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 .
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)(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.
(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.
Claim 1 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) and 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Daubenspeck, US 2012/0025383 A1.
Claim 1: Daubenspeck discloses
a substrate (101);
a plurality of electrical contacts (107/108) disposed on an outer surface of the substrate;
a solder resist (106) disposed on the outer surface of the substrate and including an opening (156) defined by a plurality of edges and exposing the plurality of electrical contacts;
and an alpha particle shield (109) disposed proximate to at least one edge, of the plurality of edges (FIG. 1A).
Note: as the present specification and claim 7 indicate, copper is an alpha shielding material. Given the technical context, which is blocking alpha (α) particles, the important aspect of copper is its nucleus, rather than its chemical or electrical properties. Therefore the examiner interprets “copper shield” to be a shield that contains copper in any form, including copper compounds. Daubenspeck [0084] discloses that “BLM layers 109 can comprise, for example, an adhesion layer (e.g., … a nickel-copper (Ni--Cu) layer, … a chromium-copper (Cr--Cu) layer …) on the adhesion layer and a bonding layer (e.g., a copper (Cu) layer, …) on the barrier layer.” Note also that nickel is a known alpha shielding material, and many of the other listed materials are known to block alpha particles.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 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 1 and 3-10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kato, US 2015/0371984 A1 in view of Farooq, US 2009/0039515 A1.
Claim 1: Kato discloses
a substrate (10);
a plurality of electrical contacts (43 and/or 44) disposed on an outer surface of the substrate;
a solder resist (46 and/or 42) disposed on the outer surface of the substrate and including an opening (46A, 46B) defined by a plurality of edges (sidewalls) and exposing the plurality of electrical contacts.
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Kato does not disclose an alpha particle shield. However, these were known in the art. See Farooq, FIG. 2, alpha particle shield (104, containing alpha blocking material 108, [0020]) disposed as the outer layer of the device.
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It would have been obvious to have had such a layer to protect the device from soft errors caused by alpha radiation (Farooq [0004]). In Kato in view of Farooq, the alpha shielding layer 104 would have extended to contact the pad 44A, and thus would have been disposed proximate to at least one edge (the edges of 46), of the plurality of edges.
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Claim 3: Kato discloses a polyimide layer (middle of 46, [0046]) disposed on the outer surface of the substrate and surrounding the plurality of electrical contacts. Note that Kato diagrammatically shows only two contacts, which the polyimide layer surrounds partially surrounds, and would completely surround the interior contacts.
In Kato in view of Farooq, the alpha particle shield is coupled to the polyimide layer.
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Claim 4: at least a portion of the polyimide layer is disposed between the solder resist and the alpha particle shield. See the annotated FIG. directly above.
Claim 5: the alpha particle shield includes a first substantially planar portion (on the top of 46) and a second substantially planar portion (covering the sidewall of 46) extending at an angle with respect to the first substantially planar portion.
Claim 6: the first substantially planar portion (on the top of 46) extends substantially parallel to the outer surface of the substrate, and wherein the second substantially planar portion (on sidewall of 46) extends, from an edge of the first substantially planar portion, toward the opening of the solder resist.
Claim 7: the alpha particle shield is a copper shield (Farooq [0020], [0028]). Note: given the technical context, which is blocking alpha (α) particles, the important aspect of copper is its nucleus, rather than its chemical or electrical properties. Therefore the examiner interprets “copper shield” to be a shield that contains copper in any form, including copper compounds.
Claim 8: in Kato in view of Farooq, at least a portion of the alpha particle shield is disposed, in a direction, above the solder resist.
Claims 8-10: Farooq at [0028] discloses that the thickness of the alpha particle shield is determined by the composition of the layer and the energy of the potential alpha particles. This, together with the blocking properties of other layers, and the level of risk acceptable, would allow one of skill in the art to determine the desired thickness of the alpha particle shield. Thus the thickness of the alpha particle shield is a result-effective variable, and it would have been within ordinary skill in the art to determine.
Claims 2 and 11-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kato in view of Farooq in view of Fujimori, US 2020/0303290 A1.
Claim 2: Kato is designed to be attached to a die, but does not show the die. Fujimori shows a semiconductor die (20) disposed above, in a direction, the substrate and electrically coupled to the substrate via the plurality of electrical contacts 30.
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The die intended to be attached to Kato would be similarly attached. In Kato in view of Farooq, at least a portion of the alpha particle shield would be disposed, in the direction, between the at least one edge and the semiconductor die.
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Claim 11: Kato discloses
a substrate (10);
a plurality of electrical contacts (44) disposed on an outer surface of the substrate;
a solder resist (42 and 46) disposed on the outer surface of the substrate and at least partially surrounding the plurality of electrical contacts;
Claim 2: Kato is designed to be attached to a die, but does not show the die. Fujimori shows a semiconductor die (20) disposed above, in a direction, the substrate and electrically coupled to the substrate via the plurality of electrical contacts 30.
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The die intended to be attached to Kato would be similarly attached. In Kato in view of Farooq, at least a portion of the alpha particle shield would be disposed, in the direction, between the at least one edge and the semiconductor die.
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and an alpha particle shield disposed between at least a portion of the solder resist and at least a portion of the semiconductor die.
Kato does not disclose an alpha particle shield. However, these were known in the art. See Farooq, FIG. 2, alpha particle shield (104, containing alpha blocking material 108, [0020]) disposed as the outer layer of the device.
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It would have been obvious to have had such a layer to protect the device from soft errors caused by alpha radiation (Farooq [0004]). In Kato in view of Farooq, the alpha shielding layer 104 would be disposed between at least a portion of the solder resist and at least a portion of the semiconductor die.
Claim 12: the solder resist includes an opening exposing the plurality of electrical contacts. In Kato in view of Farooq, the alpha particle shield is disposed at an edge of the opening.
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Claim 13: Kato discloses a polyimide layer disposed on the outer surface of the substrate and surrounding the plurality of electrical contacts:
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In Kato in view of Farooq, the alpha particle shield would be coupled to the polyimide layer.
Claim 14: In Kato in view of Farooq, at least a portion of the polyimide layer is disposed between the solder resist and the alpha particle shield.
Claim 15: the alpha particle shield includes a first substantially planar portion (on top of 46) and a second substantially planar portion (on sidewall of 46) extending at an angle with respect to the first substantially planar portion.
Claim 16: the first substantially planar portion (on top of 46) extends substantially parallel to the outer surface of the substrate, and wherein the second substantially planar (on sidewall of 46) portion extends, from an edge of the first substantially planar portion, toward the plurality of electrical contacts.
Claim 17: the alpha particle shield is a copper shield (Farooq [0020], [0028]). Note: given the technical context, which is blocking alpha (α) particles, the important aspect of copper is its nucleus, rather than its chemical or electrical properties. Therefore the examiner interprets “copper shield” to be a shield that contains copper in any form, including copper compounds.
Claim 18: in Kato in view of Farooq, at least a portion of the alpha particle shield is disposed, in a direction, above the solder resist..
Claims 18-20: Farooq at [0028] discloses that the thickness of the alpha particle shield is determined by the composition of the layer and the energy of the potential alpha particles. This, together with the blocking properties of other layers, and the level of risk acceptable, would allow one of skill in the art to determine the desired thickness of the alpha particle shield. Thus the thickness of the alpha particle shield is a result-effective variable, and it would have been within ordinary skill in the art to determine.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure and is listed in the attached Notice of References Cited.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to PETER BRADFORD whose telephone number is (571)270-1596. The examiner can normally be reached 10:30-6:30.
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, Jacob Choi can be reached at 469.295.9060. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/PETER BRADFORD/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2897