DETAILED ACTION
This action is responsive to the application No. 18/413,062 filed on January 16, 2024.
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 .
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election with traverse of the Group I invention and Species 2 disclosed in Fig. 14 in the reply filed on 06/02/2026 is acknowledged. Claims 16-20 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a non-elected invention, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Accordingly, pending in this Office action are claims 1-20.
The traversal is on the grounds that Species 1-2 should be examined collectively since there is no serious burden on the examiner.
The examiner agrees. The restriction between Species 1-2 is withdrawn.
Specification
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.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 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.
Claims 1, 2, and 7-14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Tsai (US 2023/0317648).
Regarding Claim 1, Tsai (see, e.g., Fig. 34), teaches a stacking structure, comprising:
a first die 1600, wherein the first die 1600 includes a first substrate 101 and a first bonding structure 1605 located over the first substrate 101 (see, e.g., pars. 0040, 0083); and
a second die 1700 stacked on the first die 1600, wherein the second die 1700 includes a second substrate 101 and a second bonding structure 1605 located over the second substrate 101 (see, e.g., par. 0096),
wherein the first and second dies 1600/1700 are bonded through the bonded first and second bonding structures 1605, the bonded first and second bonding structures 1605 include fused bonding pads having homogeneous core pads 1503 and locking patterns 1501 surrounding the homogeneous core pads 1503 (see, e.g., pars. 0080, 0099-0100).
Regarding Claim 2, Tsai teaches all aspects of claim 1. Tsai (see, e.g., Fig. 34), teaches that a material of the homogeneous core pads 1503 is different from a material of the locking patterns 1501 (see, e.g., pars. 0080-0082).
Regarding Claim 7, Tsai teaches all aspects of claim 1. Tsai (see, e.g., Fig. 34), teaches that the homogenous core pads 1503 are in direct contact with the locking patterns 1501 and are directly covered by the locking patterns 1501.
Regarding Claim 8, Tsai teaches all aspects of claim 1. Tsai (see, e.g., Fig. 34), teaches that the first bonding structure 1605 includes first metallization structures 103 located over the first substrate 101, the second bonding structure 1605 includes second metallization structures 103 over the second substrate 101, and the first and second dies 1600/1700 are electrically connected through the fused bonding pads and the first and second metallization structures 103 connected with the fused bonding pads (see, e.g., par. 0096).
Regarding Claim 9, Tsai teaches all aspects of claim 8. Tsai (see, e.g., Fig. 34), teaches a redistribution structure 3405 disposed on the second die 1700 (see, e.g., par. 0150).
Regarding Claim 10, Tsai teaches all aspects of claim 9. Tsai (see, e.g., Fig. 34), teaches that the second metallization structures 103 include through semiconductor vias 3403, and the redistribution structure 3405 is electrically connected with the second die 1700 via the through semiconductor vias 3403 (see, e.g., par. 0149).
Regarding Claim 11, Tsai (see, e.g., Fig. 34), teaches a stacking structure, comprising:
a first die 1600 having a first bonding structure 901/1605 including a first bonding pad 1605 embedded in a first dielectric material 901, and the first bonding pad 1605 includes a first auxiliary pattern 1501 and a first metallic material 1503 (see, e.g., pars. 0068, 0083); and
a second die 1700 stacked on and bonded with the first die 1600, wherein the second die 1700 has a second bonding structure 901/1605 including a second bonding pad 1605 embedded in a second dielectric material 901, and the second bonding pad 1605 includes a second auxiliary pattern 1501 and a second metallic material 1503 (see, e.g., pars. 0068, 0096),
wherein:
the first and second dies 1600/1700 are bonded through the bonded first and second bonding structures 901/1605 with the bonded first and second bonding pads 1605 embedded in the bonded first and second dielectric materials 901, and the bonded first and second bonding pads 1605 include the bonded first and second auxiliary patterns 1501 and a fused core pad that includes the first and second metallic materials 1503 and is surrounded by the bonded first and second auxiliary patterns 1501 (see, e.g., pars. 0097-0099).
Regarding Claim 12, Tsai teaches all aspects of claim 11. Tsai (see, e.g., Fig. 34), teaches a filling material 3401 disposed on the first die 1600 and around the second die 1700 (see, e.g., par. 0148).
Regarding Claim 13, Tsai teaches all aspects of claim 11. Tsai (see, e.g., Fig. 34), teaches that the fused core pad includes a homogeneous metallic block with large grains therein (see, e.g., par. 0082).
Regarding Claim 14, Tsai teaches all aspects of claim 11. Tsai (see, e.g., Fig. 34), teaches that a material of the fused core pad is different from a material of the first auxiliary pattern 1501 and a material of the second auxiliary pattern 1501(see, e.g., pars. 0080-0082).
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.
Claims 3 and 15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Tsai (US 2023/0317648) in view of Kiyomura (US 2024/0304576).
Regarding Claim 3, Tsai teaches all aspects of claim 2. Tsai does not teach that the fused bonded pads include metallic base patterns surrounding and covering the locking patterns.
Kiyomura (see, e.g., Fig. 11), on the other hand, teaches that the fused bonded pads 120/220 include metallic base patterns 123-1/223-1 surrounding and covering the locking patterns 124-1/224-1, to reduce the diffusion of core metal film 125-1/225-1 into the insulating layer 130/230 (see, e.g., par. 0105).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of filing to include in Tsai’s device, the fused bonded pads including metallic base patterns surrounding and covering the locking patterns, as taught by Kiyomura, to reduce the diffusion of core metal film into the insulating layer.
Regarding Claim 15, Tsai teaches all aspects of claim 14. Tsai does not teach that the bonded first and second bonding pads include a metallic shell surrounding the bonded first and second auxiliary patterns and the fused core pad.
Kiyomura (see, e.g., Fig. 11), on the other hand, teaches that the bonded first and second bonding pads 120/220 include a metallic shell 123-1/223-1 surrounding the bonded first and second auxiliary patterns 124-1/224-1 and the fused core pad 125-1/225-1, to reduce the diffusion of core metal film 125-1/225-1 into the insulating layer 130/230 (see, e.g., par. 0105).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of filing to include in Tsai’s device, the bonded first and second bonding pads including a metallic shell surrounding the bonded first and second auxiliary patterns and the fused core pad, as taught by Kiyomura, to reduce the diffusion of core metal film into the insulating layer.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 4-6 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.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Nelson Garces whose telephone number is (571) 272-8249. The examiner can normally be reached on Mon-Fri 9:00 AM-5:30 PM.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner's supervisor, Wael Fahmy can be reached on (571) 272-1705.
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/Nelson Garces/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2814
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