DETAILED ACTION
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of Group I (claims 1-12 and 17-24) in the reply filed on December 11, 2025 is acknowledged.
Information Disclosure Statement
The references cited within the IDS document submitted on August 22, 2023 has been considered.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1-5, 17-22, and 24 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Jiang et al. (US 2023/0352387 A1, hereinafter referred to as ‘Jiang’).
As to claim 1, Jiang teaches an apparatus comprising:
a plurality of packages (multi-layered structures above and below 303) of an integrated circuit (IC);
a core via (306) extending between a first package of the plurality of packages and a second package of the plurality of packages; and
a pad (e.g. 307a) electrically coupling the core via to the first package, wherein the pad comprises an oblong shape. See figure 3.
As to claim 2, Jiang teaches an additional pad (307c) electrically coupling the core via to the second package. See figure 3.
As to claim 3, Jiang teaches the additional pad comprises another oblong shape.
See annotated figure below; the definition of oblong is a shape that deviates from a square, circular, or spherical form by elongation in one dimension, e.g. a rectangle.
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As to claim 21, Jiang teaches the pad and the additional pad extend from the core via in opposite directions; i.e. they are on opposite sides of core layer (303).
As to claim 22, Jiang teaches the pad and the additional pad are oriented crosswise with respect to one another; i.e. they are on opposite sides (across from each other) of core layer (303).
As to claims 4 and 5, Jiang teaches a dielectric material (core layer 303, which can be bismaleimide triazine resin, see para. 0037) positioned between the first package and the second package, wherein the dielectric material (BT resin) comprises a dielectric constant that is below a threshold value, which can be between 1.5 and 3. See also teaching reference, Wang et al., cited on the attached form PTO-892.
As to claim 17, Jiang teaches (in figure 3) an apparatus comprising:
a first pad (307a) of a first package (multi-layered structure above core 303) of an integrated circuit (IC);
a second pad (307c) of a second package (multi-layered structure below core 303) of the IC; and
a core via (306) having a first end connected to the first pad and a second end connected to the second pad to electrically couple to the first package and to the second package,
wherein at least one of the first pad and the second pad is oblong (see annotated figure on previous page, and explanation for oblong from the rejection of claim 3).
As to claim 18, Jiang teaches wherein each of the first pad and the second pad is oblong, as shown in figure 3.
As to claim 19, Jiang teaches wherein the first pad and the second pad extend from the core via in opposite directions; i.e. they are on opposite sides of core layer (303).
As to claim 20, Jiang teaches wherein the first pad and the second pad are oriented crosswise with respect to one another; i.e. they are on opposite sides (across from each other) of core layer (303).
As to claim 24, Jiang teaches a dielectric material (of core layer 303, BT resin) positioned between the first package and the second package of the IC, wherein the dielectric material comprises a dielectric constant that is below 3.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 6, 11, and 12 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.
The prior art of record does not teach or suggest the disclosed invention regarding the apparatus of claim 1, wherein the pad comprises two arcuate portions and a linear portion extending between the two arcuate portions to form the oblong shape, as recited within claim 6.
The prior art of record does not teach or suggest the disclosed invention regarding the apparatus of claim 1, wherein the microvia is offset from the pad, and the IC comprises a connection pad that is connected to the microvia and to the pad to electrically couple the microvia and the pad to one another, as recited within claim 11.
The prior art of record does not teach or suggest the disclosed invention regarding the apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first package comprises a plurality of stitching vias positioned around the pad, and a quantity of the plurality of stitching vias is greater than a threshold quantity, as recited within claim 12.
Claims 7-10 are also objected to as being dependent upon claim 6; claim 23 is also objected to as being dependent upon claim 12.
Cited Prior Art
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure: see the attached form PTO-892 for pertinent cited art.
Contact Information
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Scott B. Geyer (telephone: 571-272-1958). The examiner can normally be reached on Monday to Friday, 10AM - 4PM (ET). 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.
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/SCOTT B GEYER/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2812
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