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 .
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of Group I, claims 1-10, in the reply filed on August 25, 2026 is acknowledged. Claims 11-20 have been withdrawn.
Applicant's election with traverse of Species 1, claims 1-10, in the reply filed on August 25, 2026 is acknowledged. The traversal is on the ground(s) that Species I and II are the same species. This is not found persuasive because while species 2 may be employable to implement the IC package of Fig. 1, it is not the same species/invention. Species 2 has seven moisture channels, which is structurally distinct from Species 1. The Applicant is reminded that the MPEP states that there can be only one patent per invention, hence one invention per application.
The requirement is still deemed proper and is therefore made FINAL. Action on the merits is as follows:
Drawings
The drawings are objected to under 37 CFR 1.83(a). The drawings must show every feature of the invention specified in the claims. Therefore, the “an interconnect having a substrate with pads…wherein copper posts are coupled to pads of the substrate” must be shown or the feature(s) canceled from the claim(s). No new matter should be entered.
Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. The figure or figure number of an amended drawing should not be labeled as “amended.” If a drawing figure is to be canceled, the appropriate figure must be removed from the replacement sheet, and where necessary, the remaining figures must be renumbered and appropriate changes made to the brief description of the several views of the drawings for consistency. Additional replacement sheets may be necessary to show the renumbering of the remaining figures. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
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.
Claim(s) 1, 2 and 4-10 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zhang et al. (Zhang) (US 2023/0234835 A1) in view of Luo et al. (Luo) (US 2022/0210911 A1).
In regards to claim 1, Zhang (Fig. 4 and associated text) discloses an IC (integrated circuit) package (Fig. 4) comprising: an interconnect (item 120 plus shown but not labeled pads) having a substrate (item 120) with pads (shown but not labeled pads); a die (item 110) having moisture channels (item 113) and bond pads (item 114); solder balls (item 115) formed on the bond pads (item 114) of the die (item 110), wherein the solder balls (item 115) are coupled of the pads of the substrate (item 120); and a mold compound (item 400) encapsulating the die (item 110), the solder balls (item 115) and a portion of the interconnect (item 120 plus shown but not labeled pads), but does not specifically disclose copper post.
Luo (Figs. 2E, 2F, 4E and associated text) discloses copper posts (item 114) formed on the bond pads (item 108) of the die (item 102), wherein the copper posts (item 114) are coupled to pads (item 117) of the substrate (item 158, 458); and a mold compound (item 162) encapsulating the die (item 102), the copper posts (item 114) and a portion of the interconnect (458 plus 117 or 158 plus 117).
Therefore it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to incorporate the teachings of Luo for the purpose of an electrical connection.
In regards to claim 2, Zhang (Fig. 4 and associated text) discloses wherein the moisture channels (item 113) are through holes.
In regards to claim 4, Zhang (Fig. 4 and associated text) discloses wherein the moisture channels (item 113) are proximate a center of the die (item 110).
In regards to claim 5, Zhang (Fig. 4 and associated text) as modified by Luo (Figs. 2E, 2F, 4E and associated text) discloses wherein the copper posts (item 114, Luo) are adhered to the pads (shown but not labeled, Zhang) of the substrate (item 120) with solder.
In regards to claim 6, Zhang (Fig. 4 and associated text) as modified by Luo (Figs. 2E, 2F, 4E and associated text) discloses wherein the copper posts (item 114, Luo) are formed on metal pads (item 114, Zhang) of a metTop layer (layer containing item 114, Zhang) of the die (item 110, Zhang, item 102, Luo).
In regards to claim 7, Zhang (Fig. 4 and associated text) as modified by Luo (Figs. 2E, 2F, 4E and associated text) discloses wherein the mold compound (item 400, Zhang, item 162, Luo) is plastic (paragraph 36, Luo).
In regards to claim 8, Zhang (Fig. 4 and associated text) as modified by Luo (Figs. 2E, 2F, 4E and associated text) discloses wherein the mold compound (item 400, Zhang, item 162, Luo) has a water vapor transmission rate of at least 3 milligrams per square meter per day. Examiner notes that Luo discloses the same material as the Applicant, therefore the mold compound of Luo shares the same characteristics.
In regards to claim 9, Zhang (Fig. 4 and associated text) as modified by Luo (Figs. 2E, 2F, 4E and associated text) discloses wherein a moisture content of the moisture channels (item 113) is lower than regions of the IC package (Fig. 4) circumscribing the moisture channels (item 113).
In regards to claim 10, Zhang (Fig. 4 and associated text) as modified by Luo (Figs. 1, 2E, 2F, 4E and associated text) discloses wherein the IC package (Fig. 4, Zhang, Figs. 2E, 4E, Luo) is a quad flat no-leads (QFN) IC package (Fig. 1, paragraphs 6, 27, 31, Luo).
Claim(s) 3 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zhang et al. (Zhang) (US 2023/0234835 A1) in view of Luo et al. (Luo) (US 2022/0210911 A1) as applied to claims 1, 2 and 4-10 above, and further in view of King, JR. et al. (King, JR.) (US 2012/0228779 A1).
In regards to claim 3, Zhang as modified by Luo does not specifically disclose wherein the through holes have a diameter of about 40 micrometers to about 200 micrometers.
King, JR. (Figs. 2, 4, 5A-5C, 6A, 6B, 10, 12 and associated text) discloses wherein the through holes (item 230, Fluidic TSV) have a diameter of about 40 micrometers to about 200 micrometers (paragraph 50).
Therefore it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to incorporate the teachings of King, JR. for the purpose of fluidic routing.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to TELLY D GREEN whose telephone number is (571)270-3204. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8am-5pm.
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TELLY D. GREEN
Examiner
Art Unit 2898
/TELLY D GREEN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2898 September 22, 2026
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