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 without traverse of claims 12-20 in the reply filed on 3/18/2026 is acknowledged.
Specification
The title of the invention is not descriptive. A new title is required that is clearly indicative of the invention to which the claims are directed.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-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.
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 12, 14, 16, 17 and 18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Yu (20210098381).
Regarding claim 12, Yu teaches a thin film peeling test method comprising:
providing a test structure including a peeling risk layer (fig. 34 and 39: 314; fig. 39 shows 314 being peeled from the device structure), a peeling test layer (fig. 34 and 39: 360; fig. 39 shows 360A being peeled away from 312), and a planarized insulation layer (fig. 37: 360B; par. 78 teaches the ILD in the redistribution circuit structure being planarized) that are sequentially disposed on a substrate (fig. 34: 312);
forming first and second via holes (fig. 37 shows via holes being formed and filled by 364B and 364A) penetrating the planarized insulation layer and reaching inside the peeling test layer (par. 78 and 79 outlined this trench opening process panning 360A and 360B);
filling the first and second via holes with a conductive material to form first and second contact vias in the first and second via holes, respectively (par. 78 and 79 teaches filing trench openings with metallization 362A and 364B);
forming first and second test pads electrically connected to the first and second contact vias (par. 38 teaches forming test pads in the redistribution circuit structure; fig. 38, par. 49 teaches that connecting pads 372 function as testing pads), respectively, to fabricate a peeling test structure (the structure seen in fig. 38 shows a structure to be undergo a subsequent peeling process, as seen in fig. 39); and
performing an electrical conduction test between the first and second contact vias by connecting the first and second test pads to an electrical measurement device (par. 38 teaches using a testing device to detect the electrical connectivity of the structure, particularly by attaching to the connecting pads; prior art calls these verification tests, using probes on the connecting pads. It is taught that verification testing can be performed on intermediate structures as well as the final structure).
Regarding claim 14, Yu teaches a thin film peeling test method of claim 12, wherein the test structure further includes a void formed on the substrate due to peeling of the peeling risk layer from the substrate (please see fig. 39 which shows a void formed when 314 is removed from the substrate).
Regarding claim 16, Yu teaches a thin film peeling test method of claim 12, wherein forming the first and second contact vias further includes forming a conductive bridge (fig. 34: 334) electrically connecting the first and second contact vias to each other due to connection of the conductive material filling the first and second via holes, in the void (fig. 37 shows via connected via 334).
Regarding claim 17, Yu teaches a thin film peeling test method of claim 12, wherein forming the first and second via holes includes forming arrays of the first and second via holes arranged along a direction substantially parallel to an upper surface of the substrate (please see fig. 37 which shows this arrangement).
Regarding claim 18, Yu teaches a thin film peeling test method of claim 17, wherein forming the first and second contact vias includes filling the first and second via holes with a conductive material to form arrays of the first and second contact vias, respectively (please see fig. 37 which shows these holes being filled with metallization).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 13 is 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.
Claim 15 is 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.
Claim 19 is 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.
Claim 20 is objected to as being dependent on claim 19.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to CALEB E HENRY whose telephone number is (571)270-5370. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Fri.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Eva Montalvo can be reached at (571) 270-3829. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/CALEB E HENRY/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2818
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