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 .
Response to Election/Restrictions
1. Applicant’s election without traverse of Group I, claims 1-14 in the reply filed on 1/21/2026 is acknowledged.
Applicant's election with traverse of Species II, claims 11-14 in the reply filed on 1/21/2026 is acknowledged. The traversal is on the ground(s) that “there are no mutually exclusive characteristics in claim 1 and 11”. Because of amendment in claim 1, the species restriction applied to Group I is withdrawn.
Claims 1-14 are being examined in this Office Action. Claims 15-20 are withdrawn.
Specification
2. The title of the invention is not descriptive. A new title is required that is clearly indicative of the invention to which the claims are directed.
Appropriate correction is required.
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.
3. Claims 1, 2 and 4-14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kim et al. (US 2017/0117200) in view of Kim et al. (KR 101778433, “Kim33”, English translation attached).
Re claim 1, Kim teaches, under BRI, Figs. 2A-J, [0031, 0037, 0040, 0043], an electronic device, comprising:
-a substrate (110) (Figs. 2A-B) comprising:
a substrate inner side (e.g., top side);
a substrate outer side (e.g., bottom side) opposite to the substrate inner side;
substrate lateral sides (e.g., sidewall) connecting the substrate inner side to the substrate outer side;
a dielectric structure (112);
a conductive structure (111) comprising:
substrate inward terminals (111c) adjacent to the substrate inner side; and
substrate outward terminals (11a) adjacent to the substrate outer side; and
-a first electronic component (left 130) (Fig. 2F) coupled to the substrate inward terminals (111c) and comprising:
a first lower side (e.g., bottom side) proximate to the substrate inner side;
a first upper side (e.g., upper side) opposite to the first lower side; and
a first lateral side (e.g., sidewall) connecting the first lower side to the first upper side;
-a second electronic component (right 130) (Fig. 2F) coupled to the substrate inward terminals (111c), laterally spaced apart from the first electronic component (left 130), and comprising:
a second lower side (e.g., bottom side);
a second upper side (e.g., upper side) opposite to the second lower side: and
a second lateral side (e.g., sidewall) connecting the second lower side to the second upper side:
-an underfill (140) (Fig. 2G) between the first lower side of the first electronic component (left 130) and the substrate inner side (e.g., top side); and
-an encapsulant (150) (Fig. 2J) covering a portion of the substrate inner side, a portion of the underfill (140); a portion of the first electronic component (left 130), and a portion of the second electronic component (right 130).
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Kim does not teach a substrate internal stiffener adjacent to the substrate inner side, and the underfill covering the substrate internal stiffener.
Kim33 teaches, Fig. 3g, page 5, 6th par., a substrate internal stiffener (222) adjacent to the substrate inner side (of 110), and the underfill (133) covering the substrate internal stiffener (222).
As taught by Kim33, one of ordinary skill in the art would utilize & modify the above teaching into Kim to obtain a substrate internal stiffener covered by the underfill as claimed, because it aids in suppressing/preventing a warp phenomenon of a substrate in the formed device.
Thus, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to employ the teaching as taught by Kim33 in combination with Kim due to above reason.
Re claim 2, Kim teaches, Fig. 2g, the underfill is between the second lower side of the second electronic component (right 130) and the substrate inner side (e.g., top side).
Kim/Kim33 does not explicitly teach the substrate internal stiffener is between the first electronic component and the second electronic component.
Kim33 does teaches, Figs. 1 & 2, page 7, 5th par., “the semiconductor devices 100 and 200 are formed in the form of a strip or a matrix for improving the productivity” & the substrate internal stiffener (222) under a die (130) of the device 200.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to employ/modify the teaching as taught by Kim33 to obtain the substrate internal stiffener is between the first electronic component and the second electronic component as claimed, because it aids in suppressing/preventing a warp phenomenon of a substrate in the formed device. Further, it has been held that that rearranging part of an invention involves only routine skill in the art. In re Japikse, 86 USPQ 70.
Re claim 4, in combination cited above, Kim33 teaches, in view of Fig. 3d, wherein the substrate internal stiffener (222) has a first thickness, the substrate inward terminals (111a) comprise a second thickness; and the first thickness is different than the second thickness.
Re claim 5, in combination cited above, Kim teaches, Fig. 2E, [0031], wherein the substrate comprises a redistribution layer (RDL) substrate (111), the substrate (110) comprises a pair of opposing lateral sides (both sidewalls of 110); and Kim33 teaches, Fig. 3d, the substrate internal stiffener (222) extends generally perpendicular (horizontal direction) between the pair of opposing lateral sides (both sidewalls of 110) (vertical direction); and ends of the substrate internal stiffener (right 222) are inset from the pair of opposing lateral sides of the substrate (110).
Re claims 6 & 7, in combination cited above, Kim33 teaches, Fig. 9c, page 8, 8th par., an external stiffener structure (420) coupled to the substrate outer side (of 110); wherein the substrate outer side comprises a peripheral region (external region); and the external stiffener structure (420) extends along the peripheral region.
Re claim 8, in combination cited above, Kim33 teaches, under BRI, Fig. 9c, the external stiffener structure (consider 2 adjacent portions of 420) comprises a side portion (side of 420) and a through-hole (between 2 portions of 420 or opening 422a) extending through the side portion.
Re claim 9, in combination cited above, Kim33 teaches, Figs. 3d & 8, page 12, external interconnects (bumps 116, 150) coupled to the conductive structure (111a, b) proximate to the substrate outer side and comprising a first external interconnect (in middle) and a second external interconnect (in both sides) laterally separated from the first external interconnect; wherein: the external stiffener structure (120, 420) comprises a substrate external stiffener (420) interposed between the first external interconnect (middle 116, 150) and the second external interconnect (side 116, 150); and the substrate internal stiffener (120) and the substrate external stiffener (420) overlap in a cross-sectional view.
Re claim 10, in combination cited above, Kim33 teaches, Fig. 3d, page 3, 9th par., wherein the substrate internal stiffener (222) comprises a conductor (e.g., metal) and is coupled to the conductive structure of the substrate (110).
Re claim 11, Kim teaches, under BRI, Figs. 2A-J, [0031, 0037, 0040, 0043], an electronic device, comprising:
-a substrate (110) (Figs. 2A-B) comprising:
a substrate inner side (e.g., top side);
a substrate outer side (e.g., bottom side) opposite to the substrate inner side;
substrate lateral sides (e.g., sidewall) connecting the substrate inner side to the substrate outer side;
a dielectric structure (112);
a conductive structure (111) comprising substrate inward terminals (111c) adjacent to the substrate inner side and substrate outward terminals (11a) adjacent to the substrate outer side; and
-a first electronic component (left 130) (Fig. 2F) coupled to the substrate inward terminals (111c) and comprising:
a first lower side (e.g., bottom side) proximate to the substrate inner side;
a first upper side (e.g., upper side) opposite to the first lower side; and
a first lateral side (e.g., sidewall) connecting the first lower side to the first upper side;
-a second electronic component (right 130) (Fig. 2F) coupled to the substrate inward terminals (111c), laterally spaced apart from the first electronic component (left 130), and comprising:
a second lower side (e.g., bottom side);
a second upper side (e.g., upper side) opposite to the second lower side: and
a second lateral side (e.g., sidewall) connecting the second lower side to the second upper side; and
-an encapsulant (150) (Fig. 2J) covering a portion of the substrate inner side, a portion of the first electronic component (left 130), and a portion of the second electronic component (right 130).
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Kim does not teach a substrate internal stiffener adjacent to the substrate inner side.
Kim33 teaches, Fig. 3g, page 5, 6th par., a substrate internal stiffener (222) adjacent to the substrate inner side (of 110).
As taught by Kim33, one of ordinary skill in the art would utilize & modify the above teaching into Kim to obtain a substrate internal stiffener adjacent to the substrate inner side as claimed, because it aids in suppressing/preventing a warp phenomenon of a substrate in the formed device.
Thus, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to employ the teaching as taught by Kim33 in combination with Kim due to above reason.
Re claim 12, Kim/Kim33 does not explicitly teach the substrate internal stiffener is between the first electronic component and the second electronic component.
Kim33 does teaches, Figs. 1 & 2, page 7, 5th par., “the semiconductor devices 100 and 200 are formed in the form of a strip or a matrix for improving the productivity” & the substrate internal stiffener (222) under a die (130) of the device 200.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to employ/modify the teaching as taught by Kim33 to obtain the substrate internal stiffener is between the first electronic component and the second electronic component as claimed, because it aids in suppressing/preventing a warp phenomenon of a substrate in the formed device. Further, it has been held that that rearranging part of an invention involves only routine skill in the art. In re Japikse, 86 USPQ 70.
Re claim 13, Kim teaches, Fig. 2J, [0038, 0040], component interconnects (131-133) coupling the first lower side of the first electronic component (left 130) and the second lower side of the second electronic component (right 130) to the conductive structure (111); and an underfill (140) surrounding the component interconnects (131-133).
Re claim 14, Kim teaches, Fig. 2J, an underfill (140) between the first lower side of the first electronic component (left 130) and the substrate inner side (of 110), between the second lower side of the second electronic component (right 130) and the substrate inner side (of 110); wherein: the encapsulant (150) covers a portion of the underfill (140).
Kim does not teach the underfill covering the substrate internal stiffener; and a substrate external stiffener adjacent to the substrate outer side; wherein the substrate external stiffener and the substrate internal stiffener overlap in a cross- sectional view.
Kim33 teaches, Figs. 3g & 8, col. 4, 3rth par., & col. 10, 8th par., the underfill (133) covering the substrate internal stiffener (222) (Fig. 3g); and a substrate external stiffener (420) adjacent to the substrate outer side; wherein the substrate external stiffener (420) and the substrate internal stiffener (120) overlap in a cross- sectional view (Fig. 8).
As taught by Kim33, one of ordinary skill in the art would utilize & modify the above teaching to obtain substrate internal stiffener and substrate external stiffener as claimed, because it aids in suppressing/preventing a warp phenomenon of a substrate in the formed device. Further, it has been held that that rearranging part of an invention involves only routine skill in the art. In re Japikse, 86 USPQ 70.
Thus, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to employ the teaching as taught by Kim33 in combination with Kim due to above reason.
4. Claim 3 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kim as modified by Kim33 as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Wang et al. (US 2022/0310501).
The teachings of Kim/Kim33 have been discussed above.
Re claim 3, Kim teaches, Fig. 2J, the encapsulant (150) comprises an encapsulant top side (upper side of 150);
the underfill (140) is laterally between the first electronic component (left 130) and the second electronic component (right 130);
a portion of the encapsulant top side (middle portion of 150) is between the first electronic component (left 130) and the second electronic component (right 130); and
the portion of the encapsulant top side (middle portion of 150) contacts the underfill (140).
Kim/Kim33 does not teach the first upper side of the first electronic component and the second upper side of the second electronic component are exposed from the encapsulant top side.
Wang teaches, Fig. 1, [0030], the first upper side of the first electronic component (120a) and the second upper side of the second electronic component (120b) are exposed from the encapsulant top side (of 150).
As taught by Wang, one of ordinary skill in the art would utilize & modify the above teaching to obtain the first upper side of the first electronic component and the second upper side of the second electronic component are exposed from the encapsulant top side as claimed, because it aids in reducing stress, avoiding crack and declamation issue in the encapsulant and to enhance the reliability of the package structure.
Thus, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to employ the teaching as taught by Wang in combination with Kim/Kim33 due to above reason.
Conclusion
5. Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to DUY T.V. NGUYEN whose telephone number is (571)270-7431. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday, 7AM-4PM, alternative Friday off.
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/DUY T NGUYEN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2818 3/11/26