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 .
Election/Restrictions
Claims 1 and 10-13 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected invention, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on 11/4/2025.
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.
The factual inquiries 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.
Claims 2 and 5-9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Sugo et al. (PG Pub. No. US 2014/0231983 A1).
Regarding claim 2, Sugo teaches a method for manufacturing a film-shaped adhesive (¶ 0002), the method comprising:
mixing a raw material varnish (¶ 0060) comprising silver particles (¶ 0128 & table 2: at least examples 6-1 to 6-3 include solutions with silver particles) under temperature conditions of 50°C or higher (¶ 0128: compounds mixed at 90° C) and preparing an adhesive varnish comprising the silver particles and a thermosetting resin component (¶¶ 0043-0044 & table 2: solution prepared with silver particles and thermosetting resin); and
forming the film-shaped adhesive by using the adhesive varnish (¶¶ 0128-0129: film-shaped adhesive formed with varnish composition).
Sugo does not explicitly teach the varnish further comprises organic solvent.
However, Sugo teaches additional embodiments which include mixing a raw material varnish, metal particles, and organic solvent (¶¶ 0064, 0126 & table 1: at least examples 3-1 to 3-3 include solutions with silver particles and organic solvent).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to configure the method of Sugo to include organic solvent, as a means to provide solution properties such as dissolving, kneading, and uniform dispersion (¶ 0064).
Regarding claim 5, Sugo teaches the method for manufacturing a film-shaped adhesive according to claim 2, wherein a content of the silver particles is 50% to 95% by mass based on a total solid content of the adhesive varnish (table 2: 60%).
Regarding claim 6, Sugo teaches the method for manufacturing a film-shaped adhesive according to claim 2, wherein the adhesive varnish further contains an elastomer (¶ 0036: thermoplastic resin).
Regarding claim 7, Sugo teaches the method for manufacturing a film-shaped adhesive according to claim 2, wherein the thermosetting resin component includes an epoxy resin and a phenol resin (table 2: curable resin, curing agent).
Regarding claim 8, Sugo teaches a method for manufacturing a dicing-die bonding integrated film (¶ 0125), the method comprising:
preparing the film-shaped adhesive obtainable by the method according to claim 2 (¶¶ 0127-0128), and a dicing tape (¶ 0071: 11) comprising a base material layer (¶ 0071: 1) and a pressure-sensitive adhesive layer (¶ 0071: 2) provided on the base material layer (fig. 1: 2 provides on 1); and
sticking together the film-shaped adhesive (¶ 0071: 3) and the pressure-sensitive adhesive layer of the dicing tape to form a dicing-die bonding integrated film (fig. 1: 3 disposed on 11) including the base material layer, the pressure-sensitive adhesive layer, and a bonding adhesive layer formed from the film-shaped adhesive, in this order (fig. 1: 1, 2, and 3 arranged in order).
Regarding claim 9, Sugo teaches a method for manufacturing a semiconductor device, the method comprising:
sticking a semiconductor wafer (¶ 0102: 4) to the bonding adhesive layer of the dicing-die bonding integrated film obtainable by the method according to claim 8 (fig. 1: 4 disposed on integrated film 3/11);
producing a plurality of singulated adhesive piece-attached semiconductor chips by dicing the semiconductor wafer with the bonding adhesive layer stuck thereto (¶ 0104, fig. 3: wafer 4 is cut into a prescribed size and individualized, and a semiconductor chip 5 is produced with 3 adhered to bottom);
adhering the adhesive piece-attached semiconductor chips on a support member (¶ 0107: adherend 6), with the adhesive piece interposed therebetween (fig. 3: 5 adhered to 6 with 3 interposed); and
thermally curing the adhesive piece in the adhesive piece-attached semiconductor chip adhered to the support member (¶ 0109: heat treatment applied to 3).
Claims 3-4 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Sugo as applied to claim 2 above, and further in view of Matsuno et al. (PG Pub. No. US 2019/0375005 A1).
Regarding claim 3, Sugo teaches the method for manufacturing a film-shaped adhesive according to claim 2, comprising silver particles (¶ 0124, table 2).
Sugo is silent to wherein the silver particles are silver particles manufactured by a reduction method.
Matsuno teaches a solution containing silver particles, the silver particles manufactured by a reduction method (¶¶ 0114, 0117).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to manufacture the silver particles of Sugo by a reduction method, as a means to provide uniform size of silver particles (Matsuno, ¶ 0123).
Regarding claim 4, Sugo teaches the method for manufacturing a film-shaped adhesive according to claim 2, comprising silver particles (¶ 0124, table 2).
Sugo is silent to wherein the silver particles are silver particles that are surface-treated by using a surface treatment agent.
Matsuno teaches a solution containing silver particles, the silver particles are surface-treated by using a surface treatment agent (¶¶ 0114, 0117).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to treat the silver particles of Sugo with a surface treatment agent, as a means to provide uniform size of silver particles (Matsuno, ¶ 0123).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Yamada et al. (Patent No. JP 2018-125291 A) teaches a varnish including organic solvent and silver particles).
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/BRIAN TURNER/Examiner, Art Unit 2818