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 .
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election of Species I in the reply filed on 2/4/2026 is acknowledged. Because applicant did not distinctly and specifically point out the supposed errors in the restriction requirement, the election has been treated as an election without traverse (MPEP § 818.01(a)).
Claims 3, 8, 11, 13, and 16 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected species, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on 2/4/2026.
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, 2, 4-7, 9, 10, 12, 14-15, 17 and 19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipate by KWON et al. (US PG Pub 2023/0144388, hereinafter Kwon).
Regarding claim 1, figures 3A, 6, and 8 of Kwon disclose a semiconductor package comprising:
a substrate (110);
an integrated circuit package component (133) bonded to the substrate, wherein the integrated circuit package component comprises a semiconductor die (¶ 37); and
a ring structure (155/157/1515/1535) on the substrate, wherein the ring structure encircles the integrated circuit package component in a top-down view, and wherein the ring structure comprises:
a first attached segment (1515) attached to the substrate by an adhesive (181, see figure 3A), wherein the first attached segment is spaced apart from the package component (133) by a first distance;
a second attached segment (1535) attached to the substrate by the adhesive (181, see figure 3A), wherein the second attached segment is spaced apart from the package component (133) by a second distance; and
a first suspended segment (155) between the first attached segment and the second attached segment, wherein the first suspended segment is suspended over the substrate (figure 8, ¶ 69), wherein the first suspended segment is spaced apart from the package component by a third distance, and wherein the third distance is different from the first distance and the second distance (see figure 6).
Regarding claim 2, figure 6 of Kwon discloses the third distance is smaller than the first distance and the second distance.
Regarding claim 4, figures 3A, 6, and 8 of Kwon disclose a width of the first suspended segment (155, measured vertically in figure 6) is smaller than a width of the first attached segment (1515) and a width of the second attached segment (1535, measured horizontally in figure 6).
Regarding claim 5, figures 3A, 6, and 8 of Kwon disclose a height of the first suspended segment (155) is smaller than a height of the first attached segment (1515) and a height of the second attached segment (1525).
Note: The device can be tilted in such a way as to achieve the claimed height relation between the first suspended segment and the first/second attached segments.
Regarding claim 6, figures 3A, 6, and 8 of Kwon disclose the first attached segment (1515), the second attached segment (1525), and the first attached segment (1515) are a same piece of continuous material.
Regarding claim 7, Kwon discloses the first attached segment (1515), the second attached segment (1535), and the first suspended segment (155) comprise copper (¶ 38).
Regarding claim 9, figures 3A, 6, and 8 of Kwon disclose:
a substrate (110) comprising a first edge and a second edge, wherein the first edge intersects with the second edge;
an integrated circuit package component (133) bonded to the substrate, wherein the package component comprises a semiconductor die (¶ 37);
an underfill (175) between the integrated circuit package component and the substrate; and
a stiffener ring (155/157/1515/1535) on the substrate, wherein the stiffener ring encircles the integrated circuit package component in a top-down view, and wherein a first portion of the stiffener ring extends along the first edge of the substrate, the first portion comprising:
a first attached segment (1515) with a first width (measured horizontally in figure 6), wherein a bottom surface of the first attached segment is covered by an adhesive (181);
a second attached segment (1535) with a second width (measured horizontally in figure 6), wherein a bottom surface of the second attached segment is covered by the adhesive (181); and
a first suspended segment (155) extending from the first attached segment to the second attached segment, the first suspended segment having a third width (measured vertically in figure 6), wherein the third width is smaller than the first width and the second width, wherein a bottom surface of the first suspended segment is free of the adhesive (¶ 69).
Regarding claim 10, figure 6 of Kwon discloses the first suspended segment (155) protrudes towards the integrated circuit package component (133) from an inner sidewall of the first attached segment (1515) and an inner sidewall of the second attached segment (1535).
Note: Being a three-dimensional object, the first suspended segment can be said to “protrude towards” the integrated circuit package at least by a distance of the thickness of the layer (measured horizontally in figure 6).
Regarding claim 12, figures 3A, 6, and 8 of Kwon disclose a second portion of the stiffener ring extends along the second edge of the substrate, the second portion comprising:
a third attached segment (other end of 1515) with a fourth width (measured horizontally in figure 6), wherein a bottom surface of the third attached segment is covered by the adhesive (181);
a fourth attached segment (other end of 1535) with a fifth width (measured horizontally in figure 6), wherein a bottom surface of the fourth attached segment is covered by the adhesive (181); and
a second suspended segment (157) extending from the third attached segment to the fourth attached segment, the second suspended segment having with a sixth width (measured vertically in figure 6), wherein the sixth width is smaller than the fourth width and the fifth width, wherein a bottom surface of the second suspended segment is free of the adhesive (¶ 69).
Regarding claim 14, figures 3A, 6, and 8 of Kwon disclose a method of manufacturing a semiconductor package, the method comprising:
bonding an integrated circuit package component (133) to a substrate (110), wherein the integrated circuit package component comprises a semiconductor die (¶ 37), and wherein the substrate comprises a first edge and a second edge, wherein the first edge intersects with the second edge;
placing an underfill (175) between the integrated circuit package component and the substrate; and
attaching a ring structure (155/157/1515/1535) to the substrate, wherein the ring structure encircles the integrated circuit package component in a top-down view, and wherein a first portion of the ring structure extends along the first edge of the substrate, the first portion comprising:
a first attached segment (1515) connected to the substrate by an adhesive (181), wherein the first attached segment is spaced apart from the integrated circuit package component by a first distance;
a second attached segment (1535) connected to the substrate by the adhesive (181), wherein the second attached segment is spaced apart from the integrated circuit package component by a second distance; and
a first suspended segment (155) between the first attached segment and the second attached segment, wherein the first suspended segment is in contact with the first attached segment and the second attached segment, wherein the first suspended segment is separated from the substrate by a first cavity (figure 8, ¶ 69), wherein the first suspended segment is spaced apart from the integrated circuit package component by a third distance, and wherein the third distance is different from the first distance and the second distance (see figure 6).
Regarding claim 15, figure 6 of Kwon discloses the third distance is smaller than the first distance and the second distance.
Regarding claim 17, figures 3A, 6, and 8 of Kwon disclose a height of the first suspended segment (155) is smaller than a height of the first attached segment (1515) and a height of the second attached segment (1525).
Note: The device can be tilted in such a way as to achieve the claimed height relation between the first suspended segment and the first/second attached segments.
Regarding claim 19, figures 3A, 6, and 8 of Kwon disclose a second portion of the ring structure extends along the second edge of the substrate (110), the second portion comprising:
a third attached segment (other end of 1515) connected to the substrate by the adhesive (181);
a fourth attached segment (other end of 1535) connected to the substrate by the adhesive; and
a second suspended segment (157) between the third attached segment and the fourth attached segment, wherein the second suspended segment is in contact with the third attached segment and the fourth attached segment, and wherein the second suspended segment is separated from the substrate by a second cavity (¶ 69).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 18 and 20 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 YU-HSI DAVID SUN whose telephone number is (571)270-5773. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Fri 8am-4pm ET.
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/YU-HSI D SUN/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2817
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