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 .
Status of the Application
This Office Action is in response to Applicant’s application 18/537,508 filed on Mach 02, 2026 in which claims 1 to 20 are pending.
Drawings
The drawings submitted on December 12 2023 have been reviewed and accepted by the Examiner.
Information Disclosure Statement
The Information Disclosure Statement (IDS), filed on December 12 2023 is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosed therein has been considered by the Examiner.
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of paper submitted under 35 U.S.C. 119(a)-(d) or under 35 U.S.C. 120, 121, 365(c), or 386(c) which has been placed of record in the file.
Notation
References to patents will be in the form of (C: L) where C is the column number and L is the line number. References to pre-grant patent publications will be to the paragraph number in the form of (¶ XXXX).
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of claims in the reply filed on March 02 2026 is acknowledged. Claims 16-20 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected invention, there being no allowable generic or linking claim.
Claim Objections
Claim 8 is objected to because of the following informalities:
Claim 8 is objected to for a typographical error in “A1-containing layer” should be “Al-containing layer.
Appropriate correction is required.
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 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.
The factual inquiries set forth in Graham v. John Deere Co., 383 U.S. 1, 148 USPQ 459 (1966), that are applied for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
Claims 1, 2, 5, 6 rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yang et al. (US 2022/0223548 A1; Hereinafter “Yang”) in view of Gaborieau et al. (US 2023/0290649 A1 hereinafter “Gaborieau”).
Regarding claim 1, Yang teaches a semiconductor device (Fig.15), comprising:
a substrate (10, Fig.15; ¶ 0013);
a first electrode (156A, Fig.15; ¶ 0035) and a second electrode (156B; Fig.15; ¶ 0035), disposed on the substrate (102);
a first conductive bump (160A; ¶0035), disposed on the first electrode (156A); and
a second conductive bump (160B, ¶ 0035), disposed on the second electrode (156B),
wherein, the first conductive bump comprises a first convex top surface (160A has a top convex portion; Fig.15), the second conductive bump comprises a second convex top surface (160B comprises a second convex portion), and a top of the first convex top surface and a top of the second convex top surface are substantially including a same horizontal height (both are including substantially the same horizontal height); and
wherein, the compositions of the first electrode and the second electrode comprise a first metal (156A and 156B can be formed from different metals, Fig.12 and 14 ¶ 0035), the compositions of the first conductive bump and the second conductive bump comprise the first metal and a second metal (158 can be made of the same of the same material as 156; ¶ 0043; the conductive bump can be made of gold “AU’ and tin “Sn”).
Yang does not teach and the content of the first metal in the first conductive bump is gradually decreased in a direction away from the first electrode.
However, Gaborieau teaches a method of making the first metal in the first conductive bump is gradually decreased in a direction away from the first electrode (in this case the gold the gradually decrease in the direction from the bottom surface to the top surface; Fig.4A; ¶ 0032).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the invention to have the content of the first metal in the first conductive bump is gradually decreased in a direction away from the first electrode in the device of Yang as taught by Gaborieau since it has been held that where the general conditions of a claim (method of making of Sn-Au bump with thickness and height)) are disclosed in the prior art, discovering the optimum or working ranges involves only routine skill in the art. See MPEP § 2144.05.
Regarding claim 2, Yang as modified by Gaborieau teaches wherein the first metal is Au and the second metal is Sn (¶ 0032).
Regarding claim 5, Yang teaches the substrate comprises several dielectric layers or several metal layers (112, Fig.15; ¶ 0017).
Regarding claim 6, Yang teaches further comprising a through hole in one of the several dielectric layers (through holes formed in 112, Fig.15).
Regarding claim 9, Yang teaches where a height of the first conductive bump (160A has a height of 5 µm; ¶0047) is smaller than or equal to 0.05 times a projected area of the first electrode (156A; H: 5 to 18 µm and W: 10 to 50 µm; ¶ 0040. Therefore, area can be a 100 µm which is at least .05 times).
Regarding claim 10, Yang teaches wherein the first electrode comprises a short side, and a height of the first conductive bump is less than or equal to a length of the short side of the first electrode (H of 156A can be equal to a height of 160A which is equal to 5µm; ¶ 0040 and 0047).
Claims 3 and 4 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yang et al. (US 2022/0223548 A1; Hereinafter “Yang”) in view of Gaborieau et al. (US 2023/0290649 A1 hereinafter “Gaborieau”) as applied to claim 1 above and further in view of Lo (US 2023/0378113 A1).
Regarding claim 3, Yang as modified by Gaborieau does not teach a dielectric layer disposed on the substrate and surrounding the first electrode and the second electrode.
However, Lo teaches a dielectric layer (331, Fig.4; ¶ 0058) disposed on the substrate (240, Fig.4; ¶ 0053; Figure can be upside down) and surrounding the first electrode (25; Fig.4, ¶ 0062) and the second electrode (27; Fig.4, ¶ 0053).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the invention, a dielectric layer disposed on the substrate and surrounding the first electrode and the second electrode in the device of Yang as modified by Gaborieau as taught by Lo for the purpose of protecting the bump and electrodes (¶ 0058).
Regarding claim 4, Yang as modified by Gaborieau does not teach the dielectric layer surrounds the first conductive bump and the second conductive bump.
However, Lo teaches the dielectric layer (331, Fig.4; ¶ 0058) disposed on the substrate (240, Fig.4; ¶ 0053; Figure can be upside down) surrounding the first conductive bump (25; Fig.4, ¶ 0062) and the second conductive bump (27; Fig.4, ¶ 0053).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the invention, a dielectric layer disposed on the substrate and surrounding the first electrode and the second electrode in the device of Yang as modified by Gaborieau as taught by Lo for the aforementioned reasons.
Claim 8 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yang et al. (US 2022/0223548 A1; Hereinafter “Yang”) in view of Gaborieau et al. (US 2023/0290649 A1 hereinafter “Gaborieau”) as applied to claim 1 above and further in view of Seddon (US 2020/0243388 A1).
Regarding claim 8, Yang teaches wherein the first electrode comprises a metal-containing layer, and the first electrode is concave inward at the metal-containing layer (148 Fig.7; ¶, “Ti”).
Yang does not teach the metal containing layer is Al-containing layer.
However, Seddon teaches the metal containing layer can be Al or Ti (¶ 0044).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the invention, to have the metal seed layer in the device of Yang formed rom AL instead of Ti as taught by Seddon since it has been held to be within the general skill of a worker in the art to select a known material on the basis of its suitability for the intended use as a matter of obvious design choice MPEP § 2144.07.
Claim 7 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yang et al. (US 2022/0223548 A1; Hereinafter “Yang”) in view of Gaborieau et al. (US 2023/0290649 A1 hereinafter “Gaborieau”) as applied to claim 1 above and further in view of Tseng et al. (US 2014/0167253 A1; hereinafter “Tseng”).
Regarding claim 7, Yang as modified by Gaboriau does not teach a first metal film located at one side of the first conductive bump and a second metal film at one side of the second conductive bump, wherein in an upper view, the first conductive bump has a first outer contour, the first metal film has a second outer contour, and the first outer contour is located inside the second outer contour and is approximate to the second outer contour.
However, Tseng teaches a first metal film (112, Fig. 9; ¶ 0017) located at one side of the first conductive bump (130b; Fig.9; ¶ 0017) and a second metal film (112 formed on the right side of 130b, Fig.9) at one side of the second conductive bump (130C), wherein in an upper view, the first conductive bump has a first outer contour (130b has a first contour from top view, Fig.9), the first metal film (112) has a second outer contour (112 has a second outer contour), and the first outer contour is located inside the second outer contour and is approximate to the second outer contour (130b is located on the inner side of 112; Fig.9).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the invention, to have a first metal film located at one side of the first conductive bump and a second metal film at one side of the second conductive bump, wherein in an upper view, the first conductive bump has a first outer contour, the first metal film has a second outer contour, and the first outer contour is located inside the second outer contour and is approximate to the second outer contour in the device of Yang and Gaborieau as taught by Tseng for the purpose of reducing current density and misalignment when coupling the semiconductor device (¶ 0055).
Claims 11-15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yang et al. (US 2022/0223548 A1; Hereinafter “Yang”) in view of Tseng et al. (US 2014/0167253 A1; hereinafter “Tseng”).
Regarding claim 11, Yang teaches a semiconductor device (Fig.15), comprising:
a substrate (10, Fig.15; ¶ 0013);
a first electrode (156A, Fig.15; ¶ 0035) and a second electrode (156B; Fig.15; ¶ 0035), disposed on the substrate (102);
a first conductive bump (160A; ¶0035), disposed on the first electrode (156A); and
a second conductive bump (160B, ¶ 0035), disposed on the second electrode (156B).
Yang does not teach a first metal film, located at one side of the first conductive bump and a second metal film, located at one side of the second conductive bump.
However, Tseng teaches a first metal film (112, Fig. 9; ¶ 0017; also includes 112a and 112c on each side of 112b, Fig.13) located at one side of the first conductive bump (130b; Fig.9; ¶ 0017) and a second metal film (112 formed on the right side of 130b, Fig.9) at one side of the second conductive bump (130C).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the invention, to have a first metal film, located at one side of the first conductive bump and a second metal film, located at one side of the second conductive bump in the device of Yang as taught by Tseng for the purpose of reducing current density and misalignment when coupling the semiconductor device (¶ 0055).
Regarding claim 12, Yang as modified by Tseng teaches in an upper view, the first metal film is a discontinuous film (Tseng; 112 around 130c in Figure 9).
Regarding claim 13, Yang as modified by Tseng teaches the first metal film comprises a first metal, the first conductive bump comprises a second metal, and the first metal and the second metal are the same (Tseng teaches 112 (¶ 0036; “copper”) can be made from the same material as the conductive bump (¶ 0022; “copper”)).
Regarding claim 14, Yang teaches the thickness of the first electrode (156A; H: 5 to 18 µm¶ 0040) and second electrode (156B; H: 10 to 50 µm; ¶ 0040).
Yang as modified by Tseng does not explicitly teach a thickness of the first metal film is 0.02 to 0.05 times a thickness of the first electrode, and a thickness of the second metal film is 0.02 to 0.05 times a thickness of the second electrode.
However, Tseng teaches a thickness of the first metal film and thickness of the second metal film (112a and 112c, Fig.9 and Fig.13;10 to 35 µm; ¶ 0036). Further Tseng teaches the exact distance between the conductive bump (130) and the metal film (112a).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the invention, to have a thickness of the first metal film is 0.02 to 0.05 times a thickness of the first electrode, and a thickness of the second metal film is 0.02 to 0.05 times a thickness of the second electrode in the device of Yang and Tseng since it has been held that where the general conditions of a claim are disclosed in the prior art, discovering the optimum or working ranges involves only routine skill in the art. See MPEP § 2144.05.
Regarding claim 15, Yang teaches wherein the first electrode comprises a short side, and a height of the first conductive bump is less than or equal to a length of the short side of the first electrode (H of 156A can be equal to a height of 160A which is equal to 5µm; ¶ 0040 and 0047).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Mounir S Amer whose telephone number is (571)270-3683. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 9:00-5:30.
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/Mounir S Amer/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2818
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