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 .
Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after final rejection. Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on November 19, 2025 has been entered.
Response to Amendment
Applicant's amendments/arguments with respect to claims 1 – 10 have been considered but they do not overcome the prior art rejection(s). Please see the following rejection(s).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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.
Claims 1 – 10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Wu et al. (TW 200842997A).
Regarding claim 1, in Figure 4G, Wu discloses a circuit substrate having an improved bonding structure, comprising: a substrate core layer (330) having a top surface and a bottom surface; an upper protective layer (314) formed on the top surface of the substrate core layer, the upper protective layer having at least one channel (the opening that element 341 is disposed in); and at least one bond finger portion (321) formed on the top surface of the substrate core layer each in a single layer configuration and disposed in the at least one channel, wherein a plurality of protrusions (322) are directly formed on an upper surface of the at least one bond finger portion (Figure 4G), so as to increase a bonding area with a bonding wire (340, 341); wherein the plurality of protrusions is configured to be distributed under and covered by a bottom of a ball shaped portion of the bonding wire, and mutually engaged with the bottom of the ball shaped portion of the bonding wire (Figure 4G).
Wu does not specifically disclose that the bonding wire 340/341 has a ball shape. However, it would have been an obvious matter of design choice to provide for the bonding wire 340/341 to have a ball shape, since more than a mere change of form or rearrangement of parts is necessary for patentability (See Span-Deck Inc. v. Fab-Con, Inc. (CA 8, 1982) 215 USPQ 835), in which it was held that, change in form of any element of prior patent must result in more than useful natural phenomenon that man has accumulated through common knowledge; even though use of new device greatly improves field and provides great utility, and commercial success is enjoyed because of long-felt need, these features cannot sustain patentability where involved is only extended application of obvious attributes from prior art.
Regarding claim 2, Wu discloses wherein the upper surface of the at least one bond finger portion is lower than a top surface of the upper protective layer (Figure 4G).
Regarding claim 3, Wu discloses wherein a plurality of linear grooves that are parallel to each other are formed on the at least one bond finger portion, each of the protrusions is stripe-shaped, and the at least one bond finger portion has a fin shape (Figure 4G).
Regarding claim 4, Wu discloses wherein a depth of the linear grooves is less than a thickness of the at least one bond finger portion (Figure 4G).
Regarding claim 5, Wu discloses wherein a plurality of grooves that intersect with each other are formed on the at least one bond finger portion, and the protrusions are columnar-shaped (Figure 4G).
Regarding claim 6, Wu discloses wherein a depth of the grooves is less than a thickness of the at least one bond finger portion (Figure 4G).
Regarding claim 7, Wu discloses wherein the at least one bond finger portion is made of copper, aluminum, copper alloy, or aluminum alloy (second paragraph of the Detailed description, page 2).
Regarding claim 8, Wu discloses a lower protective layer, wherein the substrate core layer is made of metal or a polymer material, and the lower protective layer is formed on the bottom surface of the substrate core layer (Figure 4G).
Regarding claim 9, Wu discloses wherein at least one solder bump is further disposed on the bottom surface of the substrate core layer (Figure 4G).
Regarding claim 10, Wu discloses wherein the substrate core layer further has at least one through hole and includes at least one metal inner conducting wire, and the at least one through hole passes through the substrate core layer; wherein the at least one metal inner conducting wire is disposed in the at least one through hole, and is electrically connected to the at least one bond finger portion and the at least one solder bump (Figure 4G).
Conclusion
All claims are identical to or patentably indistinct from, or have unity of invention with claims in the application prior to the entry of the submission under 37 CFR 1.114 (that is, restriction (including a lack of unity of invention) would not be proper) and all claims could have been finally rejected on the grounds and art of record in the next Office action if they had been entered in the application prior to entry under 37 CFR 1.114. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL even though it is a first action after the filing of a request for continued examination and the submission under 37 CFR 1.114. See MPEP § 706.07(b). 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 TREMESHA W BURNS whose telephone number is (571)270-3391. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 8am - 4:30 pm EST.
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TREMESHA W. BURNS
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2847
/TREMESHA W BURNS/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2847