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 .
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of invention Group I (claims 1-15) in the reply filed on 12/26/2025 is acknowledged.
Claims 16-25 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected invention, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on 12/26/2025.
Drawings
The drawings are objected to as failing to comply with 37 CFR 1.84(p)(4) because of the following informalities:
reference character “208” has been used to designate both “vias” (FIG. 2A) and “resist layer” (FIGs. 2B-2D, ¶ 28)
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. 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.
Specification
The disclosure is objected to because of the following informalities:
The reference character “210” has been used to describe “vias”, “traces”, and “pads” (¶ 23,24,28).
Appropriate correction is required.
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.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 5 and 13 rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor, or for pre-AIA the applicant regards as the invention.
Claim 5 reciting “a nickel, palladium, gold or combination thereof layer that circumscribes a portion of the pad” renders the claim indefinite. It is unclear if “the pad” is the same as or different from “first pad” previously recited in claim 1.
Claim 13 reciting “a nickel, palladium, gold or combination thereof layer that circumscribes a portion of the pad” renders the claim indefinite. It is unclear if “the pad” is intended to refer to “first and second pads” previously recited in claim 10 or intended to refer to another different “pad”.
Other claims are rejected for depending on a rejected claim.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1-3, 5, 7, 9-13 and 15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Karhade et al. US 2021/0391295 A1 (Karhade).
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In re claim 1, Karhade discloses (e.g. FIG. 53) a microelectronics package comprising:
a substrate 102 having a substrate surface (surface at bottom of cavity 120);
a first die 130-1;
a solder resist layer 104 (¶ 29) connected to the substrate 102, the solder resist layer 104 defining an opening 120;
a first pad 180 protruding from the substrate surface (surface at bottom of cavity 120); and
a bridge 110 located at least partially within the opening 120 and in between the first die 130-1 and the substrate 102, the bridge 110 comprising a first via that forms a first electrical pathway from the first pad 180 to the first die 130-1 (bridge 110 having conductive pathways including vias to contacts 118 at its top surface and “to other conductive contacts” (¶ 30), such as to contacts 182 at its bottom face (¶ 72)).
In re claim 2, Karhade discloses (e.g. FIG. 53) wherein the bridge 110 is not embedded with the solder resist layer 104.
In re claim 3, Karhade discloses (e.g. FIG. 53) wherein the bridge 110 is spaced a distance from the substrate surface (surface at bottom of cavity 120).
In re claim 5, as best understood, Karhade discloses (e.g. FIG. 53) further comprising a nickel, palladium, gold, or combination thereof layer 116 (layer between 106 and 180) that circumscribes a portion of “the pad” 180. Surface finish 116 on exposed surface of 180 (¶ 72), and surface finish can be nickel, palladium, and/or gold (¶ 62,195,196)
In re claim 7, Karhade discloses (e.g. FIG. 53) further comprising:
a second pad 180 (another one of 180); and
a second die 130-2,
wherein the bridge 110 including a second via that forms a second electrical pathway from the second pad 180 to the second die 130-2 (bridge 110 having conductive pathways including vias to contacts 118 at its top surface and “to other conductive contacts” (¶ 30), such as to contacts 182 at its bottom face (¶ 72)).
In re claim 9, Karhade discloses (e.g. FIG. 53) wherein the first via (bridge 110 having conductive pathways including vias, FIG. 59, ¶ 30) is a power via (¶ 72,97).
In re claim 10, Karhade discloses (e.g. FIG. 53) a microelectronics package comprising:
a substrate 102 having a substrate surface (surface at bottom of cavity 120);
first and second dies 130-1,130-2;
a solder resist layer 104 (¶ 29) connected to the substrate 102, the solder resist layer 104 defining an opening 120;
first and second pads 180 protruding from the substrate surface(surface at bottom of cavity 120);
a plurality of pillars 106, a first subset and a second subset of the plurality of pillars 106 (large 106, no specific “pillars” claimed that would structurally distinguish over conductive solder 106) extending from the substrate 102 to the first and second dies 130-1,130-2, respectively; and
a bridge 110 located at least partially within the opening 120 and in between the substrate 102 and the first and second dies 130-1,130-2, the bridge 110 comprising:
a first via that forms a first electrical pathway from the first pad 180 to the first die 130-1 (bridge 110 having conductive pathways including vias to contacts 118 at its top surface and “to other conductive contacts” (¶ 30), such as to contacts 182 at its bottom face (¶ 72); vias connected to the left side contacts 118 are coupled to die 130-1), and
a second via that forms a second electrical pathway from the second pad 180 to the second die 130-2 (bridge 110 having conductive pathways including vias to contacts 118 at its top surface and “to other conductive contacts” (¶ 30), such as to contacts 182 at its bottom face (¶ 72); vias connected to the right side contacts 118 are coupled to die 130-2).
In re claim 11, Karhade discloses (e.g. FIG. 53) wherein the bridge 110 is not embedded with the solder resist layer 104.
In re claim 12, Karhade discloses (e.g. FIG. 53) wherein the bridge 110 is spaced a distance from the substrate surface (surface at bottom of cavity 120).
In re claim 13, as best understood, Karhade discloses (e.g. FIG. 53) further comprising a nickel, palladium, gold, or combination thereof layer 116 (layer between 106 and 180) that circumscribes a portion of “the pad” 180. Surface finish 116 on exposed surface of 180 (¶ 72), and surface finish can be nickel, palladium, and/or gold (¶ 62,195,196)
In re claim 15, Karhade discloses (e.g. FIG. 53) wherein the first and second vias (bridge 110 having conductive pathways including vias, FIG. 59, ¶ 30) are power vias (¶ 72,97).
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 4 and 6 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Karhade as applied to claim 1 above.
In re claim 4, Karhade discloses (e.g. FIG. 53) the bridge is spaced above the substrate surface at the bottom of the cavity by a distance corresponding to a thickness of contacts 180 where structures above contacts 180 including 106,182 are considered to be a part of the bridge. Karhade further discloses a thickness of metal lines of the contacts is between 5 microns and 25 microns (¶ 31). As such, Karhade teaches the “bridge” (including conductive elements between 180 and 110) is spaced from the substrate surface by 5 microns to 25 microns. It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide the contacts 180 with a thickness from about 5 microns to about 10 microns in view of the overlapping range. As such, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to form Karhade’s bridge (including conductive elements between 180 and 110) to be spaced from about 5 microns to about 10 microns above the surface of the substrate the bottom of the cavity. In the case where the claimed ranges "overlap or lie inside ranges disclosed by the prior art" a prima facie case of obviousness exists. In re Wertheim, 541 F.2d 257, 191 USPQ 90 (CCPA 1976); In re Woodruff, 919 F.2d 1575, 16 USPQ2d 1934 (Fed. Cir. 1990); In re Geisler, 116 F.3d 1465, 1469-71, 43 USPQ2d 1362, 1365-66 (Fed. Cir. 1997). See MPEP 2144.05.
In re claim 6, Karhade discloses (e.g. FIG. 53) wherein the bridge 110 has a thickness between 30 microns and 200 microns (¶ 31). The claimed thickness from about 35 microns to about 70 microns is overlapped and within the range disclosed by Karhade. It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide the bridge 110 with a thickness from about 35 microns to about 70 microns based on desired functionality and overall device size. In the case where the claimed ranges "overlap or lie inside ranges disclosed by the prior art" a prima facie case of obviousness exists. In re Wertheim, 541 F.2d 257, 191 USPQ 90 (CCPA 1976); In re Woodruff, 919 F.2d 1575, 16 USPQ2d 1934 (Fed. Cir. 1990); In re Geisler, 116 F.3d 1465, 1469-71, 43 USPQ2d 1362, 1365-66 (Fed. Cir. 1997). See MPEP 2144.05.
Claims 8 and 14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Karhade as applied to claims 1 and 10 above, and further in view of Liu et al. US 2014/0353827 A1 (Liu).
In re claims 8 and 14, Karhade discloses the claimed invention including the solder resist layer 104 above the substrate 102, and contacts 114 between the top surface of the substrate 102 and solder resist layer 104.
Karhade does not explicitly disclose a palladium seed located in between the solder resist layer and the substrate.
However, Liu teaches a package substrate 150 comprising contacts 135 on the top surface of the substrate 150, wherein the contacts are formed by (FIGs. 3-8) providing a seed layer 330,610 coating the via holes 332,604 followed by forming plating to form contacts 410,620, wherein the seed layer 330,610 include palladium seed (¶ 44,51). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide a palladium seed under Karhade’s contacts 116 to enhance the plating layer as is well-known in the art. As such, a palladium seed under the contacts 116 is located between the solder resist layer 104 and the remainder of the substrate 102.
It has been held to be within the general skill of a worker in the art to select a known material on the basis of its suitability for the intended use as a matter of obvious design choice. In re Leshin, 227 F.2d 197, 125 USPQ 416 (CCPA 1960).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to YU CHEN whose telephone number is (571)270-7881. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday: 9AM-5PM ET.
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/YU CHEN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2896
YU CHEN
Examiner
Art Unit 2896