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 .
Drawings
The drawings are objected to under 37 CFR 1.83(a). The drawings must show every feature of the invention specified in the claims. Therefore, the “plurality of first layers” described in claims 1 and 18 must be shown or the feature(s) canceled from the claim(s). No new matter should be entered.
Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. The figure or figure number of an amended drawing should not be labeled as “amended.” If a drawing figure is to be canceled, the appropriate figure must be removed from the replacement sheet, and where necessary, the remaining figures must be renumbered and appropriate changes made to the brief description of the several views of the drawings for consistency. Additional replacement sheets may be necessary to show the renumbering of the remaining figures. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
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.
Claim(s) 1, 3 and 6-9 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Manepalli et al. (US PG. Pub. 2020/0365533) in view of Kim et al. (US PG. Pub. 2016/0060489), Huang (US PG. Pub. 2022/0181235) and further in view of Banerji et al. (US PG. Pub. 2007/0006435).
Regarding claim 1 – Manepalli teaches an electronic package (figs. 3A-3F), comprising: a package substrate with a plurality of first layers (fig. 3D/3F, 300 & 308), wherein the first layers comprise an organic material ([paragraph 0018 & ] Manepalli states, “the dielectric layer 300 can include one or more layers of an organic resin…The second dielectric layer 308 can be composed of materials the same or similar to the dielectric layer 300”); a trace (304 [paragraph 0029] Manepalli states, “conductive structures 304”) embedded in the package substrate (see fig. 3F); and a second layer (324A equivalent to layer 208 of fig. 2) over the trace (304), wherein the second layer (324A/208) comprises silicon ([paragraph 0016] Manepalli states, “An adhesion layer 208 (in some examples comprising silicon and nitrogen (SiN.sub.x))”), nitrogen (SiN.xub.x), and wherein the second layer (324A/208) is bonded to one of the first layers (300 & 308).
Manepalli fails to teach wherein the second layer comprises a catalyst, the catalyst distributed throughout a total thickness of the second layer, and wherein the second layer is chemically bonded to one of the first layers.
Kim teaches wherein the second layer comprises a catalyst ([paragraph 0020] Kim states, “The adhesive layer may further include at least one curing catalyst selected from the group consisting of phosphorus-based compound, a boron-based compound, a phosphorus-boron-based compound”).
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to modify the electronic package having a second layer having nitrogen and silicon as taught by Manepalli with the inclusion of a catalyst as taught by Kim because Kim states, “A curing catalyst serves to accelerate a function of the curing agent or curing of a resin composition for adhesion on the semiconductor” [paragraph 0061].
Huang teaches explicitly wherein the second layer (fig. 1A, 12 [paragraph 0017] Huang states, “the promoter 12 may be referred to as a bonding layer or an adhesive layer”) is chemically bonded ([paragraph 0020] Huang states, “chemical links (e.g., cross-links) or chemical bonds are formed between the promoter 12 and the dielectric layer 13 by chemical reactions (e.g., cross-link reactions)”) to one of the first layers (13).
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to modify the electronic package having a second layer bonded to a first layer as taught by Manepalli in view of Kim with the bonding being a chemical bond as taught by Huang because Huang states, “so as to form a strong crosslinked structure between the promoter 12 and the dielectric layer 13” [paragraph 0020].
Banerji teaches a catalyst, wherein the catalyst is distributed throughout a total thickness of the second layer (fig. 2, 6000 [paragraph 0032-0033] Banerji states, “”build-up” layers of dielectric film 7000 and 6000…The seed layer deposition may be activated by catalyst deposited on the surface, for example in one embodiment, palladium, or a catalyst or metal precursor dispersed throughout the build-up layer”).
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to modify the electronic package having a second layer with a catalyst as taught by Manepalli in view of Kim and Huang with the catalyst being distributed throughout a total thickness of the second layer as taught by Banerji because having the catalyst distributed throughout (not just on the surface) will speed up curing and lower curing temperature of the second layer allowing for faster processing.
Regarding claim 3 – Manepalli in view of Kim, Huang and Banerji teach the electronic package of claim 1, wherein the catalyst (Kim; [paragraph 0020] Kim states, “The adhesive layer may further include at least one curing catalyst selected from the group consisting of phosphorus-based compound, a boron-based compound, a phosphorus-boron-based compound”) comprises one or more of palladium, phosphorus, and boron (discussed in paragraph 0020 above).
Regarding claim 6 – Manepalli in view of Kim, Huang and Banerji teach the electronic package of claim 1, wherein the catalyst is distributed through a thickness of the second layer (Banerji; fig. 2 [paragraph 0033] Banerji states, “The seed layer deposition may be activated by catalyst deposited on the surface, for example in one embodiment, palladium, or a catalyst or metal precursor dispersed throughout the build-up layer”).
Regarding claim 6 — Manepalli in view of Kim, Huang and Banerji teach the electronic package of claim 1, wherein the catalyst (Kim; [paragraph 0020] Kim states, “The adhesive layer may further include at least one curing catalyst selected from the group consisting of phosphorus-based compound, a boron-based compound, a phosphorus-boron-based compound’) is distributed through a thickness of the second layer ([paragraph 0061] Kim states, “An amount of the curing catalyst used may be appropriately selected in consideration of physical properties and the like of the finally manufactured adhesive film, and for example, the curing catalyst may be used in an amount of 0.5 to 10 parts by weight based on 100 parts by weight of the epoxy resin, the (meth)acrylate-based resin, and the phenol resin’)
Regarding claim 7 – Manepalli in view of Kim, Huang and Banerji teach the electronic package of claim 1, wherein the second layer (Manepalli; fig. 3F, 324A) is not continuous (see opening shown in figure 3D) over a surface of the trace (304).
Regarding claim 8 – Manepalli in view of Kim, Huang and Banerji teach the electronic package of claim 7, wherein the second layer (Manepalli; fig. 3F, 324A) is over a top surface of the trace (304) and sidewall surfaces of the trace (304; figure 3C show second layer 324A being both over the top surface and the sidewall surface of trace 304).
Regarding claim 9 – Manepalli in view of Kim, Huang and Banerji teach the electronic package of claim 7, further comprising: a via (Manepalli; fig. 3C, see via formed in first layer 308) through the first layer (308) and contacting a top surface of the trace (304; claimed structure shown in figure 3C).
Claim(s) 2 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Manepalli et al. in view of Kim et al., Huang and Banerji et al. as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Kim et al. (US PG. Pub. 2020/0235039), herein referred to as Jung et al.
Regarding claim 2 – Manepalli in view of Kim, Huang and Banerji teach the electronic package of claim 1, but fails to teach wherein the second layer is chemically bonded to the one of the first layers by covalent bonds.
Jung teaches wherein the second layer (fig. 1A, 210) is chemically bonded to the one of the first layers (110) by covalent bonds ([paragraph 0061] Jung states, “covalent bonding or crosslinked bonding may be provided between the first substrate 110 and the second substrate 210. bonding force between the first substrate 110 and the second substrate 210 may be improved by the chemical bonding”).
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the electronic package having a first and second layer chemically bonded as taught by Manepalli in view of Kim, Huang and Banerji with the first and second layer being chemically bonded to each other by covalent bonds as taught by Jung because covalent bonding provides a strong mechanical connection between the layers.
Claim(s) 4 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Manepalli et al. in view of Kim et al., Huang and Banerji et al. as applied to claim 3 above, and further in view of Onishi (US Patent 5625022).
Regarding claim 4 – Manepalli in view of Kim, Huang and Banerji teach the electronic package of claim 3, but fails to teach wherein the catalyst comprises tetrakis(triphenylphosphine)palladium (Pd(PPh3)4.
Onishi teaches wherein the catalyst comprises tetrakis(triphenylphosphine)palladium (Pd(PPh3)4 ([column 6 lines 10-17] Onishi states, “The known hydrosilylation reaction catalysts can be used as (E), for example…palladium catalysts such as tetrakis(triphenylphosphine)palladium”).
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the electronic package having a second layer with a catalyst as taught by Manepalli in view of Kim, Huang and Banerji with the catalyst comprising tetrakis(triphenylphosphine)palladium (Pd(PPh3)4 as taught by Onishi because Onishi states, “The hydrosilylation reaction catalyst (E) is a curing catalyst for the composition under consideration that accelerates the addition reaction” [column 6 lines 7-10].
Claim(s) 5 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Manepalli et al. in view of Kim et al., Huang and Banerji et al. as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Sakamoto et al. (US PG. Pub. 2003/0015342).
Regarding claim 5 – Manepalli in view of Kim, Huang and Banerji teach the electronic package of claim 1, but fails to explicitly teach wherein the catalyst is on a surface of the second layer.
Sakamoto teaches an electronic package (fig. 6) wherein the catalyst ([paragraph 0122] Sakamoto states, “By supplying a catalyst such as a palladium catalyst to the surface layer of the interlayer resin insulating layer 50 in advance and immersing the substrate into an electroless plating solution for 5 to 60 minutes, the metallic layer 52 which is a plated film in the range of 0.1 to 5 .mu.m is provided”) is on a surface of the second layer (50).
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to modify the electronic package having a second layer with a catalyst as taught by Manepalli in view of Kim, Huang and Banerji with the catalyst on a surface of the second layer as taught by Sakamoto because the catalyst on the surface of the second layer will improve the bonding with the trace.
Claim(s) 10 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Manepalli et al. in view of Kim et al., Huang and Banerji et al. as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Shimizu et al. (US PG. Pub. 2018/0166372).
Regarding claim 10 – Manepalli in view of Kim, Huang and Banerji teach the electronic package of claim 1, but fails to teach wherein a surface of the trace has a roughness that is less than approximately 1um.
Shimizu teaches wherein a surface of a trace (fig. 1, 22) has a roughness that is less than approximately 1um ([paragraph 0047] Shimizu states, “Each of the wiring layers 22, 23, 42 of the wiring structure 11 has, for example, the surface roughness Ra of approximately 200 to 1000 nm”).
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the electronic package having a trace as taught by Manepalli in view of Kim, Huang and Banerji with the trace having a roughness that is less than approximately 1um as taught by Shimizu because Shimizu states, “the roughening process increases the adhesion of the insulating layers 31, 41 with the wiring layers 22, 23” [paragraph 0090].
Claim(s) 1 and 18-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Darmawikarta et al. (US PG. Pub. 2019/0371621) in view of Kim et al., Huang and further in view of Banerji et al.
Regarding claim 1 – Darmawikarta teaches an electronic package (fig. 5C), comprising: a package substrate (264 [paragraph 0066] Darmawikarta states, “assembly 264”) with a plurality of first layers (figs. 5A-5C, 102-1 & 102-1 [paragraph 0029] Darmawikarta states, “dielectric material 102-1 may be epoxy material…The dielectric material 102-2 may have a same material composition as the dielectric material 102-1”), wherein the first layers (102-1 & 102-2) comprise an organic material (epoxy is an organic material); a trace (124 & 126 [paragraph 0049] Darmawikarta states, “pads 124 and lines 126”) embedded in the package substrate (see claimed structure in figure 5C); and a second layer (130 [paragraph 0047] Darmawikarta states, “adhesion promoter material 130 may include silicon nitride”) over the trace (124 & 126), wherein the second layer (130) comprises silicon, nitrogen (silicon nitride as discussed in paragraph 0047 above); and a die (fig. 12, 1720 [paragraph 0098] Darmawikarta states, “The IC package 1720 may be or include, for example, a die”).
Darmawikarta fails to teach wherein the second layer has a catalyst, the catalyst distributed throughout a total thickness of the second layer, and wherein the second layer is chemically bonded to one of the first layers.
Kim teaches wherein the second layer comprises a catalyst ([paragraph 0020] Kim states, “The adhesive layer may further include at least one curing catalyst selected from the group consisting of phosphorus-based compound, a boron-based compound, a phosphorus-boron-based compound”).
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to modify the electronic package having a second layer having nitrogen and silicon as taught by Darmawikarta with the inclusion of a catalyst as taught by Kim because Kim states, “A curing catalyst serves to accelerate a function of the curing agent or curing of a resin composition for adhesion on the semiconductor” [paragraph 0061].
Huang teaches explicitly wherein the second layer (fig. 1A, 12 [paragraph 0017] Huang states, “the promoter 12 may be referred to as a bonding layer or an adhesive layer”) is chemically bonded ([paragraph 0020] Huang states, “chemical links (e.g., cross-links) or chemical bonds are formed between the promoter 12 and the dielectric layer 13 by chemical reactions (e.g., cross-link reactions)”) to one of the first layers (13).
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to modify the electronic package having a second layer bonded to a first layer as taught by Darmawikarta in view of Kim with the bonding being a chemical bond as taught by Huang because Huang states, “so as to form a strong crosslinked structure between the promoter 12 and the dielectric layer 13” [paragraph 0020].
Banerji teaches a catalyst, wherein the catalyst is distributed throughout a total thickness of the second layer (fig. 2, 6000 [paragraph 0032-0033] Banerji states, “”build-up” layers of dielectric film 7000 and 6000…The seed layer deposition may be activated by catalyst deposited on the surface, for example in one embodiment, palladium, or a catalyst or metal precursor dispersed throughout the build-up layer”).
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to modify the electronic package having a second layer with a catalyst as taught by Darmawikarta in view of Kim and Huang with the catalyst being distributed throughout a total thickness of the second layer as taught by Banerji because having the catalyst distributed throughout (not just on the surface) will speed up curing and lower curing temperature of the second layer allowing for faster processing.
Regarding claim 18 – Darmawikarta teaches an electronic system (fig. 12), comprising: a board (1702 [paragraph 0095] Darmawikarta states, “circuit board 1702”); an electronic package (1704 equivalent to that of element 264 of figure 5C [paragraph 0098] Darmawikarta states, “package interposer 1704”) coupled to the board (1702), wherein the electronic package (1704/264) comprises: a package substrate with a plurality of first layers (figs. 5A-5C, 102-1 & 102-1 [paragraph 0029] Darmawikarta states, “dielectric material 102-1 may be epoxy material…The dielectric material 102-2 may have a same material composition as the dielectric material 102-1”), wherein the first layers (102-1 & 102-2) comprise an organic material (epoxy is an organic material); a trace (124 & 126 [paragraph 0049] Darmawikarta states, “pads 124 and lines 126”) embedded in the package substrate (see claimed structure in figure 5C); and a second layer (130 [paragraph 0047] Darmawikarta states, “adhesion promoter material 130 may include silicon nitride”) over the trace (124 & 126), wherein the second layer (130) comprises silicon, nitrogen (silicon nitride as discussed in paragraph 0047 above); and a die (fig. 12, 1720 [paragraph 0098] Darmawikarta states, “The IC package 1720 may be or include, for example, a die”) coupled to the electronic package (1704/264).
Darmawikarta fails to teach wherein the second layer has a catalyst, the catalyst distributed throughout a total thickness of the second layer, and wherein the second layer is chemically bonded to one of the first layers.
Kim teaches wherein the second layer comprises a catalyst ([paragraph 0020] Kim states, “The adhesive layer may further include at least one curing catalyst selected from the group consisting of phosphorus-based compound, a boron-based compound, a phosphorus-boron-based compound”).
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to modify the electronic package having a second layer having nitrogen and silicon as taught by Darmawikarta with the inclusion of a catalyst as taught by Kim because Kim states, “A curing catalyst serves to accelerate a function of the curing agent or curing of a resin composition for adhesion on the semiconductor” [paragraph 0061].
Huang teaches explicitly wherein the second layer (fig. 1A, 12 [paragraph 0017] Huang states, “the promoter 12 may be referred to as a bonding layer or an adhesive layer”) is chemically bonded ([paragraph 0020] Huang states, “chemical links (e.g., cross-links) or chemical bonds are formed between the promoter 12 and the dielectric layer 13 by chemical reactions (e.g., cross-link reactions)”) to one of the first layers (13).
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to modify the electronic package having a second layer bonded to a first layer as taught by Darmawikarta in view of Kim with the bonding being a chemical bond as taught by Huang because Huang states, “so as to form a strong crosslinked structure between the promoter 12 and the dielectric layer 13” [paragraph 0020].
Banerji teaches a catalyst, wherein the catalyst is distributed throughout a total thickness of the second layer (fig. 2, 6000 [paragraph 0032-0033] Banerji states, “”build-up” layers of dielectric film 7000 and 6000…The seed layer deposition may be activated by catalyst deposited on the surface, for example in one embodiment, palladium, or a catalyst or metal precursor dispersed throughout the build-up layer”).
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to modify the electronic package having a second layer with a catalyst as taught by Darmawikarta in view of Kim and Huang with the catalyst being distributed throughout a total thickness of the second layer as taught by Banerji because having the catalyst distributed throughout (not just on the surface) will speed up curing and lower curing temperature of the second layer allowing for faster processing.
Regarding claim 19 – Darmawikarta in view of Kim, Huang and Banerji teach the electronic system of claim 18, wherein the catalyst (Kim; ([paragraph 0020] Kim states, “The adhesive layer may further include at least one curing catalyst selected from the group consisting of phosphorus-based compound, a boron-based compound, a phosphorus-boron-based compound”)) comprises one or more of palladium, phosphorus, and boron (discussed in paragraph 0020 above).
Regarding claim 20 – Darmawikarta in view of Kim, Huang and Banerji teach the electronic system of claim 18, wherein the catalyst is on a top surface of the second layer, or wherein the catalyst is mixed through a thickness of the second layer (Banerji; fig. 2 [paragraph 0033] Banerji states, “The seed layer deposition may be activated by catalyst deposited on the surface, for example in one embodiment, palladium, or a catalyst or metal precursor dispersed throughout the build-up layer”).
Regarding claim 20 — Darmawikarta in view of Kim, Huang and Banerji teach the electronic system of claim 18, wherein the catalyst is on a top surface of the second layer, or wherein the catalyst (Kim; [paragraph 0020] Kim states, “The adhesive layer may further include at least one curing catalyst selected from the group consisting of phosphorus- based compound, a boron-based compound, a phosphorus-boron-based compound”) is mixed through a thickness of the second layer ([paragraph 0061] Kim states, “An amount of the curing catalyst used may be appropriately selected in consideration of physical properties and the like of the finally manufactured adhesive film, and for example, the curing catalyst may be used in an amount of 0.5 to 10 parts by weight based on 100 parts by weight of the epoxy resin, the (meth)acrylate-based resin, and the phenol resin’).
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 1-10, 18-20 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
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/STEVEN T SAWYER/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2847