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 Rejections - 35 USC § 102
The text of those sections of Title 35, U.S. Code not included in this action can be found in a prior Office action.
Claims 1-2 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by U.S. Patent 9,042,113 to Kim.
This rejection is set forth in the previous Office Action, dated 05/21/25.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
The text of those sections of Title 35, U.S. Code not included in this action can be found in a prior Office action.
Claims 3-7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kim in view of U.S. Patent8,878,077 to Ito et al.
This rejection is set forth in the previous Office Action, dated 05/21/25.
Claims 8-9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kim in view of U.S. Patent 8,309,860 to Sunohara et al.
This rejection is set forth in the previous Office Action, dated 05/21/25
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed July 29, 2025 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive. Applicant argued that “Kim fails to teach or suggest the feature “wherein the solder resist layer has a solder resist opening exposing a portion of the second circuit layer” in the claim 1. The Examiner disagrees because the solder resist layer (180) having opening exposing a portion of the second circuit layer (170) as shown in Fig. 19. Applicant argued that “Since the first solder resist 180 is formed on the upper portion of the second insulating layer 140 before the outer circuit layer 170 is formed on the upper portion of the second insulating layer 140, Kim does not teach or suggest the feature “the solder resist layer has a solder resist opening exposing a portion of the second circuit layer” in the claim 1”. This is wrong, because the solder resist layer (180) is formed after (not before as argue) the second circuit 170 is formed (see Figs. 18-19).
The Examiner also notices that Applicant's argument that the references fail to show certain features of the invention, it is noted that the features upon which applicant relies (i.e., “solder resist layer is not formed on an upper portion of the outer circuit layer”) are not recited in the rejected claim(s). Although the claims are interpreted in light of the specification, limitations from the specification are not read into the claims. See In re Van Geuns, 988 F.2d 1181, 26 USPQ2d 1057 (Fed. Cir. 1993).
Conclusion
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. 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.
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/DN/ /DONGHAI D NGUYEN/November 1, 2025 Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3729
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