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 claims 1-13 in the reply filed on 10/31/2025 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.
Claims 1-6 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.
Claim 1 recites the limitation “substrate” in line 6. It is unclear if said limitation refers to “a substrate” in line 2 or different feature. Correction is required.
Claims 2-6 are rejected for being dependent on claim 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.
Claims 1-13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kalz et al. (US Pub. 2019/0148566) in view of Lo et al. (US Pub. 2013/0126988).
Regarding claim 1, Kalz teaches a semiconductor device, comprising:
a substrate 110 (Fig. 1 & Fig. 4B);
a first electrical component 120 including a sensing region 122 disposed over the substrate 110 (Fig. 1 & Fig. 4B); and
a cover lid 130 disposed over the first electrical component 120 and substrate 110 with an opening 132 in the cover lid 130 aligned over the sensing region (Fig. 1).
Kalz is silent on a gel material disposed within the opening of the cover lid to seal the sensing region with respect to an environmental condition. However, Lo teaches in Fig. 1, a gel material 26 disposed within an opening 42 of a cover lid (32 & 34) to seal the sensing region with respect to an environmental condition. This has the advantage of providing protection for the sensor die 18. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was effectively filed to modify the invention of Kalz with the gel material within the opening in the cover lid and above the sensor die, as taught by Lo, so as to cover and protect the sensor die.
Regarding claim 2, the combination of Kalz and Lo teaches the semiconductor device of claim 1, wherein the sensing region is responsive to pressure (Kalz’s Fig. 1 & 4B and Lo’s Fig. 1).
Regarding claim 3, the combination of Kalz and Lo teaches the semiconductor device of claim 1, wherein the environmental condition is liquid (Lo’s Para [0048]).
Regarding claim 4, the combination of Kalz and Lo teaches the semiconductor device of claim 1, wherein the substrate includes: a base 110; and a wall (32 or 34) extending from the base 110 (Fig. 1).
Regarding claim 5, the combination of Kalz and Lo teaches the semiconductor device of claim 1, further including an adhesive layer (20 and 36) disposed around a perimeter of the sensing region 18, wherein the cover lid 30 is bonded to the adhesive layer 36 (Lo’s Fig. 1).
Regarding claim 6, the combination of Kalz and Lo teaches the semiconductor device of claim 1, further including a second electrical component 410 electrically coupled to the first electrical component 120 (Kalz’s Fig. 4B).
Regarding claim 7, Kalz teaches a semiconductor device, comprising:
a first electrical component 120 including a sensing region 122 (Fig. 1 & Fig. 4A-4B); and
a cover lid 130 disposed over the first electrical component 120 with an opening 132 in the cover lid aligned over the sensing region 122 (Fig. 1 & Para [0025]).
Kalz is silent on a gel material disposed within the opening of the cover lid to environmentally seal the sensing region. However, Lo teaches in Fig. 1, a gel material 26 disposed within an opening 42 of a cover lid 30 to environmentally seal the sensing region 18. This has the advantage of providing protection for the sensor die 18. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was effectively filed to modify the invention of Kalz with the gel material within the opening in the cover lid and above the sensor die, as taught by Lo, so as to cover and protect the sensor die.
Regarding claim 8, the combination of Kalz and Lo teaches the semiconductor device of claim 7, wherein the sensing region is responsive to an external stimuli (Kalz’s Fig. 1 & 4B and Lo’s Fig. 1 and associated texts).
Regarding claim 9, the combination of Kalz and Lo teaches the semiconductor device of claim 7, wherein the sensing region is responsive to pressure (Kalz’s Fig. 1 & 4B and Lo’s Fig. 1 and associated texts).
Regarding claim 10, the combination of Kalz and Lo teaches the semiconductor device of claim 7, further including a substrate 110, wherein the first electrical component 120 is disposed over the substrate and the cover lid 130 extends to the substrate 110 (Kalz’s Fig. 1 & 4B and Lo’s Fig. 1 and associated texts).
Regarding claim 11, the combination of Kalz and Lo teaches the semiconductor device of claim 7, further including a substrate 110 comprising: a base 110; and a wall (sidewalls of lid 130 in Kalz and/or 32 & 34 in Lo’s Fig. 1) extending from the base (Kalz’s Fig. 1 & 4B and Lo’s Fig. 1 and associated texts).
Regarding claim 12, the combination of Kalz and Lo teaches the semiconductor device of claim 7, further including an adhesive layer (20 & 36 in Lo’s Fig. 1) disposed around a perimeter of the sensing region 18, wherein the cover lid 30 is bonded to the adhesive layer 36 (Fig. 1).
Regarding claim 13, the combination of Kalz and Lo teaches the semiconductor device of claim 7, further including a second electrical component 410 electrically coupled to the first electrical component 120 (Kalz’s Fig. 4B).
Conclusion
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/TIMOR KARIMY/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2818