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 .
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 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102a1 as being anticipated by US20130127042A1 (Lee).
Regarding Claim 1, Lee discloses an electronic device (Fig. 1, el. 100, Para. [0023]) comprising:
a first circuit structure (see annotated Fig. 1 below, el. 105, Para. [0023]); a second circuit structure (see annotated Fig. 1 below, el. 103, Para. [0023]); a conductive layer (see annotated Fig. 1 below, els. 112, 108, 125, and 126, Para. [0023]) disposed between the first circuit structure and the second circuit structure (Fig. 1); and a supporting structure (see annotated Fig. 1 below, Para. [0023] – where the plated holes are the supporting structures) at least partially covered by the conductive layer (see Fig. 1, where the plated holes are at least partially covered by the conductive layer 112, 108, 125, and 126) and defining a space configured to vent gas (see annotated Fig. 1 below, els. 113 and 123, Para. [0023]).
Regarding Claim 2, Lee discloses the electronic device of claim 1, wherein the supporting structure comprises a plurality of first conductive structures (see annotated Fig. 1 below, which shows two supporting structures which have conductive elements 109 and 119 – see Para. [0023]) defining a plurality of first vent paths therebetween (Fig. 1, els. 113 and 123, Para. [0025]).
Regarding Claim 3, Lee discloses the electronic device of claim 2, wherein the first vent paths extend through a plurality of first gaps between the first conductive structures (see Fig. 1 – where the vent areas 116 and 123 define vent paths that are in the gaps between the first conductive structures).
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Claims 13-14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102a1 as being anticipated by Lee.
Regarding Claim 13, Lee discloses an electronic device (Fig. 1, el. 100, Para. [0023]), comprising: a first pad (see annotated Fig. 1 below, el. 105, Para. [0023] – where Examiner is interpreting the first substrate 105 as a first pad); a second pad (see annotated Fig. 1 below, el. 103, Para. [0023] – where Examiner is interpreting the second substrate 103 as a second pad) disposed over the first pad (Fig. 1); and a plurality of first conductive structures (see annotated Fig. 1 below) extending from the first pad and toward the second pad (see annotated Fig. 1below), wherein at least one of the plurality of first conductive structures has a height greater than a distance between the at least one of the plurality of first conductive structures and the second pad (in Fig. 1, the distance between the first conductive structure and the second pad is 0, so this is necessarily met).
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Regarding Claim 14, Lee discloses the electronic device of claim 13, further comprising a conductive layer connected to the first pad and the second pad (see annotated Fig. 1 above, el. 112 and 108, Para. [0023]).
Regarding Claim 16, Lee disclose the electronic device of claim 14, wherein the first conductive structures comprise a plurality of conductive pillars (see annotated Fig. 1 above, el. 109, Para. [0023]), and the distance is smaller than a pitch of the conductive pillars (since the distance is 0, as explained above, this is necessarily met).
Claims 19-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102a1 as being anticipated by Lee.
Regarding Claim 19, Lee discloses an electronic device (Fig. 1, el. 100, Para. [0023]), comprising: a first pad (see annotated Fig. 1 below, el. 105, Para. [0023]) having a first center (see annotated Fig. below); a supporting element connected to the first pad having a second center non-overlapping with the first center (see annotated Fig. below); and a second pad (see annotated Fig. below, el. 103, Para. [0023]) supported by the supporting element and electrically connected to the first pad (Para. [0023]).
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Regarding Claim 20, Lee discloses the electronic device of claim 19, wherein the second pad has a third center substantially aligned with the first center in a cross-sectional view (see annotated Fig. 1 above).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 4-12, 15, and 17-18 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.
The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance:
Regarding Claims 4-5, none of the prior art of record teaches, suggests or renders
obvious, either alone or in combination wherein the supporting structure comprises a second conductive structure adjacent to the first conductive structures, and wherein a first height of the first conductive structures is greater than a second height of the second conductive structure with respect to the first circuit structure.
Regarding Claims 6-7 none of the prior art of record teaches, suggests or renders
obvious, either alone or in combination wherein the supporting structure has a third conductive structure adjacent to the first conductive structures, and wherein a first width of the first conductive structures is greater than a second width of the third conductive structure.
Regarding Claim 8, none of the prior art of record teaches, suggests or renders
obvious, either alone or in combination wherein the supporting structure is configured to reduce a void rate of the conductive layer, wherein the void rate is an area of the gas to an area of theconductive layer in a top view.
Regarding Claim 9, none of the prior art of record teaches, suggests or renders
obvious, either alone or in combination wherein the electrical conductivity of the supporting structure is greater than that of the conductive layer.
Regarding Claims 10-12, none of the prior art of record teaches, suggests or renders
obvious, either alone or in combination further comprising a package structure, wherein the package structure comprises a third circuit structure, an interposer, the second circuit structure connected to the third circuit structure through the interposer, and a plurality of first electronic components disposed between second circuit structure and the third circuit structure.
Regarding Claim 15, none of the prior art of record teaches, suggests or renders
obvious, either alone or in combination wherein the first conductive structures are spaced apart from the second pad.
Regarding Claims 17 none of the prior art of record teaches, suggests or renders
obvious, either alone or in combination wherein the first conductive structures are distributed over a central portion of the first pad, and wherein an area of the central portion is less than or equal to a half of an area of the first pad in a top view.
Regarding Claim 18, none of the prior art of record teaches, suggests or renders
obvious, either alone or in combination further comprising a first circuit structure having a recess accommodating the first pad, wherein the recess has a sidewall spaced apart from the first conductive structures.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ROHIT PARTHASARATHY whose telephone number is (571)272-2572. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 8:30a-5p.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Dale Page can be reached at 5712707877. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/ROHIT PARTHASARATHY/Examiner, Art Unit 2899 /DALE E PAGE/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2899