074-0076]).
13. The integrated device of claim 2, wherein the second tail of the second spiral winds in a first rotational direction, and wherein the third tail of the third spiral winds in a second rotational direction (Fig.15-16 (538/534/536/540/542/544) and [0074-0076]) [see also Fig.7/9/11/13]..
14. The integrated device of claim 2, wherein the first tail of the first spiral winds in a first rotational direction, and wherein the second tail of the second spiral winds in the first rotational direction(Fig.15-16 (538/534/536/540/542/544) and [0074-0076]) [see also Fig.7/9/11/13].
15. The integrated device of claim 1, wherein the first figure 8-shaped inductor vertically overlaps with the second figure 8-shaped inductor (Fig.15-16 (538/534/536/540/542/544) and [0074-0076]).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Yan et al (US 2015/0206634); Kawano et al (US 2012/0075050) and Yen et al US 20240321497) teach similar structures.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to LAURA M MENZ whose telephone number is (571)272-1697. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 7:00-3:30.
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/LAURA M MENZ/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2813
12/5/25