DETAILED ACTION
This Notice is responsive to communication filed on 12/10/2025.
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 with traverse of Species 1, reading on Fig. 2F in the reply filed on 12/10/2025 is acknowledged. The traversal is on the ground(s) that identified species constitute variations of a single, generic inventive concept, and are not mutually exclusive, therefore do not impose undue burden on the Examiner. In this case, the shape of the external contact is determined by where the cutting path L intersects the recess S. This is not found persuasive because the identified species contain mutually exclusive characteristics that are independent or distinct. In the present case, the mutually exclusive characteristics include the varying shapes of the protruding electrical port of the external contact area as identified in the Requirement for Restriction/Election Office Action dated 10/14/2025. .
The requirement is still deemed proper and is therefore made FINAL.
Claims 5 and 15 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b), as being drawn to a nonelected species, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Applicant timely traversed the restriction (election) requirement in the reply filed on 12/10/2025.
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)(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.
Claims 1-3, and 6-10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Chang Chien et al. (US 20220045028).
Regarding claim 1, Chang Chien teaches an electronic package, comprising:
an encapsulation layer Fig. 1E: 160 having a first surface (bottom surface of 160), a second surface (top surface of 160) opposing the first surface, and a side surface (left or right surface of 160) adjacent to the first surface and the second surface (para. 0046 teaches encapsulant 160 may completely cover the side surface 130c);
a photonic element Fig. 1E: 130 embedded in the encapsulation layer Fig. 1E: 160 and disposed on the first surface of the encapsulation layer Fig. 1E: 160, wherein a part of a surface of the photonic element Fig. 1E: 130 protrudes from the side surface to be used as an external contact area (annotated below), and the external contact area has an electrical port Fig. 1E: 131 (para. 0039); and
an electronic element Fig. 1E: 120 embedded in the encapsulation layer Fig. 1E: 160 and disposed on the first surface of the encapsulation layer Fig. 1E: 160, wherein the electronic element Fig. 1E: 120 is electrically connected to the photonic element Fig. 1E: 130 (para. 0053).
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Regarding claim 2, Chang Chien teaches the electronic package of claim 1, further comprising a circuit structure Fig. 1E: 150 formed on the first surface of the encapsulation layer Fig. 1E: 160, wherein the circuit structure Fig. 1E: 150 is electrically connected to the electronic element Fig. 1E: 120 and the photonic element Fig. 1E: 130 (para. 0053).
Regarding claim 3, Chang Chien teaches the electronic package of claim 2, wherein the circuit structure Fig. 1E: 150 is of a redistribution layer specification or a substrate specification (para. 0053, “redistribution circuit structure”).
Regarding claim 6, Chang Chien teaches the electronic package of claim 1, wherein the external contact area (annotated above) is connected to an optical fiber, and the electrical port Fig. 1E: 131 is electrically connected to the optical fiber (para. 0067 teaches a light guide element, i.e. optical fiber, in contact with the optical signal transmission are, i.e. electrical port, 131).
Regarding claim 7, Chang Chien teaches the electronic package of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of conductive elements (annotated above) formed on the first surface of the encapsulation layer Fig. 1E: 160, wherein the plurality of conductive elements are connected to an electronic device Fig. 1E: 110.
Regarding claim 8, Chang Chien teaches the electronic package of claim 1, wherein the photonic element Fig. 1E: 130 has a functional surface Fig. 1E: 130a and a back surface (top surface) opposing the functional surface, wherein the functional surface Fig. 1E: 130a corresponds to the first surface (bottom surface) of the encapsulation layer Fig. 1E: 160, and at least one electrical contact Fig. 1E: 135 is disposed on the functional surface Fig. 1E: 130a.
Regarding claim 9, Chang Chien teaches the electronic package of claim 8, wherein the back surface (i.e. top surface) of the photonic element Fig. 1E: 130 is flush with the second surface (i.e. top surface) of the encapsulation layer Fig. 1E: 160 (para. 0046 teaches encapsulant 160 may completely cover the side surface 130c).
Regarding claim 10, Chang Chien teaches the electronic package of claim 8, wherein the external contact area (annotated above) is correspondingly formed on the functional surface Fig. 1E: 130a or the back surface.
Claims 11-13, 16, and 17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Brunschwiler et al. (US 9389362).
Regarding claim 11, Brunschwiler teaches a method of manufacturing an electronic package (see Fig. 2-7), comprising:
disposing a photonic element Fig. 2: 13 and an electronic element Fig. 2: 12 on a carrier Fig. 2: 2, wherein the photonic element Fig. 2: 13 has an external contact area, and the external contact area has an electrical port (annotated Fig. 7 below);
forming an encapsulation layer Fig. 3: 20 on the carrier Fig. 3: 2 to cover the photonic element Fig. 3: 13 and the electronic element Fig. 3: 12, wherein the encapsulation layer Fig. 3: 20 has a first surface (bottom surface aligned with plane P in Fig. 3) and a second surface opposing the first surface (top surface of 20), and the encapsulation layer Fig. 3: 20 is bonded onto the carrier Fig. 3: 2 via the first surface of the encapsulation layer Fig. 3: 20 (shown in fig. 3); and
removing the carrier Fig. 3: 2 to expose the first surface of the encapsulation layer Fig. 4: 20 (shown in Fig. 4), wherein the encapsulation layer Fig. 4: 20 has a side surface adjacent to the first surface and the second surface (right surface of Fig. 4: 20), and the external contact area of the photonic element protrudes from the side surface (annotated below).
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Regarding claim 12, Brunschwiler teaches the method of claim 11, further comprising forming a circuit structure (annotated below) on the first surface of the encapsulation layer Fig. 5: 20, wherein the circuit structure is electrically connected to the electronic element Fig. 5: 12 and the photonic element Fig. 5: 13 (col. 6, lines 1-10).
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Regarding claim 13, Brunschwiler teaches the method of claim 12, wherein the circuit structure is of a redistribution layer specification or a substrate specification (col. 6, lines 1-10).
Regarding claim 16, Brunschwiler teaches the method of claim 11, wherein the external contact area (annotated above) is connected to an optical fiber Fig. 7: 115, and the electrical port (annotated above) is electrically connected to the optical fiber Fig. 7: 115 (col. 5, lines 31-38).
Regarding claim 17, Brunschwiler teaches the method of claim 11, further comprising forming a plurality of conductive elements Fig. 5: 30+60+70+80 on the first surface of the encapsulation layer Fig. 5: 20, wherein the plurality of conductive elements Fig. 5: 30+60+70+80 are connected to an electronic device Fig. 7: 102.
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.
Claim 4 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Chang Chien et al. (US 20220045028) as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Tai et al. (US 20230266528).
Regarding claim 4, although Chang Chien teaches the substantial features of the claimed invention, Chang Chien fails to explicitly teach the electronic package of claim 1, wherein the external contact area is in a shape of a notch. However, Tai teaches wherein the external contact area is in a shape of a notch Fig. 22: 76 (para. 29 edge coupler formed by a patterning process). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to combine the teachings of Chang Chien and Tai for the purpose of allowing for lateral or inline coupling of an optical fiber to the integrated circuit die (i.e. photonic element) (para. 0029).
Claim 14 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Brunschwiler et al. (US 9389362) as applied to claim 11 above, and further in view of Tai et al. (US 20230266528).
Regarding claim 14, Brunschwiler fails to explicitly teach the method of claim 11, wherein the external contact area is in a shape of a notch. However, Tai teaches wherein the external contact area is in a shape of a notch Fig. 22: 76 (para. 29 edge coupler formed by a patterning process). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to combine the teachings of Chang Chien and Tai for the purpose of allowing for lateral or inline coupling of an optical fiber to the integrated circuit die (i.e. photonic element) (para. 0029).
Claims 18-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Brunschwiler et al. (US 9389362) as applied to claim 11 above, and further in view of Chang Chien et al. (US 20220045028).
Regarding claim 18, Brunschwiler fails to explicitly teach the method of claim 11, wherein the photonic element has a functional surface and a back surface opposing the functional surface, wherein the functional surface corresponds to the first surface of the encapsulation layer, and at least one electrical contact is disposed on the functional surface. However, Chang Chien teaches wherein the photonic element Fig. 1E: 130 has a functional surface Fig. 1E: 130a and a back surface (top surface) opposing the functional surface, wherein the functional surface Fig. 1E: 130a corresponds to the first surface (bottom surface) of the encapsulation layer Fig. 1E: 160, and at least one electrical contact Fig. 1E: 135 is disposed on the functional surface Fig. 1E: 130a. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to combine the teachings of Brunschwiler and Chang Chien for the purpose of allowing the photonic element to perform signal and power transmission (para. 0057).
Regarding claim 19, Brunschwiler fails to explicitly teach the method of claim 18, wherein the back surface of the photonic element is flush with the second surface of the encapsulation layer. However, Chang Chien teaches wherein the back surface (i.e. top surface) of the photonic element Fig. 1E: 130 is flush with the second surface (i.e. top surface) of the encapsulation layer Fig. 1E: 160 (para. 0046 teaches encapsulant 160 may completely cover the side surface 130c) for the purpose of improving the bonding between the photonic element and the redistribution circuit structure (para. 0046).
Regarding claim 20, Brunschwiler fails to explicitly teach the method of claim 18, wherein the external contact area is correspondingly formed on the functional surface or the back surface. However, Chang Chien teaches wherein the external contact area (annotated above) is correspondingly formed on the functional surface Fig. 1E: 130a or the back surface.
Conclusion
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/Nkechinyere Esiaba/Examiner, Art Unit 2817
/Kretelia Graham/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2817 February 17, 2026