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 group 2 in the reply filed on November 11, 2025 is acknowledged.
Specification
The disclosure is objected to because of the following informalities: paragraph 35, line 4 refers to Figure 15, however, it is the examiner’s position that the applicant most likely intended to reference Figure 14. Appropriate correction is required.
Drawings
The drawings are objected to as failing to comply with:
37 CFR 1.84(p)(5) because they do not include the following reference sign(s) mentioned in the description: “300” (paragraph [0023], line 10 and paragraph [0024], line 3); and/or
37 CFR 1.84(p)(4) because reference character “30” has been used to designate both bonding pads (FIG. 5) and openings in the patterned polymer layer (FIG. 4).
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.
Claim Objections
Claim 14 is objected to because of the following informalities: the first subordinate clause (page 4, line 2) ends with a period when it should end with a semicolon. Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 101
35 U.S.C. 101 reads as follows:
Whoever invents or discovers any new and useful process, machine, manufacture, or composition of matter, or any new and useful improvement thereof, may obtain a patent therefor, subject to the conditions and requirements of this title.
Claim 27 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 101 because the claimed invention is directed to a natural phenomenon without significantly more. The claim(s) recite(s) "during the disposing of the underfill material between the second component and the under-bump metallization, a crack in the underfill material propagates into the portion of the patterned polymer layer filling the annular pocket but is blocked by the guard ring from penetrating into the redistribution layer." A crack forming in the underfill is a result of the natural phenomenon of thermal expansion, as disclosed by the applicant’s specification (paragraph [0014], lines 5-9). This judicial exception is not integrated into a practical application because the natural cracking of underfill in the claimed process does not produce a substantially different result than if it were not to occur. The claim(s) does/do not include additional elements that are sufficient to amount to significantly more than the judicial exception because the natural cracking of the underfill is not integrated into a practical application of the claimed process.
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 18 and 27 are 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 applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Claim 18 recites "the electrically conductive material" in line 2. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim. For the purpose of examination this limitation will be interpreted as “an electrically conductive material”.
Claim 27 recites “a crack in the underfill material propagates into the portion of the patterned polymer layer filling the annular pocket but is blocked by the guard ring from penetrating into the redistribution layer” in lines 5-8. It is unclear whether the applicant is claiming the crack itself or purposely forming the crack and then preventing it. It appears that the applicant is trying to claim protection from a possible formation of a crack. The examiner suggests changing the language of this limitation of the claim to something along the lines of “wherein the guard ring prevents a crack that may be formed during disposing of the underfill material from penetrating into the redistribution layer.” For the purpose of examination, this limitation will be interpreted as the formation of a crack which is blocked by the guard ring, in an attempt to follow the meaning of the claim limitation as given.
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.
Claim(s) 10, 11, 13, 21, 22, 23, 26, and 28 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1)/102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Chung et al. (US 20210257325 A1, hereinafter Chung).
Regarding claim 10, Chung teaches a method of manufacturing a semiconductor package comprising:
forming an under-bump metallization, including disposing a polymer on a substrate (FIG. 5, element 180; col 5, lines 7-8, photoresist is disposed over a substrate, photoresist being a specific kind of polymer);
that polymer layer being patterned (FIG. 5, elements 182 and 184; col 5 lines 9-12); and
forming a bonding pad and a guard ring on the patterned polymer layer, the guard ring including an annular ring encircling the bonding pad and a connector ring connecting between the bonding pad and the annular ring (FIG. 6, elements 150 and 172; col 5, lines 15-28, seed layer 172 is exposed to annular openings 182 and 184, thus connecting to the bonding pad and annular ring 150); and
forming a redistribution layer comprising a plurality of metallization layers embedded in intermetal dielectric material, the metallization layers of the redistribution layer electrically connecting a semiconductor die with the under-bump metallization (FIG. 18, elements 350 (semiconductor die), 123 (redistribution layer), and 160 (conductive ball mounted on under-bump metallization) redistribution layer includes a plurality of dielectric and metal layers connecting the semiconductor die to UBM, please see attached figure,).
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Regarding claim 11, Chung further teaches the guard ring forms an annular pocket encircling the bonding pad, the annular pocket being filled with a portion of the polymer layer (FIG. 6, please see attached figure).
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Regarding claim 13, Chung further teaches forming the bonding pad and guard ring by copper plating (col 4, lines 30-35, seed layer 172 may be copper and may be used in a plating process for forming the UBM 150, inherently a copper plating process by the composition of the seed layer).
Regarding claim 21, Chung further teaches the portion of the patterned polymer layer filling the annular pocket is bounded by the bonding pad, guard ring, and connector ring (FIG 6., please see attached figure).
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Regarding claim 22, Chung further teaches
the guard ring further includes a second annular ring encircling the annular ring, the connector ring further connecting between the annular ring and second annular ring (FIG. 14 element 150a; col 7, line 48 through col 8, line 6, the openings 194 and 196 may be annular, resulting in annular rings encircling a bonding pad after copper plating of seed layer 172, please see attached figure); and
a second annular pocket is formed between the annular ring and the second annular ring, the second annular ring being filled with a second portion of the patterned polymer layer (FIG. 14, please see attached figure).
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Regarding claim 23, Chung further teaches the second portion of the patterned polymer layer filling the second annular pocket is bounded by the annular ring, second annular ring, and connector ring (FIG 14, please see the figure attached above).
Regarding claim 26, Chung further teaches the bonding pad, annular ring, and connector ring each comprise copper, aluminum, a copper alloy, or an aluminum alloy (paragraph [0034], lines 6-10, Chung discloses a process of forming the bonding pad, connector ring, and annular ring using plating on a copper seed layer, inherently making the guard ring and bonding pad therein copper or an alloy thereof). Notably, aluminum and aluminum alloys are also well known in the art for their use in under-bump metallizations.
Regarding claim 28, Chung teaches a method of manufacturing a semiconductor package comprising:
forming an under-bump metallization, including disposing a polymer on a substrate (FIG. 5, element 180; col 5, lines 7-8);
that polymer layer being patterned to have openings (FIG. 5, elements 182 and 184; col 5 lines 9-12); and
forming a bonding pad on the patterned polymer layer, the bonding pad surrounded by an isolated portion of the patterned polymer layer that is isolated from a remainder of the patterned polymer layer (FIG. 6, please see attached figure); and
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forming a redistribution layer comprising a plurality of metallization layers embedded in intermetal dielectric material, the metallization layers of the redistribution layer electrically connecting a semiconductor die with the under-bump metallization (FIG. 18, please see attached figure).
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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) 24 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Chung.
Regarding claim 24, Chung teaches the method of claim 11. Chung does not explicitly teach that the annulus of the annular pocket has a width between 30 and 40 microns. However, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to try various ranges of annular pocket width to optimize the under-bump metallization surface area for packing density or contact surface properties such as durability, since it has been held that where the general conditions of a claim are disclosed in the prior art, discovering the optimum or workable ranges involves only routine skill in the art. In re Aller, 105 USPQ 233 (CCPA 1955).
Claim(s) 12 and 25 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Chung, and further in view of Chen, Wei-Yu et al. (US 20170005052 A1, hereinafter Chen, W.).
Regarding claim 12, Chung teaches the method of claim 10. Chung does not explicitly teach that patterning the polymer layer is performed through a photolithography process. However, in the same field of endeavor Chen, W. teaches that patterning the polymer layer (126) is performed through a photolithographic process (paragraph [0032]). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to combine the teachings of Chung and Chen, W. to provide a repeatable and precise method of patterning the polymer layer.
Regarding claim 25, Chung, teaches the method of claim 24, but does not explicitly teach that the annulus of the annular ring has a width between 10 microns and 40 microns inclusive. However, in the same field of endeavor, Chen, W. teaches an annular ring width of 10 microns to 20 microns (Fig. 6B, element W7; col 7, lines 21-22). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to combine the teachings of Chung and Chen, W. to try various ranges of annular pocket width including those which are known and industrially tested, as with the range taught by Chen, W., to optimize the under-bump metallization surface area for packing density or contact surface properties such as durability, since it has been held that where the general conditions of a claim are disclosed in the prior art, discovering the optimum or workable ranges involves only routine skill in the art. In re Aller, 105 USPQ 233 (CCPA 1955).
Claim(s) 15, 27, and 29 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Chung, and further in view of Hsu et al. (US 20180151495 A1, hereinafter Hsu).
Regarding claim 15, Chung teaches the method of claim 10 (FIG. 6). Chung does not teach attaching a second component comprising a semiconductor die or semiconductor package to the under-bump metallization wherein the attaching uses a solder bump that is disposed between the second component and the bonding pad, and is bonded to the bonding pad during the attaching; and after the attaching, disposing underfill material between the second component and the under-bump metallization.
However, in the same field of endeavor, Hsu teaches in FIG. 2 with associated text attaching a second component comprising a semiconductor package (210) to the under-bump metallization (PAD) using a solder bump (162, 164) that is disposed between the second component and the bonding pad, and is bonded to the bonding pad during the attaching; and after the attaching, disposing underfill material (UF) between the second component and the under-bump metallization.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to combine the teachings of Chung and Hsu to provide combined semiconductor packages with adhesion and protection from foreign contaminants improved by the underfill.
Regarding claim 27, Chung, as modified by Hsu, further teaches in Chung FIG. 6 the guard ring forms an annular pocket (gaps between portions of 150) encircling the bonding pad, the annular pocket being filled with a portion of the patterned polymer layer (portion of 180 in the aforementioned gaps). Chung does not explicitly teach that during the disposing of the underfill material between the second component and the under-bump metallization, a crack in the underfill material propagates into the portion of the patterned polymer layer filling the annular pocket but is blocked by the guard ring from penetrating into the redistribution layer.
However, the formation of a crack is the result of different material properties of elements in the vicinity of the bonding bump including the solder material, intermetal dielectric material, and solder flux, as disclosed within the applicant’s specification (paragraph [0014], lines 5-9) and, as such, is the result of a natural process, which gives this limitation no patentable weight. Further, whether the crack is blocked by the guard ring as claimed or not would depend on the naturally forming geometry of the crack and similarly carries no patentable weight.
Regarding claim 29, Chung teaches the method of claim 28, but does not teach attaching a second component comprising a semiconductor die or semiconductor package to the under-bump metallization wherein the attaching uses a solder bump that is disposed between the second component and the bonding pad, and is bonded to the bonding pad during the attaching; and after the attaching, disposing underfill material between the second component and the under-bump metallization.
However, in the same field of endeavor, Hsu teaches in FIG. 2 with associated text attaching a second component comprising a semiconductor package (210) to the under-bump metallization (PAD) using a solder bump (162, 164) that is disposed between the second component and the bonding pad, and is bonded to the bonding pad during the attaching; and after the attaching, disposing underfill material (UF) between the second component and the under-bump metallization.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to combine the teachings of Chung and Hsu to provide combined semiconductor packages with adhesion and protection from foreign contaminants improved by the underfill.
Claim(s) 16-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Chung, and further in view of Chen, W. and Hsu.
Regarding claim 16, Chung teaches in FIG. 3-6 and associated text a method of manufacturing a semiconductor package, the method comprising: forming an under-bump metallization (150, 172) on a surface of a first semiconductor component (110), the under-bump metallization including a set of bonding pads (center portion of 150) each encircled by a guard ring comprising an annular ring (outer portions of 150) encircling the bonding pad and a connector ring (172) connecting between the bonding pad and the annular ring, wherein an annular structure comprising a polymer material is located between the bonding pad and the annular ring (portion of 180 in the gaps between portions of 150). Chung does not explicitly teach bonding a second semiconductor component to the surface of the first semiconductor component using bonding bumps that bond to the bonding pads wherein each bonding bump bonds to a corresponding bonding pad but not to the annular ring encircling the corresponding bonding pad.
However, in the same field of endeavor, Hsu teaches in FIG. 2 bonding a second semiconductor (210) component to the surface of the first semiconductor component (110) using bonding bumps (162,164) that bond to the bonding pads (PAD) wherein each bump bonds to a corresponding bonding pad. Hsu does not explicitly teach that the bonding bumps do not bond to the annular ring encircling the corresponding bonding pad.
Chen, W. teaches in Fig. 9 and associated text attaching bumps to the bonding pads wherein each bump (132) bonds to a corresponding bonding pad (128’) but not to the annular ring (128) encircling the corresponding bonding pad.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to combine the teachings of Chung, Hsu, and Chen, W. to provide connected semiconductor packages capable of working cooperatively in a larger circuit while allowing interchangeability of packages with compatible bonding bump arrays and reducing the size of the bonding bumps to allow for higher-density packing of bonding bumps on a semiconductor package.
Regarding claim 17, Chung, as modified by Hsu and Chen, W., teaches in Hsu Fig. 9 and associated text disposing underfill material (UF) between the second semiconductor component (210) and the surface of the first semiconductor component (110), the underfill material at least partially surrounding the bonding bumps (162, 164).
Regarding claim 18, Chung, as modified by Hsu and Chen, W., further teaches in Chung FIG. 14 and associated text each bonding pad is further encircled by a second guard ring of the electrically conductive material, the second guard ring comprising a second annular ring encircling the annular ring and the connector ring further connecting between the annular ring and the second annular ring (please see attached figure).
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Regarding claim 19, Chung, as modified by Hsu and Chen, W., further teaches the bonding pad and the guard ring are formed by copper plating (Chung col 4, lines 30-35, seed layer 172 may be copper and may be used in a plating process for forming the UBM 150, inherently a copper plating process by the composition of the seed layer).
Regarding claim 20, Chung, as modified by Hsu and Chen, W., further teaches in Chung FIG. 6 and associated text the guard ring forms an annular pocket (gaps between portions of 150) encircling the bonding pad, the annular pocket being filled with the annular structure (180).
Claim(s) 14 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Chung as applied to claim 10 above, and further in view of Hsu and Chen, Yu-Feng et al. (US 20160020186 A1, hereinafter Chen, Y.).
Regarding claim 14, Chung teaches the method of claim 10, but does not explicitly teach depositing pre-solder on the bonding pad, after depositing the pre-solder, attaching a second component comprising a semiconductor die to the under-bump metallization using a solder bump that attaches to the bonding pad via the pre-solder, the attaching leaving solder flux residue on the solder bump after the attaching is complete; and disposing underfill material between the second component and the under- bump metallization.
However, in the same field of endeavor, Chen, Y. teaches depositing pre-solder on the bonding bump, but, does not explicitly teach depositing pre-solder on the bonding pad (col 5, lines 27-28). It would have been an obvious matter of design choice to deposit the pre-solder on the bonding pad corresponding to the bonding bump instead, since applicant has not disclosed that depositing the pre-solder specifically on the bonding pad, as opposed to on the bonding bump, solves any stated problem or is for any particular purpose and it appears that the invention would perform equally well with pre-solder deposited on the bonding bump.
Chen, Y. further teaches in FIG. 10 and associated text after depositing the pre-solder, attaching a second component comprising a semiconductor die (200) to the under-bump metallization (114) using a solder bump (206) that attaches to the bonding pad via the pre-solder, the attaching leaving solder flux residue on the solder bump after the attaching is complete (col 9, lines 31-34, the attaching process may include flux application and residue). Chen, Y. does not teach after the attaching, disposing underfill material between the second component and the under-bump metallization.
However, in the same field of endeavor, Hsu teaches in FIG. 2 after the attaching, disposing underfill material (UF) between the second component (210) and the under-bump metallization (PAD).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to combine the teachings of Chung, Hsu, and Chen, Y. to provide attached semiconductor packages with improved adhesion and durability from pre-solder and solder flux application on the bonding bumps and/or pads and underfill between packages.
Conclusion
Pertinent Art
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to Applicant's disclosure:
US-20210151369-A1, a prior patent application disclosing a semiconductor package with an under-bump metallization including a pad with a center portion and a peripheral portion.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to EVERETT TRAJAN RIRIE whose telephone number is (571)272-9559. The examiner can normally be reached Mon - Fri 7:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m..
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.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Chad Dicke can be reached at (571) 270-7996. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/EVERETT T RIRIE/ Examiner, Art Unit 2897
/CHAD M DICKE/ Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2897
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