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 .
Status of the Claims
Applicant's election with traverse of Group I, Species 4 in the reply filed on November 11, 2025 is acknowledged. The traversal is on the ground(s) that no serious search burden exists for examining Species 1-6 collectively or for the claimed subject matters of this application.
This is not found persuasive because a serious search burden exists when each and every one of the configurations must be addressed separately.
The requirement is still deemed proper and is therefore made FINAL.
Amendment filed November 11, 2025 is acknowledged. New claims 21-23 has been added. Claims 18-20 have been cancelled. Non-Elected Species, Claims 4, 8 and 10 have been withdrawn from consideration. Claims 1-17 and 21-23 are pending.
Claim 9 recites: “the semiconductor package according to claim 1, further comprising a sealant component disposed inside the window opening”.
Thus, claim 9 directed to non-elected Species.
Therefore, claim 9 is effectively withdrawn from consideration.
With abundance of caution, action is taken on claim 9. However, Applicant must withdraw and/or claim 9.
Action on merits of claims 1-3, 5-7, 9, 11-17 and 21-23 follows.
Specification
The lengthy specification has not been checked to the extent necessary to determine the presence of all possible minor errors. Applicant’s cooperation is requested in correcting any errors of which applicant may become aware in the specification.
The title of the invention is not descriptive. A new title is required that is clearly indicative of the invention to which the claims are directed.
The following title is suggested:
SEMICONDUCTOR PACKAGE HAVING A LID DISPOSED OVER A SEMICONDUCTOR DIE INCLUDING A WINDOW OPENING EXPOSING AT LEAST A PORTION OF THE SEMICONDUCTOR DIE
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
Claim 9 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Claim 9 recites: “the semiconductor package according to claim 1, further comprising a sealant component disposed inside the window opening”.
However, claim 1 recites: “the window opening is configured to receive a light of an incident direction, and the incident direction is at an angle to the upper surface of the protrusion portion, so that the light hitting on the upper surface is reflected”.
The limitation “further comprising a sealant component disposed inside the window opening” would not reflect incident light.
Thus, claim 9 contravenes claim 1.
Therefore, claim 9 is indefinite.
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 1-3, 5-7, 9, 11-17 and 21-23 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over CHANG et al. (US. Pub. No. 2021/0130165) in view of TAKAGI (US. Pub. No. 2015/0059475).
With respect to claim 1, CHANG teaches a semiconductor package, substantially as claimed including:
a circuit board (10);
a semiconductor die (14) disposed on the circuit board;
a support structure (13) disposed on the circuit board (10) and surrounding the semiconductor die (14); and
a lid (12) disposed over the semiconductor die (14) and on the support structure (13), wherein the lid (12) has a window opening (12h) penetrating through the lid (12) and exposing at least a portion of the semiconductor die (14), wherein the lid (12) comprises a body portion,
wherein the window opening (12h) is configured to receive a light of an incident direction, and the incident direction is at an angle to the upper surface of the protrusion portion, so that the light hitting on the upper surface is reflected. (See FIGs. 1A, 2).
Thus, CHANG is shown to teach all the features of the claim with the exception of explicitly disclosing the lid comprises the body portion and a protrusion portion connected with the body portion.
However, TAKAGI teaches a semiconductor package including:
a lid (64), wherein the lid (64) has a window opening (90) penetrating through the lid (64), wherein the lid (90) comprises a body portion (91) and a protrusion portion (92) connected with the body portion (91) and protruded from the body portion (91), the protrusion portion (92) has an upper surface (91a), a bottom surface (64a) opposite to the upper surface (91a) and an first sidewall (92a) connecting the upper surface (91a) and the bottom surface (64a), and the body portion (91) has a top surface (64b) and an inner sidewall (91b) connecting the top surface (64b) and the upper surface (91a) of the protrusion portion (92), and
wherein the window opening (90) is configured to receive a light of an incident direction, and the incident direction is at an angle to the upper surface (91a) of the protrusion portion, so that the light hitting on the upper surface (91a) of the protrusion portion is reflected. (See FIG. 9(j).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time of invention was made to form the window opening of CHANG penetrating through the lid as taught by TAKAGI for the same intended purpose of exposing at least a portion the semiconductor device.
With respect to claim 2, in view of TAKAGI, the inner sidewall (91b) of the body portion of is a slant sidewall and there is an obtuse angle between the inner sidewall (91b) and the upper surface (91a) of the protrusion portion (92).
With respect to claim 3, the angle of CHANG or TAKAGI is a right angle.
With respect to claim 5, in view of TAKAGI, the window opening (90) includes a first opening (91) defined by the inner sidewall (91b) of the body portion and a second opening (92) defined by the first sidewall (92a) of the protrusion portion, a maximum width of the second opening (92) is smaller than a maximum width of the first opening (90).
With respect to claim 6, in view of TAKAGI, a minimum width of the first opening (91) is larger than the maximum width of the second opening (92).
With respect to claim 7, in view of TAKAGI, the first opening (91) and the second opening (92) are concentric from a top view.
With respect to claim 9, As best understood by the Examiner, in view of TAKAGI, the semiconductor package further comprising a sealant component (94) disposed inside the window opening (90). (See FIG. 3-4).
With respect to claim 11, CHANG teaches a semiconductor package, substantially as claimed including:
a circuit board (10);
a semiconductor die (14) disposed on the circuit board;
a support structure (13) disposed on the circuit board and surrounding the semiconductor die (14); and
a lid (12) disposed over the semiconductor die and on the support structure, wherein the lid (12) has a first window opening (12h) in a first region and the lid has a first thickness in the first region, wherein the lid comprises a body portion (12), and wherein the first window opening is configured to receive a light of an incident direction, the incident direction is at a first angle to a first light receiving surface , so that the light hitting on the first light receiving surface or the second light receiving surface is reflected. (See FIGs. 1A, 2).
Thus, CHANG is shown to teach all the features of the claim with the exception of explicitly disclosing the lid has a second window opening in a second region.
However, TAKAGI teaches a semiconductor package including:
a lid (64) disposed over the semiconductor structure (70) and on the support structure, wherein the lid (64) has a first window opening (91) in a first region and a second window opening (92) in a second region and the lid has a first thickness in the first region (91) a second thickness in the second region (92) that is different from the first thickness, wherein the lid comprises a body portion (64), a first protrusion portion located at a lower portion of the first window opening (91) and a second protrusion portion located at a lower portion of the second window opening (92), and wherein the first (91) and second (92) window openings are configured to receive a light of an incident direction, the incident direction is at a first angle to a first light receiving surface of the first protrusion portion and at a second angle to a second light receiving surface of the second protrusion portion, so that the light hitting on the first light receiving surface or the second light receiving surface is reflected. (See FIGs. 3, 9(j)).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time of invention was made to form the lid of CHANG having the first window opening in a first region and a second window opening in a second region as taught by TAKAGI for the same intended purpose of exposing at least a portion the semiconductor die.
With respect to claim 12, in view of TAKAGI, the first window opening (91) or the second window opening (2) has a round shape, an oval shape, a rectangular shape, an L-like shape or a polygonal shape from a top view.
With respect to claim 13, in view of TAKAGI, the first window opening (91) and the second window opening (92) have different maximum widths.
With respect to claim 14, in view of TAKAGI, a gap between the first region of the lid and the semiconductor die is different from a gap between the second region of the lid and the semiconductor structure (die).
With respect to claim 15, in view of TAKAGI, the first angle is a right angle and the second angle is an acute angle.
With respect to claim 16, in view of TAKAGI, the first angle is about 90 degrees and the second angle is about 90 degrees.
With respect to claim 17, in view of TAKAGI, the first angle is larger than 45 degrees and smaller than 90 degrees and the second angle is about 90 degrees.
With respect to claim 21, CHANG teaches a semiconductor package, substantially as claimed including:
a circuit board (10);
a semiconductor die (14) disposed on the circuit board;
a support structure (13) disposed on the circuit board and surrounding the semiconductor die; and
a lid (12), disposed over the semiconductor die (14) and on the support structure, wherein the lid has a first window opening (12h) in a first region,
wherein the lid comprises a body portion, and
wherein the first window opening is configured to receive a light of an incident direction, and a projection of the first window opening is overlapped with a span of the semiconductor die, so that the light passing through the first window opening (12h) is hitting on the top surface of the semiconductor die (14) and reflected. (See FIGs. 1A, 2).
Thus, CHANG is shown to teach all the features of the claim with the exception of explicitly disclosing the lid has a first window opening in a first region and a second window opening in a second region.
However, TAKAGI teaches a semiconductor package including:
a lid (64), disposed over the semiconductor structure (70), wherein the lid has a first window opening (91) in a first region and a second window opening (92) in a second region, there is a first gap between a top surface of the semiconductor structure (70) and a bottom surface of the lid in the first region, and there is a second gap between the top surface of the semiconductor structure (70) and the bottom surface of the lid in the second region, and the first gap is larger than the second gap,
wherein the lid comprises a body portion (64), a first protrusion portion located at a lower portion of the first window opening (91) and a second protrusion portion located at a lower portion of the second window opening (92), and
wherein the first (91) and second (92) window openings are configured to receive a light of an incident direction, and a projection of the first window opening (91) and a projection of the second window opening (92) are overlapped with a span of the semiconductor die, so that the light passing through the first window opening (91) or the second window opening (92) is hitting on the top surface of the semiconductor structure and reflected. (See FIGs. 3, 9(j)).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time of invention was made to form the lid of CHANG having the first window opening in a first region and a second window opening in a second region as taught by TAKAGI for the same intended purpose of exposing at least a portion the semiconductor die.
With respect to claim 22, in view of TAKAGI, the semiconductor package further comprising a sealant component (94) disposed within at least one of the first window opening and the second window opening. (See FIG. 4).
With respect to claim 23, in view of TAKAGI, the first light receiving surface, the second light receiving surface and the top surface of the semiconductor structure (die) are substantially perpendicular to the incidence direction.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ANH D MAI whose telephone number is (571)272-1710 (Email: Anh.Mai2@uspto.gov). The examiner can normally be reached 10:00-4:00PM.
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/ANH D MAI/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2893