DETAILED ACTION
Response to Amendment
Amendment filed on 06 February 2026 has been entered. Claims 1-12 and 21-28 are now pending in the application.
Election/Restrictions
Applicant argues on Page 5, second paragraph (Remarks filed on 06 February 2026) Restriction/Claim Withdrawal, “the "Restriction Requirement does not demonstrate the processes are distinct.” Applicant argued that: MPEP states that Inventions may be distinct under this rationale if:
(A) the Inventions as claimed do not overlap in scope, i.e., are mutually exclusive;
(B) the Inventions as claimed are not obvious variants; and
(C) the Inventions as claimed are either not capable of use together or can have a materially different design, mode of operation, function, or effect.
See MPEP § 806.05G). Applicant respectfully submits that the Patent Office has not properly demonstrated patentable distinctness, because the Patent Office has not established at least elements (A) and (C).”,
Examiner respectfully submits that, Page 3 of the 06 October 2025 Non-Final office action clearly demonstrated the Invention I and II are having different scope; Inventions I and II are not obvious variants and Inventions I and II are having a materially different design more of operation of function. Though, Invention I and II may have overlapping process steps, that does not mean that they have same scope. The Inventions I and II are not obvious variants and they do not share the same features. The Inventions claimed in Invention I and II are having materially different design, mode of operation, function, or effect because, the process steps recited in the Invention I is different from the process steps recited in the Invention II. In other words, the process steps recited in claim 1 enables manufacturing a product that is different from the product manufactured by the recited process steps in claim 21 and claim 26. Therefore, Inventions I and II have different scopes.
As discussed in the Restriction requirement, the Inventions I and II are related to Distinct Processes, the Inventions as claimed have a materially different design, mode of operation, function, or effect. Invention I requires performing a first light-exposure process on the photoresist using a first lithography mask, wherein in the first light-exposure process, an inner portion of the photoresist is blocked from being exposed, and a peripheral portion of the photoresist is exposed…performing a second light-exposure process on the photoresist using a second lithography mask, wherein in the second light-exposure process, the inner portion of the photoresist is exposed, and wherein the peripheral portion of the photoresist is blocked from being exposed, in which the Invention II does not have. Invention II requires forming a first plurality of conductive features in a first region of a dielectric layer, wherein the first plurality of conductive features have first widths which is not required in Invention I. Furthermore, the Inventions as claimed do not encompass overlapping subject matter and there is nothing of record to show them to be obvious variants.
The Inventions have acquired separate status in the art due to their divergent subject matter. There would be an overly burdensome search (i.e. searching different CPC listings, and/or different search queries and terms, etc.) if the distinct limitations, as detailed above, of the different Inventions were examined together. Each of the CPC listings above contains thousands of prior art references, which must be reviewed according to the chosen embodiment. Even if there is overlap in the CPC listings to be searched, focus on more than one of the above groups would render the search overly burdensome. Further, searches in other databases, such as WIPO, ip.com and Google Patents, as well as text modified searches in PE2E-Search, would each require distinct search terms and would produce additional prior art listings which need to be reviewed.
Furthermore, the subject matter of the non-elected groups is not off-limits. At any point during prosecution Applicants may amend the elected claims such that subject matter from the withdrawn claims is added, or by directly amending the claims to be examined.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed on 06 February 2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
In response to Applicant’s argument on Page 8, last paragraph that “Clearly, the annotated peripheral portion lacks any portion on the left side of the annotated inner portion, and hence the annotated peripheral portion does not "encircle" the annotated inner portion. Examiner's interpretation of Wei thus does not support Examiner's conclusion that Wei discloses the claim element "wherein the peripheral portion encircles the inner portion" as recited in claim 1.”, Examiner respectfully submits that, Wei teaches a seal ring 84 in Fig. 3B and Fig. 21 (see Page 7, first paragraph of the Non-Final Rejection). Yang teaches the recited limitations, except “the peripheral portion encircles the inner portion”. Wei teaches in Figs. 20 and 21 and in para. [0038] that, “seal ring 84 forms a full metal ring”, in para. [0044], “Seal ring 84 forms a full ring proximal the edges of the resulting chip 4.”, in para. [0022], “FIG. 3B illustrates a schematic top view of photo resist 32 after the light-exposure….and define the patterns for forming seal ring 84.”, and in para. [0029], “the via openings for forming the seal ring extend into stitching zone 300 (and other parts of regions 100 and 200) to ensure that the resulting seal ring extends into all low-k dielectric layers, and forms a seamless metal ring”. It is evident from the teachings of Wei Figs. 3B, 20 and 21 and from para. [0022-0044] that, photoresist 32 that defines the seal ring 84 encircles an inner portion. Further, unless otherwise defined, the recited “peripheral portion encircles the inner portion” is known in the art. If Applicant disagrees, see, seal rings 24, 26 disclosed in Fig. 2A of Kuo (US 8227902); a conductive layer 139 disclosed in Fig. 1C of Signorini (US 20200312781); a metal ring 58 disclosed in Fig. 25 of Lee (US 20210366845); a conductive pattern 130 disclosed in Fig. 1 of Liu (US 10204870). Therefore, the modified method of Yang in view of Wei is conceptually identical to the method recited in claim 1 of this application.
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(s) 1-5, 7 and 10-12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yang (US 20090104564) in view of Wei (US 20170213798).
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Annotated Figs. 1A and 1C, Yang.
Regarding claim 1, Yang teaches, a method (multiple patterning process for patterning a material layer, Figs. 1A to 1F, para. [0025]) comprising:
forming a photoresist (photoresist layer 106, Fig. 1A) on a base structure (see annotated Fig. 1A above);
performing a first light-exposure process (first exposure process 110, see Fig. 1a) on the photoresist using a first lithography mask (first photomask 108, Fig. 1A), wherein in the first light-exposure process, an inner portion (see annotated Fig. 1A) of the photoresist is blocked from being exposed, and a peripheral portion (first pattern 108a, Fig. 1A) of the photoresist is exposed (first exposure process 110 with the use of a first photomask 108 having a first pattern 108a is performed on the first photoresist layer 106. Therefore, a portion of the first photoresist layer labeled as 106a is exposed, para. [0027]);
performing a second light-exposure process (second exposure process 116, see annotated Fig. 1C) on the photoresist using a second lithography mask (second photomask 114, Fig. 1C), wherein in the second light-exposure process, the inner portion (second pattern 114a, Fig. 1C) of the photoresist is exposed, and wherein the peripheral portion of the photoresist is blocked from being exposed (second exposure process 116 with the use of a second photomask 114 having a second pattern 114a…a portion of the second photoresist layer labeled as 112a is exposed, para. [0029]); and
developing the photoresist (a first develop process is performed to remove the exposure portion of the first photoresist layer 106a together with a portion of the mask layer 104 exposed by the first photoresist layer 106b without being dissolved in a developer, para. [0028]).
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Annotated Fig. 3B, Wei.
Yang does not explicitly teach the peripheral portion encircles the inner portion. However, Wei teaches, a method including forming a photoresist 32 on a base structure 20 in Fig. 2A, performing a first light exposure process using a first photolithography mask 34, an inner portion 34 of the photoresist 32 is blocked from being exposed, performing a second light exposure process using a second photolithography mask 40, in which, the peripheral portion encircles the inner portion (see annotated Fig. 3B above and the seal ring 84 in Fig. 20; FIG. 3B illustrates a schematic top view of photo resist 32 after the light-exposure….and define the patterns for forming seal ring 84, para. [0022]),
Though, Yang teaches performing a first developing process on the first photoresist layer 106 in Fig. 1B, and then forming a second photoresist layer 112 and performing the second light-exposure process 116 on the second photoresist layer 112, one of ordinary skill in the art would have known that performing the second light exposure process 116 on the first photoresist layer 106 before developing the photoresist 106 would reduce the process steps, which improves the processing time. Therefore, in view of the teachings of Wei, it would have been prima facie obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed Invention, to modify the method of Yang and to replace the peripheral portion and the inner portion of Yang with a peripheral portion encircling the inner portion as Wei taught in Fig. 3B and sequentially performing the first light exposure process and the second light exposure process as Yang taught in Figs. 1A and 1C so that it enables reducing the processing time, and coupling the redistribution lines to respective device dies including joining the conductive features defined by two lithography masks as Wei disclosed in para. [0048]. Moreover, there is no indication in the instant Invention that any surprising results were derived, or that any special steps were devised in order to form a peripheral portion encircling the inner portion. Such a combination would have been done by one of ordinary skill in the art without any need for experimentation and with reasonable expectations of success.
Regarding claim 2, Yang in view of Wei teaches the recited limitations with respect to claim 1. Yang further teaches, the method of claim 1 further comprising: forming first features (preliminary pattern mask layer 104a, Fig. 1B; alternatively patterned material layer 102a, Fig. 1E, the mask layer 104 is transformed into a preliminary pattern mask layer 104a exposing a portion of the material layer 102, para. [0028]) based on first patterns in the peripheral portion, wherein the first features are formed in the first light-exposure process, and wherein the first features are coarse features having first widths; and forming second features (see annotated Fig. 1D, below) based on second patterns in the inner portion, wherein the second features are formed in the second light-exposure process, and wherein the second features are fine features having second widths smaller than the first widths (the first pattern 108a of the first photomask 108 is different from the second pattern 114a of the second photomask 114… the pitch x1 of the pattern in the etching mask layer 104b is smaller than the optical resolution x2 during each of the first exposure process 110 and the second exposure process 116, para. [0029-0031], see the Note below).
Note: from the teaching on para [0029-0031] of Yang, it would have been obvious that the resolution of pattern 104b of the first exposure is coarse and the resolution of pattern of the second exposure in Fig. 1D is fine.
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Annotated Fig. 1D, Yang.
Regarding claim 3, modified Yang does not teach forming a conductive feature. However, Wei further teaches, the method of claim 2, wherein a first conductive feature (seal ring 84, Fig. 20, seal ring 84 forms a full metal ring, para. [0038]) in the first features and a second conductive feature (metal lines 46, 70, and 78, Fig. 20) in the second features are parts of a continuous feature (see, the seal ring 84 and metal lines 46, 70 and 78 in Fig. 20, seal ring 84 forms a full metal ring, para. [0038]). Therefore, in view of the teachings of Wei, it would have been prima facie obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed Invention, to modify the method of Yang and to replace the peripheral portion and the inner portion of Yang with a metal peripheral portion encircling the metal inner portion as Wei taught in Figs. 3B and 20 so that it enables forming bonded conductive features defined by two lithography processing steps.
Regarding claim 4, modified Yang does not teach forming a seed layer or a plating process. However, Wei further teaches, the method of claim 1 further comprising: forming a seed layer (forming a blanket seed layer such as a titanium layer and a copper layer, para. [0042]) over the base structure; and performing a plating process (plating RDLs 94, para. [0042]) to form redistribution lines (RDL 94, Fig. 20) in the photoresist (the formation of RDLs 94 include forming a blanket seed layer, such as a titanium layer and a copper layer on the titanium layer, forming a patterned photo resist…, and plating RDLs 94 in the openings in the patterned photo resist para. [0042]). Therefore, in view of the teachings of Wei, it would have been prima facie obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed Invention, to modify the method of Yang and to replace the peripheral portion and the inner portion of Yang with seed layer and performing a plating process so that it enables forming bonded conductive features with a desired thickness and conductivity.
Regarding claim 5, modified Yang does not teach a stitching portion. However, Wei further teaches, the method of claim 1, wherein the inner portion is spaced from the peripheral portion by a stitching portion (stitching zone 300, see annotated Fig. 3B below and Fig. 20), and wherein some portions of the photoresist in the stitching portion are double exposed (double exposed portions 32D are in stitching zone 300, Fig. 3B, para. [0021]). Therefore, in view of the teachings of Wei, it would have been prima facie obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed Invention, to modify the method of Yang and to include a stitching portion 300 as Wei taught in Fig. 3B so that it enables joining the conductive features defined by two lithography masks and placing a chip bigger than the size defined by the circuit space.
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Annotated Fig. 3B, Wei.
Regarding claim 7, modified Yang does not teach the stitching portion. However, Wei further teaches, the method of claim 5, wherein the stitching portion includes four portions (see annotated Fig. 20 below) joined to form a rectangle, and wherein the four portions have a same width (see width W2′, Fig. 20).
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Annotated Fig. 20, Wei.
Though, Wei teaches only two stitching portions on the peripheral portion in Fig. 20, one of ordinary skill in the art would have known that adding two more stitching portions would improve the processing steps and hence the joining of the peripheral portion 84. Therefore, in view of the teachings of Wei, it would have been prima facie obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed Invention, to modify the method of Yang and to include two more stitching portion portions as Wei taught in Fig. 3B so that it enables joining the conductive features defined by two lithography masks.
Regarding claim 10, modified Yang does not teach the recited limitations. However, Wei further teaches, the method of claim 1, wherein the inner portion and the peripheral portion are spaced apart from each other by a ring-shaped portion of the photoresist (see the ring shaped portion of photoresist 23B, annotated Fig. 3B below, portions 32B are not exposed, para. [0019]), and wherein in both of the first light-exposure process and the second light-exposure process, the ring-shaped portion is blocked from being exposed, and wherein the ring-shaped portion forms a full ring fully encircling the inner portion (light-exposure is then performed to expose portions 32C of photo resist 32, and portions 32B remain not exposed, para. [0021], FIG. 3B illustrates a schematic top view of photo resist 32 after the light-exposure….and define the patterns for forming seal ring 84, para. [0022], seal ring 84 forms a full metal ring, Fig. 20, para. [0028]). Therefore, in view of the teachings of Wei, it would have been prima facie obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed Invention, to modify the method of Yang and to include a ring-shaped portion of photoresist in between the inner portion and the peripheral portion as Wei taught in Fig. 3B so that it enables forming an aligned seal ring including meal lines and vias.
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Annotated Fig. 3B, Wei.
Regarding claim 11, modified Yang does not teach the recited limitations. However, Wei further teaches, the method of claim 10, wherein the ring-shaped portion includes four portions joined to form a rectangle (see the ring shaped portion 32B, Fig. 3B above), and wherein the four portions have a same width. Though, Wei teaches only two of the ring shaped portions having same width in Fig. 3B, one of ordinary skill in the art would have thought that forming the ring shaped portion with four portions would reduce the errors in the mask alignment. Therefore, in view of the teachings of Wei, it would have been prima facie obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed Invention, to modify the method of Yang and to replace the two portions with two similar portions in the ring shaped portion 32B so that it enables reducing the patterning and photolithography mask alignment errors as Wei disclosed in para. [0023].
Regarding claim 12, modified Yang does not teach the recited limitations. However, Wei further teaches, the method of claim 10, wherein the first lithography mask (lithography mask 34, Fig. 2A) and the second lithography mask (lithography mask 40, Fig. 3A) have a same top-view area (see Figs. 2A and 3A). Please also refer to the rationale for combination regarding claim 10, as it is applicable to claim 12 in the same manner.
Claim(s) 8-9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yang in view of Wei as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Lee (US 20210366845).
Regarding claim 8, modified Yang does not teach the inner portion has a rectangular shape. However, Lee teaches, a method in Figs. 1 to 26, comprising forming a photoresist 26 on a base structure in Fig. 2, and performing light-exposure process using a photo lithography mask in which, the method of claim 1, wherein the inner portion has a rectangular shape (see metal ring 58, Fig. 25). Therefore, in view of the teachings of Lee, it would have been prima facie obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed Invention, to modify the method of Yang and to replace the inner portion of Yang with the inner portion as Lee taught in Fig. 25 so that it enables reducing the processing time, and enables coupling the redistribution lines to respective device dies as Lee disclosed in para. [0059].
Regarding claim 9, modified Yang in view Wei teaches the recited limitations with respect to claim 1. Wei further teaches, an interposer (wafer 2 is an interposer wafer, para. [0011]). Therefore, in view of the teachings of Wei, it would have been prima facie obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed Invention, to modify the method of Yang and to include an interposer so that it enables connecting the conductive features of the multilayer board.
Modified Yang does not teach an organic dielectric layer. However, Lee further teaches, wherein the base structure comprises parts of an organic interposer (see the package 102 in Fig. 15), and the organic interposer comprises organic dielectric layers (dielectric layer 88 may be formed using PBO, polyimide, or BCB, para. [0029], polyimide is an organic dielectric material) and redistribution lines (RDLs 60, Fig. 9) in the organic dielectric layers. Therefore, in view of the teachings of Lee, it would have been prima facie obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed Invention, to modify the method of Yang and to replace the base structure of Yang and to include organic dielectric layers so that it enables coating the dielectric layers on the base structure in flowable form, and then curing dielectric layers.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 6 is objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for indicating allowable subject matter:
Claim 6 would be allowable for disclosing a method, wherein the stitching portion forms a full ring encircling the inner portion.
Though, prior art of record Wei teaches the method including a stitching zone 300 in which inner portion is spaced from the peripheral portion by a stitching portion, Wei fails to teach the stitching portion forms a full ring encircling the inner portion.
Prior art of record Yang or Lee does not teach a stitching portion or an overlapping region.
Therefore, claim 6 would be allowable.
Any comments considered necessary by applicant must be submitted no later than the payment of the issue fee and, to avoid processing delays, should preferably accompany the issue fee. Such submissions should be clearly labeled “Comments on Statement of Reasons for Allowance.”
Conclusion
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. 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 JOSE K. ABRAHAM whose telephone number is (571)270-1087. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 8:30-4:30 EST.
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/JOSE K ABRAHAM/Examiner, Art Unit 3729 /THOMAS J HONG/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3729