DETAILED ACTION
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of Species I (claims 1-8) in the reply filed on 2/12/26 is acknowledged.
Claims 9-20 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected invention, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on 2/12/26.
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.
Claim(s) 1, and 8 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Itaya et al. US 2011/0084385 A1. Itaya discloses (see, for example FIG. 4) a semiconductor device comprising a semiconductor substrate 80, integrated circuit layer 81a/81, first metal wiring layer P0, n-th metal wiring metal wiring layer P1, P2, P3, etc., plurality of wiring vias TH0/TH1/TH2, through-via 1b, and via connection pad P0. The through via 1b extends from a via connection pad P0, and penetrates the semiconductor substrate 80. The via connection pad P0 provides a cap (i.e. capping-type via connection pad) on an upper surface of the through-via 1b.
Regarding claim 8, Itaya discloses (see, for example, FIG. 4) an upper pad 85, and a lower pad 84.
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.
Claim(s) 2 thru 7 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Itaya et al. US 2011/0084385 A1 as applied to claim 1, and 8, and further in view of Park et al. US 2015/0102497 A1. Itaya does not disclose the via connection pad includes a first capping-type via connection pad and a second capping-type via connection pad, wherein the first capping-type via connection pad is formed on an entirety of the upper surface of the through-via, and the second capping-type via connection pad is formed on the first capping-type via connection pad. However, Park discloses (see, for example, FIG. 2A) a semiconductor device comprising a via connection pad includes a first capping-type via connection pad 152, and a second capping-type via connection pad 154. The first capping-type via connection pad 152 is formed on an entirety of the upper surface of the through-via 180, and the second capping-type via connection pad 154 being formed on the first capping-type via connection pad 152. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to have the via connection pad includes a first capping-type via connection pad and a second capping-type via connection pad, wherein the first capping-type via connection pad is formed on an entirety of the upper surface of the through-via, and the second capping-type via connection pad is formed on the first capping-type via connection pad in order to provide further protection on the top surface of the through-via, and prevent physical defects.
Regarding claim 3, see, for example, FIG. 2A wherein Park discloses the first capping-type via connection pad 152 and the second capping-type via connection pad 15 4 being integrally formed, and a width of the first capping-type via connection pad 152 being greater than a width of the through-via 180.
Regarding claim 4, see, for example, paragraph [0062] wherein Park discloses a width of
the first capping-type via connection pad 152 may be less than a width of the second capping-type via connection pad 154.
Regarding claim 5, see, for example, paragraph [0090] wherein Park discloses using any of various shapes including hexagons, circular, oval, quadrangular, etc. Further, it would have been an obvious matter of design choice to have an octagonal shape for the first and second capping-type via connection pad in order to fit the pad into the semiconductor device according to the preferences of the user since such a modification would have involved a mere change in the shape of a component. A change in shape is generally recognized as being within the level of ordinary skill in the art. In re Dailey, 357 F.2d 669, 149 USPQ 47 (CCPA 1966).
Regarding claim 6, see, for example, FIG. 2A wherein Park discloses nth metal layer M1
being at a same horizontal level as the via connection pad 152.
Regarding claim 7, see, for example, FIG. 2A wherein Park discloses nth metal layer M1
being at a same horizontal level as the via connection pad 152, and FIG. 4B wherein Park discloses a mesh pattern.
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Eugene Lee
February 23, 2026
/EUGENE LEE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2815