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 .
Status of the Application
1. Acknowledgement is made of the amendment received on 1/20/2026. Claims 1, 2, 8-11 & 21-34 are pending in this application. Claims 3-7 & 12-20 are canceled. Claims 30-34 are new.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) 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.
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.
2. Claims 21-23 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Zinner et al. (US 2022/0026196).
Re claim 21, Zinner teaches, Figs. 1a-a, 2a-c & 5a-b, abstract, claims 1 & 10, [0065, 0071, 0089, 0093, 0205, 0207, 0210-0216, 0230-0231], a method, comprising:
-initiating a bond between a first semiconductor substrate (2) and a second semiconductor substrate (4) at respective centers of the first semiconductor substrate (2) and the second semiconductor substrate (4) to form a bonding region;
-generating a first detection beam (9) using a first transmitter (7) of a first sensor of a plurality of sensors (1) (Figs. 2b, 5b);
-monitoring propagation of the bonding region in a first direction based on selective reception of the first detection beam (9) at a first receiver (8) of the first sensor;
-generating a second detection beam (another 9) using a second transmitter (7) of a second sensor of the plurality of sensors (1); and
-monitoring the propagation of the bonding region in a second direction based on selective reception of the second detection beam (9) at a second receiver of the second sensor (Figs. 2b, 5b),
wherein the first direction and the second direction are different directions (Figs. 2b, 5b).
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Re claim 22, Zinner teaches the first direction and the second direction (of 9) are approximately orthogonal (Figs. 2b, c).
Re claim 23, Zinner teaches monitoring the prorogation of the bonding region comprises a generating sensor data (e.g., detected data) based on selective reception of the first detection beam and the second detection beam by the plurality of sensors (1).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) 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.
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.
3. Claims 24-29 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zinner in view of Kim et al. (US 2020/0075360).
The teachings of Zinner have been discussed above.
Re claim 24, Zinner does not explicitly teach modifying at least one parameter of a bonding tool based on the sensor data.
Kim teaches modifying at least one parameter of a bonding tool (100) based on the sensor data (e.g., distance) [0024, 0089-0090].
As taught by Kim, one of ordinary skill in the art would utilize & modify the above teaching to modify at least one parameter of a bonding tool based on the sensor data as claimed, because it aids in improving the bonding process & the yield of products.
Thus, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to employ the teaching as taught by Kim in combination with Zinner due to above reason.
Re claim 25, in combination cited above, Kim teaches, Fig. 5A-C, modifying the at least one parameter comprises modifying a deformation force (by 114, 116) applied to at least one of the first semiconductor substrate (W1) or the second semiconductor substrate (W2).
Re claim 26, in combination cited above, Kim teaches, Figs. 5A-D, [0070-0071], modifying the at least one parameter comprises changing a location of a deformation (from 0 to BF) applied to at least one of the first semiconductor substrate (W1) or the second semiconductor substrate (W2).
Re claims 27-29, in combination cited above, Kim teaches modifying the at least one parameter comprises adjusting a propagation speed of the bonding region in at least one of the first direction or the second direction based on whether the propagation speed being greater than or equality to a propagation speed threshold (e.g., compared to predetermined speed) [0051]; wherein adjusting the propagation speed of the bonding region comprises reducing the propagation speed of the bonding region based on the propagation speed being greater than or equal the propagation speed threshold (based on speed of holding fingers 114, [0054-0056]); and wherein adjusting the propagation speed of the bonding region comprises increasing the propagation speed of the bonding region based on the propagation speed being less than the propagation speed threshold (based on speed of holding fingers 114, [0054-0056]).
Allowable Subject Matter
4. Claims 1, 2, 8-11 & 30-34 are allowed. The allowable subject matters include:
“initiating a bond between the first semiconductor substrate and the second semiconductor substrate in the processing chamber,
wherein the bond is initiated at a bonding region at respective centers of the first semiconductor substrate and the second semiconductor substrate, and
generating, using a sensor of one or more sensors in the processing chamber, sensor data indicative of propagation of the bonding region as the bonding region propagates from the respective centers of the first semiconductor substrate and the second semiconductor substrate toward respective perimeters of the first semiconductor substrate and the second semiconductor substrate,
wherein the sensor is positioned to laterally sense the bonding region from sides of the first semiconductor substrate and the second semiconductor substrate, and
wherein the bonding region shields an amount of a detection beam from being detected at a receiver of the sensor as the bonding region propagates from the respective centers of the first semiconductor substrate and the second semiconductor substrate to the respective perimeters of the first semiconductor substrate and the second semiconductor substrate” (claim 1); and
“initiating a bond between the first semiconductor substrate and the second semiconductor substrate in the processing chamber,
wherein the bond is initiated at a bonding region at respective centers of the first semiconductor substrate and the second semiconductor substrate,
monitoring propagation of the bonding region using one or more sensors in the processing chamber, as the bonding region propagates from the respective centers of the first semiconductor substrate and the second semiconductor substrate to respective perimeters of the first semiconductor substrate and the second semiconductor substrate;
determining, based on monitoring of the propagation of the bonding region, a first propagation speed of the propagation of the bonding region along a first direction of the first semiconductor substrate and a second propagation speed of the propagation of the bonding region along a second direction of the first semiconductor substrate;
determining that the first propagation speed in the first direction is greater than or equal to a propagation speed threshold and that the second propagation speed is less than the propagation speed threshold;
reducing, based on determining that the first propagation speed satisfies the propagation speed threshold, the first propagation speed in the first direction; and
maintaining, based on determining that the second propagation speed does not satisfy the propagation speed threshold, the second propagation speed in the second direction” (claim 8).
Response to Arguments
5. Applicant's arguments with respect to claims have been considered but are moot in view of the new ground(s) of rejection. Response to arguments on newly added limitations are responded to in the above rejection.
Conclusion
6. Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to DUY T.V. NGUYEN whose telephone number is (571)270-7431. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday, 7AM-4PM, alternative Friday off.
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/DUY T NGUYEN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2818 3/10/26