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 II in the reply filed on 09/30/2025 is acknowledged.
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.
(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) 8 – 10, 21 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by TSUSHIMA et al. (US 20230292433 A1).
Regarding claim 8, TSUSHIMA discloses (Fig. 1 – 5) a circuit substrate (30) comprising: a ceramic substrate (10); copper plates (20) which are bonded to two main surfaces of the ceramic substrate (10), respectively; and silver-plating films (para [0159]) formed on surfaces of the copper plates, wherein a number of facets existing on a surface of the copper plate in an interface between the copper plate and the silver-plating film is 3000 or less per mm2 (See para [0012], [0029], [0159] and Fig. 2).
Regarding claim 9, TSUSHIMA discloses the circuit substrate according to claim 8, wherein the number of facets with a diameter of 2.5
μ
m
or more is 1200 or less per mm2, and the number of facets with a diameter of less than 2.5
μ
m
is 1800 or less per mm2 (See para [0028] - [0030]).
Regarding claim 10, TSUSHIMA discloses the circuit substrate according to claim 9, wherein the number of facets with a facet diameter of less than 1.5
μ
m
is 1200 or less per mm2 (See para [0028] - [0030]).
Regarding claim 21, TSUSHIMA discloses the circuit substrate according to claim 8, wherein a diameter of the facets is less than 9.5
μ
m
(See para [0028] - [0030]).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 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.
Claim(s) 8 – 10, 21 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over SUENAGA et al. (US 20230187310 A1) in view of TSUSHIMA et al. (US 20230292433 A1)
Regarding claim 8, SUENAGA discloses (Fig. 4) a circuit substrate (10) comprising: a ceramic substrate (2); copper plates (11, 12) which are bonded to two main surfaces of the ceramic substrate, respectively; and silver-plating films (4) formed on surfaces of the copper plates,
SUENAGA is silent on wherein a number of facets existing on a surface of the copper plate in an interface between the copper plate and the silver-plating film is 3000 or less per mm2.
However, TSUSHIMA discloses (Fig. 1 - 5) wherein a number of facets existing on a surface of the copper plate in an interface between the copper plate (20) and the silver-plating film (para [0159]) is 3000 or less per mm2 (See para [0012], [0029], [0159] and Fig. 2).
SUENAGA and TSUSHIMA are both considered to be analogous to the claimed invention because they are in the same field of circuit substrate. Therefore, it would have been obvious to someone of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified SUENAGA to incorporate the teachings of TSUSHIMA and provide wherein a number of facets existing on a surface of the copper plate in an interface between the copper plate (20) and the silver-plating film (para [0159]) is 3000 or less per mm2 (See para [0012], [0029], [0159] and Fig. 2). Doing so a circuit board has a good heat radiation capability, and is reduced in failures, such as the phenomenon that an etching solution used in forming a circuit pattern remains, and thus the reliability as a product is enhanced (See para [0029]).
Regarding claim 9, SUENAGA in view of TSUSHIMA discloses the circuit substrate according to claim 8, wherein TSUSHIMA further discloses the number of facets with a diameter of 2.5
μ
m
or more is 1200 or less per mm2, and the number of facets with a diameter of less than 2.5
μ
m
is 1800 or less per mm2 (See para [0028] - [0030]).
Regarding claim 10, SUENAGA in view of TSUSHIMA discloses the circuit substrate according to claim 9, wherein TSUSHIMA further discloses the number of facets with a facet diameter of less than 1.5
μ
m
is 1200 or less per mm2 (See para [0028] - [0030]).
Regarding claim 21, SUENAGA in view of TSUSHIMA discloses the circuit substrate according to claim 8, wherein TSUSHIMA further discloses a diameter of the facets is less than 9.5
μ
m
(See para [0028] - [0030]).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to SIDI MOHAMED MAIGA whose telephone number is (703)756-1870. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday 8 am 5 pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Timothy Thompson can be reached on 571-272-2342. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/SIDI M MAIGA/Examiner, Art Unit 2847
/STANLEY TSO/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2847
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