DETAILED ACTION
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of Group I (claims 1-10) in the reply filed on 12/19/25 is acknowledged.
Claims 11, and 12 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected invention, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on 12/19/25.
Claim Objections
Claim 10 is objected to because of the following informalities: in line 1, there is a typographical error (“f”). Appropriate correction is required.
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)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale, or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 1 thru 7 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Cheng et al US 2018/0294202 A1. Cheng discloses (see, for example, FIG. 1B) a semiconductor device comprising a wiring substrate 120, one semiconductor element 130, first resin layer 150, and second resin layer 140. The first semiconductor element 130 is provided above the wiring substrate 120, and the first resin layer 150 seals the first semiconductor element 130, and the second resin layer 140 is provided on the outer surface of the first resin layer 150. In paragraph [0024], Cheng discloses the first resin layer 150 and second resin layer 140 include thermosetting epoxy resins. Regarding the limitation “wherein a Young's modulus of the second resin layer is greater than a Young's modulus of the first resin layer,”, see, for example, paragraph [0020] wherein Cheng discloses the Young’s modulus of first resin layer 150 being smaller than second resin layer 140.
Regarding claim 2, see, for example, FIG. 1B wherein Cheng discloses at least a portion of an inner surface of the second resin layer 140 being in contact with an outside surface of the first resin layer 150.
Regarding claim 3, see, for example, FIG. 1A wherein Cheng discloses the second resin layer 140 being provided in about 50% or more and about 100% or less of an area of the outside surface of the first resin layer 150.
Regarding claim 4, see, for example, paragraph [0024] wherein Cheng discloses
the first resin layer 150 includes a first resin and a first filler, and wherein the second resin layer 140 includes a second resin and a second filler.
Regarding claim 5, see, for example, FIG. 1B wherein Cheng discloses the second resin layer 140 being not in contact with the first semiconductor element 130.
Regarding claim 6, see, for example, FIG. 1B wherein Cheng discloses a thickness of the second resin layer 140 being thinner than a thickness of the first resin layer 150.
Regarding claim 7, see, for example, FIG. 1B wherein Cheng discloses the second resin layer 140 being in contact with the wiring substrate 120.
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) 8 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Cheng et al. US 2018/0294202 A1 as applied to claims 1-7 above, and further in view of Roth et al. US 2021/0166986 A1. Cheng does not disclose the linear thermal expansion coefficient of the first resin layer and the linear thermal expansion coefficient of the second resin layer being reversely positive or negative. However, Roth discloses (see, for example, FIG. 7) a semiconductor device comprising a first resin layer 106 and second resin layer 108. In paragraph [0092], Roth discloses the second resin layer 108 includes a negative coefficient of thermal expansion and the first resin layer 106 includes a positive coefficient of thermal expansion. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to have the linear thermal expansion coefficient of the first resin layer and the linear thermal expansion coefficient of the second resin layer being reversely positive or negative in order to provide protection against the formation of cracks and delamination in the semiconductor device.
Claim(s) 9, and 10 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Cheng et al. US 2018/0294202 A1 as applied to claims 1-7 above, and further in view of Lin et al. US 2014/0091454 A1. Cheng does not disclose the second resin layer contains glass fiber or/and carbon fiber. However, Lin discloses (see, for example, FIG. 10k) a semiconductor device 362 comprising a second resin layer 314. In paragraph [0101], Lin discloses the second resin layer 314 may include carbon fibers. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to have the second resin layer contains glass fiber or/and carbon fiber in order to provide both warpage control and enhance package strength, and since it has been held to be within the general skill of a worker in the art to select a known material on the basis of its suitability for the intended use as a matter of obvious design choice. In re Leshin, 125 USPQ 416.
Regarding claim 10, see, for example, paragraph [0024] wherein Cheng discloses the first resin layer 150 includes thermosetting epoxy resins, which have an insulating property, and regarding the limitation “second resin layer has a conductive property.”, Cheng in view of Lin discloses carbon fibers, which are conductive, and therefore, have conductive property.
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Eugene Lee
January 1, 2026
/EUGENE LEE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2815