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 .
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.
Claim(s) 20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Kawai (US 20210329783).
Regarding claim 20, Kawai discloses a printed circuit board, comprising:
a substrate (substrate 30, Fig. 1A) with a first through-portion (opening 20b) penetrating therethrough;
a magnetic layer (magnetic 18) comprising a magnetic material disposed in the first through-portion (20b), the magnetic layer having a second through-portion (the hole 18a) penetrating therethrough; and
an inductor (inductor 59) disposed in the magnetic layer and around the second through-portion, the inductor comprising:
first through-vias (vias in 18a comprising conductor 36A) penetrating the magnetic layer in a pattern around the second through-portion (18a),
a first wiring pattern (conductor 58F) disposed on an upper surface of at least the magnetic layer and contacting a top portion (Fig. 1A) of at least some of the first through-vias, and
a second wiring pattern (58S) disposed on a lower surface of at least the magnetic layer and contacting a bottom portion of at least some of the first through-vias, wherein the first wiring pattern is connected to the second wiring pattern by the first through-vias to form the inductor (the wiring patterns are connected to each other using conductive vias).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1 – 19 are allowed.
Claims 21 – 24 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Reasons for Allowance
The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance:
Regarding claim 1, the prior art of record, taken alone or in combination, fails to teach or fairly suggest, in combining with other limitations recited in claim 1, a combination of limitations that an electronic component having at least a portion disposed in the second through-portion. None of the reference art of record discloses or renders obvious such a combination.
Regarding claim 17, the prior art of record, taken alone or in combination, fails to teach or fairly suggest, in combining with other limitations recited in claim 17, a combination of limitations that a voltage regulator disposed in at least a portion of the second through-portion. None of the reference art of record discloses or renders obvious such a combination.
Regarding claim 21, the prior art of record, taken alone or in combination, fails to teach or fairly suggest, in combining with other limitations recited in claim 20, a combination of limitations that an electronic component disposed in the second through-portion. None of the reference art of record discloses or renders obvious such a combination.
Any comments considered necessary by applicant must be submitted no later than the payment of the issue fee and, to avoid processing delays, should preferably accompany the issue fee. Such submissions should be clearly labeled “Comments on Statement of Reasons for Allowance.”
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Kimishima (US 20210259107) discloses a substrate having magnetic, through hole via 21.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to BINH B TRAN whose telephone number is (571)272-9289. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8:00 AM - 6:00 PM.
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/BINH B TRAN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2848