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 .
Election/Restrictions
Applicant's election without traverse of Group I, claims 12-20, in the reply filed on January 22, 2026 is acknowledged. Therefore, claims 12-20 are presented for examination.
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.
(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 12-13 and 18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) or (a)(2) as being anticipated by Takahashi et al. (US 2013/0186675, hereinafter Takahashi).
Regarding claim 12, Takahashi discloses for a ceramic sintered body substrate comprising that
a ceramic substrate (sintered ceramic substrate 10, Fig. 1); and
a first metal member (first metal paste 20, Fig. 1) disposed on a surface of the ceramic substrate (side surface of through-hole in the sintered ceramic substrate 10, Fig. 1), wherein the first metal member (20, Fig. 1) contains a plurality of inorganic fillers (metal (B), [0015]), because Applicants originally disclosed that “Examples of the inorganic fillers 5 include ceramic fillers such as aluminum oxide and aluminum nitride, silica fillers, metal fillers, and glass fillers” (emphasis added, [0044] of present application), therefore, the metal (B) by Takahashi corresponds to the claimed plurality of inorganic fillers, a first metal (metal (A), [0014]), and a metal compound (active metal powder, [0089]), because “Examples of such an active metal powder may be a titanium powder or a titanium hydride powder” (emphasis added, [0089]), and the metal compound (active metal powder, [0089]) is disposed on at least a part of surfaces of the plurality of inorganic fillers (metal (B), [0015]) and at least a part of a surface of the ceramic substrate (side surface of through-hole in the sintered ceramic substrate 10, Fig. 1), because Takahashi further discloses that “the “active metal powder” is formed of a metal which is reactive with the ceramic component, and forms an active layer in the interface with the sintered ceramic substrate 10” ([0089]), therefore, the active metal powder by Takahashi reacts with and is disposed on the surface of the sintered ceramic substrate 10 (i.e., side surface of the through-hole 12). Also, Takahashi discloses that the first metal paste 20 includes a mixture of metal (A), metal (B) and active metal powder, and since these components are mixed together in powder to form the first metal paste, the particles necessarily come into physical contact with one another, therefore, the active metal powder would inherently contact and be disposed on at least a part of surface of the metal (A) and metal (B) within the mixture; in other words, when the powders are mixed, the active metal powder would contact and at least partially coats or adheres to surfaces of the metal (A) and metal (B).
Regarding claim 13, Takahashi further discloses for the ceramic sintered body substrate according to claim 12 that the ceramic substrate (10, Fig. 1) includes a through hole (through-hole 12, Fig. 1), the first metal member (20, Fig. 1) is disposed in the through hole (12, Fig. 1), and at least a part of the metal compound (active metal powder, [0089]) is present on an inner wall defining the through hole (inner sidewall of through-hole 12, Fig. 1), because “the first metal paste 20 is filled so as to fill up the through-hole 12 uniformly” ([0093]), since the first metal paste 20 includes the active metal powder, therefore, at least a part of the active metal powder would be present in the through-hole 12 and disposed on a sidewall of the through-hole 12 (Fig. 1).
Regarding claim 18, Takahashi further discloses for the ceramic sintered body substrate according to claim 12 that a second metal member (second metal paste layer 24, Fig. 1) disposed on the first metal member (20, Fig. 1).
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 14-16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over by Takahashi et al. (US 2013/0186675, hereinafter Takahashi).
Regarding claim 14, Takahashi does not explicitly disclose that when a total amount of the inorganic fillers, the first metal, and the metal compound is 100 wt%, the content of the inorganic fillers is in a range from 1 wt% to 50 wt%, the content of the first metal is in a range from 40 wt% to 95 wt%, and the content of the metal compound is in a range from 1 wt% to 10 wt%.
However, Takahashi further discloses for the preparation of the first metal paste that “the amount of the active metal powder added is preferably 1 part by mass or more, and more preferably 1.5 parts by mass or more, and on the other hand, preferably 10 parts by mass or less, and more preferably 6 parts by mass or less, based on 100 parts by mass of the powder of the metal (B) in the first metal paste 20” ([0089]), “97 parts by mass of a mixture (mixing mass ratio 1:1) of a copper powder having an average particle diameter (D50) of 4.5 µm and a copper powder having an average particle diameter (D50) of 28 µm, as a powder of a metal (B); 3 parts by mass of a titanium hydride powder having an average particle diameter (D50) of 5 µm, as an active metal powder…” ([0197]), and further discloses for the preparation of the second metal paste that “47 parts by mass of a copper powder having an average particle diameter (D50) of 0.3 µm; 24 parts by mass of a copper powder having an average particle diameter (D50) of 1 µm; and 14 parts by mass of a silver powder having an average particle diameter (D50) of 0.6 µm. A mortar was used to pre-mix the following into this powder of the metal (B’); 15 parts by mass of a pulverized titanium hydride powder having an average diameter (D50) of 2 µm, as an active metal powder…” ([0199]), therefore, in the first example, a copper powder having an average particle diameter (D50) of 4.5 µm (i.e., metal (A)) corresponds to the claimed first metal and a copper powder having an average particle diameter (D50) of 28 µm (i.e., metal (B)) corresponds to the claimed plurality of inorganic fillers, and they mixed 1:1 ratio of 97 parts by mass (i.e., 48.5:48.5), which overlaps with the claimed ranges from 1 wt% to 50% wt% for the inorganic fillers and from 40 wt% to 95 wt% for the first metal. Therefore, Takahashi recognizes that the content of each component in the metal paste for filling in the through-hole impacts the mechanical or thermal properties such as viscosity, adhesion, or thermal conductivity after firing. The content of each component in the first metal member is therefore a result-effective variable to be optimized by repeated experiments.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to vary, through routine optimization, the content of each component in the metal member (or metal paste) as Takahashi has identified the content of each component as a result-effective variable. Further, one of ordinary skill in the art would have had a reasonable expectation of success to arrive at the content of the inorganic fillers ranging from 1 wt% to 50 wt%, the content of the first metal ranging from 40 wt% to 95 wt%, and the content of the metal compound ranging from 1 wt% to 10 wt%, in order to achieve the desired material’s mechanical and thermal properties to fill in a through-hole of a ceramic substrate, as taught by Takahashi. Furthermore, the applicant has not presented persuasive evidence that the claimed ion dosage is for a particular purpose that is critical to the overall claimed invention (i.e., that the invention would not work without the specific claimed content of each component in the first metal member).
Regarding claim 15, Takahashi does not explicitly disclose that the plurality of inorganic fillers (metal (B), [0015]) are dispersed in the first metal (metal (A), [0014]) that is continuous.
However, Takahashi further discloses for the preparation of the first metal paste that “97 parts by mass of a mixture (mixing mass ratio 1:1) of a copper powder having an average particle diameter (D50) of 4.5 µm and a copper powder having an average particle diameter (D50) of 28 µm, as a powder of a metal (B)…” ([0197]), and therefore, in this case, a copper powder having an average particle diameter (D50) of 4.5 µm (i.e., metal (A)) corresponds to the claimed first metal and a copper powder having an average particle diameter (D50) of 28 µm (i.e., metal (B)) corresponds to the claimed plurality of inorganic fillers; because the smaller copper particles are mixed with the larger copper particles, one of ordinary skill in the art would have reasonably understood that the smaller particles would occupy the interstitial spaces between the larger particles and form a continuous metal phase after firing or sintering.
Furthermore, Applicants originally disclosed that “the content of the inorganic fillers 5 is preferably in a range from 1 wt% to 50 wt%, the content of the first metal 4 is preferably in a range from 40 wt% to 95 wt%” ([0042] of present application), therefore, the claimed first metal is present in a greater amount than the inorganic fillers. Under such conditions, one of ordinary skill in the art would have reasonably understood that the first metal would fill the gaps between the plurality of inorganic fillers and form a continuous metal network surrounding the inorganic fillers.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to prepare a metal filler or metal paste including two metal components such that one metal component forms a continuous network by appropriately controlling the particle size and/or relative amounts of the metal components in the mixture, as disclosed by Takahashi, in order to form a metal filler structure within a through-hole via that provide desirable mechanical, thermal, and/or electrical properties.
Regarding claim 16, Takahashi does not explicitly disclose that in a cross-sectional view in which the first metal member (20, Fig. 1) disposed in the through hole (12, Fig. 1) is cut in a thickness direction of the ceramic substrate (10, Fig. 1), the inorganic fillers (metal (B), [0015]) are disposed in a range from 10 μm2 to 75 μm2 per 100 μm2.
However, Takahashi further discloses that “the average particle diameter (D50) of the powder of the metal (B) is preferably set to 1 to 50 µm in order to improve productivity and to manufacture the metallized via-holed ceramic substrate having excellent performance” ([0087]) and since an area of the metal (B), which corresponds to the inorganic filler in the claimed invention, is estimated by a particle diameter in a cross-sectional view, therefore, one of ordinary skill in the art would have readily recognized that an area occupied by metal (B) would be varied by the average particle diameter of the metal (B) powder. Therefore, an area of the inorganic fillers in a cross-sectional view is therefore a result-effective variable to be optimized by repeated experiments.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to vary, through routine optimization, an area of inorganic fillers in a cross-sectional view which may vary by the average diameter of inorganic fillers as Takahashi has identified the area as a result-effective variable. Further, one of ordinary skill in the art would have had a reasonable expectation of success to arrive at the area of the inorganic fillers ranging from 10 μm2 to 75 μm2 per 100 μm2, in order to achieve the desired material’s mechanical and thermal properties to fill in a through-hole of a ceramic substrate, as taught by Takahashi. Furthermore, the applicant has not presented persuasive evidence that the claimed ion dosage is for a particular purpose that is critical to the overall claimed invention (i.e., that the invention would not work without the specific claimed range of the area of the inorganic fillers).
Claim 17 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Takahashi et al. (US 2013/0186675, hereinafter Takahashi) in view of Oikawa et al. (US 4,713,494; hereinafter Oikawa). The teachings of Takahashi are discussed in claim 12 above.
Regarding claim 17, Takahashi differs from the claimed invention by not showing that the first metal member is disposed on a flat surface and/or a bottom surface of the ceramic substrate continuously from the through hole.
However, Oikawa discloses for a multilayer ceramic circuit board that the board (Fig. 2) includes the ceramic green sheet (1, Fig. 2; Col. 1, line 19), which corresponds to the ceramic substrate in the claimed invention, and a through-hole 3 formed therein. Oikawa further discloses that “in step II, the through hole 3 is filled with metal (for example, is filled with one of Mo, Mo-Mn, and W) in the form of a metal paste 5. In this step II, the metal paste is also screen-printed on the green sheet 1 in a predetermined pattern, for providing a conductor layer” (Col. 3, lines 39-44), therefore, the metal paste 5 by Oikawa corresponds to the first metal member in the claimed invention; as shown in Fig. 2 of Oikawa, the metal paste 5 forms a continuous conductor extending through the through hole 3 and along the front and bottom surfaces of the green sheet. Therefore, one of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to modify the composite conductor layer formed from the first and second metal pastes disclosed by Takahashi to instead form a single continuous conductor layer using the metal paste taught by Oikawa, in order to provide a continuous conductive path through the through-hole and along the ceramic substrate surface for improved electrical connection.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide a single continuous conductor layer extending through a through-hole and along the front and/or bottom surfaces of the ceramic substrate, as disclosed by Oikawa, in order to improve electrical connection of the circuit board.
Claims 19-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Takahashi et al. (US 2013/0186675, hereinafter Takahashi) in view of Maeda et al. (US 2007/0252523; hereinafter Maeda).
Regarding claim 19, Takahashi discloses for a light-emitting device (LED, [0001]) comprising that
a ceramic sintered body substrate (Fig. 1) including a ceramic substrate (sintered ceramic substrate 10, Fig. 1) and a first metal member (first metal paste 20, Fig. 1) disposed on a surface of the ceramic substrate (side surface of the sintered ceramic substrate 10, i.e., side surface of the through-hole 12, Fig. 1), the first metal member (20, Fig. 1) containing a plurality of inorganic fillers (metal (B), [0015]), a first metal (metal (A), [0014]), and a metal compound (active metal powder, [0089]), the metal compound (active metal powder, [0089]) being disposed on at least a part of surfaces of the plurality of inorganic fillers (metal (B), [0015]) and at least a part of a surface of the ceramic substrate (side surface of through-hole in the sintered ceramic substrate 10, Fig. 1), because Takahashi further discloses that “the “active metal powder” is formed of a metal which is reactive with the ceramic component, and forms an active layer in the interface with the sintered ceramic substrate 10” ([0089]), therefore, the active metal powder by Takahashi reacts with and is disposed on the surface of the sintered ceramic substrate 10 (i.e., side surface of the through-hole 12). Also, Takahashi discloses that the first metal paste 20 includes a mixture of metal (A), metal (B) and active metal powder, and since these components are mixed together in powder to form the first metal paste, the particles necessarily come into physical contact with one another, therefore, the active metal powder would inherently contact and be disposed on at least a part of surface of the metal (A) and metal (B) within the mixture; in other words, when the powders are mixed, the active metal powder would contact and at least partially coats or adheres to surfaces of the metal (A) and metal (B).
Takahashi does not explicitly disclose that a light-emitting element electrically connected to the first metal member of the ceramic sintered body substrate.
However, Maeda discloses for a ceramic substrate for mounting a light emitting element that the complex light emitting element 300a (Fig. 1) includes the ceramic substrate 110, which corresponds to the ceramic sintered body substrate in the claimed invention, having through via holes 114/114’ and the through via holes are filled with a metal paste including a metal powder such as tungsten or molybdenum ([0045]), which may correspond to the first metal member in the claimed invention; as shown in Fig. 1 of Maeda, the light emitting element 200 is electrically connected to the metal paste in the through via holes via the light emitting element connecting electrodes 113/113’ and the electrodes 210a/210b (Fig. 1, [0038]), therefore, one of ordinary skill in the art would have recognized that the ceramic substrate structure disclosed by Takahashi could similarly be used to mount a light emitting element and electrically connect the element to the first metal paste disposed in the through-hole.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide a light emitting element electrically connected to the metal paste disposed in the through hole of the ceramic substrate, as disclosed by Maeda, in order to enable the ceramic substrate for mounting substrate of a light emitting element and provide electrical connection through via structure.
Regarding claim 20, Takahashi further discloses for a light-emitting device comprising that
a ceramic sintered body substrate (Fig. 1) including a ceramic substrate (sintered ceramic substrate 10, Fig. 1) and a first metal member (first metal paste 20, Fig. 1) and a second metal member (second metal paste 24, Fig. 1) disposed on a surface of the ceramic substrate (10, Fig. 1), the first metal member containing a plurality of inorganic fillers (metal (B), [0015]), a first metal (metal (A), [0014]), and a metal compound (active metal powder, [0089]), the metal compound (active metal powder, [0089]) being disposed on at least a part of surfaces of the plurality of inorganic fillers (metal (B), [0015]) and at least a part of a surface of the ceramic substrate (side surface of through-hole in the sintered ceramic substrate 10, Fig. 1), because Takahashi further discloses that “the “active metal powder” is formed of a metal which is reactive with the ceramic component, and forms an active layer in the interface with the sintered ceramic substrate 10” ([0089]), therefore, the active metal powder by Takahashi reacts with and is disposed on the surface of the sintered ceramic substrate 10 (i.e., side surface of the through-hole 12). Also, Takahashi discloses that the first metal paste 20 includes a mixture of metal (A), metal (B) and active metal powder, and since these components are mixed together in powder to form the first metal paste, the particles necessarily come into physical contact with one another, therefore, the active metal powder would inherently contact and be disposed on at least a part of surface of the metal (A) and metal (B) within the mixture; in other words, when the powders are mixed, the active metal powder would contact and at least partially coats or adheres to surfaces of the metal (A) and metal (B).
Takahashi does not explicitly disclose that a light-emitting element electrically connected to the first metal member or the second metal member of the ceramic sintered body substrate.
However, Maeda discloses for a ceramic substrate for mounting a light emitting element that the complex light emitting element 300a (Fig. 1) includes the ceramic substrate 110, which corresponds to the ceramic sintered body substrate in the claimed invention, having through via holes 114/114’ and the through via holes are filled with a metal paste including a metal powder such as tungsten or molybdenum ([0045]), which may correspond to the first metal member in the claimed invention; because Applicants do not specifically claim what material’s composition the second metal member has or what it is made of, the light element connecting electrode 113/113’ by Maeda is made of a high melting point metal such as tungsten (W) ([0074]) and it is disposed on a front surface of the ceramic substrate 110 and through via holes 114/114’ (Fig. 1), therefore, the electrodes 113/113’ by Maeda can correspond to the second metal member in the claimed invention; as shown in Fig. 1 of Maeda, the light emitting element 200 is electrically connected to the metal paste in the through via holes and the light emitting connecting electrodes 113/113’ via the electrodes 210a/210b (Fig. 1, [0038]), therefore, one of ordinary skill in the art would have recognized that the ceramic substrate structure disclosed by Takahashi could similarly be used to mount a light emitting element and electrically connect the element to the first metal paste disposed in the through-hole and the second metal paste disposed on the sintered ceramic substrate.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide a light emitting element electrically connected to the metal paste disposed in the through hole of the ceramic substrate and the metallic electrodes disposed on the ceramic substrate, as disclosed by Maeda, in order to enable the ceramic substrate for mounting substrate of a light emitting element and provide electrical connection through via structure.
Conclusion
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/WOO K LEE/Examiner, Art Unit 2815