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 .
Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after final rejection. Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on 11/6/25 has been entered.
Applicant's amendment/arguments filed on 11/6/25 as being acknowledged and entered. By this amendment claims 10-20 are canceled and 1-9, and 21-31 claims are pending.
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 consistently. The references numbers (114) and (117) do not seem to label the same parts between Figures 4-6 and 11. Protective layer (117) and conductive layer (114) should also not have the same cross hatching as they are not made of the same materials. 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 § 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.
Claim(s) 1, 21, and 26 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Liu et al. (USPGPub 2011/0027944).
Claim 1: Liu teaches (Figs. 8) a method of manufacturing a package structure, comprising: forming an interconnection structure (104, 150, 106) [0018] having a plurality of alternating conductive layers and dielectric layers; forming a protective layer (103) over the interconnection structure, the protective layer defining and opening exposing a portion of a conductive layer through a surface of the interconnection structure; forming a raised structure (115) over the protective layer and around the portion of the conductive layer; forming a conductive bump (109) within the raised structure and in direct contact with the conductive layer (106) through the opening in the protective layer (103), wherein the raised structure provides support to and elevates the conductive bump; and forming a metal pillar (117) over the conductive bump that provides electrical connection to the conductive layer.
Claim 21: Liu teaches (Figs. 8) a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device, comprising: forming a redistribution layer (RDL) (106/150) having an exposed internal metal layer (106); forming a protective layer (103) over the RDL, the protective layer comprising a first material; forming a raised support structure (115) on the protective layer and around the exposed internal metal layer, the raised support structure defining an empty internal portion, and the raised support structure comprising a second material that differs from the first material [0018, 0021]; forming a conductive bump (109) at least partially within the empty internal portion defined by the raised support structure, over the RDL and in contact with the exposed internal metal layer; and forming a metal pillar (117) on the conductive bump, the metal pillar forming a metal contact that provides electrical communication with the exposed internal metal layer, wherein the raised support structure provides support to and elevates the conductive bump.
Claim 26: : Liu teaches (Figs. 8) a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device, comprising: forming a first layer having an exposed metal layer (106); forming a protective layer (103) over the first layer, the protective layer comprising a first material; forming a wall structure (115) with an empty internal portion over the protective layer and around the exposed metal layer, the exposed metal layer is within the empty internal portion of the wall structure, the wall structure comprising a second material different from the first material [0018, 0021]; and forming a conductive bump (109) at least partially within the empty internal portion of the wall structure and in contact with the exposed metal layer.
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 2 and 22 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Liu et al. (USPGPub 2011/0027944).
Claim 2 and 22: Liu teaches (Figs. 7) mounting an interposer (002) having a bottom surface in contact with a top surface of the metal pillar. Liu teaches component (002) being a chip, substrate, circuit board or other known suitable component known in the art. Interposers are well known suitable components that one of ordinary skill in the art would use within a chip package.
Claims 3-5 and 23 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Liu et al. (USPGPub 2011/0027944), as applied to claims 2 and 22 above, and further in view of Chang et al. (USPGPub 2021/0082850).
Regarding claim 3, as described above, Liu substantially reads on the invention as claimed, except Liu does not teach forming a plurality of micro-bumps (700) on a top surface of the interposer, each of the micro- bumps in electrical communication with an electrical contact of the interposer. Chang teaches (Figs. 1-10) forming a plurality of micro-bumps (700) on a top surface of the interposer, each of the micro- bumps in electrical communication with an electrical contact of the interposer allowing for the interconnection between multiple chips and functions to build a complete semiconductor package [0029-0030]. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to have modified the method taught by Liu to have included the interposer and micro-bumps because they are common package features that aid in connecting package components together both physically and electrically.
Claim 4: Chang teaches (Figs. 1-10) forming a micro-bump underfill (750) on the plurality of micro-bumps.
Claim 5: Chang teaches (Figs. 1-10) placing a semiconductor chip (300) in electrical contact with the plurality of micro-bumps.
Claim 23: Chang teaches (Figs. 1-10) positioning a passive device (110) [0011] above the RDL and in electrical communication with the interposer (200) via at least one micro-bump (210).
Claims 6-8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Liu et al. (USPGPub 2011/0027944) and Chang et al. (USPGPub 2021/0082850), as applied to claim 5 above, and further in view of Chen et al. (US PGPub 2017/0005035)
Regarding claim 6, as described above, Liu and Chang substantially read on the invention as claimed, and Chang teaches forming an encapsulant layer that encapsulates the top surface of the interposer and at least a portion of the semiconductor chip. Liu and Chang do not teach forming an encapsulant layer that encapsulates the top surface of the interposer, the plurality of micro-bumps and at least a portion of the semiconductor chip, thereby forming a packaged semiconductor device. Do teaches [0028] forming an encapsulant layer that encapsulates the top surface of the interposer, the plurality of micro-bumps and at least a portion of the semiconductor chip, thereby forming a packaged semiconductor device for environmental isolation. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to have modified the encapsulation taught by Liu and Chang to encompass the parts claimed to promote environmental isolation as taught by Chen.
Claim 7: Do teaches forming an underfill layer (226) above the interconnection structure (228) around the conductive bump prior to the forming of the interposer; and placing a passive semiconductor device die (224) [0025] within an opening in the underfill layer. The claim limitations do not preclude the raised structure and the underfill layer from being the same structure.
Claim 8: Do teaches (Fig. 8) forming a plurality of micro-bumps (142) on a top surface of the passive semiconductor device die that make electrical contact with the interposer. The claim languages do not require the microbumps to directly contact the device die or its pads.
Claim 9 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Liu et al. (USPGPub 2011/0027944), as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Chen et al. (US PGPub 2017/0005035)
Regarding claim 9, as described above, Liu substantially reads on the invention as claimed, except Liu does not teach forming of the raised structure further comprises: forming at least one of a round structure and a polygon structure. Chen teaches forming of the raised structure further comprises: forming at least one of a round structure and a polygon structure, said round and polygon shapes being interchangeable [0023] and using round and rectangular structures together (Fig. 3B). Therefore it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to substitute one know element for another known element resulting in the predictable result of forming a deep trench contact (KSR International Co. v. Teleflex Inc. (KSR), 550 U.S., 82 USPQ2d 1385 (2007)).
Claims 24-25 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Liu et al. (USPGPub 2011/0027944) and Chang et al. (USPGPub 2021/0082850), as applied to claim 23 above, and further in view of Hsieh et al. (US PGPub 2017/0188458)
Regarding claim 24, as described above, Liu and Chang substantially read on the invention as claimed, except Liu and Chang do not teach the passive device comprises a plurality of conductive bumps disposed around the passive device in a rectangular pattern, the method further comprising electrically connecting the plurality of conductive bumps to the interposer. Hsieh teaches (Fig. 3-4) the passive device (20) comprises a plurality of conductive bumps disposed around the passive device in a rectangular pattern, the method further comprising electrically connecting the plurality of conductive bumps to the interposer (114) to help mitigate stress [0032-0034]. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to have modified the device taught by Liu and Chang to have used a rectangular pattern to help mitigate stress [0032-0034] as taught by Hsieh.
Claim 25: Hsieh teaches (Fig.1) comprising forming a plurality of conductive bumps (122) disposed around at least one corner of the passive device.
Claims 27-31 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Liu et al. (USPGPub 2011/0027944), as applied to claim 26 above, and further in view of Chen et al. (US PGPub 2017/0005035)
Regarding claim 27, as described above, Liu substantially reads on the invention as claimed, except Liu does not teach forming the wall structure comprises forming a regular polygon. Chen teaches forming the wall structure comprises forming a regular polygon, said round and polygon shapes being interchangeable [0023] and using round and rectangular structures together (Fig. 3B). Therefore it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to substitute one know element for another known element resulting in the predictable result of forming a deep trench contact (KSR International Co. v. Teleflex Inc. (KSR), 550 U.S., 82 USPQ2d 1385 (2007)).
Claim 28: Chen teaches [0023] (Fig. 3B) the regular polygon comprises at least one of: a triangle, a square, a rectangle, a pentagon, a hexagon, and an octagon.
Claim 29: Chen teaches [0023] (Fig. 3B) forming the wall structure comprises forming at least two conjoined and concentric wall structures.
Claim 30: Chen teaches [0023] (Fig. 3B) forming the wall structure comprises forming a round shape.
Claim 31: Chen teaches [0023] (Fig. 3B) the round shape comprises at least one of a circle and an ellipse.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 1-9 and 21-31 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. Regarding claim 26, the claim has been rejected by the same reference with clarifying notations.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to SARAH KATE SALERNO whose telephone number is (571)270-1266. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 6:30am-2:30pm.
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/SARAH K SALERNO/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2814