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 .
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim 1 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
Applicant’s arguments (Applicant’s Remarks pages 5-7) assert that the combination of limitations “wherein the first conductive film includes a first portion located in the first connection hole and a second portion located on the surface of the first insulating layer, the bonding metal portion includes a first metal portion located in the first connection hole and a second metal portion above the surface of the first insulating layer, and a width, in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction, of the second portion of the first conductive film is greater than a width in the second direction of a portion of the second conductive film located on the second portion of the first conductive film, and is greater than a width in the second direction of the second metal portion of the bonding metal portion” is not taught by the prior art documents of record US 20160351540 A1 (Ogiso et al), US 20240186291 A1 (Kim et al), or US 11063012 B1 (Shih).
Regarding the disclosure of Ogiso, the Examiner finds Applicant’s arguments persuasive; however, after further search and consideration the disclosure of US 20240071928 A1 (Nakajima) is found to render the new claimed limitations obvious. Regarding the disclosure of Kim, the Examiner finds that Kim may still teach the new claimed limitations when the interpretation of the claimed elements is adjusted (particularly “the bonding metal portion”). Regarding the disclosure of Shih, the Examiner finds Applicant’s arguments persuasive, and that it would not be obvious to modify the device of Shih to include all of the limitations of claim 1, particularly in light of the limitation “the bonding metal portion includes a first metal portion located in the first connection hole”.
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 text of those sections of Title 35, U.S. Code not included in this action can be found in a prior Office action.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claims 1-3 and 6 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over US patent publications US 20160351540 A1 (Ogiso et al hereinafter Ogiso) in view of US 20240071928 A1 (Nakajima).
Regarding claim 1, Ogiso discloses a bonding-type interconnection member (the interconnection member of FIG. 1 ¶ [0004]), comprising: a first substrate (FIG. 1, lower semiconductor substrate 8 ¶ [0013]); a first interconnection portion (FIG. 1, second insulating layer 4 and passivation film 5 are stacked on substrate 8 and form an interconnection portion ¶ [0013]) stacked on the first substrate and including a first insulating layer (FIG. 1, second insulating layer 4 includes insulating SiO2 and passivation film 5 may include SiN ¶ [0018]), a first interconnection layer (FIG. 1, aluminum pad 40 is an interconnection layer in insulating layer 4 ¶ [0018]) provided in the first insulating layer, and a first connection hole (FIG. 1, a connection hole in film 5 reaches aluminum pad 40) reaching the first interconnection layer from a surface of the first insulating layer; a second substrate (FIG. 1, upper semiconductor substrate 8 ¶ [0013]) facing the first interconnection portion in a first direction (a vertical direction in the context of FIG. 1);
a bonding metal portion (FIG. 1, first Ni electrode 6 is vertically between connection hole in film 5 and upper substrate 8 ¶ [0019]) provided between the first connection hole and the second substrate in the first direction; a first conductive film (FIG. 1, barrier metal film 60 is in the connection hole and contacts aluminum pad 40 ¶ [0020]) provided in the first connection hole and in contact with the first interconnection layer on a bottom surface of the first connection hole; and a second conductive film (FIG. 1, Cu diffusion region 61 is between metal film 60 and Ni electrode 6 ¶ [0020]) provided between the first conductive film and the bonding metal portion, and in contact with the first conductive film and the bonding metal portion (FIG. 1, Cu diffusion region 61 contact both metal film 60 and Ni electrode 6), the first conductive film being made of a material different from a material of the second conductive film and a material of the bonding metal portion (first conductive film being metal film 60 formed of Ti, second conductive film being Cu diffusion region 61 formed of Cu, and Ni electrode 6 being formed of Ni, film 60 has a different material from region 61 and electrode 6 ¶ [0019-0020]) wherein
the first conductive film includes a first portion (FIG. 1, barrier metal film 60 includes a central portion in the connection hole in passivation film 5) located in the first connection hole and a second portion (FIG. 1, barrier metal film 60 includes outer portions that are on the surface of passivation film 5) located on the surface of the first insulating layer, the bonding metal portion includes a first metal portion (FIG. 1, first Ni electrode 6 includes a central portion in the connection hole in passivation film 5) located in the first connection hole and a second metal portion (FIG. 1, first Ni electrode 6 includes outer portions that are above the surface of passivation film 5) above the surface of the first insulating layer.
Ogiso does not further disclose that a width, in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction, of the second portion of the first conductive film is greater than a width in the second direction of a portion of the second conductive film located on the second portion of the first conductive film, and is greater than a width in the second direction of the second metal portion of the bonding metal portion.
However, Nakajima discloses an interconnection member (the interconnection member of FIG. 8 ¶ [0086-0091]) which includes an insulating film (FIG. 8, SiCN insulating film 46 ¶ [0037, 0089]) with an opening, wherein a second portion of a first conductive film (FIG. 8, a portion of first barrier metal 34a above the opening in insulating layer 46 ¶ [0089]) has a width along a horizontal second direction, which is greater than a width in the second direction of a portion of a second conductive film (FIG. 8, a portion of second barrier metal 34b above the opening in insulating layer 46, which is nested in first barrier 34a and has a lesser width ¶ [0089]) located on the second portion of the first conductive film, and is greater than a width in the second direction of a second metal portion of a bonding metal portion (FIG. 8, portion of first conductive film 35 above the opening in insulating layer 46, which is nested in barriers 34a and 34b with a lesser width ¶ [0046]). Nakajima also discloses a related embodiment where the widths of the claimed features are evidently the same (the embodiment of FIG. 9 ¶ [0092-0096]), demonstrating that adjusting the widths of the various portions of the conductive films is known and obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art as art-recognized equivalents. Ogiso discloses the claimed invention except that the first conductive film’s second portion has a greater width than the second conductive film’s portion and the bonding metal portion’s second portion is used instead of a configuration where the first conductive film’s second portion, second conductive film’s portion, and the bonding metal portion’s second portion have ostensibly equivalent widths. Nakajima shows that a configuration wherein the first conductive film’s second portion (FIG. 8, a portion of first barrier metal 34a above the opening in insulating layer 46 ¶ [0089]) has a greater width than the second conductive film’s portion (FIG. 8, a portion of second barrier metal 34b above the opening in insulating layer 46, which is nested in first barrier 34a and has a lesser width ¶ [0089]) and the bonding metal portion’s second portion (FIG. 8, portion of first conductive film 35 above the opening in insulating layer 46, which is nested in barriers 34a and 34b with a lesser width ¶ [0046]) is an equivalent structure in the art. Therefore, because these two width-configurations were art-recognized equivalents at the time the invention was effectively filed, one of ordinary skill in the art would have found it obvious to substitute the width configuration of Nakajima’s FIG. 8 embodiment for the width configuration of Ogiso’s FIG. 1 embodiment.
Ogiso and Nakajima both pertain to the field of bonding members, placing them in the same field of endeavor as the claimed invention. Therefore, a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention would have found it obvious to modify the device of Ogiso in view of Nakajima such that a width, in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction, of the second portion of the first conductive film is greater than a width in the second direction of a portion of the second conductive film located on the second portion of the first conductive film, and is greater than a width in the second direction of the second metal portion of the bonding metal portion, as Nakajima has demonstrated such a modification to be a known and obvious design alternative which a person of ordinary skill in the art could employ to implement a conductive film that conforms to a larger portion of the underlying insulation for an increased bonding contact area.
Regarding claim 2, Ogiso in view of Nakajima discloses the limitations of claim 1 as detailed above, and Ogiso further discloses that the second conductive film is in contact with the first conductive film and the bonding metal portion between the second metal portion and the second portion (FIG. 1, Cu diffusion region 61 is between barrier metal film 60 and first Ni electrode 6 at the outer regions above the surface of passivation film 5).
Regarding claim 3, Ogiso in view of Nakajima discloses the limitations of claim 1 as detailed above, and Ogiso further discloses that the second conductive film is in contact with the first conductive film and the bonding metal portion between a side surface of the first metal portion and the first portion (Ogiso FIG. 1, “side surfaces” of the “first metal portion” and “first portion” are defined by parts of barrier metal film 60 and first Ni electrode 6 that are arranged at the edges of the connection hole in film 5; Cu diffusion region 61 is between barrier metal film 60 and first Ni electrode 6 at those edges).
Regarding claim 6, Ogiso in view of Nakajima discloses the limitations of claim 1 as detailed above, and Ogiso further discloses a second interconnection portion (Ogiso FIG. 1, upper protective film 80 is stacked on the bottom side of upper substrate 8 ¶ [0014]) stacked on the second substrate, located between the first interconnection portion and the second substrate in the first direction (FIG. 1, upper protective film 80 is vertically between upper substrate 8 and passivation film 5), and including a second insulating layer (FIG. 1, upper protective film 80 is a second insulating layer formed of SiN ¶ [0014]), a second interconnection layer (FIG. 1, an upper portion of barrier metal film 90, which is made up of the upper half of the portion of film 90 formed along the upper edge of upper protective film 80 ¶ [0022]; it provides interconnection to through electrode 81) provided in the second insulating layer, and a second connection hole (FIG. 1, upper protective film 80 has a connection hole that reaches the upper portion of barrier metal film 90) reaching the second interconnection layer from a surface of the second insulating layer; a third conductive film (FIG. 1, barrier metal film 90, excluding the uppermost portion designated as the second interconnection layer ¶ [0022]) provided in the second connection hole and in contact with the second interconnection layer on a bottom surface of the second connection hole (FIG. 1, the “third conductive film” portion of barrier metal film 90 contacts the “second interconnection layer” portion of barrier metal film 90 on the bottom surface of the connection hole); and a fourth conductive film (FIG. 1, Cu diffusion region 91 is a conductive film between barrier metal film 90 and first Ni electrode 6, ¶ [0022]) provided between the third conductive film and the bonding metal portion, and in contact with the third conductive film and the bonding metal portion (FIG. 1, Cu diffusion region 91 is in electrical contact with both barrier metal film 90 and first Ni electrode 6), wherein the third conductive film is made of a material different from a material of the fourth conductive film and the material of the bonding metal portion (third conductive film being metal film 90 formed of Ti, fourth conductive film being Cu diffusion region 91 formed of Cu, and Ni electrode 6 being formed of Ni, film 90 has a different material from region 91 and electrode 6 ¶ [0019, 0022]).
Claim 5 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ogiso in view of Nakajima as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of US 20210407942 A1 (Yu et al hereinafter Yu).
Ogiso in view of Nakajima discloses the limitations of claim 1 as detailed above, and Ogiso further discloses a plurality of the bonding metal portions (Ogiso FIG. 1, multiple first Ni electrodes 6 are provided side by side in a horizontal direction ¶ [0019]) are provided side by side in a direction orthogonal to the first direction (FIG. 1, the horizontal direction is orthogonal to the vertical direction), a plurality of the second conductive films (FIG. 1, multiple Cu diffusion regions 61 are separated from each other and provided under Ni electrodes 6 ¶ [0020]) are separated from each other and respectively provided under the plurality of bonding metal portions, but does not further explicitly teach that the first conductive film electrically connects the plurality of bonding metal portions to each other via the second conductive films.
However, Yu discloses a bonding structure in a semiconductor device (FIGS. 1A-6, bonded wafers 50 and 70 ¶ [0004, 0016, 0034]) wherein a plurality of bonding metal portions (FIG. 2, the two leftmost conductive pads 66 ¶ [0032]) are provided side by side in a direction orthogonal to a first direction (FIGS. 1A-2, a first direction is vertical, and a direction orthogonal to that is horizontal), a plurality of the second conductive films (FIG. 2, two leftmost pads 62 are separated from each other under conductive pads 66 ¶ [0030]) are separated from each other and respectively provided under the plurality of bonding metal portions, and a first conductive film (FIGS. 1A-2, interconnect structure 60 includes line 67B which connects to two leftmost pads 62 ¶ [0021]) electrically connects the plurality of bonding metal portions to each other via the second conductive films (FIGS. 1A-2, line 67B of interconnect structure 60 electrically connects to the two leftmost conductive pads 66 through two leftmost pads 62). Yu also teaches that the interconnect structures connect lower devices (FIGS. 1A-2, devices 54 ¶ [0020]) to form an integrated circuit, which is also formed in the device of Ogiso (Ogiso ¶ [0015]).
Ogiso, Nakajima, and Yu pertain to the field of semiconductor devices including bonding-type interconnection members, placing them in the same field of endeavor as the claimed invention. Therefore, a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention would have found it obvious to modify the device of Ogiso in view of Nakajima further in view of Yu such that the first conductive film electrically connects the plurality of bonding metal portions to each other via the second conductive films, in order to form an integrated circuit wherein a plurality of bonding metal portions are electrically connected by means of a first conductive film and second conductive films, since Yu has demonstrated that such a configuration is both known in the art and may be implemented depending on the intended performance characteristics of the device.
Claim 10 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ogiso in view of Nakajima as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of US patent US 11063012 B1 (Shih).
Ogiso in view of Nakajima discloses the limitations of claim 1 as detailed above, but they do not further disclose that the bonding metal portion mainly contains gold, the first conductive film mainly contains titanium nitride, and the second conductive film mainly contains palladium, titanium, or a stacked film of a palladium film and a titanium film.
However, Shih discloses a bonding-type interconnection member, comprising: a bonding metal portion (FIG. 1, conductive bump 109 Col. 7 lines 46-56); a first conductive film (FIG. 1, barrier layer 108b Col. 7 lines 8-14) provided in the first connection hole and in contact with the first interconnection layer on a bottom surface of the first connection hole (FIG. 1, barrier layer 108b contacts 106 on the bottom of the connection hole); and a second conductive film (FIG. 1, conductive member 108c is between and in contact with barrier layer 108b and conductive bump 109) provided between the first conductive film and the bonding metal portion, wherein the bonding metal portion mainly contains gold (conductive bump may be formed of gold Col. 7 lines 46-56), the first conductive film mainly contains titanium nitride (barrier layer 108b may be formed of titanium nitride Col. 7 lines 8-14), and the second conductive film mainly contains palladium, titanium, or a stacked film of a palladium film and a titanium film (conductive member 108c may be formed of palladium Col. 7 lines 24-35).
Ogiso, Nakajima, and Shih all pertain to the field of bonding members, placing them in the same field of endeavor as the claimed invention. Therefore, a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention would have found it obvious to modify the device of Ogiso in view of Nakajima further in view of Shih, such that the bonding metal portion mainly contains gold, the first conductive film mainly contains titanium nitride, and the second conductive film mainly contains palladium, titanium, or a stacked film of a palladium film and a titanium film, because Shih has demonstrated that such a configuration is a known alternative in the art which may prove beneficial in view of materials costs and changing market conditions.
Claims 1 and 4 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over US patent publication US 20240186291 A1 (Kim et al hereinafter Kim).
Regarding claim 1, Kim discloses a bonding-type interconnection member (FIGS. 1-2A and 12C which illustrate a detailed view of an interconnection member and a stacking of two interconnection members ¶ [0006-0007, 0017, 0103]), comprising: a first substrate (FIG. 12C, lower body 10L, also body 10 of FIG. 2A ¶ [0030-0031, 0103]); a first interconnection portion (FIG. 2A, front-side passivation layer 21 stacked on body 10 ¶ [0035-0036]) stacked on the first substrate and including a first insulating layer (FIG. 2A, front-side passivation layer 21 is an insulating layer ¶ [0035-0036]), a first interconnection layer (FIG. 2A, a lower portion of UBM layer 41 functions as an interconnection layer to connect the rest of UBM layer 41 with top metal pattern 13 ¶ [0045]; see also annotated FIG. 2A below for further clarity) provided in the first insulating layer, and a first connection hole (FIG. 2A, a connection hole in passivation layer 21 reaches the interconnection layer portion of UBM layer 41) reaching the first interconnection layer from a surface of the first insulating layer; a second substrate (FIG. 12C, upper body 10U faces the passivation portion above lower body 10L) facing the first interconnection portion in a first direction (in the context of FIGS. 2A and 12C, a vertical direction);
a bonding metal portion (FIG. 2A, an upper region of front-side pad pattern 45, excluding some central and outermost regions of first and third portions 46 and 48 ¶ [0035], is between the connection hole in passivation layer 21 and the upper body 10U of FIG. 12C; see annotated FIG. 2A below for further clarity) provided between the first connection hole and the second substrate in the first direction; a first conductive film (FIG. 2A, UBM layer 41 excluding the portion designated the first interconnection layer; see annotated FIG. 2A below for further clarity) provided in the first connection hole and in contact with the first interconnection layer on a bottom surface of the first connection hole (annotated FIG. 2A, the first conductive film portion of UBM layer 41 is in contact with the first interconnection layer of UBM layer 41 and on a bottom surface of the connection hole); and a second conductive film (annotated FIG. 2A, some central regions of first and third portions 46 and 48 are between UBM layer 41 and upper regions of pad pattern 46, such as second portion 47 ¶ [0038]) provided between the first conductive film and the bonding metal portion, and in contact with the first conductive film and the bonding metal portion (annotated FIG. 2A, the second conductive film portions of pad pattern 45 are in contact with bonding metal portion of pad pattern 45 and first conduction film portion of UBM layer 41),
wherein the first conductive film includes a first portion (FIG. 2A, a central portion of UBM layer 41 in the hole in passivation layer 21) located in the first connection hole and a second portion (FIG. 2A, outer portions of UBM layer 41 on an upper surface of passivation layer 21) located on the surface of the first insulating layer, the bonding metal portion includes a first metal portion (annotated FIG. 2A, a lower central portion of the bonding metal portion of pad pattern 45 located in the hole in passivation layer 21) located in the first connection hole and a second metal portion (FIG. 2A, outer portions of the bonding metal portion of pad pattern 45 located outside the hole in passivation layer 21 that face the outer “second portion” of UBM layer 41) above the surface of the first insulating layer, and a width, in a second direction (FIG. 2A, a horizontal direction) orthogonal to the first direction, of the second portion of the first conductive film (annotated FIG. 2A, ‘1st conductive film’ portion on passivation layer 21 has a width) is greater than a width in the second direction of a portion of the second conductive film (annotated FIG. 2A, ‘2nd conductive film’ on ‘1st conductive film’ has a lesser horizontal width than the pertinent ‘1st conductive film’ portion) located on the second portion of the first conductive film, and is greater than a width in the second direction of the second metal portion of the bonding metal portion (annotated FIG. 2A below, the bonding metal portion under consideration excludes the outermost edges of pad pattern 45, and therefore has a lesser width than ‘1st conductive film’).
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Kim did not explicitly state that the first conductive film being made of a material different from a material of the second conductive film and a material of the bonding metal portion. However, a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention would have found it obvious to select among the disclosed materials of Kim a configuration wherein the first conductive film is made of a material (UBM layer 41m, which is partially removed to become UBM layer 41 and forms first conductive film, may be formed of titanium ¶ [0086, 0091]) different from a material of the second conductive film and a material of the bonding metal portion (front-side lower pad portion 48 and the front-side intermediate pad portion 46, which form the second conductive film and bonding metal portion, may be formed of copper ¶ [0088]), and a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention could have been motivated to select such materials in view of changing market conditions and materials costs.
Regarding claim 4, Kim discloses the limitations of claim 1 as detailed above, and further discloses that the bonding metal portion has a portion where the second metal portion and the second portion are in direct contact with each other (annotated FIG. 2A, outer regions of UBM layer 41 and pad pattern 45 are designated as “the second portion” and “the second metal portion”, and are in direct contact with each other).
Cited Prior Art
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure: US patent publications US 20260107755 A1, US 20240071928 A1, US 20230361069 A1, US 20210098399 A1, US 20180233468 A1, and US 20170372996 A1.
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.
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/E.R.C./Examiner, Art Unit 2813
/STEVEN B GAUTHIER/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2813
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