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 withdrawal of Claims 8 – 20 in the reply filed on 25 November 2025 is acknowledged.
Applicant's election with traverse of Species I, as presented in Fig. 1 – 8 of the instant application, in the reply filed on 25 November 2025 is acknowledged.
The traversal is on the grounds that:
“[T]he Examiner is incorrectly requiring restriction between the species illustrated by FIGS. 8, 15, and 19. The claims are all method claims. These figures, alone, represent structures, not methods. In turn, the Examiner's statement that the application contains claims directed to the following three patentably distinct species is made in error.”, as per Pag. 8 in said reply.
This is not found persuasive because the Examiner lists on Pag. 2 of the Restriction Requirement filed on 8 October 2025 each species “as presented in at least” a given figure, thereby not requiring a restriction between each species as illustrated in a single given figure (emphasis added).
The traversal is further on the grounds that:
“[O]n p. 2 of the restriction requirement the Examiner argues that ‘no claims
appear generic to all species given above.’ This is incorrect. Claim 1 is generic to all other claims.”, as per Pag. 8 in said reply.
This argument is not found persuasive because on Pag. 2 of said Restriction Requirement, the Examiner argues “no claim is generic to all species” where said species are identified by their associated figures, thereby not arguing no claim is generic to all other claims (emphasis added).
The traversal is further on the grounds that:
“‘[T]he Examiner argues, on p. 2 of the restriction requirement, that each species
comprises a mutually exclusive order in which said layers are added for a given method
species,’ this is not true. Claims 1, 8, and 15 do not require an exclusive order that would
warrant a requirement for restriction.”, as per Pag. 9 of said reply.
This argument is not found persuasive because the Examiner argues on Pag. 2 of said Restriction Requirement that “each species comprises mutually exclusive layers on the copper interconnects and/or a mutually exclusive order in which said layers are added” where said species are identified by their associated figures, thereby not arguing any claims require said exclusive ordering (emphasis added).
As such, the requirement is still deemed proper and is therefore made FINAL.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on: 1 August 2023 and 8 August 2023 have been considered by the examiner.
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 “backgrinding a second side of a semiconductor substrate to thin the semiconductor substrate, the second side opposing a first side comprising the plurality of pads”, as cited in Claim 7, 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 § 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.
Claims 5 & 6 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
Claim 5 recites the limitation "one or more layers comprise one of titanium, nickel, and gold; titanium, nickel, and palladium; or any combination thereof ". However, the combinations possible from combining “titanium, nickel, and gold” with “titanium, nickel, and palladium” is unclear.
As such, for the purposes of examination, this limitation will be interpreted as “one or more layers comprise one of titanium, nickel, and gold; titanium, nickel, and palladium; or any combination of titanium, nickel, gold, and palladium”
Claim 6 recites the limitation “wherein the seed layer comprises titanium and tungsten or copper”. However, the list of possibilities is unclear.
As such, for the purposes of examination, this limitation will be interpreted as “wherein the seed layer comprises titanium tungsten alloy or copper”.
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 1 – 7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over VAGHELA (US 20120119364 A1) in view of LIN (US 20200258752 A1).
Regarding Claim 1,
VAGHELA discloses:
A method of forming an interconnect (Fig. 1A – 1G) comprising:
forming a seed layer (Fig. 1A: 118; Par. 12) over a pad (Fig. 1A: 108; Par. 12);
patterning a layer of photoresist (Fig. 1B: 120; Par. 13) with an opening (Fig. 1B: 122; Par. 13) exposing the pad;
forming a copper interconnect (Fig. 1C: 124; Par. 14) by electroplating the copper interconnect into the opening (Par. 14);
removing the layer of photoresist (Fig. 1D; Par. 16);
etching the seed layer (Fig. 1E; Par. 17);
forming one or more layers (Fig. 1G: 138; Par. 20) on the copper interconnect; and
patterning a layer of polyimide (Fig. 1F: 134; Par. 18 & 19) over the copper interconnect to form at least one opening (Fig. 1F: 136; Par. 18) over the copper interconnect.
However, VAGHELA does not disclose:
a plurality of the pads;
a plurality of the openings exposing the plurality of pads;
a plurality of the copper interconnects;
Although, for a similar process of making a similar device, LIN discloses:
a plurality of the pads (Fig. 10: 74; Par. 79);
a plurality of the openings (Fig. 10: gaps between 86s; Par. 81) exposing the plurality of pads;
a plurality of the copper interconnects (Fig. 10: 90; Par. 82);
As such, VAGHELA in view of LIN discloses all of the limitations of this claim.
Further, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to duplicate the above listed parts of VAGHELA as done in LIN, as these inventions are from the same field of endeavor, and the presence of a plurality of such parts in similar inventions from this field is commonplace, as evidenced by LIN, Par. 55.
Regarding Claim 2,
VAGHELA discloses:
The method of claim 1,
wherein forming the one or more layers on the at least one copper interconnect further comprises electroless plating (Fig. 1G; Par. 20).
Regarding Claim 3,
VAGHELA discloses:
The method of claim 2,
wherein the one or more layers comprise one of nickel, gold, palladium, or any combination thereof (Fig. 1G; Par. 20).
Regarding Claim 4,
VAGHELA does not disclose:
The method of claim 1,
wherein forming the one or more layers on the at least one copper interconnect further comprises sputtering.
However, for the similar process of making the similar device of LIN, LIN discloses:
wherein forming the one or more layers (Fig. 10: 92 of 88; Par. 82) on the at least one copper interconnect (Fig. 10: 90 of 88; Par. 82) further comprises sputtering (Par. 26, “Forming the plurality of electrical contacts [88] may include…sputtering”).
Further, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, one of ordinary skill in the art would have recognized the finite number of predictable means to form said one or more layers as provided by LIN, Par. 26 & 27—i.e. via electroplating, evaporating, sputtering, soldering, screen printing, or silver sintering. As such, absent unexpected results, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to try said types of formation provided by LIN in order to determine which type is suitable for forming the one or more layers on the at least one copper interconnect.
Regarding Claim 5,
VAGHELA discloses:
The method of claim 4,
wherein the one or more layers comprise one of titanium, nickel, and gold; titanium, nickel, and palladium; or any combination of titanium, nickel, gold, and palladium (Fig. 1G: 138 comprises nickel 140, palladium 142, and gold 144; Par. 20).
Regarding Claim 6,
VAGHELA discloses:
The method of claim 1,
wherein the seed layer comprises titanium tungsten alloy or copper (Fig. 1A: 118 may comprise layers of titanium tungsten alloy and copper; Par. 12).
Regarding Claim 7,
VAGHELA does not disclose:
The method of claim 1,
further comprising backgrinding a second side of a semiconductor substrate to thin the semiconductor substrate, the second side opposing a first side comprising the plurality of pads.
However, for the similar process of making the similar device of LIN, LIN discloses:
further comprising backgrinding a second side (Fig. 10: side opposing first side 76 comprising 74s, Par. 79 & 84) of a semiconductor substrate (Fig. 10: 72, Par. 84; which may be any type of wafer disclosed in LIN, Par.79; which includes several types of semiconductor substrates, Par. 63) to thin the semiconductor substrate (Par. 84, “[T]he method for forming a semiconductor package as depicted in FIG. 10 may include…grinding the backside of the [semiconductor substrate] to the plurality of notches [96]”), the second side opposing a first side comprising the plurality of pads.
Further still, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the process of LIN with that of VAGHELA, as these inventions are from the same field of endeavor, and backgrinding the second side of the semiconductor substrate is known in the art to, in part, provide a means of singulation, LIN Par. 74, which is often an important consideration in semiconductor device packaging, as evidenced by LIN Par. 77 & 78.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Kenneth S. Stephenson whose telephone number is (571)272-6686. The examiner can normally be reached Monday through Friday, 9 A.M. to 5 P.M. (EST)..
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Julio Maldonado can be reached at (571) 272-1864. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/K.S.S./Examiner, Art Unit 2898 /JULIO J MALDONADO/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2898