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 .
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.
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of species (a1), (b3), claims 1-3, 5-6, 8-13, 15-16 and 19-23, in the reply filed on 11/25/25 is acknowledged.
Claims 4, 7 and 17-18 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected species, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on 11/25/25.
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) 1, 5, 6, 8, 11, 15, 16 and 19 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Nilsson et al., US Publication No. 2011/0201197 A1.
Nilsson teaches:
1. An integrated circuit package, comprising (see fig. 7e annotated below):
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a carrier substrate (3);
a circuit device (e.g. Circuit device electrically connected to 31 or 22. See para. [0056], “The metal on the upper side of the substrate may be part of a device or a structure, which thus can be electrically contacted from underneath the structure through the via. The device or structure may comprise a plurality of terminals, where each and every terminal is contacted from underneath the structure through a respective via.”) attached to the carrier substrate; and
a package cover (e.g. package cover annotated in fig. 7e) mounted to the carrier substrate and delimiting a cavity (30) within which the circuit device is contained;
wherein the carrier substrate (3) includes at least one through hole (7) provided to extend completely through the carrier substrate to reach said cavity (30); and
wherein said at least one through hole (7) includes at least one first portion (e.g. first portion annotated in fig. 7e) flaring towards the cavity (30). See Nilsson at para. [0001] – [0062], figs. 1-8.
5. The package according to claim 1, wherein said at least one through hole (7) further includes at least one second portion (e.g. second portion annotated in fig. 7e) that is connected to said at least one first portion (e.g. second portion annotated in fig. 7e).
6. The package according to claim 5, wherein the connection of said at least one first portion (e.g. first portion annotated in fig. 7e) and at least one second portion (e.g. second portion annotated in fig. 7e) extends over an entire thickness of said carrier substrate (3).
8. The package according to claim 5, wherein said at least one second portion (e.g. second portion annotated in fig. 7e) flares in an opposite direction from said at least one first portion (e.g. first portion annotated in fig. 7e)
Regarding claim 11:
Nilsson teaches the limitations as applied to claim 1 above.
Regarding claim 15:
Nilsson teaches the limitations as applied to claim 5 above.
Regarding claim 16:
Nilsson teaches the limitations as applied to claim 6 above.
Regarding claim 19:
Nilsson teaches the limitations as applied to claim 8 above.
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) 2, 3, 12, 13, 9, 10, 20 and 21 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Nilsson, as applied to claims 1 and 11 above, in view of Shimizu et al., US Publication No. 2013/0328211 A1.
Regarding claims 2 and 12:
Nilsson teaches all the limitations of claims 1 and 11 above and further teaches
wherein a cross-section of said at least one first portion at the first end has a largest dimension that is less than or equal to 35 micrometers (e.g. 20 micrometers at para. [0045])
Nilsson teaches the first portion (e.g. first portion annotated in fig. 7e) flares from the middle of the carrier substrate (3) to a second end located at said cavity (30) .
Nilsson does no expressly teach in fig. 7e the first portion flares from a first end located at a bottom of the carrier substrate.
However, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art the first portion flares from a first end located at a bottom of the carrier substrate because Nilsson teaches or suggests this geometry as shown in fig. 8, cross-section B-B.
In an alternative interpretation of flaring from a bottom of the carrier substrate, the reference Shimizu is being introduced.
In an analogous art, Shimizu teaches (see fig. 7C) forming a via hole (20X) wherein the first portion flares from a first end located at a bottom of a substrate (20), para. [0071] – [0075].
Regarding claims 3 and 13:
Nilsson teaches all the limitations of claims 1 and 11 above, and further teaches:
wherein said at least one first portion is frustoconical (e.g. substantially frustoconical).
In an alternative interpretation of frustoconical, the reference Shimizu is being introduced.
In an analogous art, Shimizu teaches (see fig. 14A) forming a via hole (12X, 20X) wherein said at least one first portion is frustoconical, para. [0119].
Nilsson further teaches:
9. The package according to claim 5, wherein said at least one first portion (e.g. first portion annotated in fig. 7e) is frustoconical (e.g. substantially frustoconical), and wherein said at least one second portion (e.g. second portion annotated in fig. 7e) is frustoconical (e.g. substantially frustoconical), and wherein the at least one through hole (7) formed by the at least one first portion and the at least one second portion has the at least one first portion and the at least one second portion connected by respective ends having smaller cross-sections (e.g. aperture 24 labeled in fig. 4a).
Regarding claim 9:
In an alternative interpretation of frustoconical, Shimizu teaches first portions and second portions that are frustoconical in fig. 14A, as applied to claim 3 above.
Nilsson further teaches:
10. The package according to claim 9, wherein said smaller cross-sections at the ends are each less than or equal to 35 micrometers (e.g. aperture 24 is 5-30 micrometers, para. [0045])
Regarding claim 20:
Nilsson teaches the limitations as applied to claim 9 above.
Regarding claim 21:
Nilsson teaches the limitations as applied to claim 10 above.
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to modify the teachings of Nilsson with the teachings of Shimizu because (i) A change in shape is considered within the skill level of one of ordinary skill in the art. See MPEP § 2144.04 Legal Precedent as Source of Supporting Rationale, IV. Changes in Size, Shape, or Sequence of Adding Ingredients. Because the criticality of the particular shape of the first portion and/or second portion has not been presented with persuasive evidence, the shape is considered a matter of choice which a person of ordinary skill in the art would have found obvious (In re Dailey, 357 F.2d 669, 149 USPQ 47 (CCPA 1966); MPEP 2144.04, IV(B); and (ii) The frustoconical or hour-glass shaped hole improves the reliability of the electrical connection between wiring layers formed on opposite surfaces of the substrate. See Shimizu at para. [0119].
Claim(s) 22 and 23 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Nilsson, as applied to claims 1 and 11 above..
Regarding claims 22 and 23:
Nilsson teaches all the limitations of claims 1 and 11 above and further teaches in the Background of the Invention:
22. The method according to claim 20, wherein making each of said at least one first portion and said at least one second portion comprises performing a laser drilling, para. [0005].
23. The method according to claim 11, wherein forming at least one through hole comprises performing a laser drilling, para. [0005].
Conclusion
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/Michele Fan/
Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2818
13 February 2026