Prosecution Insights
Last updated: October 01, 2026
Application No. 18/422,166

SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE AND MANUFACTURING METHOD THEREOF

Final Rejection §103
Filed
Jan 25, 2024
Priority
Apr 08, 2021 — provisional 63/172,124 +2 more
Examiner
VALENZUELA, PATRICIA D
Art Unit
2812
Tech Center
2800 — Semiconductors & Electrical Systems
Assignee
MediaTek Inc.
OA Round
2 (Final)
90%
Grant Probability
Favorable
3-4
OA Rounds
0m
Est. Remaining
92%
With Interview

Examiner Intelligence

Grants 90% — above average
90%
Career Allowance Rate
652 granted / 722 resolved
+22.3% vs TC avg
Minimal +2% lift
Without
With
+2.0%
Interview Lift
resolved cases with interview
Typical timeline
2y 2m
Avg Prosecution
82 currently pending
Career history
804
Total Applications
across all art units

Statute-Specific Performance

§101
1.4%
-38.6% vs TC avg
§103
68.2%
+28.2% vs TC avg
§102
15.8%
-24.2% vs TC avg
§112
6.2%
-33.8% vs TC avg
Black line = Tech Center average estimate • Based on career data from 722 resolved cases

Office Action

§103
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 . 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) 1-19 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Chen(USPGPUB DOCUMENT: 2018/0151472, hereinafter Chen) in view of Kubo (USPGPUB DOCUMENT: 2006/0113105, hereinafter Kubo) and Lewinson(USPGPUB DOCUMENT: 2021/0249333, hereinafter Lewison). Re claim 1 Chen discloses in Fig 1 a semiconductor device, comprising: a substrate(109); an electronic component(103) disposed on the substrate(109); a cover(101b/101c) disposed on the substrate(109), covering the electronic component(103) and having a recess[0035]; Chen does not disclose a liquid metal formed between the recess and the electronic component(103); wherein the cover comprises: a plate having a first surface facing the electronic component; a surrounding portion disposed on the plate, protruding relative to the first surface of the plate and having an inner lateral surface; wherein the liquid metal does not protrude beyond the inner lateral surface of the surrounding portion. Kubo disclose in Fig 3 a liquid metal(160) formed between the recess[0054] and the electronic component(102). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the invention to apply the teachings of Kubo to the teachings of Chen in order to radiate heat transmitted [0020, Kubo]. Chen does not disclose wherein the cover comprises: a plate having a first surface facing the electronic component; a surrounding portion disposed on the plate, protruding relative to the first surface of the plate and having an inner lateral surface; wherein the liquid metal does not protrude beyond the inner lateral surface of the surrounding portion. Lewison disclose in Fig 6, 9 wherein the cover comprises: a plate(240/239) having a first surface facing the electronic component(202); a surrounding portion(238) disposed on the plate, protruding relative to the first surface of the plate and having an inner lateral surface; wherein the liquid metal(244) does not protrude beyond the inner lateral surface of the surrounding portion. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the invention to apply the teachings of Lewison to the teachings of Chen in order to have a lid that conforms to topographic fluctuation, warpage, or curvature of an associated IC device surface [0001, Lewison]. Re claim 2 Chen and Kubo and Lewison disclose the semiconductor device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the electronic component(103) has an upper surface, wherein the recess[0035] is recess[0035]ed with respect to the first surface, and the first surface is lower than the upper surface of the electronic component(103). Re claim 3 Chen and Kubo and Lewison disclose the semiconductor device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the recess[0035] has a first width, the electronic component(103) has a second width, and the first width is greater the second width[0034]. Re claim 4 Chen and Kubo and Lewison disclose the semiconductor device as claimed in claim 3, wherein a ratio of the first width[0034] to the second width[0034] ranges between 1.05 and 1.10. Re claim 5 Chen and Kubo and Lewison disclose the semiconductor device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the recess[0035] has a plurality of first widths, the electronic component(103) has a second width, one of the first width is smaller than the second width, and another of the first widths is greater than the second width[0034]. Re claim 6 Chen and Kubo and Lewison disclose the semiconductor device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the semiconductor device further comprises an adhesive layer[007] formed between the surrounding portion and the substrate(109). Re claim 7 Chen and Kubo and Lewison disclose the semiconductor device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the recess[0035] has a depth ranging between 20 μm and 500 μm. Re claim 8 Chen and Kubo and Lewison disclose the semiconductor device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the recess[0035] has a bottom surface and a lateral surface, and the lateral surface is inclined relative to the bottom surface (since the lateral surface is sloped and slanted towards the bottom this may be interpreted as inclined). Re claim 9 Chen and Kubo and Lewison disclose the semiconductor device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the recess[0035] has a bottom surface and a lateral surface, and the lateral surface is vertical to the bottom surface. Re claim 10 Chen and Kubo and Lewison disclose the semiconductor device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the recess[0035] has a lateral surface, the electronic component(103) has an corner(corner of 103), and the corner(corner of 103) is in contact with the lateral surface. Re claim 11 Chen and Kubo and Lewison disclose the semiconductor device as claimed in claim 1, further comprising: a binding promoting layer formed between the cover(101b/101c) and the liquid metal(160 of Kubo)[0058]. Re claim 12 Chen and Kubo and Lewison disclose the semiconductor device as claimed in claim 1, further comprising: a binding promoting layer formed between the electronic component(103) and the liquid metal(160 of Kubo)[0058]. Re claim 13 Chen and Kubo and Lewison disclose the semiconductor device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the liquid metal(160 of Kubo)[0058] has melting point ranging between 100°C to 200°C. Re claim 14 Chen discloses in Fig 1 a manufacturing method, comprising: disposing an electronic component(103) on a substrate(109); disposing a cover(101b/101c) on the substrate(109) to cover(101b/101c) the electronic component(103), wherein the cover(101b/101c) has recess[0035]; Chen does not disclose forming a liquid metal(160 of Kubo)[0058] between the recess[0035] and the electronic component(103); wherein the cover comprises a plate and a surrounding portion, the plate has a first surface facing the electronic component, and the surrounding portion is disposed on the plate, protrudes relative to the first surface of the plate and has an inner lateral surface; wherein the liquid metal does not protrude beyond the inner lateral surface of the surrounding portion. Kubo disclose in Fig 3 forming a liquid metal(160) between the recess[0054] and the electronic component(102). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the invention to apply the teachings of Kubo to the teachings of Chen in order to radiate heat transmitted [0020, Kubo]. Chen and Kubo does not disclose wherein the cover comprises a plate and a surrounding portion, the plate has a first surface facing the electronic component, and the surrounding portion is disposed on the plate, protrudes relative to the first surface of the plate and has an inner lateral surface; wherein the liquid metal does not protrude beyond the inner lateral surface of the surrounding portion. Lewison disclose in Fig 6, 9 wherein the cover comprises a plate(240/239) and a surrounding portion(238), the plate has a first surface facing the electronic component(202), and the surrounding portion is disposed on the plate, protrudes relative to the first surface of the plate and has an inner lateral surface; wherein the liquid metal(244) does not protrude beyond the inner lateral surface of the surrounding portion. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the invention to apply the teachings of Lewison to the teachings of Chen in order to have a lid that conforms to topographic fluctuation, warpage, or curvature of an associated IC device surface [0001, Lewison]. Re claim 15 Chen and Kubo and Lewison disclose the manufacturing method as claimed in claim 14, wherein the liquid metal(160 of Kubo)[0058] has melting point ranging between 100°C to 200°C. Re claim 16 Chen and Kubo and Lewison disclose the manufacturing method as claimed in claim 14, further comprising: forming an adhesive layer[007] between the surrounding portion and the substrate(109). Re claim 17 Chen and Kubo and Lewison disclose the manufacturing method as claimed in claim 14, further comprising: forming a binding promoting layer between cover(101b/101c) and the liquid metal(160 of Kubo)[0058]. Re claim 18 Chen and Kubo and Lewison disclose the manufacturing method as claimed in claim 14, further comprising: forming a binding promoting layer between the electronic component(103) and the liquid metal(160 of Kubo)[0058]. Re claim 19 Chen and Kubo and Lewison disclose the manufacturing method as claimed in claim 14, wherein the liquid metal(160 of Kubo)[0058] has melting point ranging between 100°C to 200°C. Response to Arguments Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 1-19 have been considered but are moot because the arguments do not apply to any of the references being used in the current rejection. 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. Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to PATRICIA D VALENZUELA whose telephone number is (571)272-9242. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 10am-6pm EST. Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice. If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, William Partridge can be reached at 571-270-1402. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300. Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000. /PATRICIA D VALENZUELA/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2812
Read full office action

Prosecution Timeline

Jan 25, 2024
Application Filed
Mar 25, 2026
Non-Final Rejection mailed — §103
Jun 23, 2026
Response Filed
Sep 10, 2026
Final Rejection mailed — §103 (current)

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Study what changed to get past this examiner. Based on 5 most recent grants.

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Prosecution Projections

3-4
Expected OA Rounds
90%
Grant Probability
92%
With Interview (+2.0%)
2y 2m (~0m remaining)
Median Time to Grant
Moderate
PTA Risk
Based on 722 resolved cases by this examiner. Grant probability derived from career allowance rate.

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