Prosecution Insights
Last updated: July 17, 2026
Application No. 18/284,643

MULTILAYER SUBSTRATE MANUFACTURING METHOD AND WIRING SUBSTRATE

Final Rejection §102§OTHER§Other
Filed
Sep 28, 2023
Priority
Mar 30, 2021 — JP 2021-057939 +1 more
Examiner
DINH, TUAN T
Art Unit
2847
Tech Center
2800 — Semiconductors & Electrical Systems
Assignee
Mitsui Mining & Smelting Co., Ltd.
OA Round
2 (Final)
79%
Grant Probability
Favorable
3-4
OA Rounds
1m
Est. Remaining
99%
With Interview

Examiner Intelligence

Grants 79% — above average
79%
Career Allowance Rate
930 granted / 1181 resolved
+10.7% vs TC avg
Strong +22% interview lift
Without
With
+22.3%
Interview Lift
resolved cases with interview
Typical timeline
2y 11m
Avg Prosecution
30 currently pending
Career history
1221
Total Applications
across all art units

Statute-Specific Performance

§101
0.2%
-39.8% vs TC avg
§103
65.0%
+25.0% vs TC avg
§102
17.5%
-22.5% vs TC avg
§112
1.9%
-38.1% vs TC avg
Black line = Tech Center average estimate • Based on career data from 1181 resolved cases

Office Action

§102 §OTHER §Other
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 Objections Claim 18 is objected to because of the following informalities: Regarding claim 18, line 5, the term “their” is unclear. What does applicant mean of “their” and what “their” refers to? Please, revise. Appropriate correction is required. 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) 18 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102a(1) as being anticipated by Uzoh (U.S. 2017/0047307), hereafter Uzoh. As best understood to claim 18, Uzoh discloses a wiring substrate as shown in figures 1-2 comprising: a first substrate (110, para-0055+) being a rigid substrate; a second substrate (120); and a plurality of bumps (130) interposed between the first and second substrates (110, 120) and bonding the first substrate (110) and the second substrate (120), the bumps (130) comprising no solder in [[their]] intermediate portions, wherein the bumps (130) are composed of a metal (para-0009+) OR alloy having a melting point of 600°C OR more and have a height of 0.6 µm OR more. As to claim 19, Uzoh discloses the first substrate (110) comprises a rigid carrier (para-0057, 0059) and a redistribution layer (140) on the rigid carrier, and wherein the redistribution layer and the second substrate are bonded by the plurality of bumps (130). As to claim 20, Uzoh discloses the rigid carrier (110) is composed of (1) glass, (2) a substrate comprising silicon, or (3) alumina, para-0057, 0059. As to claim 21, Uzoh discloses the bumps (130) are regularly arranged at a pitch (center-to-center distance) of 1 µm or more and 40 µm or less, para-0217. Response to Arguments Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 18-21 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument. 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 TUAN T DINH whose telephone number is (571)272-1929. The examiner can normally be reached 8am-5pm, M-F. 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, Timothy Dole can be reached at 571-272-2229. 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. /TUAN T DINH/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2847
Read full office action

Prosecution Timeline

Sep 28, 2023
Application Filed
Oct 09, 2025
Applicant Interview (Telephonic)
Oct 09, 2025
Examiner Interview Summary
Dec 01, 2025
Non-Final Rejection mailed — §102, §OTHER, §Other
Mar 18, 2026
Response Filed
May 05, 2026
Final Rejection mailed — §102, §OTHER, §Other (current)

Precedent Cases

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Study what changed to get past this examiner. Based on 5 most recent grants.

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Prosecution Projections

3-4
Expected OA Rounds
79%
Grant Probability
99%
With Interview (+22.3%)
2y 11m (~1m remaining)
Median Time to Grant
Moderate
PTA Risk
Based on 1181 resolved cases by this examiner. Grant probability derived from career allowance rate.

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