DETAILED ACTION
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of Group I (claims 1-7) in the reply filed on January 2, 2026 is acknowledged.
Information Disclosure Statement
The references cited within the IDS documents have been considered.
IDS document dates: August 30, 2023; November 12, 2023; July 2, 2025; November 20, 2025.
Specification (Title)
The title of the invention is not descriptive. A new title is required that is clearly indicative of the invention to which the claims are directed.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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.
Claims 1 and 2 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Sunohara et al. (US 2011/0316169 A1, hereinafter referred to as ‘Sunohara’).
As to claim 1, Sunohara teaches a packaging substrate comprising a core layer,
wherein the core layer comprises:
a glass substrate (11) including a first surface (11a) and a second surface (11b) facing each other; and
at least two or more cavity portions (11x, 11y) each having an opening open in a direction toward the first surface or a direction toward the second surface, and
the two or more cavity portions have different depths. See figures 7 and 8.
As to claim 2, Sunohara teaches at least two or more cavity elements (“third conductive layer”, 15; “third conductive layer” and “first conductive layer”, 15/13) arranged in the cavity portions and having different heights; and
an insulating layer (12) incorporated into the cavity portion, and formed on a surface of the glass substrate formed with the opening. See for example 24.
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Claims 1-4 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Wei-Ping Li (CN 113097201 A, hereinafter referred to as ‘Li’).
As to claim 1, Li teaches a packaging substrate comprising a core layer,
wherein the core layer comprises:
a glass substrate (1) including a first surface (top) and a second surface (bottom) facing each other; and
at least two or more cavity portions (H1, H2) each having an opening open in a direction toward the first surface or a direction toward the second surface, and
the two or more cavity portions have different depths (clearly evident from figure 4a). See also figures 4b-4f.
As to claim 2, Li teaches at least two or more cavity elements (21a, 22a) arranged in the cavity portions and having different heights (see figure 4b); and
an insulating layer (11, 112) incorporated into the cavity portion, and formed on a surface of the glass substrate formed with the opening. See figure 4c.
As to claim 3, Li teaches the cavity portion (H1, H2) comprises a first cavity portion open and recessed in the direction toward the first surface (top) and having a first depth, and a second cavity portion open and recessed in the direction toward the first surface (top) or the second surface and having a second depth deeper than the first depth, and
the cavity element comprises a first cavity element (21a) arranged in the first cavity portion, and a second cavity (21b) element arranged in the second cavity portion. See figures 4a-4c.
As to claim 4, Li teaches one or more connection electrodes (31) are disposed on the first cavity element (21a) in the direction toward the first surface, and
one or more connection electrodes (31) are disposed on the second cavity element (21b) in the direction toward the first surface or the second surface.
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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.
Claims 1-4 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Mao et al. (US 2024/0136238 A1, hereinafter referred to as ‘Mao’).
As to claim 1, Mao teaches a packaging substrate comprising a core layer,
wherein the core layer comprises:
a glass substrate (102, see also para. 0006) including a first surface (top) and a second surface (bottom) facing each other; and
at least two or more cavity portions (202, 204) each having an opening open in a direction toward the first surface or a direction toward the second surface, and
the two or more cavity portions have different depths (clearly evident from figure 6).
As to claim 2, Mao teaches at least two or more cavity elements (304, 306) arranged in the cavity portions and having different heights (see figure 6); and
an insulating layer (402) incorporated into the cavity portion, and formed on a surface of the glass substrate formed with the opening. See figure 6.
As to claim 3, Li teaches the cavity portion comprises a first cavity portion (202) open and recessed in the direction toward the first surface (top) and having a first depth, and a second cavity portion (204) open and recessed in the direction toward the first surface (top) or the second surface and having a second depth deeper than the first depth, and
the cavity element comprises a first cavity element (304) arranged in the first cavity portion, and a second cavity (306) element arranged in the second cavity portion. See figure 6.
As to claim 4, Mao teaches one or more connection electrodes (316) are disposed on the first cavity element (304) in the direction toward the first surface, and
one or more connection electrodes (316) are disposed on the second cavity element (306) in the direction toward the first surface or the second surface. See figure 6.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 5 is objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims. (Claims 6 and 7 are also objected to, as being dependent upon an objected claim.)
Cited Prior Art
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure: see the attached form PTO-892 for pertinent cited art.
Contact Information
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Scott B. Geyer (telephone: 571-272-1958). The examiner can normally be reached on Monday to Friday, 10AM - 4PM (ET). 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.
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/SCOTT B GEYER/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2812
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