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
Applicant’s election without traverse of Species II in the reply filed on 5/6/2026 is acknowledged.
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.
Claim 22 is 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.
Re claim 22, the phrase “to coule…” is unclear and indefinite.
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.
Claims 21-22 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Magni et al., US Pub. No. 2022/0068741 A1.
Re claim 21. Magni et al. disclose a method, comprising: forming an insulating encapsulation material 14 including an additive material on a leadframe 12 including a plurality of leads 12b and a plurality of die pads 12a (e.g., fig. 6C, 2), and on a plurality of die 10 (e.g., fig. 6C, 2) coupled to the plurality of die pads; exposing the insulating encapsulation material with the additive material to a laser (e.g., fig. 6D) including: forming a plurality of first vias extending into the insulating encapsulation material to a plurality of contact pads 10b (e.g., fig. 6d and fig. 2) of the plurality of die, and activating the additive material along a plurality of first surfaces of the insulating encapsulation material delimiting the plurality of first vias (e.g., fig. 6d and 2); forming a plurality of second vias extending into the insulating encapsulation material to the plurality of leads (e.g., fig. 6D and fig. 2), and activating the additive material along a plurality of second surfaces of the insulating encapsulation material delimiting the plurality of second vias (e.g., fig. 6D and fig. 2); and activating the additive material along a plurality of regions along a front surface of the insulating encapsulation materials (e.g., fig. 6D and fig. 2), each respective region of the plurality of regions is between a corresponding first via of the plurality of first vias and a corresponding second via of the plurality of second vias (e.g., fig. 6D and fig. 2); forming a plurality of electrical connections between the plurality of leads and the plurality of contact pads by plating a conductive material on the additive material activated along the plurality of first surfaces, the plurality of second surfaces, and the plurality of regions (e.g., fig. 6E, paragraph 89 etc), see figs., 1-6H and pages 1-6 for more details.
Re claim 22. The method of claim 21, further comprising: depositing a die-attach material 10a (e.g., fig. 2 and/or 6C) on the plurality of die pads of the leadframe; and placing the plurality of die 10 on the die-attach material on the plurality of die pads to couple the plurality of die the plurality of die pads (e.g., fig. 2 and/or 6C).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1-8 and 11-20 allowed.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: the prior art of record neither teach nor make obvious the claimed limitation of the instant application as a whole as recited in claims 1 and 11 respectively. In particular, the prior art does not teach or suggest the particular subset of the process steps of applying laser beam energy to selected locations of the front surface of the encapsulation of LDS material to activate the LDS material at said selected locations and structure therein electrically conductive formations to the at least one semiconductor die, the electrically conductive formations comprising at least one via extending through the encapsulation of LDS material towards said at least one contact pad having said outer surface finishing of the first electrically conductive material, growing a second electrically conductive material at the activated selected locations of the LDS material to form said electrically conductive formations to the at least one semiconductor die, wherein the second electrically conductive material is different from the first electrically conductive material of said outer surface finishing, wherein the method comprises, prior to growing the second electrically conductive material at the activated selected locations of the LDS material, forming a nickel layer over the outer surface finishing of the first electrically conductive material of the at least one contact pad as recited in claim 1; or activating the additive material of the encapsulation material along a first sidewall surface delimiting the first via opening, along a second sidewall delimiting the second via opening, and a surface of the encapsulation material extending from the first sidewall to the second sidewall; forming an electrical connection between the lead and the contact pad including: forming a first conductive material on the contact pad and on the additive material activated on the first sidewall, the second sidewall, and the surface; and forming a second conductive material different from the first conductive material on the first conductive material as recited in claim 11.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JACK CHEN whose telephone number is (571)272-1689. The examiner can normally be reached Monday to Friday, 8am to 4pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Yara J. Green can be reached at (571)270-3035. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/JACK S CHEN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2893
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