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and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114.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 06/22/2026 has been entered.
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, a single embodiment having “an insulating layer disposed between the conductive layer and the plurality of bonding pads” and “the insulating layer comprises an opening, and one of the plurality of branch portions and one of the plurality of bonding pads are respectively disposed in the opening; wherein a width of the opening in a first direction is greater than a width of the one of the plurality of branch portions and a width of the one of the plurality of bonding pads respectively; and wherein the one of the plurality of bonding pads covers a sidewall of the one of the plurality of branch portions in a cross section, and the one of the plurality of bonding pads is not in contact with the insulating layer.” must be shown or the feature(s) canceled from the claim(s). While the individual features are shown in separate embodiments no single embodiment shows the features together. Further, the features (as shown in the Applicant’s drawings and described in their specification) are mutually exclusive to each other. 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 § 112
The following is a quotation of the first paragraph of 35 U.S.C. 112(a):
(a) IN GENERAL.—The specification shall contain a written description of the invention, and of the manner and process of making and using it, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and use the same, and shall set forth the best mode contemplated by the inventor or joint inventor of carrying out the invention.
The following is a quotation of the first paragraph of pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112:
The specification shall contain a written description of the invention, and of the manner and process of making and using it, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and use the same, and shall set forth the best mode contemplated by the inventor of carrying out his invention.
Claims 1-7 and 9-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(a) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), first paragraph, as failing to comply with the written description requirement. The claim(s) contains subject matter which was not described in the specification in such a way as to reasonably convey to one skilled in the relevant art that the inventor or a joint inventor, or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the inventor(s), at the time the application was filed, had possession of the claimed invention.
Regarding claim 1, the Applicant states the amendment to claim 1 is fully supported by the originally filed specification. While the Examiner agrees that the amended in language is fully supported by the originally filed specification, amended claim 1 contains additional limitations which were part of original claim 1 which when combined with the newly amended in claim language renders claim 1 unsupported by the Applicant’s originally filed specification. Specifically, as stated by the Applicant in their arguments, the newly amended in claim language “wherein the insulating layer comprises an opening, and one of the plurality of branch portions and one of the plurality of bonding pads are respectively disposed in the opening; wherein a width of the opening in a first direction is greater than a width of the one of the plurality of branch portions and a width of the one of the plurality of bonding pads respectively; and wherein the one of the plurality of bonding pads covers a sidewall of the one of the plurality of branch portions in a cross section, and the one of the plurality of bonding pads is not in contact with the insulating layer.” is supported by Fig. 10 and Paragraph 0056 of the Applicant’s specification. However, claim 1 also contains the limitation “an insulating layer disposed between the conductive layer and the plurality of bonding pads”. Fig. 10 does not show an embodiment where the insulating layer is disposed between the conductive layer and the plurality of bond pads. Instead, the plurality of bond pads directly contact the entire top and side surface of the conductive layer such that the insulating layer is not between the conductive layer and the plurality of bond pads. Figs. 5, 6, 8, 12, 15 and 16 show embodiments where the insulating layer is disposed between the conductive layer and the plurality of bonding pads, however none of those embodiments also show where the one of the plurality of bonding pads is not in contact with the insulating layer as in each one of the embodiments shown in Figs. 5, 6, 8, 12, 15 and 16 the insulating layer contacts the bonding pads. As no one embodiment shows “an insulating layer disposed between the conductive layer and the plurality of bonding pads” and “wherein the insulating layer comprises an opening, and one of the plurality of branch portions and one of the plurality of bonding pads are respectively disposed in the opening; wherein a width of the opening in a first direction is greater than a width of the one of the plurality of branch portions and a width of the one of the plurality of bonding pads respectively; and wherein the one of the plurality of bonding pads covers a sidewall of the one of the plurality of branch portions in a cross section, and the one of the plurality of bonding pads is not in contact with the insulating layer” the two different limitations of claim 1 seem to be directed to two different mutually exclusive embodiments of the Applicant’s disclosure. Therefore, claim 1 is directed to a structure which is not described, shown or anticipated by a single embodiment in the Applicant’s originally filed application and therefore is new matter. Appropriate correction is required to delete the new matter from the claim.
Claims 2-7 and 9-20 are also rejected under 35 USC 112(a) as they depend from and include all of the limitations of rejected claim 1.
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.
Claims 1-7 and 9-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Regarding claim 1, claim 1 contains the limitations “an insulating layer disposed between the conductive layer and the plurality of bonding pads” and “wherein the insulating layer comprises an opening, and one of the plurality of branch portions and one of the plurality of bonding pads are respectively disposed in the opening; wherein a width of the opening in a first direction is greater than a width of the one of the plurality of branch portions and a width of the one of the plurality of bonding pads respectively; and wherein the one of the plurality of bonding pads covers a sidewall of the one of the plurality of branch portions in a cross section, and the one of the plurality of bonding pads is not in contact with the insulating layer”. As such, it is unclear to which embodiment claim 1 is directed to. Specifically, Figs. 5, 6, 8, 12, 15 and 16, and their respective plan views and descriptions, show embodiments where the insulating layer is disposed between the conductive layer and the plurality of bonding pads, however none of those embodiments show where the one of the plurality of bonding pads is not in contact with the insulating layer as in each one of the embodiments shown in Figs. 5, 6, 8, 12, 15 and 16 the insulating layer contacts the bonding pads. Further, Fig. 10 (cited by the applicant in their remarks as being the support for the amended in claim language) shows an embodiment where the insulating layer comprises an opening, and one of the plurality of branch portions and one of the plurality of bonding pads are respectively disposed in the opening; wherein a width of the opening in a first direction is greater than a width of the one of the plurality of branch portions and a width of the one of the plurality of bonding pads respectively; and wherein the one of the plurality of bonding pads covers a sidewall of the one of the plurality of branch portions in a cross section, and the one of the plurality of bonding pads is not in contact with the insulating layer, however the embodiment shown in Fig. 10 does not show an insulating layer disposed between the conductive layer and the plurality of bonding pads. As such, it is unclear to which embodiment of the Applicant’s disclosure claim 1 is drawn and what is required by the claim. Appropriate correction is required to clarify the language.
Claims 2-7 and 9-20 are also rejected under 35 USC 112(b) as they depend from and include all of the limitations of rejected claim 1.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments, see Applicant’s REMARKS, filed 06/22/2026, with respect to the 103 rejection of claim 1 utilizing Park, have been fully considered and are persuasive. Therefore the rejection of claims 1-7 and 9-20, utilizing Park, have been withdrawn.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ERIC K ASHBAHIAN whose telephone number is (571)270-5187. The examiner can normally be reached 8-5:30 PM.
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, Matthew Landau can be reached at 571-272-1731. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/ERIC K ASHBAHIAN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2891
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