DETAILED ACTION/EXAMINER’S COMMENT
This Office action responds to the amendments filed on 03/02/2026.
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 . In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for a 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.
Amendment Status
Applicant’s response filed on 03/02/2026 in reply to the final rejection mailed on 12/03/2025, has been entered. The present Office action is made with all previously suggested amendments being fully considered. Claims 23 & 24 are added. Claims 3-6 are withdrawn. Accordingly, pending in this Office action are claims 1, 2, 9, 23, & 24.
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, 2, 9, 23, & 24 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yang (US 20210098398) in view of Harris (US 20220115348).
Regarding Claim 1, Yang (see, e.g., fig. 2a) shows an electronic device, comprising:
a first structure body 200 (526a in fig. 6a, see, e.g., para.0025) including
a first base body 102, 110, & 204
a first wiring part 108 (see, e.g., para.0027) located at the first base body,
a first bonding electrode 206 & 208 (combined, see, e.g., para.0028-29) electrically connected with the first wiring part,
a first insulating film 120 & 204 (see, e.g., para.0021, para.0028) located between the first wiring part 108 and the first bonding electrode 206 & 208,
and a second structure body 200 (526b in fig. 6a, see, e.g., para.0025) including
a second base body 102, 110, & 204 (of 526b),
a second wiring part 108 (of 526b) located at the second base body,
and a second bonding electrode 208 (of 526b) electrically connected with the second wiring part,
the first bonding electrode and the second bonding electrode being bonded to each other between the first base body 526a and the second base body 526b (at 602b),
Yang, however, fails to show
and a plurality of first hard parts;
each of the first hard parts being located on the first insulating film between the first insulating film and the second base body,
each of the first hard parts being positioned entirely within an area in which the first bonding electrode is located when viewed along a first direction,
the first direction being from the first base body toward the first bonding electrode,
each of the first hard parts being smaller than the first bonding electrode when viewed along the first direction,
each of the first hard parts having a greater Young’s modulus or Vickers higher hardness than the first bonding electrode.
Harris (see, e.g., figs. 2-3, fig. 4b, para.0034-0036), in a similar device to Yang , teaches that a plurality of hard parts 40, three dimensional projections formed of and protruding from contact pad 36would increase surface area and improve the reliability and strength of the bond to the interconnection structure 30.
It would have been obvious at the time of filing the invention to one of ordinary skill in the art to use the plurality of hard parts of Harris in element 116 of the device of Yang to increase surface area and improve the reliability and strength of the bond to the interconnection structure 124.
Therefore. Yang (see, e.g., annotated figure 1), in view of Harris (see, e.g., figs. 2-3, fig. 4b) , shows
and a plurality of first hard parts 116 (modified in view of Harris);
each of the first hard parts being located on the first insulating film between the first insulating film and the second base body (located on 204 of first insulating film),
each of the first hard parts being positioned entirely within an area in which the first bonding electrode is located when viewed along a first direction (vertical, see, e.g., fig. 4b),
the first direction being from the first base body toward the first bonding electrode,
each of the first hard parts being smaller than the first bonding electrode when viewed along the first direction,
each of the first hard parts 116 (modified in view of Harris) having a greater Young’s modulus or Vickers higher hardness than the first bonding electrode 206 & 208.
Yang (see, e.g., para.0020) states 116, the material for the plurality of first hard parts, can be titanium or chromium and 206 of the first bonding electrode can be aluminum. Therefore, each of the first hard parts has a greater Young’s modulus and Vickers hardness than the first bonding electrode.
Regarding Claim 2, Yang (see, e.g., fig. 2a), in view of Harris shows the device according to claim 1,
wherein each of the first hard parts 116 (modified in view of Harris) is located between the first bonding electrode 124 and the first wiring part 108.
Also in regards to Claim 2, Yang, in view of Harris, teaches the first bonding electrode can be element 206 & 208 or element 124. In this situation element 124 is interpreted as the first bonding electrode and satisfies the limitations for Claim 1, on which Claim 2 depends.
Regarding Claim 9, Yang (see, e.g., para.0028-0029), in view of Harris, shows the device according to claim 1,
wherein the first bonding electrode 206 & 208 includes at least one selected from the group consisting of gold, aluminum, copper, and iridium (see, e.g., para.0028),
and each of the first hard parts 116 (modified in view of Harris) includes at least one selected from the group consisting of silicon oxide, silicon nitride, tungsten, titanium nitride, palladium, and titanium (see, e.g., para.0029).
Regarding Claim 23, Yang (see, e.g., fig. 2a, annotated figure 1), in view of Harris, shows the electronic device of claim 1,
wherein the first insulating film 120 & 204 has a first opening in which the first wiring part 108 contacts the first bonding electrode 206 & 208 (direct and electrical contact through 206, see, e.g., fig. 2a),
and a position of the first opening is between the two of the plurality of first hard parts in a second direction (horizontal) perpendicular to the first direction (vertical) (see, e.g., annotated figure 1)
Regarding Claim 24, Yang (see, e.g., fig. 2a, fig. 6a), in view of Harris, shows the electronic device of claim 23,
wherein the second structure body further includes a second insulating film 120 & 204 (of 526b, see, e.g., para.0034) located between the second wiring part 108 (of 526b) and the second bonding electrode 208 (of 526b),
the second insulating film having a second opening in which the second wiring part contacts the second bonding electrode (indirect and electrical contact through element 206).
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 1, 2, & 9 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
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to FERNANDO JOSE RAMOS-DIAZ whose telephone number is (571) 270-5855. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Fri 8am-5pm.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Wael Fahmy can be reached on 571-272-1705. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/F.R.D./ Examiner, Art Unit 2814
Examiner, Art Unit 2814
/WAEL M FAHMY/ Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2814
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