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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 04/02/2024 is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of Group II and Species 1 in the reply filed on 07/21/2026 is acknowledged.
Claims 1-7 and 16-20 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected group, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on 07/21/2026.
Claims 14-15 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b), as being drawn to a nonelected species, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Applicant indicates claims 14 and 15 are included in species 1, however, claim 14 includes the limitation “wherein the through material comprises a semiconductor material sandwiched by dielectric materials, thereby forming the coaxial via as a through silicon via (TSV)”, and claim 15 includes the limitation “recessing a height of the coaxial via on the second end”, which are only drawn to Species 3 and 4. Therefore, claims 14-15 are withdrawn.
Claim Objections
Claim 9 is objected to because of the following informalities: the phrase "first conductive" should read "first conductive via". Appropriate correction is required.
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.
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.
Claims 8, 10, and 12-13 rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1)(a)(2) as being anticipated by Sinha et al. (US Publication 20190159333).
Regarding independent claim 8, Sinha teaches a method comprising:
forming a coaxial via (fig. 1A, 120) comprising an outer conductor (123) surrounding an inner conductor (121 and 122), the outer conductor being separated from the inner conductor by a dielectric material (105 inside 123), the coaxial via being formed through a through material (105 outside 123) so as to have a first end (bottom of 105) opposite a second end (top of 105);
forming a first contact (107c) connected to the outer conductor at the first end; and
forming a second contact (106c) connected to the outer conductor at the second end.
Regarding dependent claim 10, Sinha teaches the method of claim 8, wherein the first contact extends laterally from the outer conductor (fig. 1A, 107c extends laterally from 123).
Regarding dependent claim 12, Sinha teaches the method of claim 8, wherein the second contact extends laterally from the outer conductor (fig. 1A, 106c extends laterally from 123).
Regarding dependent claim 13, Sinha teaches the method of claim 8, wherein the through material comprises at least one dielectric material, thereby forming the coaxial via as a through insulator via (TIV) (paragraph 0017, epoxy resin is a dielectric material).
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 9 and 11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Sinha.
Regarding dependent claim 9, Sinha teaches the method of claim 8.
Sinha does not explicitly teach wherein the first contact connects to a first conductive at the first end, however, fig. 1A of Sinha discloses first conductive vias 137a and 137b connected to first contacts 107a and 107b connected to the inner conductor.
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to connect the first conductive via of Sinha to the first contact connected to the outer conductor in order to couple signal trances (Sinha paragraph 0024), since it has been held that rearranging parts of an invention involves only routine skill in the art. In re Japikse, 86 USPQ 70.
Regarding dependent claim 11, Sinha teaches the method of claim 8.
Sinha does not explicitly teach wherein a second contact connects to a second conductive via at the second end, however, fig. 1A of Sinha discloses second conductive vias 136a and 136b connected to first contacts 106a and 106b connected to the inner conductor.
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to connect the first conductive via of Sinha to the first contact connected to the outer conductor in order to couple signal trances (Sinha paragraph 0024), since it has been held that rearranging parts of an invention involves only routine skill in the art. In re Japikse, 86 USPQ 70.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to GRACE Y CHA whose telephone number is (703)756-5393. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Thursday 8:00 am - 5:00 pm and every other Friday 8:00 am - 4:00 pm.
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/GRACE CHA/
Examiner, Art Unit 2897
/JACOB Y CHOI/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2897
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