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 Analysis for Independent Claims (Dependent Claim Analysis will follow)
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.
Claim(s) 1 and 14 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Lee et al. (hereinafter Lee, KR 20220093788).
In regards to independent claim 1, Lee teaches a method for manufacturing a diamond cooled device, the method comprises:
obtaining a semiconductor item that comprises active elements that emit heat during operation (Lee, Fig. 19, 1500, [0122], semiconductor device, “an embodiment of the present disclosure, a semiconductor device 1500, for example, a compound power semiconductor or A step of attaching an MMIC chip,” [0011] “the compound semiconductor power device is required to be coupled with a heat spreader so that it can stay in a temperature range that can be stably operated,”);
obtaining via location information regarding vias associated with the active elements (Lee, Fig. 19, 600, [0132], vias are formed, “including a diamond layer 400 in which a plurality of via holes 600 ′ filled with copper 600 are formed therethrough,” [0132]);
obtaining a diamond layer that comprises openings that are located at positions determined based on the via location information (Lee, Fig. 19, 400, [0132], “the present disclosure is a diamond plate including a diamond layer 400 in which a plurality of via holes 600 ′ filled with copper 600 are formed therethrough”); and
bonding the diamond layer to the semiconductor item to provide a bonded item, following the obtaining of the diamond layer (Lee, Fig. 19, 1500, [0132], “A diamond plate 1100 having a plurality of metal layers 800a and 800b formed on each of the upper and lower surfaces of the 400, and a semiconductor device 1500 attached on the plurality of metal layers 800a formed on the upper surface of the diamond layer 400”)
In regards to independent claim 14, Lee teaches a method for manufacturing a diamond interposer, the method comprises:
obtaining a semiconductor item that comprises active elements that emit heat during operation (Lee, Fig. 19, 1500, [0122], semiconductor device, “an embodiment of the present disclosure, a semiconductor device 1500, for example, a compound power semiconductor or A step of attaching an MMIC chip,” [0011] “the compound semiconductor power device is required to be coupled with a heat spreader so that it can stay in a temperature range that can be stably operated,”);
obtaining via location information regarding vias associated with the active elements (Lee, Fig. 19, 600, [0132], vias are formed, “including a diamond layer 400 in which a plurality of via holes 600 ′ filled with copper 600 are formed therethrough,” [0132]);
obtaining a diamond layer that comprises openings that are located at positions determined based on the via location information (Lee, Fig. 19, 600, [0132], vias are formed, “including a diamond layer 400 in which a plurality of via holes 600 ′ filled with copper 600 are formed therethrough,” [0132]); and
bonding the diamond layer to the semiconductor item to provide a bonded item, following the obtaining of the diamond layer (Lee, Fig. 19, 1500, [0132], “A diamond plate 1100 having a plurality of metal layers 800a and 800b formed on each of the upper and lower surfaces of the 400, and a semiconductor device 1500 attached on the plurality of metal layers 800a formed on the upper surface of the diamond layer 400”).
Claim Analysis for Dependent Claims
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.
Claim(s) 4, 11, 12, 13, 15-17 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Lee.
In regards to dependent claim 4, Lee teaches wherein the obtaining of the diamond layer comprises forming the openings as an integral part of a growth of the diamond layer (Lee, [0093], see Fig. 7, after seeding step 110 the seed is etched at step 136 and then the diamond continues to grow, “the above-described second seeding step ( S110 ) Between and the nucleation layer growth step (S140), a first photoresist (300') layer is coated on the diamond particle layer seeded with the first diamond particles 210 and the second diamond particles 220 and 1 A step of patterning the photoresist layer 300' (S132), and selectively etching the diamond particle layer using the patterned first photoresist layer as a first etch mask (S134). ), and removing the first photoresist layer after the selective etching (S136)”)
In regards to dependent claim 11, Lee teaches wherein the obtaining of the diamond layer comprises obtaining the diamond layer in which the openings are filled (Lee, [0096], “the diamond plate manufacturing process according to the present disclosure further includes a step ( S330 ) of embedding copper in the via hole.”) .
In regards to dependent claim 12, Lee teaches wherein the obtaining of the diamond layer comprises obtaining the diamond layer in which the openings are filled with electric conductive material (Lee, [0096], “the diamond plate manufacturing process according to the present disclosure further includes a step ( S330 ) of embedding copper in the via hole.”).
In regards to dependent clam 13, Lee teaches wherein the obtaining of the diamond layer comprises obtaining the diamond layer in which the openings are unfilled (Lee, [0093], see Fig. 7, after seeding step 110 the seed is etched at step 136 and then the diamond continues to grow at this step the vias are unfilled, “the above-described second seeding step ( S110 ) Between and the nucleation layer growth step (S140), a first photoresist (300') layer is coated on the diamond particle layer seeded with the first diamond particles 210 and the second diamond particles 220 and 1 A step of patterning the photoresist layer 300' (S132), and selectively etching the diamond particle layer using the patterned first photoresist layer as a first etch mask (S134). ), and removing the first photoresist layer after the selective etching (S136)”).
In regards to dependent claim 15, Lee teaches wherein the obtaining of the diamond layer comprises obtaining the diamond layer in which the openings are filled (Lee, [0096], “the diamond plate manufacturing process according to the present disclosure further includes a step ( S330 ) of embedding copper in the via hole.”).
In regards to dependent clam 16, Lee teaches wherein the obtaining of the diamond layer comprises obtaining the diamond layer in which the openings are filled with electric conductive material (Lee, [0096], “the diamond plate manufacturing process according to the present disclosure further includes a step ( S330 ) of embedding copper in the via hole.”).
In regards to dependent claim 17, Lee teaches wherein the obtaining of the diamond layer comprises obtaining the diamond layer in which the openings are unfilled (Lee, [0093], see Fig. 7, after seeding step 110 the seed is etched at step 136 and then the diamond continues to grow at this step the vias are unfilled, “the above-described second seeding step ( S110 ) Between and the nucleation layer growth step (S140), a first photoresist (300') layer is coated on the diamond particle layer seeded with the first diamond particles 210 and the second diamond particles 220 and 1 A step of patterning the photoresist layer 300' (S132), and selectively etching the diamond particle layer using the patterned first photoresist layer as a first etch mask (S134). ), and removing the first photoresist layer after the selective etching (S136)”).
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.
Claim(s) 7, 9, 10 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lee in view of Uppal et al. (hereinafter Uppal, US 2020/0273772).
In regards to dependent claim 7, Lee fails to explicitly teach wherein the positions of the openings are determined based on estimated locations of hotspots formed by the emission of the heat from the active elements during operation. Uppal teaches wherein the positions of the openings are determined based on estimated locations of hotspots formed by the emission of the heat from the active elements during operation (Uppal, [0019], [0025], “to create openings into which thermally conductive material may be deposited in proximity to hotspots 212 on device surface 214”). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, having the teachings of Lee and Uppal before him before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify the diamond heat spreader taught by Lee to include the hotspot openings of Uppal in order to obtain a heat spreader that contains openings at hotspots. One would have been motivated to make such a combination because increase thermal conduction at locations that are the hottest thereby cooling the device to a more even temp.
In regards to dependent claim 9, Lee fails to explicitly teach wherein the obtaining of the via location information regarding vias associated with the active elements comprises determining the via locations based on design information regarding the semiconductor item. Uppal teaches wherein the obtaining of the via location information regarding vias associated with the active elements comprises determining the via locations based on design information regarding the semiconductor item (Uppal, [0019], [0025], “device hotspots 112 are locations on device surface 114 that have been identified (e.g., through modeling and/or empirical measurement “ “to create openings into which thermally conductive material may be deposited in proximity to hotspots 212 on device surface 214”). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, having the teachings of Lee and Uppal before him before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify the diamond heat spreader taught by Lee to include the hotspot openings of Uppal in order to obtain a heat spreader that contains openings at hotspots. One would have been motivated to make such a combination because increase thermal conduction at locations that are the hottest thereby cooling the device to a more even temp.
In regards to dependent claim 10, Lee fails to explicitly teach wherein the determining of the via locations is also based on estimated locations of hotspots formed by the emission of the heat from the active elements during operation. Uppal teaches wherein the determining of the via locations is also based on estimated locations of hotspots formed by the emission of the heat from the active elements during operation (Upal, [0019], [0025], “device hotspots 112 are locations on device surface 114 that have been identified (e.g., through modeling and/or empirical measurement “ “to create openings into which thermally conductive material may be deposited in proximity to hotspots 212 on device surface 214”). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, having the teachings of Lee and Uppal before him before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify the diamond heat spreader taught by Lee to include the hotspot openings of Uppal in order to obtain a heat spreader that contains openings at hotspots. One would have been motivated to make such a combination because increase thermal conduction at locations that are the hottest thereby cooling the device to a more even temp.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 2, 3, 5, 6, 8 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 a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: The prior art fails to disclose or teach an obvious combination of the following limitations when taken with the claim as a whole:
Claim 2: following the bonding, semiconductor via holes using the diamond layer as a mask.
Claim 3: following the bonding, semiconductor via holes using a mask that differs from the diamond layer.
Claim 5: wherein the obtaining of the diamond layer comprises growing the diamond layer over a patterned growth structure configured to introduce the openings.
Claim 6: wherein the patterned growth structure was designed by a design process that was based on design information regarding the semiconductor item.
Claim 8: , wherein the positions of the openings are also determined based on locations of vias to be formed in the semiconductor item.
Conclusion
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/WILLIAM C TRAPANESE/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2812