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.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statements (IDSs) submitted on 11/22/2024 is being considered by the examiner.
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 1-4, 6-8, 18 and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zhang et al. (US 2022/0117089 A1) in view of Song et al. (US 2024/0138213 A1).
Pertaining to claim 1, Zhang et al. discloses A printed circuit board (380, see fig. 3) comprising: a magnetic structure (see figs. 2C-2J) including: a magnetic layer (215, see figs. 2C-2J) having a through-hole (212, see figs. 2C-2J), an insulating film (108, 213, see figs. 2I-2J) disposed on a wall surface of the through-hole (212), , and a conductor layer (see paragraph [0026]) disposed on the insulating film (213), the conductor layer (see paragraph [0026]) filling at least a portion of the through-hole (212, see paragraph [0026]), the conductor layer including a metal/copper (see paragraph [0026]); an insulating layer (111, see fig. 1A) covering at least a portion of the magnetic structure (see figs. 2C-2J); and a via layer (252, see fig. 2G) disposed in the insulating layer(208, see fig. 2G), the via layer including a first connection via (see paragraph [0030]) connecting the conductor layer (261, 262).
But, Zhang et al. does not explicitly teach the insulating film including an inorganic insulating material, a wiring layer disposed on or in the insulating layer and insulating film.
However, Song et al. teaches the insulating film including an inorganic insulating material, a wiring layer disposed on or in the insulating layer and insulating film, (see paragraph [0088] and [0098], lines 9-12).
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 the insulating film instead of dielectric layer including an inorganic insulating material, a wiring layer disposed on or in the insulating layer and insulating film in the device of Zhang et al. based on the teachings of Song et al. in order to provide high thermal stability, low dielectric loss and excellent mechanical strength.
Pertaining to claim 2, Zhang et al. discloses all claimed limitations except, wherein the inorganic insulating material includes at least one of Al2O3, TiO2, ZnO, ZnO2, ZrO2, SnO, SnO2, HfO2, and SiO2.
However, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to make the inorganic insulating material includes at least one of Al2O3, TiO2, ZnO, ZnO2, ZrO2, SnO, SnO2, HfO2, and SiO2, 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 high thermal stability, robust chemical resistance, wide bandgap electrical insulation. In re Leshin, 125 USPQ 416.
Pertaining to claim 3, Zhang et al. discloses all claimed limitations except, wherein, in a cross-section of the printed circuit board along a stacking direction and in a direction perpendicular to the wall surface of the through-hole, a width of the insulating film between the wall surface of the through-hole and a side surface of the conductor layer is less than a width of the magnetic layer between the wall surface of the through-hole and an external side surface of the magnetic layer.
However, it would have been on obvious matter of design choice to arranged , in a cross-section of the printed circuit board along a stacking direction and in a direction perpendicular to the wall surface of the through-hole, a width of the insulating film between the wall surface of the through-hole and a side surface of the conductor layer is less than a width of the magnetic layer between the wall surface of the through-hole and an external side surface of the magnetic layer, since such modification would
have involved a mere change in the size of a component. A change in size is generally recognized as being within the level of ordinary skill in the art. In re Rose, 105 USPQ 237 (CCPA 1955).
Pertaining to claim 4, Zhang et al. discloses all claimed limitations except, wherein, in the cross-section, the width of the insulating film between the wall surface of the through-hole and the side surface of the conductor layer is 2 μm or less.
However, it would have been on obvious matter of design choice to arranged in the cross-section, the width of the insulating film between the wall surface of the through-hole and the side surface of the conductor layer is 2 μm or less, since such modification would have involved a mere change in the size of a component. A change in size is generally recognized as being within the level of ordinary skill in the art. In re Rose, 105 USPQ 237 (CCPA 1955).
Pertaining to claim 6, Zhang et al. as modified by Song et al. further discloses, wherein the magnetic layer (215) has a plurality of the through-holes (212 of Zhang et al.), the insulating film (108, 213, see figs. 2I-2J of Zhang et al.) and the conductor layer/copper are disposed in each of the plurality of the through-holes (212), and the conductor layers in the plurality of through-holes (212 of Zhang et al.) are connected to each other through the wiring layer and the via layer to form one or more coils (see paragraph [0039]).
Pertaining to claim 7, Zhang et al. discloses, further comprising: a first electronic component/inductor disposed in the insulating layer (108), wherein the first electronic component/inductor includes at least one of a voltage regulator (see paragraph [0025], lines 4-9) and a power management integrated circuit (see paragraph [0025], lines 7-9), and the first electronic component is connected to at least a first portion of the conductor layer through the wiring layer and the via layer.
Pertaining to claim 8, Zhang et al. as modified by Song et al. further discloses, further comprising: a second electronic component (see paragraph [0042] of Song et al.) disposed on the insulating layer (108 of Zhang et al., wherein the second electronic component( see paragraph [0042] of Song et al.) includes a semiconductor chip (211 of Song et al.), and the second electronic component is connected to at least a second portion of the conductor layer/copper through the wiring layer and the via layer.
Pertaining to claim 14, Zhang et al. as modified by Song et al. further discloses, wherein the inorganic insulating material includes an inorganic oxide (see paragraph [0088] lines 1-4).
Pertaining to claim 15, Zhang et al. as modified by Song et al. further discloses, wherein the inorganic oxide includes Zn, Sn, or both (see paragraph [0088] lines 1-4).
.
Pertaining to claim 16, Zhang et al. as modified by Song et al. further discloses, wherein the inorganic oxide (see paragraph [0088] lines 1-4). includes at least one selected from Al2O3, TiO2, ZrO2, HfO2, and SiO2.
Pertaining to claim 17, Zhang et al. discloses, wherein the magnetic layer is in a form of a magnetic sheet (115, see fig. 1A).
Pertaining to claim 18, Zhang et al. discloses A printed circuit board (380, see fig. 3) comprising: a magnetic structure (see figs. 2C-2J) including: a magnetic layer (215, see figs. 2C-2J) having a through-hole (212, see figs. 2C-2J), an insulating film (108, 213, see figs. 2I-2J) disposed on a wall surface of the through-hole (212), , and a conductor layer (see paragraph [0026]) disposed on the insulating film (213), the conductor layer (see paragraph [0026]) filling at least a portion of the through-hole (212, see paragraph [0026]), the conductor layer including a metal/copper (see paragraph [0026]); an insulating layer (111, see fig. 1A) covering at least a portion of the magnetic structure (see figs. 2C-2J); and a via layer (252, see fig. 2G) disposed in the insulating layer(208, see fig. 2G), the via layer including a first connection via (see paragraph [0030]) connecting the conductor layer (261, 262), wherein a first surface of the magnetic layer (215), a first surface of the insulating film (108, 213) , and a first surface of the conductor layer/copper are substantially coplanar with each other, and a second surface of the magnetic layer ((215), a second surface of the insulating film (108), and a second surface of the conductor layer (the second portion of through-hole) are substantially coplanar with each other (see fig. 1A).
But, Zhang et al. does not explicitly teach a wiring layer disposed on or in the insulating layer
However, Song et al. teaches a wiring layer disposed on or in the insulating layer and insulating film, (see paragraph [0088] and [0098], lines 9-12).
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 a wiring layer disposed on or in the insulating layer in the device of Zhang et al. based on the teachings of Song et al. in order to provide high thermal stability, low dielectric loss and excellent mechanical strength.
Pertaining to claim 20, Zhang et al. discloses, further comprising: a magnetic composite inductor (MCI) including the magnetic structure (215, see figs. 2C-2J) and at least a portion of the wiring layer connected to the magnetic structure (215, see figs. 2C-2J).
Claim 5 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zhang et al. (US 2022/0117089 A1) in view of Song et al. (US 2024/0138213 A1) as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Lee (US 2016/0189851 A1).
Pertaining to claim 5, Zhang et al. discloses, comprising a plurality of the magnetic structures (215, see fig. 2I-2J) the plurality of the magnetic structures (215) are disposed to be spaced apart from each other (see fig. 2I-2J), wherein the conductor layers/copper in the plurality of the magnetic structures (215) are connected to each other.
But, Zhang et al. the wiring layer and the via layer to form one or more coils.
However, Lee teaches the wiring layer and the via layer to form one or more coils (see paragraph [0039]).
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 the wiring layer and the via layer to form one or more coils in the device of Zhang et al. based on the teachings of Lee in order to allows chips to build compact, three-dimensional spiral inductors.
Allowable Subject Matter
7. Claim 19 is 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.
8. Claims 9-13 are allowed.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: Regarding claim 9, the specific limitations of " the second insulating layer filling at least a portion of the through portion, the wiring layer includes: a first wiring layer disposed on a first surface of the second insulating layer, and a second wiring layer disposed on a second surface of the second insulating layer, the first connection via includes a first-first connection via and a first-second connection via, the first-first connection via passing through a first portion of a first side of the second insulating layer, the first-first connection via connecting a first surface of the conductor layer to at least a portion of the first wiring layer, and a first-second connection via passing through a first portion of a second side of the second insulating layer, the first-second connection via connecting a second surface of the conductor layer to at least a portion of the second wiring layer.," in combination with the remaining elements, are not taught or adequately suggested by the prior art of record. Claim 10-13 depend from claim 9 and is therefore allowed for at the same reasons.
Conclusion
9. The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Kim et al. (US 2016/0381792 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.
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/ANDARGIE M AYCHILLHUM/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2847
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