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 .
Election/Restrictions
Claims 1-10 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected invention, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on 10/14/2025.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
The text of those sections of Title 35, U.S. Code not included in this action can be found in a prior Office action.
Claim(s) 11-17 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable Steudel et al. (US 2020/0185566 A1; hereinafter Steudel) in view of Liu et al. (US 2017/0194533 A1; hereinafter Liu).
Regarding claim 11, Steudel discloses a method comprising:
obtaining a light-emitting package (Fig. 6) comprising a hybridized die (“The two semiconductor parts 30a and 30b are particularly bonded together . . . . by using the W2W hybrid bonding”; ¶ 0075); wherein
the hybridized die comprises a light-emitting diode array (30a in Fig. 6; “30a comprises an array 31 including a plurality of compound semiconductor LEDs”, ¶ 0073) mounted on a silicon backplane, wherein the silicon backplane is a complimentary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) backplane (30b in Fig. 6; “30b . . . comprises a CMOS IC 33”; Steudel discloses that the CMOS components can be silicon based: “a Si-CMOS (active matrix readout) IC” in ¶ 0004).
With regards to the CMOS backplane comprising either the same number of drivers as the integer number of light-emitting elements in the LED array or a number of drivers equal to a sub-set of the integer number of light-emitting elements in the LED array, the Examiner notes that Applicant has not put any limitations as to how the “sub-set” may be chosen. As such, the sub-set can be chosen to be 1 (i.e., a single light-emitting element is a subset of a number of light-emitting elements greater than 1). Further, since the CMOS backplane needs to only comprise a number of drivers equal to said sub-set (as opposed to the exact number of drivers within the CMOS backplane being equal to the sub-set), the claim language does not preclude the CMOS backplane from having a number of drivers greater than the number of light-emitting elements within the sub-set. Steudel discloses that the CMOS backplane comprises some amount of drivers (“the CMOS IC can drive and/or readout the array 31” and “The CMOS IC 33 is thus configured to drive/readout each LED” in ¶ 0082). Therefore, the CMOS backplane comprises one driver. As such, the CMOS backplane of Steudel comprises a number of drivers (one) equal to a sub-set (one) of the integer number of light-emitting elements in the LED array.
Steudel does not disclose a packaging substrate or a control board (or connecting the hybridized device to such compoennts) as claimed.
However, it was known in the art before the Application’s effective filing date to obtain a packaging substrate (“support 30” in Fig. 5 of Liu; ¶ 0032) comprising a plurality of conductive contacts (unlabeled in Fig. 5, corresponding to “top contact pads 38 and 39” in Fig. 2; ¶ 0032) on a top surface of the packaging substrate (see Figs. 2 and 5).
Liu further discloses obtaining a control board (70 in Fig. 5; “the structure 70, which may be, for example, a metal-core printed circuit board”, ¶ 0037) defining an opening formed completely through a thickness of the control board (“In a metal-core printed circuit board, the exposed thermal pad may also be the metal core itself with an opening for direct access.”, ¶ 0037 of Liu).
There was a benefit to mounting a hybridized device on the packaging substrate and control board of Liu in that the packaging substrate and control board combination of Liu contains a metal inlay (corresponding to “thermally conductive slug 32” of Liu) to conduct away excess heat (“thermally conductive slug 32 form[s] a thermal path that may conduct heat away from” the light-emitting device, ¶ 0034 of Liu).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the Application's effective filing date to attach a bottom surface of the silicon backplane of the hybridized device of Steudel to a top surface of the metal inlay of the device of Liu for this benefit.
In the resulting configuration, the overall structure (including the hybridized device and the control board in the method of the combination) is mouned on a top surface of a heat sink (“metal core” in ¶ 0037 of Liu) with the hybridized device at least partially in the opening in the control board (the hybridized device being within the opening in plan view) and thermally coupled to the top surface of the heat sink (¶ 0037 of Liu).
Further, in the resulting configuration there will be conductive contacts (unlabeled contacts directly contacting wires 46 and 48 in Fig. 3 of Liu) which will be on a top surface of the control board (although they will not be directly on said top surface). Liu discloses directly wirebonding the plurality of conductive contacts on the top surface of the packaging substrate to these conductive contacts (compare Figs. 2 and 3 of Liu).
Regarding claim 12, the combination of Steudel and Liu discloses the method of claim 11, as discussed above. Liu further discloses that the packaging substrate comprises a metal inlay (“highly thermally conductive slug 32 . . . . The slug may be any suitable material, including, for example, metal”, ¶ 0027; Fig. 5) embedded in the packaging substrate (see Fig. 5),
the heat sink comprises a second embedded metal inlay (“metal core” within the control board, ¶ 0037 of Liu), and
mounting the light-emitting package on the top surface of the heat sink comprises placing the packaging substrate over the heat sink with the first embedded metal inlay adjacent to the second embedded metal inlay (¶ 0037 of Liu).
Regarding claim 13, the combination of Steudel and Liu discloses the method of claim 12, as discussed above. Liu further discloses that mounting the light-emitting package and the control board on the top surface of the heat sink comprises:
applying a layer of a thermal interface material (TIM) (37 in Fig. 5 of Liu) on the top surface of the heat sink; and
placing the light-emitting package and the control board on the TIM (see Fig. 5 of Liu).
Regarding claim 14, Steudel discloses a method comprising:
obtaining a light-emitting diode (LED) array comprising an integer number greater than 1 of light-emitting elements (30a in Fig. 6; “30a comprises an array 31 including a plurality of compound semiconductor LEDs”, ¶ 0073);
a silicon backplane, wherein the silicon backplane is a complimentary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) backplane (30b in Fig. 6; “30b . . . comprises a CMOS IC 33”; Steudel discloses that the CMOS components can be silicon based: “a Si-CMOS (active matrix readout) IC” in ¶ 0004).
With regards to the CMOS backplane comprising either the same number of drivers as the integer number of light-emitting elements in the LED array or a number of drivers equal to a sub-set of the integer number of light-emitting elements in the LED array, the Examiner notes that Applicant has not put any limitations as to how the “sub-set” may be chosen. As such, the sub-set can be chosen to be 1 (i.e., a single light-emitting element is a subset of a number of light-emitting elements greater than 1). Further, since the CMOS backplane needs to only comprise a number of drivers equal to said sub-set (as opposed to the exact number of drivers within the CMOS backplane being equal to the sub-set), the claim language does not preclude the CMOS backplane from having a number of drivers greater than the number of light-emitting elements within the sub-set. Steudel discloses that the CMOS backplane comprises some amount of drivers (“the CMOS IC can drive and/or readout the array 31” and “The CMOS IC 33 is thus configured to drive/readout each LED” in ¶ 0082). Therefore, the CMOS backplane comprises one driver. As such, the CMOS backplane of Steudel comprises a number of drivers (one) equal to a sub-set (one) of the integer number of light-emitting elements in the LED array.
Steudel further discloses forming a hybridized device by attaching a bottom surface of the LED array to a top surface of the silicon backplane (“The two semiconductor parts 30a and 30b are particularly bonded together . . . . by using the W2W hybrid bonding”; ¶ 0075).
Steudel does not disclose a packaging substrate with a first metal inlay or a control board (or connecting the hybridized device to such compoennts) as claimed.
However, it was known in the art before the Application’s effective filing date to obtain a packaging substrate (“support 30” in Fig. 5 of Liu; ¶ 0032), a first metal inlay (“highly thermally conductive slug 32 . . . . The slug may be any suitable material, including, for example, metal”, ¶ 0027; Fig. 5) embedded in the packaging substrate (see Fig. 5), and a plurality of conductive contacts (unlabeled in Fig. 5, corresponding to “top contact pads 38 and 39” in Fig. 2; ¶ 0032) on a top surface of the packaging substrate (see Figs. 2 and 5).
Liu further discloses obtaining a control board (70 in Fig. 5; “the structure 70, which may be, for example, a metal-core printed circuit board”, ¶ 0037) defining an opening formed completely through a thickness of the control board (“In a metal-core printed circuit board, the exposed thermal pad may also be the metal core itself with an opening for direct access.”, ¶ 0037 of Liu) having an embedded second metal inlay (“metal-core”, ¶ 0037).
There was a benefit to mounting a hybridized device on the packaging substrate and control board of Liu in that the packaging substrate and control board combination of Liu contains metal inlays (corresponding to “thermally conductive slug 32” of Liu) to conduct away excess heat (“thermally conductive slug 32 form[s] a thermal path that may conduct heat away from” the light-emitting device, ¶ 0034 of Liu).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the Application's effective filing date to attach a bottom surface of the silicon backplane of the hybridized device of Steudel with a packaging substrate and control board as taught by Liu such that a bottom surface of the silicon backplane of the hybridized device is on a top surface of the control board of Liu with the first metal inlay adjacent the embedded second metal inlay for this benefit.
Further, in the resulting configuration there will be conductive contacts (unlabeled contacts directly contacting wires 46 and 48 in Fig. 3 of Liu) which will be on a top surface of the control board (although they will not be directly on said top surface). Liu discloses directly wirebonding the plurality of conductive contacts on the top surface of the packaging substrate to these conductive contacts (compare Figs. 2 and 3 of Liu).
Regarding claim 15, the combination of Steudel and Liu discloses the method of claim 14, as discussed above. Liu further discloses that mounting the light-emitting package and the control board on the top surface of the heat sink comprises:
applying a layer of a thermal interface material (TIM) (37 in Fig. 5 of Liu) on the top surface of the heat sink; and
placing the light-emitting package and the control board on the TIM (see Fig. 5 of Liu).
Alternatively regarding claim 11, Steudel discloses a method comprising:
obtaining a light-emitting package (Fig. 6) comprising a hybridized die (“The two semiconductor parts 30a and 30b are particularly bonded together . . . . by using the W2W hybrid bonding”; ¶ 0075); wherein
the hybridized die comprises a light-emitting diode array (30a in Fig. 6; “30a comprises an array 31 including a plurality of compound semiconductor LEDs”, ¶ 0073) mounted on a silicon backplane, wherein the silicon backplane is a complimentary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) backplane (30b in Fig. 6; “30b . . . comprises a CMOS IC 33”; Steudel discloses that the CMOS components can be silicon based: “a Si-CMOS (active matrix readout) IC” in ¶ 0004).
With regards to the CMOS backplane comprising either the same number of drivers as the integer number of light-emitting elements in the LED array or a number of drivers equal to a sub-set of the integer number of light-emitting elements in the LED array, the Examiner notes that Applicant has not put any limitations as to how the “sub-set” may be chosen. As such, the sub-set can be chosen to be 1 (i.e., a single light-emitting element is a subset of a number of light-emitting elements greater than 1). Further, since the CMOS backplane needs to only comprise a number of drivers equal to said sub-set (as opposed to the exact number of drivers within the CMOS backplane being equal to the sub-set), the claim language does not preclude the CMOS backplane from having a number of drivers greater than the number of light-emitting elements within the sub-set. Steudel discloses that the CMOS backplane comprises some amount of drivers (“the CMOS IC can drive and/or readout the array 31” and “The CMOS IC 33 is thus configured to drive/readout each LED” in ¶ 0082). Therefore, the CMOS backplane comprises one driver. As such, the CMOS backplane of Steudel comprises a number of drivers (one) equal to a sub-set (one) of the integer number of light-emitting elements in the LED array.
Steudel does not disclose a packaging substrate or a control board (or connecting the hybridized device to such compoennts) as claimed.
However, it was known in the art before the Application’s effective filing date to obtain a packaging substrate (“support 30” in Fig. 5 of Liu; ¶ 0032) comprising a plurality of conductive contacts (unlabeled in Fig. 5, corresponding to “top contact pads 38 and 39” in Fig. 2; ¶ 0032) on a top surface of the packaging substrate (see Figs. 2 and 5).
Liu further discloses obtaining a control board (combination of 70 and 72 in Fig. 5; “the structure 70, which may be, for example, a metal-core printed circuit board”, ¶ 0037) defining an opening formed completely through a thickness of the control board (“In a metal-core printed circuit board, the exposed thermal pad may also be the metal core itself with an opening for direct access.”, ¶ 0037 of Liu).
There was a benefit to mounting a hybridized device on the packaging substrate and control board of Liu in that the packaging substrate and control board combination of Liu contains a metal inlay (corresponding to “thermally conductive slug 32” of Liu) to conduct away excess heat (“thermally conductive slug 32 form[s] a thermal path that may conduct heat away from” the light-emitting device, ¶ 0034 of Liu).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the Application's effective filing date to attach a bottom surface of the silicon backplane of the hybridized device of Steudel to a top surface of the metal inlay of the device of Liu for this benefit.
In the resulting configuration, the overall structure (including the hybridized device and the control board in the method of the combination) is mounted on a top surface of a heat sink (“metal core” in ¶ 0037 of Liu) with the hybridized device at least partially in the opening in the control board (the hybridized device being within the opening in plan view) and thermally coupled to the top surface of the heat sink (¶ 0037 of Liu).
Further, in the resulting configuration there will be conductive contacts (74 and 76 in Fig. 5) which will be on a top surface of the control board (although they will not be directly on said top surface). Liu differs from the claimed invention by the substitution of wire bonds between the plurality of conductive contacts on the top surface of the packaging substrate to the conductive contacts on the top surface of the control board with electrical via connection. However, wire bonds and the corresponding function was known in the art (set wire bonds in Fig. 5 of Liu). As such, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the Application's effective filing date to have substituted the electrical via connection with wire bonds and the results of the substitution would have been predictable. (see MPEP § 2143(I)(B)). In the resulting configuration, the plurality of conductive contacts on the top surface of the packaging substrate are directly wirebonded to the conductive contacts on the top surface of the control board.
Regarding claim 16, the conductive contacts on the top surface of the control board are disposed directly on the top surface of the control board (see Fig. 5).
Alternatively regarding claim 14, Steudel discloses a method comprising:
obtaining a light-emitting diode (LED) array comprising an integer number greater than 1 of light-emitting elements (30a in Fig. 6; “30a comprises an array 31 including a plurality of compound semiconductor LEDs”, ¶ 0073);
a silicon backplane, wherein the silicon backplane is a complimentary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) backplane (30b in Fig. 6; “30b . . . comprises a CMOS IC 33”; Steudel discloses that the CMOS components can be silicon based: “a Si-CMOS (active matrix readout) IC” in ¶ 0004).
With regards to the CMOS backplane comprising either the same number of drivers as the integer number of light-emitting elements in the LED array or a number of drivers equal to a sub-set of the integer number of light-emitting elements in the LED array, the Examiner notes that Applicant has not put any limitations as to how the “sub-set” may be chosen. As such, the sub-set can be chosen to be 1 (i.e., a single light-emitting element is a subset of a number of light-emitting elements greater than 1). Further, since the CMOS backplane needs to only comprise a number of drivers equal to said sub-set (as opposed to the exact number of drivers within the CMOS backplane being equal to the sub-set), the claim language does not preclude the CMOS backplane from having a number of drivers greater than the number of light-emitting elements within the sub-set. Steudel discloses that the CMOS backplane comprises some amount of drivers (“the CMOS IC can drive and/or readout the array 31” and “The CMOS IC 33 is thus configured to drive/readout each LED” in ¶ 0082). Therefore, the CMOS backplane comprises one driver. As such, the CMOS backplane of Steudel comprises a number of drivers (one) equal to a sub-set (one) of the integer number of light-emitting elements in the LED array.
Steudel further discloses forming a hybridized device by attaching a bottom surface of the LED array to a top surface of the silicon backplane (“The two semiconductor parts 30a and 30b are particularly bonded together . . . . by using the W2W hybrid bonding”; ¶ 0075).
Steudel does not disclose a packaging substrate with a first metal inlay or a control board (or connecting the hybridized device to such compoennts) as claimed.
However, it was known in the art before the Application’s effective filing date to obtain a packaging substrate (“support 30” in Fig. 5 of Liu; ¶ 0032), a first metal inlay (“highly thermally conductive slug 32 . . . . The slug may be any suitable material, including, for example, metal”, ¶ 0027; Fig. 5) embedded in the packaging substrate (see Fig. 5), and a plurality of conductive contacts (unlabeled in Fig. 5, corresponding to “top contact pads 38 and 39” in Fig. 2; ¶ 0032) on a top surface of the packaging substrate (see Figs. 2 and 5).
Liu further discloses obtaining a control board (combination of 70 and 72 in Fig. 5; “the structure 70, which may be, for example, a metal-core printed circuit board”, ¶ 0037) defining an opening formed completely through a thickness of the control board (“In a metal-core printed circuit board, the exposed thermal pad may also be the metal core itself with an opening for direct access.”, ¶ 0037 of Liu) having an embedded second metal inlay (“metal-core”, ¶ 0037).
There was a benefit to mounting a hybridized device on the packaging substrate and control board of Liu in that the packaging substrate and control board combination of Liu contains metal inlays (corresponding to “thermally conductive slug 32” of Liu) to conduct away excess heat (“thermally conductive slug 32 form[s] a thermal path that may conduct heat away from” the light-emitting device, ¶ 0034 of Liu).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the Application's effective filing date to attach a bottom surface of the silicon backplane of the hybridized device of Steudel with a packaging substrate and control board as taught by Liu such that a bottom surface of the silicon backplane of the hybridized device is on a top surface of the control board of Liu with the first metal inlay adjacent the embedded second metal inlay for this benefit.
Further, in the resulting configuration there will be conductive contacts (74 and 76 in Fig. 5) which will be on a top surface of the control board (although they will not be directly on said top surface). Liu differs from the claimed invention by the substitution of wire bonds between the plurality of conductive contacts on the top surface of the packaging substrate to the conductive contacts on the top surface of the control board with electrical via connection. However, wire bonds and the corresponding function was known in the art (set wire bonds in Fig. 5 of Liu). As such, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the Application's effective filing date to have substituted the electrical via connection with wire bonds and the results of the substitution would have been predictable. (see MPEP § 2143(I)(B)). In the resulting configuration, the plurality of conductive contacts on the top surface of the packaging substrate are directly wirebonded to the conductive contacts on the top surface of the control board.
Regarding claim 17, the conductive contacts on the top surface of the control board are disposed directly on the top surface of the control board (see Fig. 5).
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 6/30/2025 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
Regarding claims 11 and 14, Applicant argues that conductive contacts are not on the top surface of the control board of Liu. This argument is not persuasive as Applicant did not require direct contact in either claims 11 or 14.
Conclusion
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/CHRISTOPHER A CULBERT/Examiner, Art Unit 2815