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 .
Response to Amendment
In view of the amendment filed 06/19/2026:
Claim 8 is pending.
Claim 9 is cancelled.
Claims 1-7 and 10-16 are withdrawn from further consideration.
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 text of those sections of Title 35, U.S. Code not included in this action can be found in a prior Office action.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claim(s) 8 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yanagisawa (JP2004022623A- Machine translation provided herein), and further in view of Yamazawa (JP2004042546A- Machine translation provided herein).
Regarding claim 8, Yanagisawa teaches a stereolithography method including the steps of:
supplying a first material which is a photocurable material ([0015] first storage tank 20a in which the insulating liquid resin 10 is stored);
forming a first pre-exposure material layer on the manufacturing surface or a cured composition layer formed on the manufacturing surface such that the first pre- exposure material layer has a first thickness ([0016] FIG. 4B shows a state in which the surface of the first electrically insulating layer 32 is covered with the conductive liquid resin 12. The table 14 is transferred to the second storage tank 20b, and the table 14 is slightly submerged from the liquid level. The coating thickness of the conductive liquid resin 12 is about 100 μm);
forming a first post-exposure material layer from the first material including one or a plurality of exposed portions by exposing the first pre-exposure material layer ([0016] FIG. 4C shows a state in which the conductive liquid resin 12 is irradiated with ultraviolet light to light-cur a portion where a wiring pattern is to be formed. Reference numeral 12a denotes a portion that is cured by irradiation with ultraviolet light from the laser irradiation device 18b, and 12b denotes a portion of a liquid resin);
causing the one or plurality of first exposed portions to remain as one or a plurality of first cured portions by removing one or a plurality of first unexposed portions from the first post- exposure material layer;
supplying a second material which is a photocurable material different from the first material ([0016] The table 14 is transferred to the second storage tank 20b, and the table 14 is slightly submerged from the liquid level. The coating thickness of the conductive liquid resin 12 is about 100 μm);
forming a second pre-exposure material layer from the second material such that the second pre-exposure material layer covers the one or plurality of first cured portions and has a second thickness larger than the first thickness after the one or plurality of first unexposed portions are removed ([0017] FIG. 4E shows a state in which the second-layer electrically insulating layer 36 is formed so as to cover the wiring pattern 34. As described above, the second layer of the electrically insulating layer 36 covers the wiring pattern 34 to a predetermined thickness with the insulating liquid resin 10 in the first storage tank 20a; see insulating layer 36 covering wiring pattern 34 such that the thickness of the insulating liquid resin 10 is greater than that of wiring pattern 34 in Figure 4e);
forming a second post-exposure material layer including one or a plurality of second exposed portions by exposing the second pre-exposure material layer ([0017] and the ultraviolet irradiation by the laser irradiation device 18a. And photo-curing it. Thus, a wiring board having the wiring pattern 34 provided on the substrate 30 is obtained); and
causing the one or plurality of second exposed portions to remain as one or a plurality of second cured portions by removing one or a plurality of second unexposed portions from the second post-exposure material layer ([0018] When forming the second layer of the electrically insulating layer 36, the portion where the via hole 36a is formed is excluded from the light irradiation region, so that the insulating liquid resin 10 is not cured at the portion where the via is formed. After performing the light irradiation treatment, a via hole 36a can be formed in the second-layer electrically insulating layer 36 by performing an operation of removing the insulating liquid resin 10),
wherein with the stereolithography method, an object that includes the one or plurality of first cured portions and the one or plurality of second cured portions is manufactured ([0020] In this manner, a multilayer wiring board in which an electrical insulating layer is disposed between the layers and the wiring patterns are electrically connected between the layers can be obtained).
However, Yanagisawa fails to teach forming the first pre-exposure material layer on the manufacturing surface or a cured composition layer formed on the manufacturing surface and the second material to form a second pre-exposure material layer such that the second pre-exposure material layer covers the one or plurality of first cured portions by moving a spreader in parallel to a manufacturing surface and drawing and spreading the materials.
In the same field of endeavor pertaining to a stereolithography method, Yamazawa teaches pre-exposure material layers are formed by moving a spreader in parallel to a manufacturing surface and drawing and spreading the material ([0017] The recoating device 16 has a recoater 16a that moves horizontally on the upper surface of the cured layer 4, and the horizontal movement of the recoater 16a smoothes the upper surface of the uncured layer 2a and uncures on the settled cured layer 4. It is adapted to be covered with the layer 2a).
It would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to have the first and second pre-exposure material layers of Yanagisawa formed by moving a spreader in parallel to a manufacturing surface and drawing and spreading the materials, as taught by Yamazawa, for the benefit of forming smooth upper surfaces of the uncured layers.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 8 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ARIELLA MACHNESS whose telephone number is (408)918-7587. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday, 6:30-2:30 PT.
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/ARIELLA MACHNESS/ Examiner, Art Unit 1743
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