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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statements (IDS) submitted on 1/17/24 and 4/4/25 were filed in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statements are being considered by the examiner.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 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) 1, 3, 5-9, 11-16, 19, and 20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Thacker et al. (US 2016/0216445 A1), cited in the IDS filed 1/17/24.
Re. Claims 1 and 16, Thacker et al. discloses an apparatus 100 comprising:
a substrate 118-1 with a first side and a second side (Fig 1; [0035], [0040]-[0041]);
an optical module coupled to the substrate 118-1, the optical module comprising a photonic integrated circuit (PIC) 126-1 and electronic integrated circuit (EIC) 110-1, the EIC 110-1 being coupled to the PIC 126-1 (e.g., structurally coupled or aligned) via the substrate 118-1 (Fig 1; [0035], [0042]); and
a fiber optic coupler 134-1 and 140-1 coupled to the substrate or the optical module, wherein the PIC 126-1 is configured to transmit or receive an optical signal via the fiber optic coupler 134-1 and 140-1 (Fig 1; [0036], [0038]).
Re. Claim 3, Thacker et al. discloses the substrate 118-1 further comprises a through-hole via coupled to the PIC 126-1 ([0041]).
Re. Claims 5 and 19, Thacker et al. discloses the PIC 126-1 is at least partially embedded within the substrate 118-1 (Fig 1; [0042]).
Re. Claim 6, Thacker et al. discloses the EIC 110-1 is coupled to the PIC 126-1 via a solder bump 116-2 (Fig. 1; [0036]).
Re. Claims 7 and 20, Thacker et al. discloses the EIC 110-1 comprises at least one of a control circuitry, a power circuitry, an electronic amplifier, a filter, and a converter ([0035]).
Re. Claim 8, Thacker et al. discloses the substrate 118-1 comprises a glass core ([0037]), wherein the PIC is embedded in the glass core (Fig 1; [0042]).
Re. Claim 9, Thacker et al. discloses an apparatus 100 comprising:
an interposer 118-1 (Fig 1; [0035], [0040]-[0041]);
an optical module coupled to the interposer 118-1, the optical module comprising a photonic integrated circuit (PIC) 126-1 and electronic integrated circuit (EIC) 110-1, wherein the EIC 110-1 is coupled (e.g., structurally coupled or aligned) to the PIC 126-1 via the interposer 118-1 (Fig 1; [0032], [0035]); and
a fiber optic coupler 134-1 and 140-1 coupled to the interposer or PIC, wherein the PIC 126-1 is configured to transmit or receive an optical signal via the fiber optic coupler 134-1 and 140-1 (Fig 1; [0036], [0038]).
Re. Claim 11, Thacker et al. discloses the PIC 126-1 and the EIC 110-1 are located on opposite sides of the interposer 118-1 (e.g., left versus right as seen in Fig. 1).
Re. Claim 12, Thacker et al. discloses the PIC 126-1 and the EIC 110-1 are located on a same side of the interposer 118-1 (e.g., top versus bottom as seen in Fig. 1).
Re. Claim 13, Thacker et al. discloses the PIC 126-1 is at least partially embedded within the interposer 118-1 (Fig 1; [0042]).
Re. Claim 14, Thacker et al. discloses a high-bandwidth memory (HBM) coupled to the interposer 118-1 ([0035]).
Re. Claim 15, Thacker et al. discloses the EIC 110-1 is coupled to the PIC 126-1 via a solder bump 116-2 (Fig. 1; [0036]).
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)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 1-5, 7-11, 13-14, and 16-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Yu et al. (US 2023/0161120 A1), cited in the IDS filed 4/4/25.
Re. Claims 1 and 16, Yu et al. discloses an apparatus 500 (Figs 25A-25B; [0023]) comprising:
a substrate 100 comprising a first side and a second side (Fig 17; [0023], [0056]);
an optical module coupled to the substrate 100, the optical module comprising a photonic integrated circuit (PIC) 106 and electronic integrated circuit (EIC) 122 (Fig 17; [0039]-[0040]), the EIC 122 being coupled to the PIC 106 via the substrate 100; and
a fiber optic coupler 24 coupled to at least one of the substrate 100 or PIC 106, wherein the PIC 106 is configured to transmit or receive an optical signal via the fiber optic coupler 24 (Figs 25A-25B; [0064], [0078]).
Re. Claim 17, Yu et al. discloses the PIC 106 is coupled to the first side of the substrate 100, the EIC 122 is coupled to the second side of the substrate100 , and the second side is opposite of the first side (Figs. 25A-25B).
Re. Claims 2 and 18 Yu et al. discloses the EIC 122 is at least partially embedded within the substrate 100 (Figs 9, 17, and 25A-25B; [0043]).
Re. Claims 3-4, Yu et al. discloses the substrate further comprises a through-hole via coupled to the PIC 106, wherein the substrate further comprises a waveguide 104 positioned within the through-hole via, and the waveguide 104 is in optical communication with the PIC 106 (Fig. 25A-25B; [0025]-[0026]).
Re. Claims 5 and 19, Yu et al. discloses the PIC 106 is at least partially embedded within the substrate 100 (Fig 3; [0029]).
Re. Claims 7 and 20, Yu et al. discloses the EIC 122 comprises at least one of a control circuitry, a power circuitry, an electronic amplifier, a filter, and a converter ([0040]).
Re. Claim 8, Yu et al. discloses the substrate comprises a glass core 104, wherein the PIC 106 is embedded in the glass core 104 (Fig 2; [0026]).
Re. Claim 9, Yu et al. discloses an apparatus 500 (Figs 25A; [0023]) comprising:
an interposer 100 (Fig 17; [0023], [0056]);
an optical module coupled to the interposer 100, the optical module comprising a photonic integrated circuit (PIC) 106 and electronic integrated circuit (EIC) 122 (Fig 25A; [0072]), wherein the EIC 122 is coupled to the PIC 400 via the interposer 100 (Fig 25A; [0074]); and a fiber optic coupler 24 coupled to at least one of the interposer or PIC, wherein the PIC 106 is configured to transmit or receive an optical signal via the fiber optic coupler 24 (Fig 25A; [0074], [0078]).
Re. Claim 10, Yu et al. discloses the interposer 100 is configured to provide an electrical interconnect between the PIC 106 and the EIC 122 (Fig. 25A; [0034]).
Re. Claim 11, Yu et al. discloses the PIC 106 and the EIC 122 are located on opposite sides of the interposer 100 (Fig. 25A).
Re. Claim 13, Yu et al. discloses the PIC 106 is at least partially embedded within the interposer 100 (Fig 3; [0029]).
Re. Claim 14, Yu et al. discloses a high-bandwidth memory (HBM) coupled to the interposer [0073]).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. See the attached PTO-892.
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/RHONDA S PEACE/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2874 1/15/26