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 .
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 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.
Status of the application
This office Action is in response to Applicant's Application filled on 07/15/2026. Claims 1-20 are pending for this examination.
Priority
Acknowledgment is made of applicant's claim for foreign priority under 35 U.S.C. 119(a)-(d). The certified copy has been filed on 01/07/2024.
Oath/Declaration
The oath or declaration filed on 11/20/2023 is acceptable.
Election/Restrictions
Applicants’ election of species II (Fig 3): claims 1-3, 5 and 13 in the reply filed on 07/15/2026 are acknowledged. Because applicants did not distinctly and specifically point out the supposed errors in the restriction requirement, the election has been treated as an election without traverse (MPEP § 818.03(a)). The election is without traverse because the response is incomplete.
This office action considers claims 1-20 pending for prosecution, wherein claims 4, 6-12 and 14-20 are withdrawn from further consideration, and 1-3, 5 and 13 are presented for examination.
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, 5 and 13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Hu et al (US 2011/0193221 A1; hereafter Hu).
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Annotated Figure 1H (Hu):
Regarding claim 1. Hu discloses a substrate (Fig 1H, substrate 10, Para [0016]), comprising:
a first layer (interconnect structure 32, Para [0021]) including a first power line (left UBMs 36, Para [0021], construed as first power line. It is evidence by Huang et al us 2022/0310472, Para [ 0091] discloses “ UBMs 148 and the external connectors 148 may also be referred to as backside input/output pads that may provide signal, supply voltage, and/or ground connections”) extending in a first direction ( vertical direction) and a second power line (right UBMs 36, construed as second power line Para [0021]) extending in the first direction ( vertical direction);
a second layer (interconnect structure 12, Para [0022]) disposed under the first layer (interconnect structure 32, Para [0021]), wherein the second layer (interconnect structure 12, Para [0022]) includes a third power line (metal lines 14, construed as third power line Para [ 0017], also shown in figure 1A) extending in a second direction (metal lines 14, Para [ 0017], horizontal direction) different from the first direction ( vertical direction), and a fourth power (another metal lines 14, construed as fourth power line Para [ 0017]) line extending in the second direction (horizontal direction);
a first via (left TSV 20, Para [0017]) electrically connecting the first power line (left UBMs 36, Para [0021]) and the third power line to each other (metal lines 14, Para [0017]); and
a second via (right TSV 20, Para [ 0017]) electrically connecting the second power line (right UBMs 36, Para [0021]) and the fourth power line to each other (another metal lines 14, Para [ 0017]), wherein a first voltage is transferred via the third power line (metal lines 14, Para [0017,0037]), the first via (left TSV 20, Para [0017,0037]), and the first power line (left UBMs 36, Para [0021]), wherein a second voltage is transferred via the fourth power line (another metal lines 14, Para [ 0017, 0037]), the second via (right TSV 20, Para [ 0017,0037]), and the second power line (right UBMs 36, Para [0021]).
Regarding claim 2. Hu discloses the substrate of claim 1, Hu further discloses further comprising:
a first bump ( left bump 38B, Para [ 0023]) disposed on an upper surface of the first layer (interconnect structure 32, Para [0021]) and electrically connected to the first power line (left UBMs 36, Para [0021]); and a second bump ( right bump 38B, Para [ 0023]) disposed on the upper surface of the first layer (interconnect structure 32, Para [0021]) and electrically connected ( Para [ 0017,0037]) to the second power line (right UBMs 36, Para [0021]).
Regarding claim 3. Hu discloses the substrate of claim 1, Hu further discloses the further comprising: a first plane disposed under the second layer (interconnect structure 12, Para [0022]), wherein a first ball (bumps (or bond pads) 24, Para [ 0018]) is disposed on a lower surface of the first plane and is electrically connected to the third power line (metal lines 14, Para [ 0017]) via a third via ( vias 16, Para [ 0017]).
Regarding claim 5. Hu discloses the substrate of claim 1, Hu further discloses wherein the first layer further includes a first ground line (middle UBMS 36) extending in the first direction and disposed between the first power line (left UBMs 36, Para [0021]) and the second power line (right UBMs 36, Para [0021]).
Regarding claim 13. Hu discloses the substrate of claim 1, Hu further discloses wherein the first direction and the second direction are orthogonal to each other (Fig 1H, vertical/horizontal direction).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MOIN M RAHMAN whose telephone number is (571)272-5002. The examiner can normally be reached 8:30-5:00pm.
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, Julio Maldonado can be reached at 571-272-1864. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/MOIN M RAHMAN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2898
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