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 .
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 1 and 12 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.
Drawings
The drawings are objected to under 37 CFR 1.83(a). The drawings must show every feature of the invention specified in the claims. Therefore, the “hollow cavity” in the upper metallization structure (per claim 17) must be shown or the feature(s) canceled from the claim(s). No new matter should be entered.
Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. The figure or figure number of an amended drawing should not be labeled as “amended.” If a drawing figure is to be canceled, the appropriate figure must be removed from the replacement sheet, and where necessary, the remaining figures must be renumbered and appropriate changes made to the brief description of the several views of the drawings for consistency. Additional replacement sheets may be necessary to show the renumbering of the remaining figures. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
Claim(s) 1, 12 and 16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Takashima (US 2008/0277150 A1) in view of Origuchi (US 2009/0237900 A1).
Regarding Claim 1, Takashima (US 2008/0277150 A1) discloses an electronic device (Fig 1), comprising: a substrate (10) comprising: a core (11) having an upper planar surface (12) and a lower planar surface (13), wherein the core includes a cavity (90) extending between the upper planar surface (12) of the core (11) and the lower planar surface of the core (13), the cavity (90) further being defined by inner sidewalls (sidewalls of 90 at 91) of the core (11); an electronic component (101) at least partially disposed in the cavity (90), the electronic component (101) including a lower planar surface (103) having one or more electronic component terminals (51,121,122), and a plurality ([0111]) of external sidewalls (106); a lower dielectric layer (34; [0108]) disposed over the lower planar surface (13) of the core (11) and below a lower planar surface (103) of the electronic component (101); a (substantially void-free cured) plugging ink (92,151; [0119,0133,0135] “resin layer 92 is made of the same material as those of the resin insulating layers 33-36 and the resin cover layer 151 (i.e., epoxy resin which is a thermosetting resin)”; “filled in a gap”; as seen by Fig 1, 92 and 151 is shown as substantially without voids and plugging 90; note that the claim has not structurally defined this “ink” and is therefore being interpreted as a fluid or viscous substance as 151,92 is filling 90; https://www.dictionary.com/browse/ink; 151,92 is shown plugged/filled into a cavity 90 and is shown as curable) partially surrounding the electronic component (101), the plugging ink (92,151) extending between the inner sidewalls (91) of the core (11) defining the cavity (90) and the plurality of external sidewalls (106) of the electronic component (101) and within an under-component region (region or portion between 103 and upper surface of 34) defined between the lower surface (103) of the electronic component (101) and an upper surface of the lower dielectric layer (34), wherein the (cured) plugging ink (92,151) is further disposed to surround all sides ([0118,0119,0133] “disposed between the protruding conductors 51”) of the one or more lower electronic component terminals (51,121,122) within the under-component region; and an upper metallization structure (41,43 in 33,35) configured to provide one or more conductive paths (41,43; [0113]) from the one or more electronic component terminals (51,121,122) to one or more upper metal terminals (41,44) of the upper metallization structure.
Though the claim uses the relative term of substantially, Takashima does not explicitly disclose substantially void-free plugging ink.
Origuchi (US 2009/0237900 A1) teaches of an electronic device (Fig 14), comprising: a substrate (10) comprising: a core (161,164; see Fig 3) having an upper planar surface (12) and a lower planar surface (13), wherein the core (161,164) includes a cavity (90) extending between the upper planar surface (12) of the core and the lower planar surface (13) of the core; an electronic component (61) at least partially disposed in the cavity (90), wherein the electronic component (61) is at least partially surrounded in the cavity (90) by a substantially void-free ([0077] “prevent a void”) (cured [0072-0078]) plugging ink (92;note that the claim has not structurally defined this “ink” and is therefore being interpreted as a fluid or viscous substance; https://www.dictionary.com/browse/ink; 92 is shown plugged/filled into a cavity), the electronic component (61) including an upper planar surface (62) having one or more electronic component terminals (65) and a lower surface (63), wherein the (cured [0072-0078]) plugging ink (92) extends below (see Fig 14 showing 92 spreading below 63; [0077-0079]) the lower surface (63) of the electronic component (61); and an upper metallization structure (41,43,23,24) configured to provide one or more conductive paths ([0061]) from the one or more electronic component terminals (65) to one or more upper metal terminals (24) of the upper metallization structure.
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to modify the apparatus as disclosed by Takashima, comprising a substantially void-free plugging ink as taught by Origuchi, in order to fill the cavity and provide a reliable fill (Origuchi, [0077-0078]). Furthermore it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to modify the apparatus as disclosed by Takashima, comprising a substantially void-free plugging ink as taught by Origuchi because removing voids would allow for better fixing of the component within the cavity, as a potentially remaining void would be a space where the resin filler would not be present and fixing of the filler, cavity wall and component wall would be depreciated with the presence of a void.
Claim states a “cured” but “cured” does not represent product structure but only refers to the process by which the ink is formed. Thus Claim is a product claim that recites a process step(s) of curing and is thus treated as a product-by-process claim. See MPEP2113.
Regarding Claim 12, Takashima discloses a substrate (Fig 1), comprising: a core (11) having an upper planar surface (12) and a lower planar surface (13), wherein the core (11) includes a cavity (90) extending between the upper planar surface (12) of the core (11) and the lower planar surface (13) of the core (11), the cavity (90) further being defined by inner sidewalls (sidewalls of 90 at 91) of the core (11); an electronic component (101) at least partially disposed in the cavity (90), the electronic component (101) including a lower planar surface (103) having one or more electronic component terminals (51,121,122), and a plurality ([0111]) of external sidewalls (106); a lower dielectric layer (34; [0108]) disposed over the lower planar surface (lower surface of 13) of the core (11) and below a lower planar surface (103) of the electronic component (101); a (substantially void-free cured) plugging ink ((92,151; [0119,0133,0135] “resin layer 92 is made of the same material as those of the resin insulating layers 33-36 and the resin cover layer 151 (i.e., epoxy resin which is a thermosetting resin)”; “filled in a gap”; as seen by Fig 1, 92 and 151 is shown as substantially without voids and plugging 90; note that the claim has not structurally defined this “ink” and is therefore being interpreted as a fluid or viscous substance as 151,92 is filling 90; https://www.dictionary.com/browse/ink; 151,92 is shown plugged/filled into a cavity 90 and is shown to be curable) partially surrounding the electronic component (101), the plugging ink (92,151) extending between the inner sidewalls (91) of the core (11) defining the cavity (90) and the plurality of external sidewalls (106) of the electronic component (101) and within an under-component region (region or portion between 103 and upper surface of 34) defined between the lower surface (103) of the electronic component (101) and an upper surface (upper surface of 34) of the lower dielectric layer (34), wherein the (cured) plugging ink (92,151) is further disposed to surround all sides ([0118,0119,0133] “disposed between the protruding conductors 51”) of the one or more lower electronic component terminals (51,121,122) within the under-component region; and an upper metallization structure (41,43; [0113]) configured to provide one or more conductive paths (41,43; [0113]) from the one or more electronic component terminals (51,121,122) to one or more upper metal terminals (41,44) of the upper metallization structure (41,43).
Though the claim uses the relative term of substantially, Takashima does not explicitly disclose substantially void-free plugging ink.
Origuchi (US 2009/0237900 A1) teaches of an electronic device (Fig 14), comprising: a substrate (10) comprising: a core (161,164; see Fig 3) having an upper planar surface (12) and a lower planar surface (13), wherein the core (161,164) includes a cavity (90) extending between the upper planar surface (12) of the core and the lower planar surface (13) of the core; an electronic component (61) at least partially disposed in the cavity (90), wherein the electronic component (61) is at least partially surrounded in the cavity (90) by a substantially void-free ([0077] “prevent a void”) (cured [0072-0078]) plugging ink (92;note that the claim has not structurally defined this “ink” and is therefore being interpreted as a fluid or viscous substance; https://www.dictionary.com/browse/ink; 92 is shown plugged/filled into a cavity), the electronic component (61) including an upper planar surface (62) having one or more electronic component terminals (65) and a lower surface (63), wherein the (cured [0072-0078]) plugging ink (92) extends below (see Fig 14 showing 92 spreading below 63; [0077-0079]) the lower surface (63) of the electronic component (61); and an upper metallization structure (41,43,23,24) configured to provide one or more conductive paths ([0061]) from the one or more electronic component terminals (65) to one or more upper metal terminals (24) of the upper metallization structure.
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to modify the apparatus as disclosed by Takashima, comprising a substantially void-free plugging ink as taught by Origuchi, in order to fill the cavity and provide a reliable fill (Origuchi, [0077-0078]). Furthermore it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to modify the apparatus as disclosed by Takashima, comprising a substantially void-free plugging ink as taught by Origuchi because removing voids would allow for better fixing of the component within the cavity, as a potentially remaining void would be a space where the resin filler would not be present and fixing of the filler, cavity wall and component wall would be depreciated with the presence of a void.
Claim states a “cured” but “cured” does not represent product structure but only refers to the process by which the ink is formed. Thus Claim is a product claim that recites a process step(s) of curing and is thus treated as a product-by-process claim. See MPEP2113.
Regarding Claim 16, Takashima further discloses the substrate (Fig 1) of claim 12, wherein the upper metallization structure (41,43) comprises: one or more metal vias (43; [0120]).
Claim(s) 2 and 13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Takashima (US 2008/0277150 A1) in view of Origuchi (US 2009/0237900 A1) as applied to claims 1 and 12 above, and further in view of Sakai (US 2012/0085572 A1).
Regarding Claim 2, Takashima in view of Origuchi teaches the limitations of the preceding claim.
Takashima does not disclose the electronic device of claim 1, wherein: the electronic component occupies at least 66% of the cavity.
Sakai (US 2012/0085572 A1) teaches of an electronic device (Fig 1), wherein: an electronic component (400) occupies at least 66% ([0036-0041]) of a cavity (200).
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to modify the device as taught by Takashima in view of Origuchi, wherein: the electronic component occupies at least 66% of the cavity as taught by Sakai, in order to meet usage requirements and control overall warpage effects on the device (Sakai, [0036-0041]).
Regarding Claim 13, Takashima in view of Origuchi teaches the limitations of the preceding claim.
Takashima does not disclose the substrate of claim 12, wherein: the electronic component occupies at least 66% of the cavity.
Sakai (US 2012/0085572 A1) teaches of an electronic device (Fig 1), wherein: an electronic component (400) occupies at least 66% ([0036-0041]) of a cavity (200).
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to modify the substrate as taught by Takashima in view of Origuchi, wherein: the electronic component occupies at least 66% of the cavity as taught by Sakai, in order to meet usage requirements and control overall warpage effects on the device (Sakai, [0036-0041]).
Claim(s) 5, 7, 8, 17 and 18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Takashima (US 2008/0277150 A1) in view of Origuchi (US 2009/0237900 A1) as applied to claims 1 and 16 above, and further in view of Suzuki (US 2013/0074332 A1).
Regarding Claim 5, Takashima in view of Origuchi teaches the limitations of the preceding claim.
Takashima further discloses the electronic device (Fig 1) of claim 1, further comprising: one or more vias (16) extending between the upper planar surface (12) of the core and the lower planar surface (13) of the core (11).
Takashima does not explicitly disclose the one or more vias are explicitly metal vias.
Suzuki (US 2013/0074332 A1) teaches of an electronic device (Fig 1-10), comprising: one or more metal vias (14) extending between an upper planar surface (12) of a core (11) and a lower planar surface (13) of the core.
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to modify the device as taught by Takashima in view of Origuchi, comprising metal vias as taught by Suzuki, in order to provide an electrically conductive material (Suzuki, [0036]).
Regarding Claim 7, Takashima in view of Origuchi and Suzuki teaches the limitations of the preceding claim, including metal via, and Takashima further teaches the electronic device (Fig1) of claim 5, wherein: at least one metal via (16) of the of the one or more metal vias (16) includes a metal via structure (16) having a hollow cavity (cavity comprising 17), wherein the hollow cavity of the metal via structure is filled with the (cured) plugging ink (17; [0119,0133,0135,0139] also “epoxy resin” 92 is also epoxy resin).
Claim states a “cured” but “cured” does not represent product structure but only refers to the process by which the ink is formed. Thus Claim is a product claim that recites a process step(s) of curing and is thus treated as a product-by-process claim. See MPEP2113.
Regarding Claim 8, Takashima in view of Origuchi and Suzuki teaches the limitations of the preceding claim.
Takashima further discloses the electronic device (Fig 1) of claim 7, wherein: the core (11) has a thickness above 800 micrometers ([0108]).
Regarding Claim 17, Takashima in view of Origuchi teaches the limitations of the preceding claim.
Takashima further discloses the substrate (Fig 1) of claim 16, wherein: at least one metal via (43) of the of the one or more metal vias and further includes a via structure (16) having a hollow cavity (cavity comprising 17), wherein the hollow cavity of the metal via structure is filled with the (cured) plugging ink (17; [0057,0094] also “epoxy resin” 92 is also epoxy resin).
Takashima does not explicitly disclose the one or more vias are explicitly metal vias such that the one or more metal vias includes a metal via structure having a hollow cavity, wherein the hollow cavity of the metal via structure is filled with the cured plugging ink.
Suzuki (US 2013/0074332 A1) teaches of an electronic device (Fig 1-10), comprising: one or more metal vias (14) extending between an upper planar surface (12) of a core (11) and a lower planar surface (13) of the core.
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to modify the device as taught by Takashima in view of Origuchi, comprising metal vias, such that the of the one or more metal vias includes a metal via structure having a hollow cavity, wherein the hollow cavity of the metal via structure is filled with the cured plugging ink as taught by Suzuki, in order to provide an electrically conductive material (Suzuki, [0036]).
Regarding Claim 18, Takashima in view of Origuchi and Suzuki teaches the limitations of the preceding claim.
Takashima further discloses the substrate (Fig 1) of claim 17, wherein: the core has a thickness above 700 micrometers ([0108]).
Claim(s) 6 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Takashima (US 2008/0277150 A1) in view of Origuchi (US 2009/0237900 A1) and Suzuki (US 2013/0074332 A1) as applied to claim 5 above, and further in view of Sakai (US 2012/0085572 A1).
Regarding Claim 6, Takashima in view of Origuchi and Suzuki teaches the limitations of the preceding claim.
Takashima does not disclose the electronic device of claim 5, wherein: the core has a thickness equal to or less than 800 micrometers.
Sakai (US 2012/0085572 A1) teaches of a core (300) has a thickness equal to or less than 800 micrometers ([0036-0041]).
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to modify the device as taught by Takashima in view of Origuchi and Suzuki, wherein: the core has a thickness equal to or less than 800 micrometers as taught by Sakai, in order to provide a thinner wiring board while still maintaining rigidity and control warpage (Sakai, [0036-0041]).
Claim(s) 10 and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Takashima (US 2008/0277150 A1) in view of Origuchi (US 2009/0237900 A1) as applied to claims 1 and 12 above and further in view of Shan (US 2017/0359898 A1).
Regarding Claim 10, Takashima in view of Origuchi teaches the limitations of the preceding claim.
Takashima does not disclose the electronic device of claim 1, wherein: the electronic component comprises a deep trench capacitor.
Shan (US 2017/0359898 A1) teaches of an electronic device (Fig 1-8), wherein: an electronic component (110; [0016]) comprises a deep trench capacitor ([0016]).
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to modify the device as taught by Takashima in view of Origuchi, wherein: the electronic component comprises a deep trench capacitor as taught by Shan, in order to dampen power fluctuations (Shan, [0016]).
Regarding Claim 20, Takashima in view of Origuchi teaches the limitations of the preceding claim.
Takashima does not disclose the substrate of claim 12, wherein: the electronic component comprises a deep trench capacitor.
Shan (US 2017/0359898 A1) teaches of an electronic device (Fig 1-8), wherein: an electronic component (110; [0016]) comprises a deep trench capacitor ([0016]).
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to modify the substrate as taught by Takashima in view of Origuchi, wherein: the electronic component comprises a deep trench capacitor as taught by Shan, in order to dampen power fluctuations (Shan, [0016]).
Claim(s) 11 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Takashima (US 2008/0277150 A1) in view of Origuchi (US 2009/0237900 A1) as applied to claim 1 above and further in view of Masuda (US 2020/000599 A1).
Regarding Claim 11, Takashima in view of Origuchi teaches the limitations of the preceding claim and Takashima further references a computer ([0002,0015]).
Takashima does not explicitly disclose the electronic device of claim 1, wherein the electronic device comprises at least one of: a music player, a video player, an entertainment unit, a navigation device, a communications device, a mobile device, a mobile phone, a smartphone, a personal digital assistant, a fixed location terminal, a tablet computer, a computer, a wearable device, a laptop computer, a server, an internet of things (IoT) device, or a device in an automotive vehicle.
Masuda teaches of an electronic device ([0045]), wherein the electronic device comprises at least one of: a music player, a video player, an entertainment unit, a navigation device, a communications device, a mobile device, a mobile phone ([0045]), a smartphone, a personal digital assistant, a fixed location terminal, a tablet computer ([0045]), a computer ([0045]), a wearable device, a laptop computer, a server, an internet of things (IoT) device, or a device in an automotive vehicle.
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to modify the device as taught by Takashima in view of Origuchi, wherein the electronic device comprises at least one of: a music player, a video player, an entertainment unit, a navigation device, a communications device, a mobile device, a mobile phone, a smartphone, a personal digital assistant, a fixed location terminal, a tablet computer, a computer, a wearable device, a laptop computer, a server, an internet of things (IoT) device, or a device in an automotive vehicle as taught by Masuda, in order to provide an electronic device that can generate capacitance, improve capacitance per unit area and induce failure mode to be an open mode (Masuda, [0003-0008,0021,0045]). Furthermore an electronic device as taught by Takashima in view of Origuchin d Masuda would provide a means of electrical connection between different components and circuitry as part of a tablet computer or mobile phone, such as to provide electrical connections as party of the device’s functions.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ROSHN K VARGHESE whose telephone number is (571)270-7975. The examiner can normally be reached M-Th: 900 am-300 pm.
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/ROSHN K VARGHESE/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2847
