Prosecution Insights
Last updated: April 19, 2026
Application No. 18/361,177

CHIP PACKAGE STRUCTURE WITH ANCHOR STRUCTURE

Non-Final OA §102§103
Filed
Jul 28, 2023
Examiner
JANG, BO BIN
Art Unit
2818
Tech Center
2800 — Semiconductors & Electrical Systems
Assignee
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Ltd.
OA Round
1 (Non-Final)
88%
Grant Probability
Favorable
1-2
OA Rounds
2y 4m
To Grant
96%
With Interview

Examiner Intelligence

Grants 88% — above average
88%
Career Allow Rate
523 granted / 595 resolved
+19.9% vs TC avg
Moderate +8% lift
Without
With
+7.7%
Interview Lift
resolved cases with interview
Typical timeline
2y 4m
Avg Prosecution
26 currently pending
Career history
621
Total Applications
across all art units

Statute-Specific Performance

§101
0.3%
-39.7% vs TC avg
§103
47.0%
+7.0% vs TC avg
§102
28.8%
-11.2% vs TC avg
§112
21.2%
-18.8% vs TC avg
Black line = Tech Center average estimate • Based on career data from 595 resolved cases

Office Action

§102 §103
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 . Information Disclosure Statement The information disclosure statement (IDS) filed on July 28, 2023 is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the IDS is considered by the examiner. 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. (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 18 and 19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) or 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Hung US 2014/0252634. Regarding claim 18, Hung teaches a chip package structure (e.g., Fig. 6-12 and the description thereof), comprising: a wiring substrate (e.g., 102, Fig. 12) having a surface (e.g., surface of 102 on which 110 (not labeled) is disposed, Fig. 12; Fig. 1); a chip structure (e.g., 110 (not labeled), Fig. 12; Fig. 1) over the surface of the wiring substrate; a first anchor structure (e.g., 130, Fig. 12) bonded to the surface of the wiring substrate, wherein the first anchor structure has an opening (e.g., opening created by 130, Fig. 12), the chip structure is in the opening (e.g., Fig. 12), and the first anchor structure is electrically isolated from the chip structure (e.g., Fig. 12); an antiwarpage structure (e.g., 120, Fig. 12, [25], [31]) over the surface of the wiring substrate, wherein the antiwarpage structure surrounds the chip structure and is between the chip structure and the first anchor structure (e.g., Fig. 11, Fig. 12); and a first conductive adhesive layer (e.g., thermally conductive layer(s) 124, 114 (not labeled) and/or 128, Fig. 12, [51]) between the first anchor structure and the antiwarpage structure. Regarding claim 19, Hung teaches the chip package structure as claimed in claim 18, further comprising: an adhesive layer (e.g., 134, Fig. 12) over the surface of the wiring substrate, wherein the antiwarpage structure is bonded to the adhesive layer, and the first conductive adhesive layer is in direct contact with the adhesive layer (e.g., Fig. 12). Claims 18 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) or 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Saedi et al. US 2014/0061893. Regarding claim 18, Saedi teaches a chip package structure (e.g., Fig. 13-14 and the description thereof), comprising: a wiring substrate (e.g., 308, Fig. 13) having a surface (e.g., surface of 308 on which 304 is disposed, Fig. 13); a chip structure (e.g., 304, Fig. 13) over the surface of the wiring substrate; a first anchor structure (e.g., 302, Fig. 13) bonded to the surface of the wiring substrate, wherein the first anchor structure has an opening (e.g., opening created by 302, Fig. 13), the chip structure is in the opening (e.g., Fig. 13), and the first anchor structure is electrically isolated from the chip structure (e.g., Fig. 13); an antiwarpage structure (e.g., 1302, Fig. 13, [68], [66]) over the surface of the wiring substrate, wherein the antiwarpage structure surrounds the chip structure and is between the chip structure and the first anchor structure (e.g., Fig. 14, Fig. 13); and a first conductive adhesive layer (e.g., thermally conductive layer(s) 1304, Fig. 13, [68]) between the first anchor structure and the antiwarpage structure (e.g., Fig. 13). Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103 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 of this title, 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, 3, 4, 5, 7 and 9 are rejected are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Saedi et al. US 2014/0061893. Regarding claim 1, Saedi (one interpretation) teaches a chip package structure (e.g., Fig. 13-14 and the description thereof), comprising: a wiring substrate (e.g., 308, Fig. 13) having a first conductive pad (e.g., [31]); a chip structure (e.g., 304, Fig. 13) over the wiring substrate; an antiwarpage structure (e.g., 1302, Fig. 13, [68], [66]) over the wiring substrate, wherein the antiwarpage structure surrounds the chip structure (e.g., Fig. 14); and a first anchor structure (e.g., 302, Fig. 13) adjacent to a first lower portion of the antiwarpage structure (e.g., first lower portion of 1302 near the lower 1304, Fig. 13), wherein the first lower portion is between the first anchor structure and the chip structure (e.g., Fig. 13), and the first anchor structure is electrically insulated from the chip structure (e.g., Fig. 13). Saedi does not explicitly teach a first anchor structure on the first conductive pad of the wiring substrate and the first conductive pad is electrically insulated from the chip structure. Saedi, however, recognizes that the wiring substrate 308 includes one or more electrically conductive layers such as contact pads at the surface 310 of 308 (e.g., [31]). It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the structure of Saedi to include a first anchor structure on the first conductive pad of the wiring substrate and the first conductive pad is electrically insulated from the chip structure for the purpose of enhancing heat spreading efficiency and reducing the electrical interference in the wiring substrate for example. Regarding claim 3, Saedi teaches the chip package structure as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first anchor structure is closer to the first lower portion of the antiwarpage structure than the chip structure (e.g., Fig. 13). Regarding claim 4, Saedi teaches the chip package structure as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first anchor structure comprises a pillar structure or a strip structure (e.g., Fig. 13, Fig. 14). Regarding claim 5, Saedi teaches the chip package structure as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first anchor structure comprises a ring structure, and the first anchor structure continuously surrounds the chip structure in a top view of the first anchor structure and the chip structure (e.g., Fig. 14). Regarding claim 1, Saedi (alternative interpretation) teaches a chip package structure (e.g., Fig. 13-14 and the description thereof), comprising: a wiring substrate (e.g., 308, Fig. 13) having a first conductive pad (e.g., [31]); a chip structure (e.g., 304, Fig. 13) over the wiring substrate; an antiwarpage structure (e.g., 1302, Fig. 13, [68], [66]) over the wiring substrate, wherein the antiwarpage structure surrounds the chip structure (e.g., Fig. 14); and a first anchor structure (e.g., first anchor structure; see the annotated Fig. 13 below) adjacent to a first lower portion of the antiwarpage structure (e.g., first lower portion; see the annotated Fig. 13 below), wherein the first lower portion is between the first anchor structure and the chip structure (e.g., Fig. 13), and the first anchor structure is electrically insulated from the chip structure (e.g., Fig. 13). Saedi does not explicitly teach a first anchor structure on the first conductive pad of the wiring substrate and the first conductive pad is electrically insulated from the chip structure. Saedi, however, recognizes that the wiring substrate 308 includes one or more electrically conductive layers such as contact pads at the surface 310 of 308 (e.g., [31]). It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the structure of Saedi to include a first anchor structure on the first conductive pad of the wiring substrate and the first conductive pad is electrically insulated from the chip structure for the purpose of enhancing heat spreading efficiency and reducing the electrical interference in the wiring substrate for example. PNG media_image1.png 354 905 media_image1.png Greyscale Annotated Fig. 13 of Saedi Regarding claim 7, Saedi teaches the chip package structure as claimed in claim 1, further comprising: a second anchor structure (e.g., second anchor structure; see the annotated Fig. 13 above) over the wiring substrate and adjacent to a second lower portion of the antiwarpage structure (e.g., second lower portion; see the annotated Fig. 13 above), wherein the chip structure is between the first lower portion and the second lower portion of the antiwarpage structure; see the annotated Fig. 13 above), the second lower portion is between the second anchor structure and the chip structure (e.g., see the annotated Fig. 13 above), and the second anchor structure is electrically isolated from the chip structure (e.g., see the annotated Fig. 13 above). Regarding claim 9, Saedi teaches the chip package structure as claimed in claim 7 as discussed above. Saedi does not explicitly teach wherein the second anchor structure is on a second conductive pad of the wiring substrate, and the second conductive pad is electrically isolated from the chip structure. Saedi, however, recognizes that the wiring substrate 308 includes one or more electrically conductive layers such as contact pads at the surface 310 of 308 (e.g., [31]). It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the structure of Saedi to include wherein the second anchor structure is on a second conductive pad of the wiring substrate, and the second conductive pad is electrically isolated from the chip structure for the purpose of enhancing heat spreading efficiency and reducing the electrical interference in the wiring substrate for example. Claims 10-12 and 17 are rejected are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hung US 2014/0252634 in view of Saedi et al. US 2014/0061893. Regarding claim 10, Hung teaches a chip package structure (e.g., Fig. 1-5 and the description thereof), comprising: a wiring substrate (e.g., 102, Fig. 5) having a surface (e.g., surface of 102 on which 110 (not labeled) is disposed, Fig. 5; Fig. 1); a chip structure (e.g., 110 (not labeled) and 128, Fig. 5; Fig. 1) over the surface of the wiring substrate, wherein the chip structure comprises a chip (e.g., 110 (not labeled), Fig. 5; Fig. 1); a structure (e.g., 130, Fig. 5; [48]) over the surface of the wiring substrate, wherein the structure surrounds the chip structure (e.g., Fig. 5); and a first anchor structure (e.g., 120, Fig. 5) bonded to the surface of the wiring substrate and adjacent to a first lower portion (e.g., first lower portion of 130 near 132, Fig. 5) of the structure, wherein the first anchor structure is between the chip structure and the first lower portion (e.g., Fig. 5), a top surface of the first anchor structure is lower than a bottom surface of the chip (e.g., Fig. 5), and the first anchor structure is electrically isolated from the chip structure (e.g., Fig. 5). Hung does not explicitly teach an antiwarpage structure. Hung, however, recognizes that the structure 130 functions as a heatsink (e.g., [48]). It has been well known in the art that a heatsink/heat spreader lid may function as an antiwarpage structure as suggested by Saedi (e.g., [36]). It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention that the structure 130 of Hung may function as an antiwarpage structure as suggested by Saedi for the purpose of reducing warpage, thereby enhancing the performance of the package structure for example (e.g., Saedi, [75]). Regarding claim 11, Hung in view of Saedi teaches the chip package structure as claimed in claim 10, wherein the first lower portion is closer to the first anchor structure than the chip structure (e.g., Hung, Fig. 5). Regarding claim 12, Hung in view of Saedi teaches the chip package structure as claimed in claim 10 as discussed above. Hung in view of Saedi does not explicitly teach wherein a first upper portion of the first anchor structure is narrower than a second lower portion of the first anchor structure. Hung in view of Saedi, however, recognizes that the first anchor structure 120 has various shapes and combinations thereof (e.g., Hung, [36], [40]). It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the structure of Hung in view of Saedi to include wherein a first upper portion of the first anchor structure is narrower than a second lower portion of the first anchor structure because a shape of the anchor structure is a matter of obvious design choice and thus the claimed arrangement could be achieved by the general skill of a worker in the art through ordinary means of routine work for a desired purpose for example. Regarding claim 17, Hung in view of Saedi teaches the chip package structure as claimed in claim 10, further comprising: a conductive layer (e.g., thermally conductive layer(s) 124, 114 (not labeled) and/or 128; Fig. 5, [51]) connected between the first anchor structure and the antiwarpage structure. Allowable Subject Matter Claims 2, 6, and 8 are 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. Claims 13-16 are 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. Claim 20 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. Conclusion Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Bo Bin Jang whose telephone number is (571) 270-0271. The examiner can normally be reached on M-F from 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM EST. Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice. If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner's supervisor, Eva Montalvo can be reached at (571) 270-3829. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300. Information regarding the status of an application may be obtained from the Patent Application Information Retrieval (PAIR) system. Status information for published applications may be obtained from either Private PAIR or Public PAIR. Status information for unpublished applications is available through Private PAIR only. For more information about the PAIR system, see http://portal.uspto.gov/external/portal. Should you have questions on access to the Private PAIR system, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative or access to the automated information system, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) OR 571-272-1000. /BO B JANG/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2818 February 6, 2026
Read full office action

Prosecution Timeline

Jul 28, 2023
Application Filed
Feb 06, 2026
Non-Final Rejection — §102, §103 (current)

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Study what changed to get past this examiner. Based on 5 most recent grants.

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Prosecution Projections

1-2
Expected OA Rounds
88%
Grant Probability
96%
With Interview (+7.7%)
2y 4m
Median Time to Grant
Low
PTA Risk
Based on 595 resolved cases by this examiner. Grant probability derived from career allow rate.

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