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 § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 1 through 4 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
In Claim 1, it is unclear what is meant by the phrases of “a first temporary carrier” (line 3) and “a second temporary carrier” (line 6), with emphasis on the term of “temporary”. To what degree are these carriers “temporary”? There are no steps that recite removal of the first and second temporary carriers. So the phrase of “to form a multi-layer redistribution structure” (line 12) can certainly mean that the first and second temporary carriers are part of the final structure of the millimeter-wave antenna module package structure. Not to mention, the applicant specification (e.g. ¶ [0050]) states that it is optional to remove the first and second temporary carriers. For purposes of examination, the first and second temporary carriers are considered to be part of the final structure of the millimeter-wave antenna module package structure.
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 and 3, as best understood, are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by U.S. 2019/0319338 to Gu et al (hereinafter “Gu”).
Claim 1: Gu discloses a manufacturing method of a millimeter-wave antenna module package structure comprising:
forming a first group of circuit structure (e.g. 120A, Fig. 1) on a first temporary carrier (e.g. 130A), wherein the first group of circuit structure comprises at least one first circuit layer (e.g. 134) and a plurality of first conductive connectors (e.g. 123), and the at least one first circuit layer comprises an antenna pattern (e.g. ¶ [0016]);
forming a second group of circuit structure (e.g. 125) on a second temporary carrier (e.g. 140), wherein the second group of circuit structure comprises a plurality of second circuit layers (e.g. 127, 146, 140, Fig. 1) and a plurality of second conductive connectors (e.g. 126); and
joining the first group of circuit structure and the second group of circuit structure by a plurality of joints (e.g. 112), wherein the joints connect the first conductive connectors and the second conductive connectors to electrically connect the first group of circuit structure to the second group of circuit structure to form a multi-layer redistribution structure (e.g. Fig. 1, ¶¶ [0016], [0022]).
Claim 3: Gu discloses the manufacturing method according to claim 1, wherein a dielectric layer (e.g. 122 of 120A) of the first group of circuit structure is formed by a lamination process (e.g. laminated layers, ¶ [0019]).
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.
Claims 2 and 4 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Gu in view of U.S. 2019/0319359 to Hayata (hereinafter “Hayata”).
Gu discloses the claimed manufacturing method as relied upon above in Claim 1. Gu does not teach that the dielectric layer of the first group of circuit structure is formed by a liquid curing process, or that a metal circuit of the first group of circuit structure is formed by a thin film process.
Hayata discloses a method of making a millimeter-wave antenna module package structure that includes a first group circuit structure (e.g. 5, Fig. 3) that includes a dielectric layer (e.g. 23) and metal circuit (e.g. 25). The dielectric layer is one of many that is formed by a liquid curing process (e.g. ¶ [0083]) to allow the dielectric layers to be bonded together (e.g. ¶¶ [0074], [0083]). Hayata further forms a metal circuit (e.g. 25) by a thin film process (e.g. ¶ [0085]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the dielectric layer and metal circuit of Gu by utilizing the liquid curing and thin film processes, respectively, taught by Hayata, to bond the dielectric layers and accurately pattern the metal circuit in forming the multi-layer redistribution structure.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
a) Japanese Patent Publication, JP 2012-209796, discloses method of making a millimeter-wave antenna module package structure that includes joining a first group of circuit structure (e.g. 10, Fig. 2) and a second group of circuit structure (e.g. 31) by a plurality of joints (e.g. 22, see SOLUTION).
b) Non-Patent Literature IEEE Publication to Kamenopolsky et al, entitled "Inexpensive chip carriers for 10-port phase controlling MMIC's in the Ku band", disclose a method of making a millimeter-wave antenna module package structure that includes a first group of circuit structure (e.g. Fig. 3a) on a first temporary carrier (e.g. “carrier”).
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to A. DEXTER TUGBANG whose telephone number is (571)272-4570. The examiner can normally be reached Mon - Fri 8:00 am to 5:00 pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, THOMAS J. HONG can be reached at 571-272-0993. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/A. DEXTER TUGBANG/ Primary Examiner
Art Unit 3729
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