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Claims 21-25 withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected invention II, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on 05/05/2025. Applicant’s election of Invention I in the reply filed 05/05/2025 is acknowledged.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments, see page 8, filed 09/02/2025, with respect to the rejection(s) of claim(s) 1-20 under U.S.C. 102(a)(2) have been fully considered and are persuasive. Therefore, the rejection has been withdrawn. However, upon further consideration, a new ground(s) of rejection is made in view of Hashiguchi, US 20220216246,.
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.
(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 1-3, 5, 7-12, 14, 15, and 18-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Hashiguchi, US 20220216246, hereafter ‘ Hashiguchi’.
Regarding claim 1, Hashiguchi discloses : An apparatus comprising : a substrate having a first side and a second side opposite the first side(Fig. 1a and 1b shows #1-1 #2-1 on one side with #1-2 and #2-2 on the an opposite side), the substrate including: includes oxide(#1-2 may include O atoms [0010]); a second layer of the substrate below and in contact with the first layer of the substrate(#2-2 in contact with #1-2), wherein the second layer includes carbon(#2-2 may include SiOC[0010]) ; and a plurality of metal contacts extending from the first side of the substrate toward the second side of the substrate(Fig. 1, contacts #13-1 and #13-2), wherein the plurality of metal contacts are surrounded by the first layer and the second layer(Fig. 1a, #1-2, and #2-2 shown to surround #13-2).
Regarding claim 2, Hashiguchi discloses : The apparatus of claim 1, wherein a density of carbon atoms in the first layer is less than a density of carbon atoms in the second layer(Fig. 1b carbon concentration decreases towards #P1 and #P2 [0010, 0098]).
Regarding claim 3, Hashiguchi discloses : The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first layer includes silicon and oxygen(#1-1 may include Si and O atoms[0010]), and wherein the second layer includes silicon and carbon(#2-2 may include SiOC [0010])
Regarding claim 5, Hashiguchi discloses : The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the second layer includes a selected one more of oxygen or nitrogen(#2-2 may include SiOC[0010]).
Regarding claim 7, Hashiguchi discloses : The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a third layer below and in contact with the second layer(Fig. 1a, #3-2 below #2-2), wherein the third layer is a dielectric(#3-2 is a SiN layer).
Regarding claim 8, Hashiguchi discloses : The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of barriers(#14-1, #14-2), respectively, between the plurality of metal contacts and the substrate(Fig. 1a, #14-1 and #14-2 shown to surround #13-1 and #13-2 [0087]).
Regarding claim 9, Hashiguchi discloses : The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the plurality of barriers include a layer of tantalum(#14-1 and #14-2 may include Ta[0087]).
Regarding claim 10, Hashiguchi discloses : The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus is a selected one of: a portion of a wafer or a portion of a die(Fig. 1a, #100-1 is a substrate of a solid-state imaging device[0094]).
Regarding claim 11, Hashiguchi discloses : The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising: a third layer of the substrate at the second side of the substrate(#1-1), wherein the third layer includes oxide(#1-1 may include O atoms [0010]); a fourth layer of the substrate in contact with the third layer of the substrate(Fig. 1a, #2-1 in contact with #1-1), wherein the fourth layer includes carbon(#2-1 may include SiOC [0010]); and another plurality of metal contacts extending from the second side of the substrate toward the first side of the substrate(Fi.g 1a, #13-1 extending towards #P), wherein the other plurality of metal contacts are surrounded by the third layer and the fourth layer(Fig. 1a, #13-1 shown to be surrounded by #1-1 and #2-1).
Regarding claim 12, Hashiguchi discloses : The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the substrate is a first substrate; and further comprising : a second substrate having a first side and a second side opposite the first side, the second substrate including : wherein the first layer of the second substrate includes oxide(#1-1 may include O atoms [0010]); a second layer of the second substrate below and in contact with the first layer of the second substrate(Fig. 1a, Fig. 1b, #2-1 in contact with #1-1), wherein the second layer of the second substrate includes carbon(#2-1 may include SiOC[0010] ; and a second plurality of metal contacts extending from the first side of the second substrate toward the second side of the second substrate(#13-1 extending towards #P), wherein the second plurality of metal contacts are surrounded by the first layer and the second layer(Fig. 1a, #13-1 surrounded by #1-1 and #2-1); and wherein the plurality of metal contacts of the first substrate are directly physically and electrically coupled with the second plurality of metal contacts of the second substrate(two substrates form a join and is bonded to be electrically connected[0097]).
Regarding claim 14, Hashiguchi discloses : Regarding claim 14, Hashiguchi discloses : An apparatus comprising : a substrate having a first side and a second side opposite the first side(Fig. 1, a joint surface #P2 is a second side with a first side below #P2), the substrate including : a layer of the substrate at the first side of the substrate(#1-2), wherein the layer includes a higher density of carbon atoms near to the first side of the substrate and a lower density of carbon atoms away from the first side of the substrate(Carbon atoms decrease toward joint surface of #1-2 [0010]; and a plurality of metal contacts extending from the first side of the substrate toward the second side of the substrate(#13-2 extends from below #P2 to #P2, wherein the plurality of metal contacts are surrounded by the layer(Fig. 1, #13-2 shown to be surrounded by #1-2).
Regarding claim 15, Hashiguchi discloses : The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the layer includes one or more of: silicon, oxygen, nitrogen, and carbon(#1-2 may include Si o and C[0010]).
Regarding claim 18, Hashiguchi discloses : The apparatus of claim 14, further comprising another layer below and in contact with the layer(Fig. 1a, #2-2 below and in contact with #1-2), wherein the other layer includes a dielectric(#2-2 may include a low-k material[0082]).
Regarding claim 19, Hashiguchi discloses : further comprising a plurality of barriers that include tantalum(#14-2 include Ta [0087]), respectively, between the plurality of metal contacts and the substrate(Fig. 1a, #14-2 shown to surround #13-2).
Regarding claim 20, Hashiguchi discloses : The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the apparatus is a selected one of: a portion of a wafer or a portion of a die(Fig. 1a, #100-1 is a substrate of a solid-state imaging device[0094]).
Claim Rejections – 35 USC § 103
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 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 4, 6, 16, and 17 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being anticipated by Hashiguchi, US 20220216246, hereafter ‘ Hashiguchi’ in view of Said et al, US 20210028136, hereafter ‘Said’.
Regarding claim 4, Hashiguchi discloses : The apparatus of claim 3.
Hashiguchi does not disclose : wherein the first layer ranges in thickness from 1 nm to 50 nm
However, in the same field of endeavor Said teaches : wherein the first layer ranges in thickness from 1 nm to 50 nm(#972 may include silicon oxide and may range from 50nm to 6000nm, although lesser and greater thicknesses can also be employed[0133]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to apply the teachings of Said to Hashiguchi to have a layer that includes silicon and oxygen to have a thickness that ranges 1nm to 50nm.
Regarding claim 6, Hashiguchi discloses : The apparatus of claim 1.
Hashiguchi does not disclose : wherein the plurality of metal contacts include copper.
However, in the same field of endeavor Said teaches : wherein the plurality of metal contacts include copper(#988 may be copper [0087]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to apply the teachings of Said to Hashiguchi to have metal contacts that include copper because it common in the art.
Regarding claim 16, Hashiguchi discloses : The apparatus of claim 14.
Hashiguchi does not disclose : wherein the layer ranges in thickness from 1 nm to 50 nm.
However, in the same field of endeavor, Said teaches : wherein the layer ranges in thickness from 1 nm to 50 nm(#992 may consist of carbon and have a thickness of 0.3nm to 3nm[0089-0090]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to apply the teachings of Said to Hashiguchi to have a carbon layer with a thickness from 1nm to 50nm.
Regarding claim 17, Hashiguchi discloses : The apparatus of claim 14.
Hashiguchi does not disclose : wherein the plurality of metal contacts include copper.
However, in the same field of endeavor, Said teaches : wherein the plurality of metal contacts include copper(#988 may be copper [0087]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to apply the teachings of Said to Hashiguchi to have metal contacts that include copper because it common in the art.
Claim 13 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103as being anticipated by Hashiguchi, US 20220216246, hereafter ‘ Hashiguchi’
Regarding claim 13, in an embodiment, Hashiguchi discloses : The apparatus of claim 12.
In an embodiment Hashiguchi does not disclose : wherein a portion of the plurality of metal contacts of the first substrate are in direct physical contact with the first layer or the second layer of the second substrate.
However, in another embodiment, Hashiguchi discloses : wherein a portion of the plurality of metal contacts of the first substrate are in direct physical contact with the first layer or the second layer of the second substrate(Fig. 13a and Fig. 13b, #13-2 in contact with #1-1 [0340-0344]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to have metal contact of one substrate be in contact with a bonding layer of a second substrate.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure: US 20200194396 : Hybrid bonding and manipulating grain size.
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/D.T./Examiner, Art Unit 2897 /CHAD M DICKE/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2897