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 without traverse of claims 1-10 and 16-20 in the reply filed on 12/02/2025 is acknowledged.
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.
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.
Claim 5 recites the limitation " the first via holes " in line 2. 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.
Claims 1 and 5 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Chang et al [US 2022/0320019].
With respect to claim 1, Chang et al (figs. 1 and 11) disclose a base plate integrating passive devices, comprising a substrate base plate (100, pp [0019]) and the passive devices disposed on the substrate base plate, the passive devices comprising at least an inductor (500, pp [0033]), the inductor comprising a plurality of open ring portions (see fig. 11) arranged and connected in sequence in a direction away from the substrate base plate;
wherein an interlayer dielectric layer (222, pp [0064]) is disposed between the open ring portions disposed adjacently, and the open ring portions disposed adjacently are electrically connected through a first via hole (V2, pp [0061]) penetrating the interlayer dielectric layer; orthographic projections of any two of the open ring portions on the substrate base plate at least partially overlap.
With respect to claim 5, as best understood, Chang et al (figs. 1 and 11) disclose wherein orthographic projections of at least a portion of the first via hole (V2, pp [0061]) on the substrate base plate have no overlap.
Claims 1, and 5-7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Wang [US 2019/0260344] IDS.
With respect to claim 1, Wang (fig. 3) discloses a base plate integrating passive devices, comprising a substrate base plate (101, pp [0048]) and the passive devices disposed on the substrate base plate, the passive devices comprising at least an inductor (113, 115, pp [0048]), the inductor comprising a plurality of open ring portions (see fig. 6) arranged and connected in sequence in a direction away from the substrate base plate;
wherein an interlayer dielectric layer (103, pp [0048]) is disposed between the open ring portions disposed adjacently, and the open ring portions disposed adjacently are electrically connected through a first via hole (114, pp [0048]) penetrating the interlayer dielectric layer; orthographic projections of any two of the open ring portions on the substrate base plate at least partially overlap.
With respect to claim 5, Wang (fig. 3) discloses wherein orthographic projections of at least a portion of the first via hole (114, pp [0048]) on the substrate base plate have no overlap.
With respect to claim 6, Wang (fig. 3) discloses wherein the passive devices further comprise a capacitor (108, 109, 110, 111, pp [0048]), the capacitor comprising a first polar plate (108, pp [0048]) and a second polar plate (109, pp [0048]) arranged in sequence at a side away from the substrate base plate; and the first polar plate is disposed in the same layer and of the same material as one of the plurality of open ring portions.
With respect to claim 7, Wang (fig. 3) discloses wherein the first polar plate (108, pp [0048]) is disposed in the same layer as and is directly electrically connected to a first one of the plurality of open ring portions arranged in the direction away from the substrate base plate (101, pp [0048]).
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 8 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Wang [US 2019/0260344] IDS.
Wang does not mention wherein a thickness ratio of the second polar plate to the first polar plate is 1:100 to 1:30. However, the thickness ratio range would have been obvious to an ordinary artisan practicing the invention because, absent evidence of disclosure of criticality for the range giving unexpected results, it is not inventive to discover optimal or workable ranges by routine experimentation. In re Aller, 220 F.2d 454, 105 USPQ 233, 235 (CCPA 1955). Furthermore, the specification contains no disclosure of either the critical nature of the claimed dimensions of any unexpected results arising therefrom. Where patentability is aid to be based upon particular chosen dimensions or upon another variable recited in a claim, the Applicant must show that the chosen dimensions are critical. See In re Woodruff, 919 F.2d 1575, 1578, 16 USPQ2d 1934, 1936 (Fed. Cir. 1990).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 2-4, 9-10 and 16-20 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.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to HOAI V PHAM whose telephone number is (571)272-1715. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8:30a.m-10:00p.m.
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, Drew Richards can be reached at 571-271-1736. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/HOAI V PHAM/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2892