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 .
DETAILED ACTION
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of claims 1-15 in the reply filed on 03/03/2026 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 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) 1-3,5,8-15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Hong (CN116437565 A)
Regarding claim 1, Hong discloses a circuit board (Fig.3) comprising: an insulating layer (12,22 and 32) that has a first surface (top surface of 12) and a second surface ( bottom surface of 32) facing each other and includes a trench portion (see trench 14-1) that concavely recessed from the first surface of the insulating layer (12); a first connection pad (14) that is embedded within the insulating layer (see 14-2 embedded within 12) and is exposed from the first surface of the insulating layer ( see opening R22) ; and a first protective layer (54) that covers the insulating layer (12) and is opened to expose the first connection pad (14-2) and the trench portion ( 14-1) from the first surface of the insulating layer ( top surface of 12).
Regarding claim 2, Hong discloses in Fig.3, wherein the first protective layer includes a first opening (see 55 above 14-2) exposing the first connection pad and a second opening (see second opening exposing 14-1) exposing the trench portion.
Regarding claim 3, Hong discloses wherein in terms of a width along a first direction parallel to the first surface of the insulating layer, a width of the second opening is greater than a width of the trench section (see width of 55 greater than trench with 14-1).
Regarding claim 5, Hong discloses wherein a bottom surface of the trench portion is disposed to be further retreated than an exposed surface of the first connection pad (bottom surface of 14-1 is lower than top surface of 14-2).
Regarding claim 8, Hong discloses wherein a recessed depth of the trench portion is less than a thickness of the insulating layer along a second direction perpendicular to the first surface of the insulating layer (see 14-1 having a depth less than a thickness of 12).
Regarding claim 9, Hong discloses wherein the trench portion is disposed adjacent to the first connection pad (see 14-2 adjacent to 14-1).
Regarding claim 10, Hong discloses wherein a plurality of first connection pads (see 14-2 on both ends) including the first connection pad (14-2), wherein the trench portion is disposed between first connection pads (see 14-1 disposed between two 14-2) that are adjacent to each other among the plurality of first connection pads (14-1 disposed between two 14-2).
Regarding claim 11, Hong discloses wherein an exposed surface of the first connection pad is disposed on the same surface as the first surface of the insulating layer (see 14-2 flushed with top surface oof insulating layer; Fig.5).
Regarding claim 12, Hong discloses a second connection pad disposed to protrude from the second surface of the insulating layer (see conductor pad 44 protrude from bottom of 32 in Fig.3).
Regarding claim 13, Hong discloses a second protective layer that at least partially covers the insulating layer and the second connection pad on the second surface of the insulating layer (see bottom 52 that partially covers 44 in Fig.3).
Regarding claim 14, Hong discloses wherein the insulating layer includes a prepreg (11,22, and 32 are prepregs).
Regarding claim 15, Hong discloses, wherein the protective layer includes a solder resist (54 is a solder resist).
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 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 of this title, 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.
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) 4 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hong as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Park et al. (WO 2023128734 A1) hereinafter Park.
Regarding claim 4, Hong fails to specifically discloses wherein in terms of a width along a first direction parallel to the first surface of the insulating layer, a width of the first opening is less than a width of the first connection pad.
Park discloses wherein in terms of a width along a first direction parallel to the first surface of the insulating layer, a width of the first opening is less than a width of the first connection pad (see opening in 150 that has a width less than width of 121: Fig.2).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of claimed invention to use the teachings of Park to modify the solder resist opening of Hung in order to assist in controlling solder flow and preventing short circuiting.
Claim (s) 6-7 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hong as applied to claim 5 above, and further in view of Yang (CN114449751 B).
Regarding claim 6, Hong fails to specifically disclose a bottom surface of the trench portion is disposed to be further retreated than an exposed surface of the first connection pad
Yang discloses a bottom surface of the trench portion is disposed to be further retreated than an exposed surface of the first connection pad (see bottom surface of 30 lower than bottom surface of 102; Fig.2).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of claimed invention to use the teachings of Yang to modify the trench of Hong in order to assist in reducing the risk of fatigue failure at the connection between the circuit board and the component.
Regarding claim 7, Hong fails to specifically disclose wherein a recessed depth of the trench portion is greater than a thickness of the first connection pad along a second direction perpendicular to the first surface of the insulating layer.
Yang discloses wherein a recessed depth of the trench portion is greater than a thickness of the first connection pad along a second direction perpendicular to the first surface of the insulating layer (see bottom surface of 30 lower than bottom surface of 102;Fig.2).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of claimed invention to use the teachings of Yang to modify the trench of Hong in order to assist in reducing the risk of fatigue failure at the connection between the circuit board and the component.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to PETE LEE whose telephone number is (571) 270-5921. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday-Friday (2nd & 4th Friday Off). If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner's supervisor, Timothy Dole can be reached at (571) 272-2229 The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300. Information regarding the status of an application may be obtained from the Patent Application Information Retrieval (PAIR) system. Status information for published applications may be obtained from either Private PAIR or Public PAIR. Status information for unpublished applications is available through Private PAIR only. For more information about the PAIR system, see http://pair-direct.uspto.gov. Should you have questions on access to the Private PAIR system, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free).
/PETE T LEE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2848