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 Arguments
Applicant's amendments and arguments filed 6/18/2026 have been fully considered and are persuasive:
the amendments to claim 1 have made claims 1-9 allowable;
the rejection of claims 10 and 21 have been updated to address the newly amended limitations.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claim 24 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Amended Claim 24 recites the limitation "the dielectric layer" in line 4. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim. It appears as though claim 24 should be dependent on claim 23 since that is where the dielectric layer is introduced.
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 10, 11, 13, and 16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Patel et al. (USPGPub No. 2019/0310431), hereinafter Patel2019, in view of Patel et al. (US Patent No. 9,995,881), hereinafter Patel2018.
Regarding claim 10, Patel2019 teaches a method of forming a package assembly, comprising:
bonding at least one integrated circuit structure (Fig. 1, 130 and Paragraph 32) to an interposer structure (Fig. 1, 110 and Paragraph 30);
bonding a photonic structure (Figs. 1 and 3, 140 and Paragraph 30) to the interposer structure aside the at least one integrated circuit structure;
providing a semiconductor substrate (Fig. 3, 305 and Paragraph 38) and
providing a lid (Fig. 3-4, 310) to a first side (Fig. 3-4, right side of 305) of the semiconductor substrate;
placing the semiconductor substrate on the photonic structure, wherein the semiconductor substrate has at least one groove (Paragraphs 28 and 70) recessed from the first side and at least one transparent region (Fig. 4, 420 and Fig. 14, 1405) aside the at least one groove;
dispensing a second optical glue (Paragraph 29, 34, etc.) into a space between a second side (Fig. 3-4, left side of 305) of the semiconductor substrate and the photonic structure, wherein the first side and the second side of the semiconductor substrate are opposite to each other (Fig. 3-4, left side and right side of 305); and
curing the second optical glue by irradiating a light (Fig. 3, 315 and Paragraph 39) through the at least one transparent region (Fig. 4, 420 and Fig. 14, 1405) of the semiconductor substrate.
Patel2019 does not teach that the lid is provided by attaching a lid to a first side of the semiconductor substrate through a first optical glue.
Patel2018 teaches attaching a lid to a semiconductor substrate through a first optical glue (Col 9 Ln 32-42).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to attach the lid of Patel2019 to the semiconductor substrate through a first optical glue as taught by Patel2018 in order to achieve the predictable result of securing the optical fibers (Col 9 Ln 32-42)
Regarding claim 11, Patel2019 teaches that the second optical glue comprises a UV-curable optical glue (Paragraph 29 and 34).
Regarding claim 13, Patel2019 teaches that the at least one transparent region (Fig. 4, 420 and Fig. 14, 1405) penetrates through the semiconductor substrate.
Regarding claim 16, Patel2019 teaches a method of forming the at least one groove comprises performing an etching process (Paragraph 70).
Claim 12 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Patel2019 and Patel2018, in view of Zhu et al (USPGPub No. 2023/0053498, from hereinafter “Zhu”).
Regarding claim 12, Patel2019 does not teach adjusting a location of the semiconductor substrate after dispensing the optical glue and before curing the optical glue.
Zhu teaches adjusting relative locations of optical components after dispensing optical glue (Paragraph 64 and 66).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to adjust a location of the optical package of Patel2019 after dispensing the optical glue and before curing the optical glue as taught by Zhu in order to ensure that the alignment of the package produces the maximum optical power (Paragraph 64).
Claim 14-15 and 21-22 rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Patel2019 and Patel2018, in view of Venkatesan et al (USPGPub No. 2023/0176303).
Regarding claim 14, Patel2019/Patel2018 does not teach forming an optical lens in the semiconductor substrate aside the at least one transparent region.
Venkatesan teaches an optical lens (Fig. 11A-11B, 1102b and Paragraph 120) in the semiconductor substrate.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to form an optical lens in the substrate of Patel2019 aside the transparent as taught by Venkatesan in order to use the components to facilitate alignment of the substrate (Paragraph 121-122).
Regarding claim 15, Patel2019 teaches in at least one dielectric layer (Fig. 4, 410) over the semiconductor substrate (Fig. 4, 405 and Paragraph 41), but does not teach forming at least one optical component and at least one reflector embedded in at least one dielectric layer over the semiconductor substrate.
Venkatesan teaches a substrate for packaging optical fiber (Fig. 12A-12B, 1201), and
forming at least one optical component (Fig. 12A-12B, guide for optical signal 1270); Fig. and at least one reflector (Fig. 12A-12B, 1202) embedded in the substrate.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to form an optical component and a reflector embedded in the dielectric layer of Patel2019 as taught by Venkatesan in order to use the components to facilitate alignment of the substrate (Paragraph 127).
Regarding claim 21, Patel2019 teaches method of forming a package assembly, comprising: forming an optical package comprising:
forming a light-transmitting region (Fig. 4, 420 and Fig. 14, 1405) in a substrate;
grooving the substrate to form a groove (Paragraphs 28 and 70);
placing a fiber array unit (Fig. 3, 155 and Paragraph 40) on the groove to align with the optical component; and
placing a lid (Fig. 3, 310) over a first side (Fig. 3-4, right side of 305) the fiber array unit; and
fixing the optical package to a photonic structure of a semiconductor package with a second optical glue (Paragraph 29, 34, etc.),
wherein the photonic structure of the semiconductor package is located on a second side (Fig. 3-4, left side of 305) of the fiber array unit, and the first side and the second side of the fiber array unit are opposite to each other (Fig. 3-4, right side and left side of 305).
Patel2019 does not teach forming an optical component over the substrate.
Venkatesan teaches a substrate for packaging optical fiber (Fig. 12A-12B, 1201), and
forming at least one optical component (Fig. 12A-12B, guide for optical signal 1270) over the substrate.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to form an optical component over the substrate of Patel2019 as taught by Venkatesan in order to use the component to facilitate alignment of the substrate (Paragraph 127).
Patel2019 does not teach placing the lid over the fiber array unit by a first optical glue.
Patel2018 teaches placing a lid over a substrate through a first optical glue (Col 9 Ln 32-42).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to place the lid of Patel2019 over the fiber array unit through a first optical glue as taught by Patel2018 in order to achieve the predictable result of securing the optical fibers (Col 9 Ln 32-42).
Regarding claim 22, Patel2019 teaches forming the light-transmitting region in the substrate comprises: forming a hole penetrating through the substrate to form the light light-transmitting region (Fig. 4, 420 and Fig. 14, 1405).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1-9 are allowed.
Claim 23 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
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). 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.
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/LISA M CAPUTO/Primary Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2874
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