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 .
DETAILED ACTION
In response to an Office action mailed on 10/20/2025 (“10-20-25 OA"), the Applicant substantively amended independent claim 1 on 01/07/2026 ("01-07-26 Response").
Applicant amended the title on 01/21/2026.
Currently, claims 1-20 are pending.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's amendments to the title have overcome the objection to the Specification set forth on page 2 under line item number 1 of the 10-20-25 OA.
Applicant's amendments to the independent claim 1 have overcome the 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) rejection of claims 1, 3-7 and 9-11 as being anticipated by Yu set forth starting on page 3 under line item number 2 of the 10-20-25 OA and the 35 U.S.C. 103 rejection of claims 2 and 8 as being unpatentable over Yu set forth starting on page 8 under line item number 3 of the 10-20-25 OA.
Despite the substantive amendments to the independent claim 1, the previously-cited Liu still reads on the amended independent claim 1, infra. Thus, the 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) rejection of claim 1 as being anticipated by Liu set forth starting on page 10 under line item number 4 of the 10-20-25 OA is maintained.
Substantive-amendments to the independent claim 1 changed the scope of claim 1 and the scope of its dependent claims 2-11, so they required further consideration and updated search. New grounds of rejection are provided below.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
The text of those sections of Title 35, U.S. Code not included in this action can be found in a prior Office action.
Claims 1-6 and 9-11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Liu (previously-cited Pub. No. US 2022/0367210 A1 to Liu et al.).
Fig. 17 of Liu has been annotated to support the rejection below:
[AltContent: textbox (Sa)][AltContent: arrow][AltContent: textbox (LS)][AltContent: ]
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[AltContent: textbox (70)][AltContent: textbox (S2)][AltContent: arrow][AltContent: textbox (Sb)][AltContent: arrow][AltContent: textbox (S1)][AltContent: arrow][AltContent: arrow][AltContent: textbox (Sa)]
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Enlarged view of an upper section of Fig. 7
Regarding independent claim 1, Liu teaches a semiconductor package (viewing FIG. 17 upside down), comprising:
a lower substrate LS;
a lower semiconductor chip 50 (para [0024] - “he device die in package component 50 may be or may comprise a logic die, a memory die, an input-output die, an Integrated Passive Device (IPD), or the like, or combinations thereof. “) mounted on the lower substrate LS;
a redistribution layer 41 (para [0021] - “backside interconnect structure 41”) on the lower semiconductor chip 50;
an upper semiconductor chip 84 (para [0037] - “In accordance with some embodiments, package component 84 is a device die, a package, or the like.”) mounted on the redistribution layer 41; and
a through electrode 48 (para [0025] - “Next, encapsulant 58 is dispensed to encapsulate package component 50 and metal posts 48 there in, as shown in FIG. 10. “) on one side of the lower semiconductor chip 50, the through electrode 48 connecting the lower substrate LS to the redistribution layer 41,
wherein the lower substrate LS includes,
a first dielectric layer 76 (para [0028] - “FIG. 13 illustrates the formation of dielectric layers 68, 72, and 76, and conductive features 70 and 74…”),
a first conductive pattern 77, 77’ (para [0030] - “UBM 77 may be formed of nickel, copper, titanium, or multi-layers thereof…In accordance with alternative embodiments, one or more of dummy UBMs 77’ is formed to contact the respective thermal dissipation features 74T.”) on the first dielectric layer 76, the first conductive pattern 77, 77’ having a wiring pattern 77’ and an under-bump pattern 77, wherein the wiring pattern 77’ and the under-bump pattern 77 are horizontally spaced apart from each other, wherein the wiring pattern 77’ is above a top surface Sa of the first dielectric layer 76, and wherein the under-bump pattern 77 extends from the top surface Sa of the first dielectric layer 76 at least partially through the first dielectric layer 76.
a second dielectric layer 72 on the first dielectric layer 76, the second dielectric layer 72 covering the first conductive pattern 77, 77’, and
a second conductive pattern 70 on the second dielectric layer 72,
wherein the under-bump pattern 77 includes,
a first head part horizontally extending on the first dielectric layer 76, and
a first tail part vertically penetrating the first dielectric layer 76 and being exposed on a bottom surface of the first dielectric layer 76,
wherein the first head part of the under-bump pattern 77 has a first lateral surface S1 on the first dielectric layer 76, the first lateral surface S1 being inclined relative to a top surface Sa of the first dielectric layer 76, and
wherein the second conductive pattern 70 has a second lateral surface S2 on the second dielectric layer 72, the second lateral surface S2 being perpendicular to a top surface Sb of the second dielectric layer 72.
Regarding claim 2, Liu teaches an angle between the first lateral surface S1 and a bottom surface of the first head part included in the under-bump pattern 77 falls within 45° to 89°, and
an angle between the second lateral surface S2 and a bottom surface of the second conductive pattern 70 is 90°.
Regarding claim 3, Liu teaches a top surface of the wiring pattern 77’ that is at a same level as a level of a top surface of the under-bump pattern 77.
Regarding claim 4, Liu teaches a top surface of the under-bump pattern 77’ that is parallel to the top surface of the first dielectric layer 76.
Regarding claim 5, Liu teaches a thickness of the first head part included in the under-bump pattern 77’ that is uniform irrespective of horizontal position.
Regarding claim 6, Liu teaches the first head part and the first tail part of the under-bump pattern 77’ that are connected to each other to constitute a T shape.
Regarding claim 9, Liu teaches the wiring pattern 77’ that has a third lateral surface on the first dielectric layer 76, the third lateral surface being inclined relative to the top surface Sa of the first dielectric layer 76.
Regarding claim 10, Liu teaches a bottom surface of the wiring pattern 77’ that is at a same level as a level of a bottom surface of the first head part included in the under-bump pattern 77, and
an angle between the first lateral surface and the bottom surface of the first head part is same as an angle between the third lateral surface and the bottom surface of the wiring pattern 77’.
Regarding claim 11, Liu teaches an external terminal 78 on a bottom surface of the under-bump pattern 77 that is exposed on the bottom surface of the first dielectric layer.
Allowable Subject Matter
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
Claim 7 is objected for depending on the rejected base claim 1, but would be allowable if the base claim 1 is amended to include the limitations of claim 7 or claim 7 is rewritten in independent form to include the limitations of the base
claim 1.
Claim 8 is allowable for depending from the allowable claim 7.
Independent claim 12 and its dependent claims 13-17 are allowed for the same reasons as stated starting on page 13 under line item number 5 of the 10-20-25 OA.
Independent claim 18 and its dependent claims 19 and 20 are allowed for the same reasons as stated on page 14 under line item number 5 of the 10-20-25 OA.
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.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MICHAEL JUNG whose telephone number is (408) 918-7554. The examiner can normally be reached on 8 A.M. to 7 P.M.
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/MICHAEL JUNG/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2817 03 February 2026