DETAILED ACTION
1. The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
General Remarks
2. 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 for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection.
3. When responding to this office action, applicants are advised to provide the examiner with paragraph numbers in the application and/or references cited to assist the examiner in locating appropriate paragraphs.
4. Per MPEP 2111 and 2111.01, the claims are given their broadest reasonable
interpretation and the words of the claims are given their plain meaning consistent with the specification without importing claim limitations from the specification.
Election/Restrictions
5. Applicant's election with traverse of Species II, Claims 10-20 in the reply filed on 5/19/2026 is acknowledged. The traversal is on the ground(s) that Claims 1-9 are generic claims which also read on Species II (Figures 4C and 6C). This is found persuasive because Claims 1-9 comprises of a second inductor, including the remaining limitations of Claims 10-20. The restriction requirement is now withdrawn.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
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.
6. Claims 1-20 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.
The preamble of claims 1 and 10 recites “a device comprising…,” wherein “a device” is considered indefinite given that its scope is not reasonably clear to one of ordinary skill in the art. Applicant is advised to amend the preamble of claims 1 and 10 to recite “a galvanic isolator device” over “a device.” For examination on the merits, the claims will be examined according to the Applicant’s disclosure.
The dependent claims necessarily inherit the indefiniteness of the claims on which they depend.
Allowable Subject Matter
7. Claims 1 and 10 would be allowable if rewritten or amended to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, set forth in this Office action.
Regarding claim 1, the closest prior art Kim, Nam Young et al. (Pub No. KR
20160109682 A) (hereinafter, Kim) in view of Canty, Matthew Thomas et al. (Pub No. US 20230275118 A1) (hereinafter, Canty) either singularly or in combination fails to anticipate or render obvious
“A device comprising:
a first integrated circuit, wherein the first integrated circuit comprises:
a first inductor comprising a first pattern disposed in a first conductive layer; and
a first capacitor comprising a first electrode disposed in the first conductive layer and electrically connected to the first inductor and a second electrode disposed in a second conductive layer above the first conductive layer and electrically connected to a first bonding wire,”
in combination with all other limitations in the claim(s) as claimed and defined by applicant.
Regarding claim 10, the closest prior art Kim, Nam Young et al. (Pub No. KR
20160109682 A) (hereinafter, Kim) in view of Canty, Matthew Thomas et al. (Pub No. US 20230275118 A1) (hereinafter, Canty) either singularly or in combination fails to anticipate or render obvious
“A device comprising a first integrated circuit, wherein the first integrated circuit comprises:
a first inductor comprising a first pattern disposed in a first conductive layer;
a second inductor disposed in a second conductive layer above the first conductive layer and inductively coupled to the first inductor; and
a first capacitor comprising a first electrode disposed in the first conductive layer and electrically connected to the first inductor and a second electrode disposed in the second conductive layer and electrically connected to a first bonding wire, wherein the second electrode is insulated from the second inductor,”
in combination with all other limitations in the claim(s) as claimed and defined by applicant.
In the instant case, re claims 1 and 10, Kim discloses a first inductor and second inductor adjacent to each other, within an electrically conductive layer, however, a first capacitor comprising first and second electrodes is not disposed in the first or second conductive layers which connect to a bonding wire. Further, in order to render Kim in view of Canty obvious, Canty is required to disclose a capacitor with first and second electrodes disposed in the first or second conductive layers which the inductor is embedded in. However, referring to Figs 4A/4B, Canty does not disclose a capacitor disposed near adjacent and/or overlapping coils (inductors). Therefore, the prior art does not render obvious the invention of either claims 1 and 10 because the prior art elements cannot be combined to yield predictable results.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
[1] Spina, Nunzio et al. (Pub No. US20170154727A1) discloses a galvanic isolation system which includes a first isolation barrier and a second isolation barrier. The first isolation barrier includes a transformer. The second isolation barrier includes an inductive circuit connected to a secondary winding of the transformer. The first and the second isolation barriers are coupled to form an LC resonant network.
[2] Baumgartner, Peter et al. (Pub No. US20230197615A1) discloses a transformer that includes a first coil, a second coil, and a magnetic core coupled to the two coils. The first coil includes a portion or the whole electrically conductive layers at the backside of a support structure. The second coil includes a portion or the whole electrically conductive layers at either the frontside or the backside of the support structure. The two coils may have a lateral coupling, vertical coupling, or other types of couplings. The transformer is coupled to a semiconductor device over or at least partially in the support structure. The semiconductor device may be at the frontside of the support structure. The transformer can be coupled to the semiconductor device by TSVs. The IC device may also include BPRs that facilitate backside power delivery to the semiconductor device.
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/RATISHA MEHTA/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2817
/T.E.D./
Examiner
Art Unit 2817
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