DETAILED ACTION
Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
1. 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
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. Claims 1-4, 6-8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Kwon (KR 2015/0134699 A).
As to claim 1, Kwon discloses a method of manufacturing a circuit board, the method comprising:
preparing a first stack in which a first foil (20) and a second foil (10) are stacked, wherein a thickness of the second foil (20) is greater than a thickness of the first foil (10) (See paragraph 0024-0025, Fig 2);
forming a first circuit pattern (21) by etching the first foil (20) (paragraph 0028, Fig 3);
forming a second stack by arranging an insulating layer (40) and a third foil (30), the insulating layer covering the first circuit pattern (21) and the third foil (30) attached to the insulating layer (40) (See paragraph 0030 Fig 4);
reducing the thickness of the second foil (10) and a thickness of the third foil (30) through a half- etching process (paragraph 0035, Fig 4);
removing the second foil (10) of which the thickness has been reduced (Fig 6, paragraph 0036); and
forming a second circuit pattern (31) by etching the third foil (30) (paragraph 0038, Fig 7).
As to claim 2, Kwon discloses the thickness of the first foil (20) of the first stack is about 2 µm (See paragraph 0025; within applicant’s range “from about 2 µm to about 3 µm”).
As to claim 3, Kwon discloses the thickness of the second foil (10) of the first stack is about 18 µm (See paragraph 0025, within applicant’s range “from about 12 µm to about 18 µm”).
As to claim 4, Kwon discloses the first stack comprises a carrier (100) attached to the second foil (10) (paragraph 0024, Fig 2).
As to claim 6, Kwon discloses before the removing of the second foil (10) of which the thickness has been reduced, forming a via hole (VH) electrically connecting the first circuit pattern (21) to the third foil (30) (See paragraph 0033-0038, Fig 5-6).
As to claim 7, Kwon discloses after the removing of the second foil (10) of which the thickness has been reduced, when an etching resist pattern (5 or 50) is formed in the third foil to form the second circuit pattern (31) by etching, an etching resist layer (5 or 50) is formed on a surface, from which the second foil has been removed, to protect the first circuit pattern during etching (paragraph 0020, 0038-0041).
As to claim 8, Kwon discloses after the forming of the second circuit pattern, arranging a solder resist layer (i.e. photo solder resist) covering a portion of the first circuit pattern and a portion of the second circuit pattern (paragraph 0020, Fig 1).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
5. 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.
6. Claim 5 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kwon (KR 2015/0134699 A) as applied to claims 1-4, 6-8 above, and further in view of Ueda (JP 2002/141630 A).
As to claim 5, Kwon fails to disclose the thickness of the third foil of the second stack is from about 12 µm to about 18 µm. However, Kwon clearly discloses forming a third foil (30) having some thickness value. Ueda teaches forming a foil comprises of copper having a thickness of 3 to 35 µm, including example of 18 μm (See paragraph 0030, 0062, within applicant’s range from about 12 μm to about 18 μm). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify Kwon in view of Ueda by having the thickness of the third foil of the second stack is from about 12 µm to about 18 µm because in the case where the claimed ranges "overlap or lie inside ranges disclosed by the prior art" a prima facie case of obviousness exists (See MPEP 2144.05(I)).
Conclusion
7. Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to BINH X TRAN whose telephone number is (571)272-1469. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday.
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BINH X. TRAN
Examiner
Art Unit 1713
/BINH X TRAN/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1713
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