DETAILED ACTION
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
This office action is in response to applicant’s Election/Restriction filed on 11/26/2025.
Currently claims 1-23 are pending in the application.
Election/Restrictions
Applicant's election without traverse of Group I, claims 1-15, in the reply filed on 11/26/2025 is acknowledged.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 09/28/2022 was filed before the mailing date of the office action. The submission is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement was considered by the examiner.
Claim Objections
Claims 2, 9 and 14 are objected to because of the following informalities:
Regarding claim 2, in the limitation of the claim, “the IC package of claim 1, wherein the first electrode is adjacent to the glass substrate, the organic material is adjacent to the first electrode, and the second electrode is adjacent to the organic material”, the underlined words “to” should be added.
Regarding claim 9, in the limitation of the claim, “the IC package of claim 8, wherein the build-up region includes a first side adjacent to the glass substrate and a second side opposite to the first side…”, the underlined words “to” should be added
Regarding claim 14, in the limitation of the claim, “the IC package of claim 12, wherein the glass substrate includes a cavity, the first electrode, the organic material, the second electrode, and the photonic integrated circuit is within the cavity of the glass substrate”, the underlined word should be replaced by ‘are’.
Appropriate correction is required.
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 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.
Claims 1-2, 6-9 and 11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102 (a) (1) as being anticipated by US 2005/0077615 A1 (Yu).
Regarding claim 1, Yu discloses, an integrated circuit (IC) package, comprising: a glass substrate (10; glass substrate; Fig. 2; [0148]);
a first electrode (162; first electrode; Fig. 2; [0148]);
an organic material (164; organic layer; Fig. 2; [0148]), the first electrode (162) between the glass substrate (10) and the organic material (164) (in oval-shaped area), the organic material (164) including at least one of a conjugated polymer (comprising a conductive polymer layer and an EL polymer; Fig. 2; [0148]) or a metal-organic supramolecule; and
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a second electrode (166; second electrode; Fig. 2; [0148]), the organic material (164) between the first electrode (162) and the second electrode (166) (Fig. 2; [0148]; in oval-shaped area).
Regarding claim 2, Yu discloses, the IC package of claim 1, wherein the first electrode (162) is adjacent the glass substrate (10), the organic material (164) is adjacent the first electrode (162), and the second electrode (166) is adjacent the organic material (164) (Fig. 2; [0148]).
Regarding claim 6, Yu discloses, the IC package of claim 1, wherein the organic material has a photoactive property ([0037]; Yu teaches a conjugated polymer as organic material [0148]), and conjugated materials are inherently photoactive. Yu mentioned in para. [0037] that organic electronic devices include: (1) devices that convert electrical energy into radiation (e.g., a light-emitting diode, light-emitting diode display, diode laser, or lighting panel), (2) devices that detect signals through electronics processes (e.g., photodetectors (e.g., photoconductive cells, photoresistors, photoswitches, phototransistors, phototubes), IR detectors), (3) devices that convert radiation into electrical energy (e.g., a photovoltaic device or solar cell), and (4) devices that include one or more electronic components that include one or more organic semiconductor layers (e.g., a transistor or diode).
Regarding claim 7, Yu discloses, the IC package of claim 1, wherein the organic material has an electrochromic property ([0037]; Yu teaches a conjugated polymer as organic material [0148]), and conjugated materials inherently possess electrochromic property. Yu mentioned in para. [0037] that organic electronic devices include: (1) devices that convert electrical energy into radiation (e.g., a light-emitting diode, light-emitting diode display, diode laser, or lighting panel), (2) devices that detect signals through electronics processes (e.g., photodetectors (e.g., photoconductive cells, photoresistors, photoswitches, phototransistors, phototubes), IR detectors), (3) devices that convert radiation into electrical energy (e.g., a photovoltaic device or solar cell), and (4) devices that include one or more electronic components that include one or more organic semiconductor layers (e.g., a transistor or diode).
Regarding claim 8, Yu discloses, the IC package of claim 1, including a build-up region (as annotated on Fig. 2), the first electrode (162), the organic material (164), and the second electrode (166) embedded in the build-up region (Fig. 2; [0148]).
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Regarding claim 9, Yu discloses, the IC package of claim 8, wherein the build-up region (as annotated on Fig. 2) includes a first side (as annotated on Fig. 2) adjacent the glass substrate (10) and a second side (as annotated on Fig. 2) opposite the first side, the second electrode (166) closer to the glass substrate (10) than the second side of the build-up region is to the glass substrate (10).
Regarding claim 11, Yu discloses, the IC package of claim 8, wherein the first electrode (162), the organic material (164), and the second electrode (166) are to collectively implement a photodetector ([0037]) responsive to light passing through the glass substrate (this is the function of a photodetector; Fig. 2; [0037]).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 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 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 of this title, 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.
The factual inquiries set forth in Graham v. John Deere Co., 383 U.S. 1, 148 USPQ 459 (1966), that are applied for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
Claim 3 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over US 2005/0077615 A1 (Yu) as applied to claim 1 and further in view of US 2024/0341118 A1 (Namin).
Regarding claim 3, Yu fails to teach explicitly, the IC package of claim 1, wherein the glass substrate defines a waveguide to direct light toward the organic material.
However, in analogous art, Namin discloses, the IC package of claim 1, wherein the glass substrate (12; glass substrate; Fig. 4; [0014]) defines a waveguide to direct light toward the organic material (20; EML; Fig. 4; [0014]; Namin teaches that the light 42 generated in the EML 20 passes through the glass substrate 12 at an angle (θ) 44 greater than the critical angle (θc) 46, the light 42 is totally reflected back in the glass substrate 12 (referred to as “total internal reflection” (TIR): see the light 42″) at the interface between the glass 12 and air (with a refractive index nair of about 1). A similar process occurs at the interfaces between the organic and inorganic layers. Therefore, a large portion of the generated light is trapped inside the device as “waveguide modes” in the layers and in the substrate).
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Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, having the teachings of Yu and Namin before him/her, to modify the teachings of an integrated circuit using an organic material as taught by Yu and to include the teachings of glass substrate defining a waveguide to direct light toward the organic material as taught by Namin since it would improve the transmission efficiency of the photodiode and the glass substrate can be engineered to include the characteristics of a waveguide. Absent this important teaching in Yu, a person with ordinary skill in the art would be motivated to reach out to Namin while forming an integrated circuit of Yu.
Claim 4 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over US 2005/0077615 A1 (Yu) as applied to claim 1 and further in view of US 2011/0257294 A1 (Cardinali).
Regarding claim 4, Yu fails to teach explicitly, the IC package of claim 1, wherein the conjugated polymer includes double carbon bonds.
However, in analogous art, Cardinali discloses, the IC package of claim 1, wherein the conjugated polymer includes double carbon bonds ([0001]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, having the teachings of Yu and Cardinali before him/her, to modify the teachings of an integrated circuit using conjugated polymer as taught by Yu and to include the teachings of conjugated polymer including double-carbon bonds as taught by Cardinali since double-carbon bonded polymers offer advantages such as higher energy capacity, increased flexibility and stretchability, superior mechanical strength, better conductivity, and tunable properties for sensors, often outperforming traditional materials by combining carbon's unique attributes with polymer flexibility and processing ease. Absent this important teaching in Yu, a person with ordinary skill in the art would be motivated to reach out to Cardinali while forming an integrated circuit of Yu.
Claim 5 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over US 2005/0077615 A1 (Yu) as applied to claim 1 and further in view of US 2022/0376181 A1 (Chang).
Regarding claim 5, Yu fails to teach explicitly, the IC package of claim 1, wherein the conjugated polymer is a thiadiazoloquinoxaline-based polymer.
However, in analogous art, Chang discloses, the IC package of claim 1, wherein the conjugated polymer is a thiadiazoloquinoxaline-based polymer ([0042]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, having the teachings of Yu and Chang before him/her, to modify the teachings of an integrated circuit using conjugated polymer as taught by Yu and to include the teachings of conjugated polymer being a thiadiazoloquinoxaline-based polymer as taught by Chang since Yu failed to mention the details of conjugated polymer. Absent this important teaching in Yu, a person with ordinary skill in the art would be motivated to reach out to Chang while forming an integrated circuit of Yu.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 10 and 12-15 are objected to as being dependent upon rejected base claims, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent forms including all of the limitations of the base claims and any intervening claims.
Regarding claim 10, the closest prior art, US 2005/0077615 A1 (Yu), in combination with US 20240341118 A1 (Namin), US 2011/0257294 A1 (Cardinali) US 2022/0376181 A1 (Chang), fails to disclose, “the IC package of claim 8, further including a semiconductor die, the semiconductor die electrically coupled to at least one of the first electrode or the second electrode”, in combination with the additionally claimed features, as are claimed by the Applicant.
Regarding claim 12, the closest prior art, US 2005/0077615 A1 (Yu), in combination with US 20240341118 A1 (Namin), US 2011/0257294 A1 (Cardinali) US 2022/0376181 A1 (Chang), fails to disclose, “the IC package of claim 1, further including a photonic integrated circuit, the second electrode between the organic material and the photonic integrated circuit”, in combination with the additionally claimed features, as are claimed by the Applicant.
Claims 13-15 are also objected to due to their dependence on an objected base claim.
Examiner’s Note (Additional Prior Arts)
The examiner included a few prior arts which were not used in the rejection but are relevant to the disclosure.
US 2024/0196638 A1 (Wang) - A light-emitting device is disclosed including a first electrode and a second electrode arranged opposite to each other, and a light-emitting functional layer located between the first electrode and the second electrode. The light-emitting functional layer includes a first light-emitting layer, and the first light-emitting layer includes a first light-emitting material. The first light-emitting material is configured to emit light in response to a control of an electrical signal on the first electrode and an electrical signal on the second electrode. The light-emitting functional layer further includes a second light-emitting material. A difference between a Stokes shift of the first light-emitting material and a Stokes shift of the second light-emitting material is in a range of 10 nm to 50 nm, inclusive.
US 2008/0297029 A1 (Cok) - An electroluminescent (EL) device is disclosed that includes a light-emitting area formed over a substrate. First and second electrodes and one or more EL unit(s) are included along with at least one light-emitting layer formed between the electrodes, wherein at least one electrode is transparent. A cover is located over the light-emitting area, and a light-scattering layer is located between the substrate and cover. The light-scattering layer includes transparent, light-scattering particles, wherein the ratio of the volume of light-scattering particles to the volume of the light-scattering layer is greater than 0.55 over a majority of the light-emitting area, wherein either the substrate or cover is transparent and transmits light emitted from the EL unit(s).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to S M SOHEL IMTIAZ whose telephone number is (408) 918-7566. The examiner can normally be reached on 8AM-5PM, M-F, PST.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Christine S. Kim can be reached at 571-272-8458. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/S M SOHEL IMTIAZ/Primary Patent Examiner
Art Unit 2812
01/15/2026