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 .
This application is now being examined by Primary Jermele Hollington for the remainer of the application process.
Drawings
The drawings are objected to under 37 CFR 1.83(a). The drawings must show every feature of the invention specified in the claims. Therefore, a conductive element in the resilient material [claims 1, 8 & 16] and conformal layer [claim 7] must be shown or the feature(s) canceled from the claim(s). No new matter should be entered.
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. The figure or figure number of an amended drawing should not be labeled as “amended.” If a drawing figure is to be canceled, the appropriate figure must be removed from the replacement sheet, and where necessary, the remaining figures must be renumbered and appropriate changes made to the brief description of the several views of the drawings for consistency. Additional replacement sheets may be necessary to show the renumbering of the remaining figures. 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.
Specification
The lengthy specification has not been checked to the extent necessary to determine the presence of all possible minor errors. Applicant’s cooperation is requested in correcting any errors of which applicant may become aware in the specification.
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 1-20 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.
a)Regarding claims 1, 8 and 16, the claims state: “…the resilient material is includes room temperature vulcanizing (RTV) silicone, low density polyethylene, high density polyethylene, polypropylene, polyvinyl chloride, polystyrene, polyacrylonitrile, polytetrafluoroethylene, polymethyl methacrylate, polyvinyl acetate, cis-polyisoprene, polychloroprene, and/or polychlorotrifluoroethylene…” The phrase “and/or” renders the claim indefinite because it is unclear whether the limitations following the phrase are all included in the material at the same time or each individually could be the used as the material.
For examination purposes, the examiner is taking a position that the claim is using “or” and that each individually could be the used as the material. Since claims 2-7 depend from claim 1, claims 9-15 depend from claim 8 and claims 17-20 depend from claim 16, they also are rejected for the above reason.
b)Regarding claims 2 and 13, the claims state: “…the resilient material includes a compressible polymer.” It is not clear from the claim if the polymer is an addition item included with the list of items in claims 1 and 8 or another optional item used as the material instead of the items listed in claim 1.
For examination purposes, the examiner is taking a position that the “compressible polymer” is another optional item used as the material until further explanation is given by the applicants.
c)Regarding claim 4, the claim states: “…the conductive element is accessible to at least one test probe.” Since claim 4 depends from claim 1, it is not clear from the claim how “the conductive element is accessible” when it is located in the resilient element. It is not clear from the claim if the resilient material in claim 1 includes an opening to be able to access the conductive element. Further, the claim is incomplete for omitting essential structural cooperative relationships of elements, such omission amounting to a gap between the necessary structural connections. See MPEP § 2172.01. The omitted structural cooperative relationships are: at least one test probe with any limitations of claims 4 and 1.
For examination purposes, the examiner is not given patentable weight to the limitation “conductive element is accessible” until further explanation is given by the applicant. Since claims 5-6 depend from claim 4, they also are rejected for the above reason.
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) 1-9, 11, 13-16, and 19 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Gilleo et al (US 6,204,455 B1).
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Regarding claim 1, Gilleo et al disclose [see Figs 3 and 8 above] a microelectronic component comprising: a substrate (substrate 54) having at least one conductive pad (contact pad 56); a resilient material (dielectric sheet 22) on the substrate (54), wherein the resilient material (22) includes room temperature vulcanizing (RTV) silicone, low density polyethylene (col. 4, line 49), high density polyethylene (col. 4, line 49), polypropylene, polyvinyl chloride, polystyrene (col. 4, line 48), polyacrylonitrile, polytetrafluoroethylene, polymethyl methacrylate, polyvinyl acetate, cis-polyisoprene, polychloroprene, or polychlorotrifluoroethylene; and a conductive element (conductive element 26) in the resilient material (22), the conductive element (22) being coupled to the at least one conductive pad (56).
Regarding claim 2, Gilleo et al disclose wherein the resilient material (22) includes a compressible polymer (see col. 4, lines 34-36).
Regarding claim 3, Gilleo et al disclose at least one conductive trace (coating 58) on the substrate (54), the at least one conductive trace (58) being coupled to the at least one conductive pad (56).
Regarding claim 4, Gilleo et al disclose [see rejection under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph above] wherein the conductive element (26) is accessible to at least one test probe (device contact 44).
Regarding claim 5, Gilleo et al disclose wherein the resilient material (22) compresses into a deformed shape in response to a contact between the at least one test probe contact (44) and the conductive element (26) [see col. 3, line 35; col. 7, lines 5-12 and 50-56 as well as col. 8, lines 13-15].
Regarding claim 6, Gilleo et al disclose wherein the resilient material (22) is configured to return from the deformed shape to an undeformed shape in response to a withdrawal of the at least one test probe (44) from the conductive element (26) [see col. 4, lines 54-58; col. 7, lines 5-12 and 50-56].
Regarding claim 7, Gilleo et al disclose wherein the conductive element (26) includes a conformal layer (flexible body 28).
Regarding claim 8, Gilleo et al disclose [see Figs 3 and 8 above] a method of fabricating a microelectronic component, the method comprising: providing a substrate (substrate 54) having at least one conductive pad (contact pad 56); providing a resilient material (dielectric sheet 22) on the substrate (54), wherein the resilient material (22) includes room temperature vulcanizing (RTV) silicone, low density polyethylene (col. 4, line 49), high density polyethylene (col. 4, line 49), polypropylene, polyvinyl chloride, polystyrene (col. 4, line 48), polyacrylonitrile, polytetrafluoroethylene, polymethyl methacrylate, polyvinyl acetate, cis-polyisoprene, polychloroprene, or polychlorotrifluoroethylene; and providing a conductive element (conductive element 26) in the resilient material (22), the conductive element (22) being coupled to the at least one conductive pad (56).
Regarding claim 9, Gilleo et al disclose wherein the providing the conductive element (26) includes depositing a metalized layer (flexible conductive shell 30) on the resilient material (22).
Regarding claim 11, Gilleo et al disclose wherein the providing of the resilient material (22) comprises screen printing the resilient material (22) on the substrate (54) using a stencil [see col. 6, lines 10-14 and col. 11, lines 6-12].
Regarding claim 13, Gilleo et al disclose wherein the resilient material (22) includes a compressible polymer (see col. 4, lines 34-36).
Regarding claim 14, Gilleo et al disclose at least one conductive trace (coating 58) on the substrate (54), the at least one conductive trace (58) being electrically coupled to the at least one conductive pad (56).
Regarding claim 15, Gilleo et al disclose wherein the resilient material (22) compresses into a deformed shape in response to a test probe (device contact 44) contacting the conductive element (26), and wherein the resilient material (22) is configured to return from the deformed shape to an undeformed shape subsequent to a removal of the conductive element (26) from contacting the test probe (44) [see col. 3, line 35; col. 4, lines 54-58; col. 7, lines 5-12 and 50-56 as well as col. 8, lines 13-15].
Regarding claim 16, Gilleo et al disclose a method of testing a microelectronic component, the method comprising: placing at least one test probe (device contact 44) in contact with a conductive element (conductive element 26), the conductive element (26) being in electrical contact with at least one conductive pad (contact pad 56) on a substrate (substrate 54), the conductive element (26) being in a resilient material (flexible dielectric sheet 22) on the substrate (54), wherein the resilient material (22) includes room temperature vulcanizing (RTV) silicone, low density polyethylene (col. 4, line 49), high density polyethylene (col. 4, line 49), polypropylene, polyvinyl chloride, polystyrene (col. 4, line 48), polyacrylonitrile, polytetrafluoroethylene, polymethyl methacrylate, polyvinyl acetate, cis-polyisoprene, polychloroprene, or polychlorotrifluoroethylene.
Regarding claim 19, Gilleo et al disclose wherein the providing of the resilient material (22) comprises screen printing the resilient material (22) on the substrate (54) [see col. 6, lines 10-14 and col. 11, lines 6-12].
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) 10 and 18 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Gilleo et al (US 6,204,455 B1) in view of Bouvier et al (US Pub. No. 2018/0301594).
Regarding claims 10 and 18, Gilleo et al teaches the method of claim 8, wherein the providing of the resilient material (22) comprises depositing the resilient material (22) on the substrate (56). Gilleo et al does not explicitly teach using a time/pressure dispensing process. Bouvier teaches using a time/pressure dispensing process (see para [0115] where silicone is dispensed using a time/pressure dispenser). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the method taught by Gilleo et al to utilize a time/pressure dispensing process as taught by Bouvier in order to achieve precise deposition as is known in the art.
Claim(s) 12 and 20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Gilleo et al (US 6,204,455 B1) in view of Park et al (US 6,492,200).
Regarding claims 12 and 20, Gilleo et al teaches the method of claim 8, wherein the providing of the resilient material (22) comprises printing the resilient material (22) on the substrate (56). Gilleo et al does not explicitly teach using a microlithography process. Park et al teaches using a microlithography process (see col. 7, Lines 29-47. where silicone layer 22 is patterned to expose the pads 21 via a microlithography process). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the method taught by Gilleo et al to utilize a microlithography process as taught by Park et al in order to utilize standard microfabrication techniques for precision control of the dimensions of the resilient material element.
Claim(s) 17 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Gilleo et al (US 6,204,455 B1) in view of Huang et al (US Pub. No. 2007/0170935).
Regarding claim 17, Gilleo et al teaches the method of claim 16, electrically connecting the at least one conductive pad (56) to a test interface (microelectric device 42). Gilleo et al does not explicitly teach connecting the at least one conductive pad to a test interface via an electrical cable. Huang et al teaches (Fig. 1) connecting the at least one conductive pad to a test interface via an electrical cable (see Fig. 1 and para [0007] where wafer test system 1100 transmits various test signals to wafer via cable 1300 and probe assembly). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the test interface taught by Gilleo et al to further include an electrical cable as taught by Huang et al for interfacing signals from a controller unit as is known in the art for sending and receiving signals.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. See PTO-892 for details.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JERMELE M HOLLINGTON whose telephone number is (571)272-1960. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Fri 7:00am-3:30pm.
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, Lee E Rodak can be reached at 571-270-5628. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/JERMELE M HOLLINGTON/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2858