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 .
Drawings
Figures 1A, 1B and 1C should be designated by a legend such as --Prior Art-- because only that which is old is illustrated. See MPEP § 608.02(g). Corrected drawings in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. The replacement sheet(s) should be labeled “Replacement Sheet” in the page header (as per 37 CFR 1.84(c)) so as not to obstruct any portion of the drawing figures. 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 § 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.
Claims 1, 3, 5-6, 9-14, 16-17 and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Morita et al. (US 2015/0072139).
Regarding claim 1, Morita discloses a packaging method comprising:
performing a first packaging operation on a first mold (4) of a packaging apparatus [Fig. 6], the first packaging operation comprising:
disposing an isolation layer (3) on a first surface of the first mold (4) [Fig. 6]; and
acquiring a substrate (6) to be packaged by the first mold (4) after disposing the isolation layer (3), wherein the substrate (6) is separated from the first surface of the first mold (4) by the isolation layer (3) [Fig. 6];
performing a second packaging operation on a second mold (5) of the packaging apparatus [Fig. 7], the second packaging operation comprising:
disposing a compound (7) for packaging in the second mold (5) [Fig. 7]; and
closing the first mold (4) and the second mold (5) after completing the first packaging operation and the second packaging operation to form a semiconductor package [Figs. 7-10].
Regarding claim 3, Morita discloses wherein:
the substrate (6) comprises a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface and at least one die (LED chips) is disposed on the first surface of the substrate [Fig. 6 and paragraph 0037]; and
while the first mold (4) acquires the substrate to be packaged, the second surface of the substrate (6) is made contact with and covered by the isolation layer (3) and the first surface of the substrate on which the at least one die (LED chips) is disposed is made facing the second mold (5) [Fig. 6 and paragraph 0037].
Regarding claim 5, Morita discloses wherein the first mold (4) comprises vents that penetrate from the first surface of the first mold to a second surface of the first mold opposite to the first surface for vacuum absorption (air suction mechanism) [paragraph 0050].
Regarding claim 6, Morita discloses wherein disposing the isolation layer (3) on the first surface of the first mold (4) comprises absorbing the isolation layer onto the first surface of the first mold via the vents with a vacuumizing device (air suction mechanism) [paragraph 0050].
Regarding claim 9, Morita discloses wherein the compound (7) for packaging comprises at least one of a thermosetting resin or a plastic (epoxy resin) [paragraph 0064]. Please note that applicant discloses that epoxy resin is an example of a thermosetting resin material [paragraph 0041 in Applicant’s Specification, as filed].
Regarding claim 10, Morita discloses wherein:
the second mold (5) comprises a cavity [Fig. 6], and the compound (7) is disposed in the cavity of the second mold (5) [Fig. 7]; and
the second packaging operation further comprises heating the compound in the cavity of the second mold to a predetermined temperature [Fig. 8 and paragraphs 0039-0041].
Regarding claim 11, Morita discloses wherein the first mold (4) and the second mold (5) are closed by a compression molding method and the compound is cooled and cured to form the semiconductor package [Figs. 7-8 and paragraphs 0039-0042 and 0065].
Regarding claim 12, Morita discloses: after forming the semiconductor package, taking out the semiconductor package from the second mold (5) and removing the isolation layer (3) from the first mold (4) [Figs. 7-8 and paragraph 0042].
Regarding claim 13, Morita discloses a packaging apparatus comprising:
a first mold (4) having a plate-like structure and configured to dispose an isolation layer (3) and a substrate (6) to be packaged in turn on a first surface of the first mold (4) in a packaging process, wherein the substrate (6) is separated from the first surface of the first mold (4) by the isolation layer (3) [Figs. 6 and paragraph 0050]; and
a second mold (5) comprising a central baseplate (middle plate) and an external frame around a periphery of the central baseplate [Fig. 6 and paragraph 0050].
Regarding claim 14, Morita discloses wherein:
the first mold (4)) is horizontally movable [Figs.6-7], and
the external frame and the central baseplate are arranged such that a concave cavity structure is formed inside the second mold (5), the cavity structure has an opening on its top and has a closed structure at its bottom and sides [Figs. 6 and paragraph 0050].
Regarding claim 16, Morita discloses wherein the first mold (4) comprises vents (air suction mechanism) that penetrate from the first surface of the first mold to a second surface of the first mold opposite to the first surface [paragraph 0050].
Regarding claim 17, Morita discloses a vacuumizing device (air suction mechanism), wherein the first mold (4) is configured to absorb the isolation layer (3) onto the first surface of the first mold via the vents with the vacuumizing device [paragraph 0050].
Regarding claim 20, Morita discloses a fabrication method of a semiconductor, the method comprising:
providing a substrate (6), wherein at least one die (LED chips) is installed on a first surface of the substrate [Fig. 6 and paragraph 0037];
performing a first packaging operation on a first mold (4) of a packaging apparatus [Fig. 6], the first packaging operation including:
disposing an isolation layer (3) on a first surface of the first mold [Fig. 6]; and
acquiring the substrate (6) to be packaged by the first mold after disposing the isolation layer, wherein the substrate (6) is separated from the first surface of the first mold (4) by the isolation layer (3) [Fig. 6];
performing a second packaging operation on a second mold (5) of the packaging apparatus [Fig. 7], the second packaging operation including:
disposing a compound (7) for packaging in the second mold [Fig. 7]; and
closing the first mold (4) and the second mold (5) after completing the first packaging operation and the second packaging operation to form a semiconductor package [Figs. 7-10].
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 8 and 19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Morita et al. (US 2015/0072139).
Regarding claims 8 and 19, Morita discloses wherein the isolation layer has a thickness between 50-100μm [paragraph 0026]. The court has held that in the case where the claimed ranges “overlap or lie inside ranges disclosed by the prior art” a prima facie case of obviousness exists. In re Wertheim, 541F.2d 257,191 USPQ 90 (CCPA 1976); In re Woodruff, 919 F.2d 1575, 16 USPQ2d 1934 (Fed. Cir. 1990).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 2, 4, 7, 15 and 18 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.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JOSE R DIAZ whose telephone number is (571)272-1727. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Joshua Benitez can be reached at 571-270-1435. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/Jose R Diaz/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2815