DETAILED ACTION
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of Group I, Species III, (Figs. 24-26), claims 7, 8, 10, 13, 14 and 17-26 in the reply filed on 02/18/2026 is acknowledged.
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, 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 14 and 17 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Li et al. US 2017/0278816 A1 in further view of Tsao et al. US 2020/0020603 A1.
Regarding claims 14 and 17, Li discloses:
A method (Figs. 1A/1B and 9-12) comprising:
forming first reflowable connectors on a first subset of bond pads (inner 336) of a package substrate (110), the first reflowable connectors disposed in a center of the package substrate in a top-down view (Figs. 1A/1B and 9-11; inner 530/130);
forming second reflowable connectors on a second subset of the bond pads (outer 336) of the package substrate, the second reflowable connectors disposed in an edge/corner of the package substrate in the top-down view, the second reflowable connectors having a greater height than the first reflowable connectors (Figs. 1A/1B and 9-11; outer 530/135);
after forming the first reflowable connectors and the second reflowable connectors, placing the package substrate on an interposer (Fig. 11, 101 BGA package attached to interposer as noted in para 0049).
Li does not disclose:
reflowing the first reflowable connectors and the second reflowable connectors to bond the package substrate to the interposer.
Tsao discloses a publication from a similar field of endeavor in which:
reflowing the reflowable connectors to bond a package substrate to a PCB (Fig. 7; para 0047).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to understand that the same reflow process taught by Tsao would be required to permanently bond the package substrate on the interposer of Li.
(claim 17) Li; Figs. 1A/1B and 9-11.
Claims 21 and 26 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Li et al. US 2017/0278816 A1 in view of Tsao et al. US 2020/0020603 A1 in further view of Tsai et al. US 2023/0361015 A1.
Regarding claims 21 and 26, Li discloses:
A method (Figs. 1A/1B and 9-12) comprising:
forming reflowable connectors (Figs. 1A/1B and 9-11; 530/130/135) on bond pads (336) of a package substrate (110), wherein forming the reflowable connectors comprises:
forming a first subset of the reflowable connectors in a first process, the first subset of the reflowable connectors being formed on a first subset of the bond pads (inner 336), the first subset of the bond pads being in a center of the package substrate (Figs. 1A/1B and 9-11; inner 530/130);
forming a second subset of the reflowable connectors in a second process, the second process being distinct from the first process, the second subset of the reflowable connectors being formed on a second subset of the bond pads (outer 336), the second subset of the bond pads being in an edge/corner of the package substrate, the first subset of the bond pads having a greater width than the second subset of the bond pads (Figs. 1A/1B and 9-11; outer 530/135); and
reflowing the first subset and the second subset of the reflowable connectors with a single reflow, the second subset of the reflowable connectors having a greater height than the first subset of the reflowable connectors, the second subset of the reflowable connectors having a greater volume than the first subset of the reflowable connectors (Fig. 11; para 0047);
placing the package substrate on an interposer (Fig. 11, 101 BGA package attached to interposer as noted in para 0049)
Li does not disclose:
reflowing the reflowable connectors to bond the package substrate to the interposer.
forming a first and second subset of the reflowable connectors in a first process and second process.
Tsao discloses a publication from a similar field of endeavor in which:
reflowing the reflowable connectors to bond a package substrate to a PCB (Fig. 7; para 0047).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to understand that the same reflow process taught by Tsao would be required to permanently bond the package substrate on the interposer of Li.
Li/Tsao do not disclose:
forming a first and second subset of the reflowable connectors in a first process and second process.
Tsai discloses a publication from a similar field of endeavor in which:
forming a first (Fig. 11B; 66 solder features) and second subset (Fig. 11A; 64 solder features) of the reflowable connectors in a first process and second process.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to employ separate processes as taught by Tsai for determining the first and second reflowable connectors of Li to determine solder regions characterized by differing materials.
(claim 26) Li; Figs. 1A/1B and 9-11.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 18-20 and 22-25 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.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
The prior art fails to teach or clearly suggest the limitation of claim 18 stating “wherein the interposer comprises reflowable layers, a first subset of the reflowable layers are in contact with the first reflowable connectors, a second subset of the reflowable layers are in contact with the second reflowable connectors, the first reflowable connectors and the first subset of the reflowable layers are reflowed to form first conductive connectors, the second reflowable connectors and the second subset of the reflowable layers are reflowed to form second conductive connectors, and a second height of the second conductive connectors is greater than a first height of the first conductive connectors”; of claim 19 stating “wherein the interposer comprises reflowable layers, a first subset of the reflowable layers are in contact with the first reflowable connectors, a second subset of the reflowable layers are in contact with the second reflowable connectors, and the second subset of the reflowable layers are thicker than the first subset of the reflowable layers”; of claim 20 stating “wherein the interposer comprises reflowable layers, a first subset of the reflowable layers are in contact with the first reflowable connectors, a second subset of the reflowable layers are in contact with the second reflowable connectors, and the second subset of the reflowable layers are wider than the first subset of the reflowable layers”; of claim 22 stating “singulating the interposer after reflowing the reflowable connectors”; of claim 23 stating “wherein the interposer comprises reflowable layers, and wherein placing the package substrate comprises contacting the reflowable connectors to the reflowable layers without gaps between the reflowable connectors and the reflowable layers”; of claim 24 stating “wherein the interposer comprises reflowable layers, wherein a first subset of the reflowable layers contact the first subset of the reflowable connectors, a second subset of the reflowable layers contact the second subset of the reflowable connectors, and the second subset of the reflowable layers are thicker than the first subset of the reflowable layers”; and of claim 25 stating “wherein the interposer comprises reflowable layers, wherein a first subset of the reflowable layers contact the first subset of the reflowable connectors, a second subset of the reflowable layers contact the second subset of the reflowable connectors, and the second subset of the reflowable layers are wider than the first subset of the reflowable layers”. In light of these limitations, the prior art fails to anticipate or make obvious the claimed invention.
Claims 7, 8, 10 and 13 are allowed.
The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance:
The prior art fails to teach or clearly suggest the limitation of claim 7 stating “forming reflowable layers on an interposer”. In light of these limitations, the prior art fails to anticipate or make obvious the claimed invention.
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
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ERROL V FERNANDES whose telephone number is (571)270-7433. The examiner can normally be reached on 9-5:30.
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/ERROL V FERNANDES/Primary Examiner, AU 2893
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