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 .
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.
Claim(s) 1 and 10 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Lin et al. (US pub 20200168572).
With respect to claim 1, Lin et al. teach an electronic device, comprising (see figs. 1-14, particularly fig. 1A and associated text):
a multilevel package substrate 106 having opposite first (top) and second (bottom) substrate sides, first (middle part) and second (edge part) conductive pads spaced apart from one another along the first substrate side, and a conductive substrate terminal (connector right above 160) that is exposed along the second substrate side and is electrically coupled to the second conductive pad;
a semiconductor die 110 attached to the first substrate side and having opposite first (bottom) and second (top) die sides, and a die terminal 111,109 along the first die side, the die terminal electrically coupled to the first conductive pad; and
a molded package structure 120 that encloses the semiconductor die and a portion of the first substrate side, the molded package structure having a package side (top), a metal shield 132 along the package side, and a conductive package via 122 that extends through the molded package structure and electrically couples the metal shield to the second conductive pad.
With respect to claim 10, Lin et al. teach the multilevel package substrate has multiple instances of the second conductive pad (middle 104); each instance of the second conductive pad is electrically coupled to the conductive substrate terminal (connector right above 160); the molded package structure has multiple instances of the conductive package via 122 (right/left); and each instance of the conductive package via extends through the molded package structure and electrically couples the metal shield to the second conductive pad (edge part of 104). See fig. 1A and associated text.
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.
Claim(s) 12 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lin et al. (US pub 20200168572) in combination with Wake et al. (JP 2006269892).
With respect to claim 12, Lin et al. fail to teach electromagnetic shielding includes a ferrite metal material.
Wake et al. teach using a ferrite metal material as electromagnetic shielding material. See English description of claim 9.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art of making semiconductor devices to incorporate the teaching of Wake et al. into the device of Lin et al. to achieve excellent noise suppression. See English description of claim 9.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 2-9, and 11 are allowed.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 3/18/26 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive. See below.
In response to the applicant’s arguments on pages 8-11 of the amendment dated 3/18/26, it is submitted that Lin et al. teach a molded package structure 120 that encloses the semiconductor die and a portion of the first substrate side, the molded package structure having a package side (top), a metal shield 132 along the package side. Further it is submitted the claim language does not require the molded structure to enclose the die and a portion of the first substrate completely. Further it is submitted the claim language does not require the metal shield to be a continuous metal layer.
Conclusion
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. 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.
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LONG . PHAM
Examiner
Art Unit 2823
/LONG PHAM/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2897
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