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 of Group I, claims 1-10 in the reply filed on 08 April 2026 is acknowledged.
Because applicant did not distinctly and specifically point out the supposed errors in the restriction requirement, the election has been treated as an election without traverse (MPEP § 818.01(a)).
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 12 June 2023 was filed prior to the mailing date of this office correspondence. The submission is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Specification
The title of the invention is not descriptive. A new title is required that is clearly indicative of the invention to which the claims are directed.
The following title is suggested: PRINTED CIRCUIT BOARD COMPRISING A CAVITY AND A BRIDGE IN THE CAVITY.
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 1-10 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.
In claim 1, the limitation “a cavity penetrating through at least a portion of the first insulating layer and having the upper surface of the first insulating layer as a bottom surface of the cavity” renders the claim indefinite because it is unclear how a cavity penetrates through the first insulating layer if “the upper surface of the first insulating layer as a bottom surface of the cavity”. In other words, if the upper surface of the first insulating layer as a bottom surface of the cavity, the cavity cannot be formed on the first insulating layer. See, claim 1 recites only a first insulating layer. As best understood, it appears that the limitation actually intends that “a cavity penetrating through at least a portion of the first insulating layer and having the upper surface of the first insulating layer as a top surface of the cavity”, or the like.
Claims 2-9 depend on claim 1. Therefore, claims 1-10 are rejected.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 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) 1-8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Shih (US 20180102311) in view of Lee (KR 2005009429).
[AltContent: textbox (connecting via)][AltContent: ][AltContent: textbox (cavity)][AltContent: ][AltContent: ][AltContent: textbox (first bridge pad)]
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Annotated Fig. 12, Shih.
Regarding claim 1, Shih teaches, a printed circuit board comprising:
a first insulating layer (substrate 10, resin molded package substrate 10 comprising a resin molded core, para. [0055], dielectric layer 712 may comprise organic materials such as polyimide (PI), para. [0042]; see annotated Fig. 12);
a connection via (meal vias 110, Fig. 12) penetrating through at least a portion of the first insulating layer and having an upper surface exposed to an upper surface of the first insulating layer (see Fig. 9);
a cavity (interconnect component 101, see Fig. 12, the semiconductor substrate 100…is cut into individual TSV interconnect components 101, para. [0029]) penetrating through at least a portion of the first insulating layer and having the upper surface of the first insulating layer as a bottom surface of the cavity (see the interconnect component 101);
a bridge (connecting elements 210, para. [0047]) disposed in the cavity and having a first bridge pad (see the pad below the metal layer 204, para. [0027]) disposed on a lower side of the bridge (see Fig. 12).
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Annotated Fig. 8, Lee.
Shih does not teach, a bonding layer including conductive particles. However, Lee teaches, a printed circuit board in Fig. 8 including a first insulating layer 701, a connection via penetrating through at least a portion of the first insulating layer and having an upper surface exposed to an upper surface of the first insulating layer (see via hole 504, Figs. 5a to 8); and
a bonding layer including conductive particles connected to the connection via and the first bridge pad (anisotropic conductive film 702, anisotropic conductive film…is an adhesive film in which conductive particles 602 are dispersed in metal-coated plastic or metal particles, Page 19, first paragraph).
Therefore, in view of the teachings of Lee, it would have been prima facie obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify the printed circuit board of Shih and to include a bonding film 702 of Lee that connects the connection via 110 and the first bridge pad of Shih so that it enables forming a heat curable bonding layer that relieves the stress and provide reworkability while fabricating a printed circuit board as Lee disclosed in Page 19.
Regarding claim 2, Shih does not teach, the bonding layer includes an anisotropic conductive film. However, Lee further teaches, the printed circuit board of claim 1, wherein the bonding layer includes an anisotropic conductive film (ACF) (anisotropic conductive film 702, Fig. 8, Page 19). Therefore, in view of the teachings of Lee, it would have been prima facie obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify the printed circuit board of Shih and to include a bonding anisotropic conductive film 702 as Lee taught in Fig. 8 so that it enables forming a heat curable bonding layer that relieves the stress while bonding the layers.
Regarding claim 3, Shih in view of Lee teaches the recited limitations with respect to claim 1. Shih further teaches, the printed circuit board of claim 1, wherein the connection via has a recessed portion in the bottom surface of the cavity (see annotated Fig. 12 below).
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Annotated Fig. 12, Shih.
Regarding claim 4, Shih in view of Lee teaches the recited limitations with respect to claim 1. Shih further teaches, the printed circuit board of claim 1, wherein an area of a lower surface of the first bridge pad (see the pad below the metal layer 204, annotated Fig. 12 below) is smaller than an area of the upper surface of the connection via (see the metal via 110, Fig. 12).
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Annotated Fig. 11, Shih.
Regarding claim 5, Shih in view of Lee teaches the recited limitations with respect to claim 1. Shih further teaches, the printed circuit board of claim 4, wherein the lower surface of the first bridge pad is disposed to correspond to a recessed portion of the connection via (see annotated Fig. 11 above).
Regarding claim 6, Shih in view of Lee teaches the recited limitations with respect to claim 1. Shih further teaches, the printed circuit board of claim 5, wherein the first bridge pad is disposed in the recessed portion of the connection via (see the first bridge pad and the connection via 110 in Fig. 11 above).
Regarding claim 7, Shih in view of Lee teaches the recited limitations with respect to claim 1. Shih further teaches, the printed circuit board of claim 1, wherein the upper surface of the first insulating layer has a step (see annotated Fig. 10 below).
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Annotated Fig. 10, Shih.
Regarding claim 8, Shih in view of Lee teaches the recited limitations with respect to claim 1. Shih further teaches, the printed circuit board of claim 1, further comprising:
a first circuit pattern (metal layer 914, see annotated Fig. 12 below) and having one surface exposed to the upper surface of the first insulating layer (Fig. 12);
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Annotated Fig. 12, Shih.
a second circuit pattern (metal layer 714) disposed on a lower surface of the first insulating layer; and a first via passing (metal via 510) through the first insulating layer to connect the first circuit pattern and the second circuit pattern (see Fig. 12),
wherein a height of the connection via is lower than a height of the first via (see annotated Fig. 12).
Though, Shih does not teach, first circuit pattern is buried in the first insulating layer, from the teaching of Shih in Fig. 12, a first dielectric layer 912 and a second dielectric layer 712 formed on an upper surface and a lower surface of the first dielectric layer and the first circuit pattern is buried in the dielectric layer 912, one of ordinary skill in the art would have thought that forming the first metal layer 914 and the second metal layer 714 on the first insulating layer would reduce the printed circuit board fabrication steps. Therefore, in view of the teachings of Shih in Fig. 12, it would have been prima facie obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify the printed circuit board of Shih and to include the first metal layer 914 and the second metal layer 714 on the first insulating layer as Shih taught in Fig. 12 so that it enables forming a multilayer printed circuit board with reduced fabrication steps.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 9-10 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims and to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, set forth in this Office action.
The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for indicating allowable subject matter:
Claim 9 would be allowable for disclosing a printed circuit board, wherein the upper surface of the first insulating layer has a step, and a size of the step on the upper surface of the first insulating layer is substantially the same as a thickness of the first circuit pattern.
Claim 10 would be allowable for disclosing a printed circuit board, wherein the bridge further includes a bridge insulating layer and a bridge circuit, wherein a circuit density of the bridge circuit is greater than a circuit density of the first circuit pattern.
Though, prior art of record Shih teaches a printed circuit board including the first insulating layer has a step and the bridge further includes a bridge insulating layer and a bridge circuit, Shih fails to teach a size of the step on the upper surface of the first insulating layer is substantially the same as a thickness of the first circuit pattern; or a circuit density of the bridge circuit is greater than a circuit density of the first circuit pattern.
Prior art of record Lee does not teach, a cavity; or a bridge; or a size of the step on the upper surface of the first insulating layer is substantially the same as a thickness of the first circuit pattern; or a circuit density of the bridge circuit is greater than a circuit density of the first circuit pattern.
Therefore, claims 9-10 would be allowable.
Any comments considered necessary by applicant must be submitted no later than the payment of the issue fee and, to avoid processing delays, should preferably accompany the issue fee. Such submissions should be clearly labeled “Comments on Statement of Reasons for Allowance.”
Conclusion
Prior art Cheah (US 20210384130) teaches printed circuit board comprising: a first insulating layer; a connection via; a cavity penetrating through at least a portion of the first insulating layer; a bridge disposed in the cavity.
Prior art Lee (US 20200083179) teaches printed circuit board comprising: a first insulating layer; a connection via penetrating through at least a portion of the first insulating layer and having an upper surface exposed to an upper surface of the first insulating layer; a cavity penetrating through at least a portion of the first insulating layer; a bridge disposed in the cavity.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JOSE K. ABRAHAM whose telephone number is (571)270-1087. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 8:30-4:30 EST.
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, THOMAS J. HONG can be reached at (571) 272-0993. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/JOSE K ABRAHAM/Examiner, Art Unit 3729
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