DETAILED ACTION
This Action is responsive to the Amendment filed on 05/27/2026.
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 .
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to 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.
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 9-10 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 9, which depends from Claim 1, recites the limitation: “with at least one electrically conductive layer structure” (emphasis added). However, Claim 1 also recites the limitation: “with at least one electrically conductive layer structure” (emphasis added). It is unclear whether the conductive layer structure recited in Claim 9 refers back to the conductive layer structure recited in Claim 1 or the conductive layer structure recited in Claim 9 is introducing an additional conductive layer structure. Therefore, Claim 9 has been rendered indefinite.
Claim 10, which depends from Claim 9, recites the limitation: “with the at least one electrically conductive layer structure” (emphasis added). It is unclear whether the conductive layer structure in Claim 10 refers back to the conductive layer structure of Claim 9 or refers back to the conductive layer structure of Claim 1. Therefore, Claim 10 has been rendered indefinite.
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 1-4, 7, 13-14, 18, and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Lanzone (US 8,564,114).
Regarding claim 1, Lanzone (see, e.g., FIG. 5) discloses a package, comprising:
a component carrier PCB, 114, 146 comprising a stack 114, 146 with at least one electrically conductive layer structure e.g., conductive pattern 122 and/or at least one electrically insulating layer structure (col. 7, lines 38-40; col. 8, lines 1-26);
a cavity 158 in the stack 114, 146 (col. 9, lines 4-9);
an active electronic component 128 in the cavity 158 (col. 9, lines 4-9); and
a functional filling medium 160 filling at least part of the cavity 158, said functional filling medium 160 extending up to an external surface 148 of the stack 114, 146 for defining an output surface e.g., top of 160 and configured to transmit at least one output e.g., thermal dissipation of said active electronic component 128 toward said output surface e.g., top of 160, wherein the output surface e.g., top of 160 of the functional filling medium 160 is flush with the external surface 148 of the stack 114, 146 (col. 9, lines 16-21, lines 30-38, lines 62-67).
Regarding claim 2, Lanzone (see, e.g., FIG. 5) teaches the package according to claim 1, wherein the electronic component 128 is entirely embedded in the functional filling medium 160 (col. 9, lines 16-21).
Regarding claim 3, Lanzone (see, e.g., FIG. 5) teaches the package according to claim 1, wherein the functional filling medium 160 comprises a sheet e.g., portion of 160 above 128 arranged in an upper portion of the cavity 158 above the electronic component 128 arranged in a lower portion of the cavity 158.
Regarding claim 4, Lanzone (see, e.g., FIG. 5) teaches the package according to claim 1, wherein the functional filling medium 160 is thermally conductive (col. 9, lines 16-21).
Regarding claim 7, Lanzone (see, e.g., FIG. 5) teaches the package according to claim 1, wherein the functional filling medium 160 is dielectric (col. 9, lines 23-36).
Regarding claim 13, Lanzone (see, e.g., FIG. 5) teaches the package according to claim 1, comprising a heat sink 162 on or above the output surface e.g., top of 160 and thermally coupled with the functional filling medium 160 (col. 9, lines 26-38).
Regarding claim 14, Lanzone (see, e.g., FIG. 5) teaches the package according to claim 13, comprising a further heat sink 162 on a main surface 148 of the stack 114, 146 opposing the output surface e.g., top of 160 (col. 9, lines 26-38).
Regarding claim 18, Lanzone (see, e.g., FIG. 5) teaches the package according to claim 1, wherein the cavity 158 is dimensioned and the functional filling medium 160 and the electronic component 128 are arranged in the cavity 158 so that heat generated by the electronic component 128 is spatially spread towards an outside of the cavity 158 (col. 9, lines 26-38, lines 62-67).
Regarding claim 20, Lanzone (see, e.g., FIG. 5) teaches the method of manufacturing a package, comprising:
providing a component carrier PCB, 114, 146 comprising a stack 114, 146 with at least one electrically conductive layer structure e.g., conductive pattern 122 and/or at least one electrically insulating layer structure col. 7, lines 38-40; col. 8, lines 1-26);
forming a cavity 158 in the stack 114, 146 (col. 9, lines 4-9);
arranging an active electronic component 128 in the cavity 158 (col. 9, lines 4-9); and
filling at least part of the cavity 158 with a functional filling medium 160, said functional filling medium 160 extending up to an external surface 148 of the stack 114, 146 for defining an output surface e.g., top of 160 and configured to transmit at least one output e.g., thermal dissipation of said active electronic component 128 toward said output surface e.g., top of 160, wherein the output surface e.g., top of 160 of the functional filling medium 160 is flush with the external surface 148 of the stack 114, 148 (col. 9, lines 16-21, lines 30-38, lines 62-67).
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 5-6 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lanzone (US 8,564,114), and further in view of Refai-Ahmed (US 11,373,929).
Regarding claim 5, although Lanzone shows substantial features of the claimed invention, Lanzone fails to expressly teach the package according to claim 1, wherein the functional filling medium comprises a matrix with filler particles embedded therein.
Refai-Ahmed (see, e.g., FIG. 1) teaches the functional filling medium 114 comprises a matrix e.g., thermal epoxy with filler particles 196 embedded therein for the purpose of enhancing the heat transfer of the carrier material (col. 5, lines 23-36).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the functional filling medium of Lanzone to include a matrix with filler particles embedded therein as described by Refai-Ahmed for the purpose of enhancing the heat transfer of the carrier material (col. 5, lines 23-36).
Regarding claim 6, Refai-Ahmed (see, e.g., FIG. 1) teaches package according to claim 5, wherein the filler particles 196 comprise a metallic material (col. 5, lines 23-36).
Claims 11-12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lanzone (US 8,564,114), and further in view of Jain (US 2017/0223839).
Regarding claim 11, although Lanzone shows substantial features of the claimed invention, Lanzone fails to expressly teach the package according to claim 1, wherein at least part of a sidewall delimiting the cavity is lined with a functional lining.
Jain (see, e.g., FIG. 1B) teaches that at least part of a sidewall delimiting the cavity 131 is lined with a functional lining 141 for the purpose of protecting the electronic component from electromagnetic interference (EMI) (Para 0015, Para 0016).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to the functional lining as described by Jain to the sidewall delimiting the cavity in Lanzone for the purpose of protecting the electronic component from electromagnetic interference (EMI) (Para 0015, Para 0016).
Regarding claim 12, Jain (see, e.g., FIG. 1B) teaches package according to claim 11, wherein the functional lining 141 is configured for shielding electromagnetic radiation from propagating between an interior and an exterior of the cavity 131 (Para 0015, Para 0016).
Claim 15 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lanzone (US 8,564,114), and further in view of Yu (TW 2018/01276 A).
Regarding claim 15, although Lanzone shows substantial features of the claimed invention, Lanzone fails to expressly teach the package according to claim 1, wherein at least part of the functional filling medium is optically transparent.
Yu (see, e.g., FIG. 9) teaches that at least part of the functional filling medium 909, e.g., heat-resistant transparent resin is optically transparent for the purpose of utilizing a heat-resistant material as an encapsulant (pg 10, para 8).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the functional filling medium of Lanzone to include at least part of the functional filling medium to be optically transparent for the purpose of utilizing a heat-resistant material as an encapsulant (pg 10, para 8).
Claim 19 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lanzone (US 8,564,114), and further in view of Kubo (US 2025/0056729).
Regarding claim 19, although Lanzone shows substantial features of the claimed invention, Lanzone fails to expressly teach the package according to claim 1, wherein the functional filling medium is configured for shielding electromagnetic radiation from propagating between an interior and an exterior of the cavity.
Kubo (see, e.g., FIG. 1, FIG. 2) teaches that the functional filling medium 30 (33, 34) is configured for shielding electromagnetic radiation e.g., due to material of fillers 34 from propagating between an interior and an exterior of the cavity 13 for the purpose of increasing the electromagnetic shielding performance of the encapsulant (Para 0030, Para 0049, Para 0050, Para 0073, Para 0076).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the functional filling medium of Lanzone to be configured for shielding electromagnetic radiation from propagating between an interior and an exterior of the cavity as described by Kubo for the purpose of increasing the electromagnetic shielding performance of the encapsulant (Para 0073, Para 0076).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 8, 16, and 17 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.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claims 1 and 20 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.
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.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ANTONIO CRITE whose telephone number is (571) 270-5267. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday, 10:00 am - 6:30 pm.
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.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Kretelia Graham can be reached at (571) 272-5055. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/ANTONIO B CRITE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2817
Prosecution Insights