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 .
DETAILED ACTION
This action is responsive to the application No. 18/153,470 filed on November 18, 2025.
Information Disclosure Statement
Acknowledgement is made of Applicant’s Information Disclosure Statement (IDS) form PTO-1449. These IDS has been considered.
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of claims 1-12, drawn to device, Group I, in the reply filed on 11/18/2025 is acknowledged.
Claims 13-20 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to nonelected method claims, Group II, there being no allowable generic or linking claim.
Specification
6. 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: “Coaxial I/O Die Comprising Coaxial Input/Output (IO) Connections, and Coaxial Probing Tools for Measuring RF Signal Performance and Integrity.”
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
7. 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.
8. 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.
9. Claims 1-2 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1)/ (a)(2) as¶ being anticipated by Immorlica Jr. et al. (US 5,151,769).
Regarding independent claim 1, Immorlica Jr. et al. teaches a semiconductor package, comprising (Fig. 3):
an interconnect (24/25 metallization layers, col. 5, lines 29-31);
a mixed signal die (14 analog/digital, col. 2, lines 62-64) having a first surface (bottom surface) operably engaged with the interconnect (24/25) and a second surface (upper surface) opposite to the first surface; and
at least one set of input/output (IO) connections (28 left-side) on the mixed signal die (14);
wherein the at least one set of IO connections (28 left-side) is configured to be electromagnetically shielded in a non-linear geometry from at least another set of IO connections (28 right-side) that is different from the at least one set of IO connections (this is a functional limitation/an intended use).
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Regarding claim 2, Immorlica Jr et al. teaches wherein (Fig. 3), the at least one set of IO connections (28 left-side) further comprises:
at least one radio frequency (RF) connection (29) formed on the mixed signal die (14);
wherein at least one bond pad (27) of the at least one RF connection (29) is configured to be electromagnetically shielded in a non-linear geometry from the at least another set of IO connections adjacent to the at least one RF connection (this is a functional limitation/an intended use).
Allowable Subject Matter
10. Claims 3 (claims 5-10 depend on the claim 3), 4, 11-12 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Claim 3 recites …. wherein the at least one set of IO connections further comprises: at least one radio frequency (RF) connection formed on the mixed signal die; the at least one RF connection comprises: a first bond pad; and a second bond pad circumferentially surrounded by the first bond pad in a continuous, non-linear geometry to electromagnetically shield the second bond pad.
Claim 4 recites …. wherein the at least one set of IO connections further comprises: at least one radio frequency (RF) connection formed to the second surface of the mixed signal die; the at least one RF connection comprises: a first bond pad; and a second bond pad circumferentially surrounded by the first bond pad in a continuous, curvilinear shape to electromagnetically shield the second bond pad.
Claim 11 recites …. wherein the mixed signal die comprises: a first peripheral edge; a second peripheral edge being perpendicular to the first peripheral edge; a third peripheral edge being parallel with the first peripheral edge and perpendicular to the second peripheral edge; and a fourth peripheral edge being parallel with the second peripheral edge and perpendicular to the third peripheral edge; wherein the at least one RF connection is located interior to the first peripheral edge, the second peripheral edge, the third peripheral edge, and the fourth peripheral edge.
Claim 12 recites …. wherein the mixed signal die comprises: a first peripheral edge; a second peripheral edge being perpendicular to the first peripheral edge; a third peripheral edge being parallel with the first peripheral edge and perpendicular to the second peripheral edge; and a fourth peripheral edge being parallel with the second peripheral edge and perpendicular to the third peripheral edge; wherein the at least one RF connection is located proximate to at least one of the first peripheral edge, the second peripheral edge, the third peripheral edge, and the fourth peripheral edge.
11. Prior arts, Immorlica Jr. et al. (US 5,151,769) or Huemoeller et al. (US 8432022 B1) does not disclose the RF connection comprises multiple bond pads, such as first bond, second bond pad circumferentially surrounded by the first bond pad in a continuous manner, non-linear geometry to electromagnetically shield the second bond pad. Therefore, the prior art of references stated in PTO-892 does not depict the limitations as stated above.
Examiner’s Note
12. Applicant is reminded that the Examiner is entitled to give the broadest reasonable interpretation to the language of the claims. Furthermore, the Examiner is not limited to Applicants' definition which is not specifically set forth in the claims. See MPEP 2111, 2123, 2125, 2141.02 VI, and 2182.
Examiner has cited particular paragraphs and/or columns/lines in the references applied to the claims above for the convenience of the applicant. Although the specified citations are representative of the teachings of the art and are applied to specific limitations within the individual claim, other passages and figures may apply as well. It is respectfully requested from the applicant in preparing responses, to fully consider the references in their entirety as potentially teaching all or part of the claimed invention, as well as the context of the passage as taught by the prior art or disclosed by the Examiner. See MPEP 2141.02 VI.
In the case of amending the claimed invention, Applicant is respectfully requested to indicate the portion(s) of the specification which dictate(s) the structure relied on for proper interpretation and also to verify and ascertain the metes and bounds of the claimed invention.
Conclusion
13. Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to DIDARUL MAZUMDER whose telephone number is (571)272-8823. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9-5.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
14. If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, William Partridge can be reached at 571-270-1402. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/DIDARUL A MAZUMDER/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2812
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