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 .
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of Invention II (corresponding to claims 12-19) in the reply filed on 08/25/2026 is acknowledged.
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)(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.
Claims 12-13 and 17-19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Li et al. (US 2021/0410294 A1).
Pertaining to claim 12, Li et al. discloses A conductive circuit board (100, see figs. 1-14), comprising: a substrate (42, see fig. 4) having an upper surface and a lower surface opposite to each other (see fig. 4), and at least one via hole (21, see fig. 1) extending through the upper surface and the lower surface and defined by an inner surface (see fig. 4); a compound metal layer (12, 30, see fig. 4) formed the substrate (42); a metal circuit layer (30, see fig. 4) formed on at least one of the upper surface and the lower surface of the substrate (42) and on the inner surface (the inner surface of via hole 21, see fig. 4), the metal circuit layer (30) having a predetermined pattern for exposing a portion of the at least one of the upper surface and the lower surface (see fig. 4) of the substrate (42) and a portion of the inner surface (see fig. 4); and a surface finish layer (40, see fig. 4) formed on a top surface of the patterned metal circuit layer (30), so as to form a conductive circuit layer (see fig. 4).
Pertaining to claim 13, Li et al. discloses, further comprising a metal base layer (12, see fig. 4) formed between the compound metal layer (12 and 30) and the substrate (42), wherein the metal base layer (12) is formed on at least one of the upper surface and the lower surface of the substrate (42m see fig. 4) and on the inner surface of the substrate (inner surface of 42 in fig. 4).
Pertaining to claim 17, Li et al. discloses, wherein the substrate is made of an insulating material selected from the group consisting of ceramics and polymers (see paragraph [034]).
Pertaining to claim 18, Li et al. discloses, wherein the compound metal layer (12 and 30) is fully covered on the metal base layer (12, see fig. 4).
Pertaining to claim 19, Li et al. discloses, wherein the surface finish layer (40, see fig. 4) is selected from the group consisting of AuSn, electroless nickel immersion gold, and electroless plating Nickel palladium immersion gold (see paragraph [0065]).
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.
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 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Li et al. (US 2021/0410294 A1) in view of Arisawa et al. (US 2019/0270280 A1).
Pertaining to claim 14, Li et al. discloses all claimed limitations except, wherein a thickness of the metal layer ranges between 50 to 60 min.
PNG
media_image1.png
176
14
media_image1.png
Greyscale
However, Arisawa et al. teaches wherein a thickness of the metal layer ranges between 50 to 60 min, (see paragraph [0069]).
Therefore, At the time of the invention, it would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person of ordinary skill in the art to provide wherein a thickness of the metal layer ranges between 50 to 60 min in the device of Li et al. based on the teachings of Arisawa et al. in order to prevents copper diffusion: It acts as a highly effective barrier layer that prevents the underlying copper from migrating into the gold layer.
Li et al fails to explicitly teach wherein a thickness of the metal layer ranges between 50 to 60 min.
However, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to make a thickness of the metal layer ranges between 50 to 60 min, since it has been held that where the general conditions of a claim are disclosed in the prior art, discovering the optimum or workable range involves only routine skill in the art. In re Aller, 105 USPQ 233.
Pertaining to claim 15, Li et al. discloses all claimed limitations except, wherein the compound metal layer is a film layer structure selected from the group consisting of titanium/platinum/gold, titanium/palladium/gold, nickel/palladium/gold, titanium/nickel/gold, gold/palladium/gold, and nickel/gold.
However, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to make the compound metal layer a film layer structure selected from the group consisting of titanium/platinum/gold, titanium/palladium/gold, nickel/palladium/gold, titanium/nickel/gold, gold/palladium/gold, and nickel/gold, since it has been held to be within the general skill of a worker in the art to select a known material on the basis of its suitability for intended use for the purpose of providing resulting exceptional reliability and resistance to degradation. In re Leshin, 125 USPQ 416.
Pertaining to claim 16, Li et al. discloses all claimed limitations except wherein the compound metal layer is formed on the metal base layer, and a thickness of the compound metal layer is 1m.
However, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to make a thickness of the compound metal layer is formed on the metal base layer, and a thickness of the compound metal layer is 1m, since it has been held that where the general conditions of a claim are disclosed in the prior art, discovering the optimum or workable range involves only routine skill in the art. In re Aller, 105 USPQ 233.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Ishiguro (US6497991-B1 and Sorimachi (US-20160143139-A1).
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ANDARGIE M AYCHILLHUM whose telephone number is (571)270-1607. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9-5.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
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 published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/ANDARGIE M AYCHILLHUM/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2847
